UNIVERSITY WEBSTER UNIVERSITY 470 EAST LOCKWOOD, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63119 presents A PROFESSIONAL THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM IN EIGHT SEMESTERS featuring BFA DEGREE with majors in ACTING, MUSICAL THEATRE, SCENE DESIGN, COSTUME DESIGN, LIGHTING DESIGN, SOUND DESIGN, WIG AND MAKEUP DESIGN, SCENE PAINTING, COSTUME CONSTRUCTION, TECHNICAL DIRECTION, STAGE MANAGEMENT and BA DEGREE with majors in DIRECTING, AND THEATRE STUDIES & DRAMATURGY in partnership with THE DEPARTMENTS OF DANCE AND MUSIC and REPERTORY THEATRE ST. LOUIS OPERA THEATRE OF SAINT LOUIS THE MUNY: THE MUNICIPAL OPERA ASSOCIATION OF ST. LOUIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ST. LOUIS VARIETY THEATRE COMPANY OF ST. LOUIS ARROW ROCK LYCEUM THEATRE Photograph 51 On the cover: By the Way, Meet Vera Stark From the Dean of the From the Chair of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts Conservatory of Theatre Arts experiences that will help you define your Welcome to Webster! We celebrated our 50th voice and learn the skills you will need to Anniversary in April 2018. Hundreds of succeed. Conservatory alums from all over the country Webster is an exciting and unique place to joined us on campus for an exciting and hone your craft. Our partnerships with six heartfelt reunion. In Conservatory, one of our remarkable and nationally recognized most important values is our belief in the professional performing institutions— power of the ensemble. No matter what role Repertory Theatre St. Louis, Opera Theatre of we play—whether it is in the rehearsal hall, in Saint Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, class, onstage, backstage, in the booth, or in Variety Theatre Company of St. Louis, Arrow the shops—each of us performs as part of a Rock Lyceum Theatre, and The Muny— larger team effort. This core principle provide our students with incredible and permeates our work, from day one until you unique opportunities unequaled at any other graduate and become our colleague. It undergraduate institution. To view the best certainly permeated our celebrations! Our goal and be a part of exceptional, professional is to prepare you to be the kind of colleague theatre is a rare opportunity. who contributes positively to every project, We encourage you to apply! Explore with skills, passion, and commitment. We are Webster, and the Conservatory. We are excited to join with you in your search for the confident you will find the challenges and right program. Come work with us! training to be exceptional. We look forward to meeting you this year. Paul Steger We are proud of the faculty and know that Dottie Marshall Englis demanding work and exciting performances For over 50 years, the Conservatory of are natural results of the talent at the heart of Theatre Arts has been recognized as a national the Conservatory. At the Conservatory of leader for training artists for careers in the Theatre Arts at Webster University, we lead Dottie Marshall Englis theatre and film industry. The Conservatory through doing and excel by challenging. Chair, Conservatory of Theatre Arts remains an exceptional place to train and an Come join us. Webster University exciting place to participate in creating remarkable theatre experiences. Like you, we are passionate, selective, rigorous and demanding. We believe that in order to achieve excellence, one must be ready, willing, able, and eager to accept the rigors of a disciplined, and demanding life. We are Paul Steger committed to help you prepare for your career. Dean, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts We celebrate the fact that theatre requires an Webster University incredible blend of a highly diversified series of accumulated skills whether you are an actor, designer, technician, director, dramaturg, or stage manager. To blend those skills and become proficient professionally, you must be willing to commit to a challenging and stimulating sequence of courses and 2 conservatory of theatre arts webster university 3 Only the Finest Cast of Characters Fahrenheit 451 Paul Steger ...................................................................... Dean, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts Dottie Marshall Englis .............................................................Chair, Conservatory of Theatre Arts Dr. Gad Guterman ................................................... Associate Chair, Conservatory of Theatre Arts Tara Campbell .......................................................... Representative, Conservatory of Theatre Arts Performance Programs Bruce Longworth .................................. Head of Performance Programs, Acting, Voice and Speech The Fantasticks Jef Awada ........................................................................................................................ Movement Joanna Battles .......................................................................................................Voice and Speech Each spring the Conservatory holds auditions students present at a portfolio review, which Michael Baxter ........................................................................................................Musical Theatre and interviews in several major cities includes all faculty. Lisa Campbell Albert ........................Musical Accompaniment, Musical Direction, Vocal Coaching throughout the United States as well as on the A critical element of Conservatory Diane Carr .............................................................................................................................Pilates Webster University home campus. All students philosophy is that each member understands Rayme Cornell .......................................................................................................................Acting in Conservatory, regardless of their area of the entire theatrical process: actors build sets, Lois Enders ..................................................................................................Musical Theatre Dance interest, are screened through interviews and construct costumes, hang lights, or run props. Gary Glasgow ........................................................................................................... Acting, Pilates auditions or portfolio showings. Students Designers, technicians, and stage managers Nancy Lewis ............................................................................................................................ Yoga accepted into Conservatory have demonstrated participate in special acting classes, and all Bill Lynch ...........................Acting, Voice and Speech, Text Analysis, Dramaturgy, Musical Theatre artistic ability and the desire to achieve learn the fundamentals of directing. Ron McGowan .................................Musical Accompaniment, Vocal Coaching, Musical Direction the highest professional standards. From Our highly selective screening process, Larry Pry ...........................................Musical Accompaniment, Vocal Coaching, Musical Direction the many students who audition each year, our rigorous curriculum, and our strong Michael James Reed .............................................................................. Musical Theatre, Auditions we expect that no more than 30 will enter relationships with professional theatre Andy Sloey .................................................................................................................Improvisation performance programs, five will enter the companies on campus lead to our graduates Lara Teeter .........................Head of Program, Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Dance Styles, Tap stage management program, and 25 will enter being among the finest young professionals Steve Woolf .......................................................................................................................Auditions production programs. entering the job market. During the four years at Webster, each Performance Programs Visiting Artists student’s progress is carefully mentored Paul Dennhardt ................................................................................................................... Combat through ongoing evaluation processes. At the Christopher Dietrich ............................................................. New York and Los Angeles Showcase end of each semester, performance students present at semester showings and engage in Directing Program one-on-one interviews with faculty. Production Doug Finlayson ..................................................... Head of Program, Directing, Acting for Camera 4 conservatory of theatre arts webster university 5 Theatre Studies & Dramaturgy Dr. Gad Guterman ................ Head of Program, Dramaturgy, Theatre History, Creative Dramatics Dr. Julie Jordan ....................................................................................................... Theatre History Dr. Sara Beth Taylor ................................................................................................ Theatre History Dr. Jennifer Joan Thompson .................................................................................... Theatre History Theatre Elizabeth Townsend ....................................................................................................Studio Acting Guest Directors Ranney Lawrence ..............................................................................................Bomb-itty of Errors Love’s Labours Lost Jason Spelbring .......................................................................................................... Twelfth Night Design and Technical Production