About the Scholarship
The Robert Porterfield Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a student pursuing a graduate degree in theatre. Robert Porterfield was the founder and longtime director of the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA. A charter member of SETC and a co-founder of its annual auditions, he continued to support the organization throughout his career. When the Endowment Fund was created, Bob became SETC’s first life member, and the Board later named its first scholarship in his honor.
Application Deadline
April 3, 2023 at 11:59PM ET
- Applications Accepted: January 1 – April 3
- Application Reviews / Candidate Interviews: April – June
- Winning Scholar Announced on SETC Website
- Scholarship Funds Available: Upon Proof of Matriculation, Upcoming Academic Year
- Winning Scholar Attends SETC Convention
- $2,000
- Free one-year SETC student membership
- Free registration for the following year’s SETC Convention
- Photo and bio recognition on the SETC website
Candidates must meet each of these qualifications to be eligible for this award:
- You must be planning to attend an accredited program of graduate studies in Theatre during the upcoming academic year.
- You must have graduated from, be currently attending, or have plans to attend an accredited academic undergraduate institution in one of the following 10 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia or West Virginia.
For consideration, eligible candidates must submit the following materials by the deadline:
- A personal letter outlining plans and objectives
- A complete resume
- Three letters of reference speaking specifically to the applicant’s potential as a graduate student
- Complete, current transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
Questions about submitting application materials should be sent to info@setc.org.
Scholarship Stories
Recent Porterfield Scholars share what winning the scholarship meant to their studies and how the award funds helped them pursue their ambitions:
Greetings Southeastern Theatre Conference Family! My name is Professor Troy Scarborough and I am a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. For well over a decade, I have been working as an adjunct professor at three colleges and universities in the Charlotte area as well as numerous positions as a university guest artist and lecturer throughout the country. My undergraduate institution is an SETC regional school and it is where I experienced my introduction into the professional theatre. I hold a B.F.A. in Acting and Directing from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to offer a B.F.A. in Professional Theatre. From there I earned an M.A. in Theatre from Wayne State University where I also worked with the famed Second City Comedy Club (Detroit). My M.F.A. is in Classical Acting from the University of Delaware and I completed a Conservatory Certificate in Musical Theatre from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). My training has allowed me to work in many acclaimed regional theatres such as the Utah Shakespearean Festival, national tours of The Full Monty, The Musical and Romeo and Juliet with the Classical Theatre of Harlem. I am currently a third-year PhD student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University with a focus in Theatre Arts. My dissertation and career goals are to build and head the first Master of Fine Arts Program in Professional Theatre at an HBCU in the country and with my financial support through the Robert Porterfield Scholarship, I will complete my certifications in voice and speech training and combine these certifications with my own formal acting training modalities to bring the best practices in theatre education to the African American Academy.
Hello world! My name is Victoria Walters also known as Vicky Yvonne. I am a 22-year-old arts fanatic that found my passion in multiple fields of this beautiful industry. My first passion, which will always be my true love, is acting. From the young age of 11, I found my home on stage in Atlanta, Georgia and have relished every moment that I’ve had the opportunity to experience onstage ever since. I hope that I will always find the joy and freedom I found the night I first performed. Utilizing my craft and skills to create an environment drives my mission to cultivate innovative creativity around the arts, as well as abolish the lines that separate culture, race, and nations. I strive to do this by creating a space that focuses on providing high-quality arts education to young adults. I have learned through my vast, but short, 22 years, that change starts with the youth, and through art, all is revealed. Dekalb School of the Arts, where I graduated from high school in 2017, cultivated this ball of passion, talent, and dedication. North Carolina A&T, where I obtained my BFA in professional theatre in 2021, gave that ball maturation and momentum. Carnegie Mellon University, where I will obtain my master’s in arts management starting in the fall of 2021, will presumably give me tangibility and certainty. Whether I am on stage, behind the scenes, on the screen, or being a driving force in my community, I hope that I continue to be inspired, become an inspiration, and change the quality of my life and others all on this world’s stage.
Katherine Stepanek
Katherine is a scenic and lighting designer, currently a graduate student at the University of Tennessee for scenic design. She graduated from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in 2012, with a double major in Theatrical Lighting and Scenic Design. She has worked professionally as a designer and an assistant throughout the country, including two seasons with Shawnee Theatre as both the resident lighting and scenic designer, four years as an assistant scenic designer for Dunsi Dai in St. Louis and as assistant lighting designer at the Repertory Theatre in St. Louis. Currently, she works as a scenic and projection designer at the Clarence Brown Theatre, a LORT Theatre in Knoxville, TN, and as a freelance designer.
She has also worked outside of the traditional theatre, designing a book store, an art gallery, a restaurant, a concert venue, and a bar. Additionally, she has worked with the art departments for Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Along with being a graduate student in Tennessee, Katherine will continue freelance designing with ANU productions in Dublin as an assistant for their new immersive show in October; an assistant directing a show at the Clarence Brown Theatre with Kate Buckley; and designing a set for the Clarence Brown, as well as assistant designing. She has upcoming scenic designs in Tennessee, Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Nebraska; lighting designs in Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri; and projection designs in Tennessee and Florida.
Liz Haynes!
Liz Haynes is a Technical Director from Nashville, TN (www.madebylizhaynes.com). She began her college studies at Clemson University graduating with a BA in Production Studies in Performing Arts and a BA in Modern Languages with an emphasis in Spanish. She currently resides in Las Vegas where she is a third-year graduate student in the MFA Technical Direction Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With a passion for sustainability in the performing arts, Liz is formulating her thesis on sustainability in entertainment production, focusing on systematic ways for any size performing arts company to make renewable and reusable choices regardless of staffing and monetary resources. Her professional work has taken her throughout the country to South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and Nevada. With a background in carpentry and a love for fabricating custom furniture, Liz honed her skills in the theatre through a range of positions with Porthouse Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Chautauqua Theater Company. Liz returns each summer to Chautauqua Theater Company as the Technical Director, where she oversees the build and rigging for seven shows in nine weeks as well as facilitates the education of carpentry and scenic painting apprentices. A believer in maintaining positivity in all facets of her life, Liz switches her steel toes for hot pink fringe cowboy boots and goes line dancing most Wednesday evenings.
Jane Reichard ~ 2018-2019 Scholar
“The Porterfield Scholarship was very helpful to me in my graduate studies (MFA in Costume Production from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). I was able to use the funds to buy materials for my portfolio projects including digitally printed fabric, new tools, and supplementary books for my classes.”
Leah Thomas ~ 2017 Scholar
“SETC has been an organization that has set me up for success for nine years now! Through SETC I was connected with my first professional gig out of undergrad, and receiving the Porterfield Scholarship made it possible for me to afford a summer opportunity that led to the completion of my thesis project in graduate school! As I begin my new role of Director of Education and Engagement at Victoria Theatre Association, in Dayton, Ohio, I have to stop and recognize that I did not get here by myself. This organization jump started my career that has made it possible for me to make connections with theater companies far and wide, and I am forever grateful. ”
Joseph D’Ambrosi ~ 2016 Scholar
“I am so thankful to SETC for its emphasis on the professional and academic growth of graduate students in multiple subject areas in theatre. It’s an incredible honor to represent this organization as the Porterfield Graduate Scholar. As a Ph.D. student in Theatre History and Literature at Indiana University, I will use this award to further my scholarship opportunities at future theatre conferences.”