In mid-April, a university theatre and dance professor Derek Davidson was notified his latest script, “Bumbershoot,” had been selected for the August’s New York City Fringe Festival. 

The festival is one of the largest fringe film festivals in the country, and only one out of every four shows entered is typically selected.

“Two friends of ours, one from Albuquerque and another from NYC called us and told us they wanted to enter something into the Fringe festival and did I have any scripts. I sent them two, eventually we decided on “Bumbershoot,” Davidson said.

“I filled out the paperwork which was due on February 14,and promptly forgot all about it. Two and a half months later we got an email on April 27, to be exact, saying we were accepted. I was quite surprised, my only real response was ‘Whoa, now what?'”

But Davidson wasn’t the only one who benefited from the show being selected.

Sophomore theatre arts major Molly Winstead was selected to play the part of an 11-year-old girl in the play.

“This opportunity has been amazing because it offered me not only a chance to perform in New York, but also to observe how productions and theater management are done in NYC,” Winstead said.

“I feel that this show has made me grow as an actor not only because I was assigned a role that is a far cry from my reality, but because I got to observe and study the rest of the cast who are all fabulously talented.”

Graduate student Shauna Shamby also had the chance to perofrm in Davidson’s play.

“The festival hasn’t offered me any more performing opportunities yet, but I am sure it will bring some things my way,” Shamby said. “Connecting with other performers always brings forth opportunities.”

Story: MEGAN WRAPPE, A&E Reporter