Mississippi Theatre Association honors MSU legacies with named awards
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Mississippi Theatre Association renamed two of its annual DramaFest awards in honor of longtime Mississippi State faculty members Wayne “Dur” Durst and Betty “Jo” Durst, recognizing their decades of service and lasting impact on theater education in Mississippi.
Announced during January’s Mississippi Theatre Association Conference, the organization’s executive board approved the Betty “Jo” Durst Directing Award and Wayne “Dur” Durst Award for Technical Achievement.
For more than three decades, the Dursts were central figures in Theatre MSU, the production arm of MSU’s Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. Joining the university in 1978, Wayne Durst served 37 years as theater area coordinator and technical director, overseeing scenery, lighting and production design for campus performances. His expertise also contributed to the design of four performance spaces, including the theater in McComas Hall. He was honored with a permanent portrait installation in the building.
Jo Durst served 34 years as a faculty member specializing in acting and directing, mentoring generations of students and helping produce four productions annually. Known for her work both on and off stage, she previously earned multiple awards for costume design during her professional career before arriving at MSU. She concluded her service to the university with a retirement reception honoring her decades of commitment to theater education.
“Jo and Dur were the beating hearts of Theatre MSU for over three decades,” said Melanie Harris, instructor II and costume designer for the department’s concentration. “They were an unbeatable team who educated, inspired and supported hundreds of MSU students from every major in the classroom, onstage and in life. Their biggest lessons, however, came from watching the two of them demonstrate for all of us how to find the joy in making art together.”
In 2012, the Dursts received MTA’s Cowboy Maloney Award in recognition of their statewide contributions. Wayne Durst also was inducted into the Summer Scholars On-Stage Hall of Fame in 2009 for his achievements in stagecraft.
Their MSU legacy remains visible through the MSU Libraries-housed Wayne and Jo Durst Script Collection, a location for scripts from past Theatre MSU productions, many bearing their handwritten notes and production markings. The collection serves as both a historical archive and a teaching resource for current students.
For more information about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre, visit www.cas.msstate.edu and www.comm.msstate.edu.
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MSU PHOTO ID: Wayne “Dur” and Betty “Jo” Durst (OPA photo)