Jennifer Messner, a Denison University senior from Aurora, Ohio (44202), has been awarded The David Rounds Theatre Prize for the “most promising graduating student in the theatre department.” Messner was selected for the honor by the faculty, staff and the graduating theatre majors at Denison.

Messner will graduate with a double major in theatre and in psychology. For her senior theatre project, she directed “The Miss Firecracker Contest” by Beth Henley. Messner served as the assistant director for this season’s production of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” and appeared onstage as Diana in “Spite for Spite” and as Hope Langdon in the musical “Something’s Afoot.” Her other musical performances were with the Singer’s Theatre Workshop in productions of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “A Little Night Music,” and “Into the Woods.” Messner also sang with the Denison Chamber Choir and she was one of the founders of the a cappella singing group DUWop.

Messner has been both playwright and director for the One-Act Play Festivals produced by the Denison Independent Theatre Association, as well as an active ensemble member of the Women’s Performance Group. She has worked in the theatre costume shop throughout her years at Denison. In addition, Messner studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, now the National Theatre School of Ireland, and spent a summer internship as stage manager for the San Francisco Arts Education Project. She is a member of Theta Alpha Phi, the national honorary fraternity of the theatre arts.

Shortly before his death of cancer in 1983, David Rounds, a professional actor and member of the Denison class of 1952, endowed The David Rounds Theatre Prize. Rounds made his Broadway debut in “Foxy” and had extensive film and TV credits, including 10 years in soap operas. He appeared in many Broadway productions including “Cabaret” and “Chicago.” Rounds received both the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Supporting Actor of 1980 for his performance in “Morning’s At Seven.”

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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