CAROLINE MCMAHON
This year the RiverRun International Film Festival is honoring Salem College C’70 alumna Celia Weston with the 2017 Master of Cinema award. RiverRun is spotlighting her role in In the Radiant City with two screenings at Aperture Cinema as well as a number of panel interviews.
The RiverRun International Film Festival serves as a marker for springtime in Winston-Salem. Every year the community comes together to celebrate the ways in which film enhances our lives through creative storytelling. Professionals in the film industry come from various places to show their films to enthusiastic audiences and to share their knowledge and experiences with those interested in learning more about their profession.
While obtaining her undergraduate education at Salem, Weston always knew that she wanted to be an actress. She found creative expression through involvement in the Pierrettes and the Dansalems (now known as the Salem College Dance Company). She starred in numerous productions on campus, including the 1969 production of Pygmalion and choreographed pieces for the dance concerts.
In 1969, she was elected president for both the Dansalems and the Pierrettes. She was known for her style on campus and always stayed on top of the latest trends of the late 1960s. In 1970, she was the winner of the Salem Glamour Best Dressed College Student competition, which offered her a chance to be selected to model for Glamour Magazine in New York. The contest involved an essay submission, in which Weston included details about her passion for theater and creative expression through performance.
In addition to her roles on the big screen, Weston has appeared in several television series. She got her start in the 1980s with a role on the comedy series Alice. Since then, she has made appearances in episodes of E.R., Law & Order: SVU, Desperate Housewives and American Horror Story.
After graduating from Salem, Weston went on to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The education she received there allowed her to to hone her acting skills and build the career that she has today.
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