Spring 2016

Training News Photos: Cover: Cast of Freedom Rider. UMKC Theatre 2015

Inside Front: From Top: Joshua Gilman in The Learned Ladies. TRAINING NEWS UMKC Theatre 2015 Korrie Murphy in Writers: Project Manager: Editors: The Rocky Horror Show. Jamie Alderiso Tom Mardikes Felicia Londré UMKC Theatre 2015 Amanda Davison Cindy Stofiel Andrew Hagerty Collin Vorbeck Alex Ritchie in Wittenberg. Dalton Pierce Design/Layout Manager: UMKC Theatre 2015 David Ruis Sarah M. Oliver Designer: Inside Front Facing Page: Collin Vorbeck Kate Mott Mariem Diaz, Frank Oakley, Ethan Zogg and Aishah Ogbeh in Freedom Rider. UMKC Theatre 2015 Collective Collaboration 1 En Charrette 3 Inside Back From Left: Lightning Strikes Twice in Scenic Design 5 Cast of Wittenberg. Illuminating Projections 8 UMKC Theatre 2015 Matt Carter and the Hudson Scenic Studio 10 Frank Lillig and Korrie Professional Educators 12 Murphy in Pericles. Professors Stay Sharp 14 UMKC Theatre 2014 Working Actors 18 A Lasting Bond 20 Michael Thayer in Sound Mandala 22 The Learned Ladies. Graduate Students Strut Their Stuff 23 UMKC Theatre 2015 A National Collaboration 26 Alumni at Work 28 Back: Shaping Stage Managers 35 Cast of Caucasian Chalk Playwrighting: The Art and the Craft 36 Circle. A Vocal Homecoming 37 UMKC Theatre 2014 Fringe With Benefits 39 Above photos courtesy of Dramaturgs on the Rise 41 Brian Paulette UMKC Theatre is composed of a team of creative, educational profes- sionals who work actively in the professional theatre. We build bridg- es. We assist the creative student to make the journey to becoming a creative professional. The practice of the department is to vigorously educate students in the many arts, crafts and traditions of theatre, and to provide a basis for future careers in the creative industries. Our spe- cialties are the development of actors, designers, technicians and his- torians. We expose our students to a wide range of theatrical influences and traditions. Under the guidance of extremely experienced mentors, creativity and professional discipline are valued and developed. Our program offers intensive hands-on experience, in a conservatory train- ing tradition, while at the same time fostering the analytical and contextual skills offered by a liberal arts education. The whole of greater Kansas City is our auditorium. The practical experience of theatre-mak- ing occurs not only within the performing venues of UMKC, but also in many professional theatres in the Kansas City area. We therefore stress theatre’s role in the overall civic dialogue, as well as giving our students professional exposure, and contacts. Theatre is a passion. We seek it, train for it and embody it. Goals and Objectives - To provide our students with the skills necessary to establish rewarding careers in an expanding and rapidly changing profession. - To strengthen and develop relationships with professional theatres, artists and communities in greater Kansas City, and to devise major projects and initiatives which can make an impact on the national stage. - To expand working spaces for our productions, rehearsals and craft shops. - To enhance the network of UMKC Theatre alumni who will maintain their participation by supporting current students and new theatre-mak- ing initiatives in Kansas City - To further strengthen our national reputation as a major American the- atre training institution. The UMKC MFA program in Acting is a rigorous conservatory experience that provides advanced training for the young professional actor. Over the course of three years, the program challenges actors to develop the varied skills necessary to achieve success. Fundamental to the training is an exposure to a diverse set of performance methods from contemporary to epic, from devised work to Shakespeare, from the Greeks to new plays commissioned and premiered by us. This unique program seeks individuals who will bring their full hearts, minds, consciences and artistic souls to the discovery of personal, foundational and daring acting techniques. Our national and internationally recognized faculty is committed to partnering with such individual talents with the goal of guiding them to their fullest creative potential. University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online by Dalton Pierce

The UMKC Theatre program has Michael Thayer (MFA Acting Thayer quickly learned that acting pro- an established tradition of working with 2016)is one of many UMKC students to fessionally is slightly different from per- professional theatres so that its actors, de- have the opportunity to work at The Uni- forming in an educational setting. “The signers, and stage managers may benefit corn. He performed in Bengal Tiger at the rehearsal time is cut in half,” Thayer said. from the experience of working on a pro- Baghdad Zoo last year, and will be the “When you work in an educational setting, fessional show. Few theatre departments understudy in the one-man show Buyer it’s like a lab. You can experiment and try grant students this opportunity, but and Cellar. new things. In the professional setting, UMKC partners with the it’s still a lab, but you have to Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie, come to it quicker.” Working on and the KC Rep. These part- these shows also allows Thay- nerships allow the future pro- er to build Equity points, which fessionals to gain experienc- can ease the process of audi- es as well as providing them tioning in a city such as New an opportunity to establish York. None of these skills could their names in Kansas City. have been obtained without The Department of the training he received from Theatre will partner with the the department. “UMKC has Unicorn theatre to perform given me so many tools. The Mr. Burns, a post-electric techniques that they give us play, written by Anne Wash- allow us to adapt them in our burn. This play tells the story own work.” of a group of people who The Coterie has long perform an episode of The been a partner of UMKC, Simpsons after surviving and past collaborations have an apocalyptic shutdown of included Oliver Twist, The electricity. Directed by UMKC Hobbit, A Village Fable: In the faculty member Theodore Suicide Mountains (a produc- Swetz, this play examines the tion that moved to the Kennedy lasting effect that popular Damron Russel Armstrong and Michael Thayer in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Center), Arthur Miller’s Playing culture can have on enter- Unicorn Theatre. Directed by Ian R. Crawford, 2014. for Time, Our Town, and Lois tainment and performance. Photo courtesy of the Unicorn Theatre Lowry’s Number The Stars. 1 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Last year the co-production was The The resulting court case was the driv- happening to Spencer Theatre, located Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a ing force that got Lincoln into the White in the Olson Performing Arts Center. The play that allowed the cast of four third-year House. Directed by Jeff Church, this play construction, which began in May, adds a actors to perform multiple roles throughout engages the audience by having them act new stage floor, as well as new acoustic the 60-minute production. This year’s col- as “1858 Massachusetts State Senators and lighting designs. Spencer Theatre will laboration is And Justice For Some: The [who] discuss the themes at the end of the also get an expanded lobby, as well as Trial of Anthony Burn, written by Wendy play.” new restrooms and a second-floor lounge. Lement and Bethany Dunakin. This work The co-production with KC Rep is The construction will be finished in time tells the story of an escaped slave, who is the classical Dickens story A Christmas for the annual production of A Christmas unjustly sent back to his Southern master. Carol. There is also something exciting Carol, which will feature several of our graduate students in various roles.

Spencer Christensen, Nicole Marie Green, and Emily Nan Phillips in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The Coterie Theatre 2015. Photo courtesy of the Coterie Theatre 2 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department by David Ruis & Collin Vorbeck

The term charrette (the French word for cart) dates back to the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 19th-century Paris. It can be defined in two ways: a trip on a cart for a criminal facing the guillotine or a session during which focused design students rigorously work to beat the clock on arts projects being pulled on a cart – the final product then being critiqued by a master artist. Luckily, UMKC Theatre has been experiencing the latter since 1994, when Hall Fam- ily Foundation Professor John Ezell planted the first seed by bringing in Mary Zimmerman to work with MFA design students in this intensive format. Many award-winning guest master designers have followed over the past two decades, including David and Karen Shulz-Gropman, Fiona Shaw, Eldon Elder, Ralph Koltai, Ricardo Khan, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, Willa Kim, and George Tsypin. David and Karen Shulz-Gropman, production designers for the film Life of Pi, found the UMKC charrette experience to be stimulating and reward- ing. They stated, “Professors John Ezell and Gene Friedman have organized and structured an ideal learning environment. For us, the chance to collab- Victoria Morgan critiques student designs for the ballet The Wizard of Oz. orate with the design students on the charrette was Photo by Jae Shanks so refreshing, a true gift.” 3 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department The charrette process is an action- Jae Shanks (MFA Sound Design was wonderful. I especially enjoyed par- packed endeavor, with students creating 2017) was impressed by how the char- ticipating in her ballet class which com- and presenting their designs to the mas- rette was able to incorporate her studies bined conservatory dancers with design ter artist within a matter of days. From in sound design. “I was excited to show students, so that designers could better research to sketches to conceptualizing Victoria Morgan what a sound designer understand the dancer’s experience.” a theatrical project, the process is invig- could bring to a ballet. Even with a sym- “Yes!” offered scenic and costume de- orating for both students and masters phony providing the music, I was able to signer Zoe Still, “and it is an eye-opening alike. David and Karen Shulz-Gropman give her an idea of what else could be experience to see how much you can both say, “The opportunity to have full done to enhance the production. She was get done in such a short amount of time.” concentration on a single design project is very receptive and provided encouraging The experience forces you to trust your a dream. Add to that the imaginations of feedback to all of us.” UMKC Theatre’s instincts.” Added Max Levitt (MFA Cos- your mentors: Lindsay Davis, Victor En Yu charrette is a total immersive experience tume Design 2017) as a summation of Tan, and peers, and you are in a tank with and is often accompanied by readings, the 2015 charrette, “At the end of the day, no limits.” classes, or different events that will in- after having worked so closely with one’s The 2015 charrette master was form or inspire the students to be able to peers, it is wonderful to be able to walk Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director of the do their best work. Said Gretchen Halle away feeling that everyone I study with Cincinnati Ballet, challenging the students (MFA Costume Design 2017), “With my is exceptional.” Mission accomplished for in the development of a new narrative dance background, working with Victoria another Master’s charrette. ballet based on the illustrations used for Morgan from the the Cincinnati Ballet the 1905 edition of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wizard of Oz. The process led not only to immeasurable academic growth for the graduate students involved, but also to professional work for Alexander La- France (MFA Scene Design 2015). Ethan Newman (MFA Lighting Design 2017) couldn’t believe how much he learned from his first charrette in 2015. “I’d heard so much about the process when I visited that it was part of my de- cision to attend UMKC. I was floored by what it did for me. The collaboration, the encouragement (not only from the char- rette master, but also from my professors and peers), and the focus: every part of the experience helped me to grow both as an artist and a theatre professional.” 2015 Charrette Master Victoria Morgan mentoring costume design student, Tyler Wilson. Photo by Jae Shanks 4 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Alexander LaFrance and The Silver Shoes

Alexander LaFrance’s theatre back- This gave students across theatre disci- ground encompasses everything from plines access to collaboration with working acting to directing to stage management. professionals. A charrette, a collaborative Victoria Morgan, the artistic director and session during which students work with by Amanda Davison CEO of the Cincinnati Ballet, was brought professionals on real projects, provides to the Department of Theatre to conduct a students the chance to shine, hone skills, charrette with Professors Ezell and Fried- and potentially have their work seen in a man. professional production.

Two scenic design graduate stu- dents found artistic inspiration and real-world alliances through professional mentorship opportunities at the UMKC Department of Theatre. “When this happens,” says Gene Friedman, assistant professor of scenic design, “We call it ‘lightning striking’; it is that astonishing chemistry that happens on rare occasion between a designer and a direc- tor.” Jeff Ridenour (MFA Scene Design 2014) and Alexander LaFrance (MFA Scene Design 2015) forged strong pro- fessional relationships while they were still graduate students at UMKC. They created scene design magic when they were given opportunities to work with professional direc- Freedom Rider stage design by Alexander LaFrance. tors, artistic directors and choreographers. Photo by Brian Paulette 5 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts LaFrance found inspiration in Ms. Morgan and her aesthetic, as well as in the topic of the 2014 charrette: a new ballet based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. What most interested LaFrance were Alexander LaFrance has also been the parallels between the ballerina’s psy- awarded one of the most coveted intern- chological journey and that of Dorothy’s. “I ships in the country. In January 2016, he presented my ideas,” he said, “at the risk will embark on a five-month journey as an of them being rejected, only to find them embraced and encouraged by Victoria.” art design intern with Disney’s Creative That risky spark of creativity, ultimately, led Entertainment. Thousands of applicants to LaFrance being hired as concept creator, vie for a spot in this program, from across librettist, and designer of sets, costumes, America and across the globe. LaFrance and projections for the concept that he and will relocate to Los Angeles to partici- Ms. Morgan developed in the charrette: pate in this professional, fully-funded pro- The Silver Shoes: The Ballerina in Oz. An original score will be composed for the gram. It will be the experience of a lifetime. debut at the Cincinnati Ballet and none other than Victoria Morgan herself will cho- reograph the ballet. The ballet, for which LaFrance is receiving full professional credit for scenic design, will be produced in the spring of 2017. In addition to the ballet, Alex is also designing The Ghosts of Lote Bravo, a world premiere being produced at Cynthia Levin’s Unicorn Theater — another professional relationship that Alex forged while studying at UMKC.

Alexander LaFrance

6 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department Jeff Ridenour and Cendrillon Jeff Ridenour, in his third year at UMKC, was given the opportunity to design the opera Cendrillon for UMKC’s Conser- vatory of Music and Dance. Jeff did not know who the opera director Fenlon Lamb was when he was assigned the project. Jeff recently related how working with a visionary director like Fenlon Lamb altered the trajectory of his professional career. “From our first meeting Fenlon and I found that we not only had a very similar understanding and vision for Cendrillon but had a common language and sense of style and aesthetics that meshed together.” Jeff found design inspiration for the opera from the illustrator Erté’s glamorous depictions of 1920s style and modern sophistication. Don Dagenais, writing in the KC Me- tropolis hailed the production as “splendid”, and described it as “the most spectacular visual production this observer has seen in over 30 years of opera.” Since then, Ridenour and Ms. Lamb have also worked professionally on the operas Hansel and Gretel, La Bohème, and Little Women. They will be collaborating as a creative team Hansel and Gretel stage design by Jeff Ridenour for Nightingale Opera Theatre. Photo by Jeff Ridenour again on Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, or The Magic Flute, for the Conservatory of Music. Ridenour and Lamb are currently de- veloping a production company, Papermoon Productions. The company was conceived after their innovative collaboration on La Bohème, in which the costumes and settings were made largely of paper. The mission of the company is to develop affordable and innovative designs to promote the powerful experience of live opera. The company will be particularly focusing on touring productions to intimate venues for smaller communities that usu- ally cannot afford to produce opera. Jeff Ridenour has moved to New York City, where he is serving as assistant designer to world-renowned scenographer George Tsypin on major projects including Manon Lescaut for the Berlin Staatsoper and the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theatre. Cendrillon stage design by Jeff Ridenour for UMKC Conservatory of Music. Photo by Mike Strong 7 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online “I am thankful that I can look back to UMKC and remember where my artistic identity was born. Without the program at UMKC, I would not be the designer, teacher, or mentor for my students that I have now become.” --David Hardy (MFA Lighting 2002)

by David Ruis

A projection design pro- gram has not yet been established ighting design has come a L at UMKC but that has not stopped long way in the theatre since ancient Greek times when artists relied on the sun to illuminate the stage for their theatrical productions. This would evolve over time to the use of burning torches and candles to enhance the play’s mood. Lighting set the tone, supported the scenes, and gave the audience a desired visual into the intensity and emo- Sunday in the Park with George lighting design by Jeffrey Cady. tional center of the piece. Lighting Photo courtesy of Kansas City Repertory Theatre brings together all of the elements (actors, set, costumes, props, etc.) student lighting designers from learning about the of the play into a cohesive look. The medium and incorporating projections into their own ever-growing field in computers and designs. A big help has been from previous UMKC digital technology has given birth to lighting alums, like Jeffrey Cady (MFA Lighting the next evolution of this powerful 1996) and Adam Dunaway (MFA Lighting 1998), medium – projection design. The mentoring student designers through master classes lighting designer now has the ability and residencies. to catapult this field into new fron- The University of Missouri-Kansas City has tiers on stage with digital animation unleashed a plethora of stellar lighting designers, tat- and automated moving projectors, A Christmas Carol lighing & projections tooing their fiercely dedicated work ethic and power- and give the audience a spectacular design by Jeffrey Cady. ful artistry in lighting and projections design onto the experience. Photo courtesy of Kansas City Repertory Theatre theatre world. 8 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts Temishia Johnson (MFA Light- ing 2006) made her Broadway debut in 2008 assisting lighting designer William H. Grant III on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Terrence Howard. “UMKC’s MFA Theatre Training Program really prepares you for the industry, and how to build your repu- tation in the industry. I am living proof that listening to your professors will get you further than you ever dreamed.” Jeff Cady (MFA Lighting 1996) works mainly in projections, but still de- signs lighting. His latest work was seen in KC Rep’s production of Stephen Sond- heim’s Sunday in the Park with George. Hair, Retrospective projections design by Jeffrey Cady. Cady spent the summer with Jennifer Photo courtesy of Kansas City Repertory Theatre Lopez as the projections programmer for her AKA tour and with Jason Aldean for his Burn it Down tour. Rocco DiSanti (MFA Lighting 2008) primarily works as a projections de- signer in New York City. He is assisted by fellow UMKC lighting alums Doug Macur (2014) and Devorah Kengmana (2015). DiSanti is also the projections director for the Shen Wei Dance Arts Company, best known for their performance at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics opening cer- emony. DiSanti conquered Broadway in less than two years to design shows at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Those include The Snow Geese, starring Mary-Louise Parker and directed by Daniel Sullivan; The Columnist, starring John Lithgow; and Wit, starring Cynthia Nixon. Missy Elliott concert with lighting design by Brandon Clark. Photo by Tom Martin from Bestival website 9 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department by Jamie Alderiso

Matt Carter earned his MFA in Technical Direction (2014) and now works at the Hudson Scenic Studio in upper Manhattan. The UMKC alumnus describes the particularities of his position. “By title, I am part of the engineering department at Hudson, but my role is typically assist- ing our Automation Department Head, Chuck Adomanis. I do calculations to help him design the machines for automated effects.” Matt’s work involves everything from making computer drafts for machines and scenery for the fabricators on the shop floor to writing purchase orders for motors, gears, cables, and power supplies. Additionally, Matt is beginning to learn how to design control systems. This skill is something that only a few people at the Hudson Studio know how to engineer. Matt specifies: “I have begun doing more calculations for Chuck and will continue to learn wiring diagrams for the electricians to be able to wire the controls together prop- erly.” Through the longevity of his tenure at Surveying “well” below stage level with tension blocks of the New Amsterdam Theatre in the Hudson Scenic Studio, Matt’s knowl- preparation Aladdin moving to Broadway. edge and expertise continue to grow. Photo by Matt Carter 10 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Missouri’s Campus for the Arts In reflecting back on his education at UMKC, Matt offers nothing but adamant praise and thankfulness. Matt affirms that “almost everything about my qualifications and position at Hudson is because of UMKC's TD program. I chose the program because I knew I wanted to learn scenic automation and UMKC is one of the top programs in the country for that education.” He did his third-year resi- dency at the Hudson Scenic Studio before finally earning his degree. This final part of his education was pivotal in helping shape his current relationship with the scenic studio. Matt also insists that “the AutoCAD skills, automa- tion design understanding, and other advanced scenery techniques like rigging that I apply at my job daily are all thanks to Chuck Hayes and Chaz Bell.” Matt has earned his place in the professional world and remains a proud alumnus of the UMKC Matt Carter taking measurements of the grid structure of the New Amsterdam Theatre graduate program. in preparation Aladdin moving to Broadway. Photo by Matt Carter

11 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Missouri’s Campus for the Arts forward in a design. Working with an abundance of theatres and directors, I gleaned a clear understanding of what the universal expectations and challeng- es are that arise while designing a show.” By Dalton Pierce Wilson’s exposure to UMKC’s problem solving helped him prepare to be a truly collaborative designer, and gave him the While many graduate students skills necessary to work in the professional from UMKC achieve success in either world. the professional world or the field of ed- ucation, lucky are those who understand the challenges of balancing each. The UMKC costume department teaches students to excel at both. Tyler Wilson (‘15), Lauren T. Roark (‘14), and Larissa McConnell (‘10) are three of many exam- ples of success from the graduate design and costume program. Tyler Wilson, who teaches for Wake Forest University, has designed at various regional companies. Before he entered academia, Wilson’s designs graced the stage of the Riverside Theatre in Iowa City. Iowa was treated to his creations for shows such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Othello. Wilson’s rela- Costume sketch by Tyler Wilson for tionship with Riverside was born from his Iago in Othello at Riverside Theatre 2014. work at UMKC, and 2015 marked his third year working for the company. He believes of professional theatre in the Midwest.” that the training he received at UMKC Wilson believes that the most jumpstarted his career: “The opportunity valuable lesson he learned while in the to collaborate with a variety of directors graduate program was how to solve throughout the professional theatre in problems quickly. He believes that, for Kansas City was a thrilling introduction to artists, “the biggest death sentence is an Othello at Riverside Theater 2014. the pace and expectations artistic block and the inability to move Photo by Bob Goodfellow 12 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department Lauren T. Roark who teaches at effectively. the University of North Carolina-Pem- Larissa McConnell accepted a job broke, has designed Richard II at the at Gustavus Augustus College where she Illinois Shakespeare Festival and will teaches classes such as Costume Craft design the St. Louis Repertory Theatre’s and Design, Costume Construction, as production of Satchel Paige, which will well as others. She earned her BS in Sec- also see an additional production at the ondary Education/ Earth Science at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Roark State University of New York at Fredonia, professes she received her most import- which she believes helped prepare her to ant training at UMKC, where she was teach effectively. Her recent professional “given numerous opportunities to design work includes being the Costume Design- in Kansas City, to intern at the Arena er/Shop Manager at the Bay View Music Stage in Washington D.C., and to work Festival in Petoskey, Michigan. in Asia.” McConnell’s professional work has aided her in easily exceling in the aca- demic sphere. Remembering her UMKC training, McConnell understood that stu- dents working in the costume shop are there to learn. She affirms, “Each project must take into account the skill level of the student involved. There are times when the student’s learning experience trumps production expectations.” The training that Wilson, Roark and McConnell received gave them the Richard II at Illinois Shakespeare Festival 2014. Photo by Pete Guither. necessary knowledge and skills to be both teachers and to have professional ca- Of the many skills and lessons that reers. They possess the dynamic duality Roark acquired at UMKC, the most im- that are the hallmarks of the graduates of portant was the ability to trust her designs the costume department at UMKC. and to eliminate fear. During her second year in the department, she travelled to Hong Kong “to source and manufacture menswear for a production of The School for Scandal produced by Riverside The- atre in the Park.” These primary lessons Costume sketch by Lauren T. Roark for Richard II at Illinois helped her to understand the design pro- Shakespeare Festival 2014 cess, as well as how to communicate 13 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Sadie DeSantis (Production Manager to the UMKC Department of Theatre and Assis- Chaz Bell (Teaching tant Teaching Professor Assistant Professor of Lindsay W. Davis of Stage Management) Technical Theatre) has (Professor of Cos- has experience with con- been teaching at UMKC tume Design) has certs, ballet, opera, musi- since 2011. He was designed the cos- cal theatre, and outdoor previously technical tumes for Bengal production. In the director at Southwest Tiger at the Bagdad summer of 2014, she was the production Baptist University. Chaz Zoo at the Unicorn stage manager for a brand new production has served as technical Theatre in Kansas of Thoroughly Modern Millie starring Anne- director for the Heart of America Shakespeare City. liese van Der Pol in Fort Worth, Texas, for Festival since 2012 and for the UMKC Currently Mr. Davis is co-designing the inaugural season of Prism Theatrics. Last Conservatory Opera program since 2010. Mozart's The Magic Flute at the UMKC Con- year, Ms. DeSantis was the stage manager Chaz Bell teaches graduate courses in struc- servatory of Music and Dance. Mr. Davis is for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Tosca tural design, stage mechanics and automa- actively working on his own original musical, and assistant stage manager for LOKC’s La tion, advance metal working, advanced wood Wand'ring Blind, and steeped in his meta- Traviata. This summer she was the assistant working, plastic and alternative materials, physical writings. stage manager for Mary Poppins at Starlight advanced technical problem-solving, and Theatre. This fall she was the stage manager the undergraduate course Intro to Technical for Starlight Theatre’s 2015 Gala titled Prism: Production. He recently designed the set for Reflecting Forward. She is a member of the the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s American Guild of Musical Artists and Actors’ production of King Lear. Equity Association. In the fall of 2015, she will stage manage Rusalka at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

John Ezell (Hall Family Foundation Professor of Design) recently designed the sets for Disgraced and Professor Swetz as the Tiger in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Next to Normal for the Zoo at the Unicorn Theatre. Arizona Theatre Com- Costumes designed by Professor Davis. pany--Tucson and Directed by Ian R. Crawford, 2014. Phoenix, San Jose Professor Bell constructing set for King Lear for Photo courtesy of the Unicorn Theatre Theatre and La Mirada--California Musical the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Theatre and his award winning designs for Photo by David Eulitt Next to Normal were adapted by the San Di- ego Musical Theatre. He designed The 14 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts Mousetrap for the Repertory Theatre of St. Scenic Design Master Classes Classes. He Felicia Hardison Londré Louis as well as The Winslow Boy and is serves as the architectural historian of the (Curators’ Professor of currently designing Satchel Paige and the Nuestra Señore de Guadeloupe (1629) and Theatre) completed her Kansas City Swing for Repertory Theatre of is the curator and archivist of the treasury of two-year term as Dean of St. Louis and the Cincinnati Playhouse. He the Casa de Santo Niño at Zuni Pueblo, New the College of Fellows of designed the current revival of A Christmas Mexico. Professor Friedman has worked with the American Theatre at Carol at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre George Abbott, Gerald Freedman, Adrienne the Kennedy Center and and the annual revival at the Great Lakes Kennedy and Vincent Dowling among other now she is working on the 50th-Anniversary Theatre Festival. He designed the Cincinnati theatrical luminaries. His work has been seen Fellows Volume of Citations. She is presently Ballet’s multi-million dollar production of The at the Second City Comedy Group, Lincoln completing a book on 1940s American drama, Nutcracker now touring nationally. He serves Center Institute, Kennedy Center, Historic focusing on Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee on the National Advisory Committee of the Ford's Theater, the Great Lakes Theatre Festi- Williams, Arthur Miller, and Thornton Wilder, Sam Fox School of Art and Architecture, val in Cleveland, the Repertory Theater of St. for Methuen’s Decades of Modern American Washington University in St. Louis, and he Louis, Stages Saint Louis and of course, the Drama series. is a member of the College of Fellows of the Kansas City Repertory Theater. He is the res- American Theatre at the Kennedy Center in ident scenic designer at the Heart of America Washington, D.C. Shakespeare Festival.

Gene Emerson Friedman Chuck Hayes (Teaching (Associate Professor of Professor of Technical Scenic Design) is an Direction) has been the award-winning scenic de- head of the MFA signer known especially for Technical Direction pro- his work on Shakespeare gram at the UMKC since and the American musical. 1993 and served as tech- Professor Friedman has nical director for Kansas been awarded the prestigious Peggy Ezekiel City Repertory Theatre from 1993-2008. He King Lear at the Award for Outstanding Achievement in The- was previously technical director at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. atre Arts by the United States Institute for University of Massachusetts/Amherst, Kent Photo by David Eulitt Theater Technology for his design drafting, State University and the Fort Worth Shake- Meanwhile she continues research for a book the only time this award has ever been grant- speare in the Park. He is an active member of on French and American theatre people as ed in this field. He is a consultant to the J. USITT and a frequent presenter at their contributors to the Allied cause in the Great Pierpont Morgan Library and Museum's exhi- national conference. He teaches graduate War. To that end, Dr. Londré has recently pub- bition Creating the Modern Stage: Designs for courses in technical management, hand and lished several articles on entertainers in World Theatre and Opera. He was recently cited as computerized drafting, stage mechanics and War I: “The Range of Laughter: First-Person “a significant artistic contributor” in the Amer- automation, pneumatics, hydraulics and ad- Reports from Entertainers of the Over There ican Theater community. He teaches The vanced rigging techniques. He holds an MFA Theatre League” in Humor Entertainment and History of Design and Technology of World in design and technology from the University Popular Culture during World War I (Palgrave Theater, Drafting for the Theater, and Render- of Iowa. Macmillan 2015), “Elsie’s Big Show: From ing Techniques for the Designer, as well as Entertaining Under Fire to Firing Stories in All contributing his insights and experience in the Directions” in Old Stories, New Readings: 15 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department

The Transforming Power of American Drama Venice in over fifty years. In April he traveled Carla Noack (Assistant (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015), “Sar- to St. Louis to work with director Mike Dona- Professor of Acting) relish- ah Bernhardt’s Last Stand in America: How hue on a production of Antony and Cleopatra es life in the “Stretch Zone” the One-Legged Actress Promoted American for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. He with her students and col- Involvement in the Great War” in New En- closed the 2014-15 season composing King leagues at UMKC. In addition gland Theatre Journal (vol. 25, 2014). Her Lear for the Heart of America Shakespeare to teaching the MFA acting recent articles on Tennessee Williams are: “En Festival in Kansas City. He is an Assistant progression, she recently Avant! Tennessee Williams between Hyper- Teaching Professor in the theatre department served as the associate borea and the Mediterranean” in Tennessee at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, director for a production of Williams and Europe: Intercultural Encounters where he has taught sound design and com- Romeo and Juliet for Ten Thousand Things Transatlantic Exchanges, (Rodopi, 2014) and position since 1994. Theater in Minneapolis and played a version “A Vast Traumatic Eye: Culture Absorbed and of Wonder Woman in the world-premiere Refigured in Tennessee Williams’s Transition- production of Lasso of Truth at the Unicorn al Plays” in The Theatre of Tennessee Wil- Theatre. She also starred in the world-pre- liams (Bloomsbury, 2014). She recently gave miere production of George Brant’s one-wom- two conference presentations: “Welcoming an play, Grounded, at the Unicorn Theatre, the Menace: Thornton Wilder’s Alcestiad and and subsequently performed it in theatres in Shadow of a Doubt” at the Second Interna- Lanesboro, Winona, and St. Joseph, Minne- tional Thornton Wilder Conference in Newport sota. This summer she was invited to partic- RI in June and “Quelque Chose de Tennes- ipate in the NYC Actors Center’s “Craftsmen see” at the Mid-America Theatre Conference of Dionysus” National Conference, where she in Kansas City in March 2015. She did nine enjoyed connecting with fellow acting teach- Antony and Cleopatra at the Shakespeare Festival of St. evenings of ShowTalks for Heart of America ers from around the country and contributed Louis, 2015. Sound design by Greg MacKender. to discussions of best practices in our field. Shakespeare Festival’s King Lear. The movie Photo by J. David Levy Normandy Is My Name, in which she plays She was designated by this group as the mid- the 90-year-old grandma of the title character, west’s eye for emerging teaching talent. Carla loves people and potlucks and ping-pong. was released in fall 2015. Tom Mardikes Greg MacKender (Chair of UMKC (Assistant Theatre and Professor of Professor of Theatre Sound) has Sound Design) been actively spent the summer of composing music for 2015 working with theatre during the sound design grad last twelve months. on the Sound Mandala project in PAC 116. He He is a founding member of the Kansas City directed the UMKC Theatre production of Actors Theatre, and composed for their dual Wittenberg in Grant Hall Theatre. He will de- season openers in 2014; Hamlet and Rosen- sign sound for the March 2016 production of crantz and Gildenstern Are Dead. In March, Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing at Carla Noack and Martin Buchanan in Lasso of Truth he wrote the score for the first professional the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Cincin- at the Unicorn Theatre. Kansas City production of The Merchant of nati Playhouse in the Park. Photo by Cynthia Levin. Courtesy of the Unicorn Theatre 16 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Missouri’s Campus for the Arts Sarah M. Oliver (As- Stephanie Roberts (Associ- Theodore Swetz (Patricia sistant Teaching Pro- ate Professor of Theatre) McIlrath Endowed Profes- fessor of Costume performed at Dell'Arte sor of Theatre Arts) started Technology) Thoroughly International's 40th year off his summer directing enjoying her return to reunion festival in Blue Lake Tribes by Nina Raine at the the Kansas City theatre CA. She has continued her prestigious Unicorn Theatre scene after her travels in research into the actor/creator in Kansas City. The rest of Asia, it was a pleasure to through presenting at the the summer included spend- ing a fabulous month in serve as costume de- Association of Theatre Movement Educators France--lots of cheese, wine, beautiful villag- signer for UMKC The- Colloquium in Boulder CO and attending es, La Comédie-Française, ancient theaters atre’s production of Movement Theatre Studio's intensive on The and friends. He also started to work on an The Rocky Horror Show and the Kansas City Ensemble Director in New York City. This fall original “Spoken Word” play with his daughter Actors Theatre production of The Gin Game. she will choreograph Mr. Burns at the Unicorn Abigail (who is a teacher of 8th grade and a Theatre and will be a featured artist for poet) titled Navigating Violence – The Les- Charlotte Street Foundation’s Artists’ Walks sons of Ferguson. Ted also started prelimi- series at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. In the nary work on Mr. Burns, a post electric play spring Professor Roberts will be directing by Ann Washburn, which he will direct as a Immeasurable Heaven, the culmination of a co-production with the Unicorn and UMKC three-year devised project, which will perform Theatre this season. in Spencer Theatre.

Scott Stackhouse (Assis- tant Professor of Theatre in Voice and Acting), a graduate of UCLA's MFA Acting program,has worked nationally as an actor, direc- tor, vocal coach,and fight choreographer. Some of his directing credits include: Lindsay Nelson and Korrie Murphy in The Rocky Horror Macbeth, The Shape of Things, A Devil Inside, Show. Costume design by Sarah M. Oliver. UMKC Theatre 2015. Photo by Brian Paulette A Comedy of Errors, Lysistrata, Noises Off!, the midwest premiere of The Atomic View Mrs. Oliver presented a session on interna- Moteland, most recently, Seven Guitars and tional online costume collaboration at the A Midsummer Night’s Dream at UMKC. Scott 2015 Association for Theatre in Higher Edu- has choreographed fight sequences and cation conference in Montreal. In December served as vocal coach in both academic and Tribes at the Unicorn Theatre. 2015, she will design costumes for Mr. Burns professional productions for the last fifteen Directed by Theodore Swetz, 2015. at the Unicorn Theatre and in March 2016 will years. He spends each summer directing for Photo courtesy of the Unicorn Theatre serve as costume designer for The Island with the Seaside Repertory Theatre in Seaside, Kansas City Actors Theatre. Florida. 17 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts by Amanda Davison

Kansas City, a mecca for theatre artists of all stripes, is not only training actors, it is also providing them with an ideal environment in which to continue to grow and work. Two of Kansas City’s brightest talents, both graduates of UMKC’s MFA Acting program, have been working on stage since graduating. Logan Black (MFA Acting 2014) and Nicole Marie Green (MFA Acting 2015) both hail from other states. Black, a native of Salt Lake City, and Green, who grew up in New York and did her undergraduate studies in Florida, were both inspired to come to UMKC out of the desire for the high-quality acting education they knew they would receive from a professional and inspirational faculty.

Logan Black in Bond: A Soldier and His Dog. Fringe Festival 2015. Photo by Jamie Leonard

“As soon as I talked to Ted Swetz,” says Black, “I didn’t consider any of the other programs. I said, I’m going to UMKC. That’s where I need to be.” Black says he appreciated the balance in the program between strong classical training and modern techniques, such as those from Morris Carnovsky, which brought out his strengths as an actor. “It’s about finding the balance of how much is the character and how much is me, the individual. Ted’s philosophy is so beautifully simple. It brings the character to life in a way I had never en- countered before.” Some of Black’s previous work includes roles in the KC Rep productions of Our Town and A Christmas Carol, in Blithe Spirit at the Okoboji Summer Festival, as well as at the Coterie. Most recently, he performed at The Fishtank his show, Bond: A Soldier and his Dog. Black spent eleven years in the Army, one year in Iraq, and the story tells of the life-saving love between Black Logan Black and his yellow lab Diego, who worked as a bomb-detecting dog. The show, rat- ed Best of Fringe 2015, has received rave reviews and is known to elicit power- ful emotions from those who see it. 18 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online “Jennifer Martin, who had the biggest heart and taught me to first honor life, and with it, my life in the theatre. Felicia Londré is an inspiration because she is absolutely an expert in what she does. Carla Noack taught me to use my body as a tool. Ted Swetz taught me to have ownership of my craft. Stephanie Roberts ignited my intense passion for mask work, red nose clown, and comedy; her classes demanded everything from me.” Not long after graduating, Green has been busy. Last summer, she was cast in Tribes at the Unicorn and in two Fringe shows, one of which was ThisThatThen at the Living Room. She is currently rehearsing for The Turn of the Screw by Jeffrey Hatch- er at Spinning Tree Theatre, and will play Nicole Marie Green in The Liar. as Margot in the KC Rep production of The UMKC Theatre 2015. Diary of Anne Frank. “I love what I do,” she Photo by Brian Paulette says. It shows.

Nicole Marie Green in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Coterie Theatre 2015. Photo courtesy of Coterie Theatre

For Nicole Marie Green, the “UMKC changed me. decision to jump into UMKC and Kan- I am a better actor sas City was a big one, and one that because of it. I made has paid off. “UMKC changed me. I lasting friendships, I am a better actor because of it. I made was put through a lot lasting friendships, I was put through a of tests. I grew up. I lot of tests. I grew up. I found my own found my own voice.” voice.” When asked which faculty made - Nicole Marie Green the most impact on her time there, she Nicole Marie Green in Tribes, Unicorn Theatre 2015. Directed by Theodore Swetz. struggles to pick just one: Photo courtesy of Unicorn Theatre 19 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online for both KC Rep and UMKC Theatre. Cha- by Collin Vorbeck nos provides materials specific to the cur- rent season offered at KC Rep to current MA students who teach an introductory course on Theatre to non-majors. This en- ables him to reach hundreds of students who would not otherwise be exposed to into what is being produced on the profes- professional As UMKC Theatre endeavors to sional level.” theatre. He enrich the graduate program with Chanos served as an assistant has also made professional experiences across the city professor of theatre at Pepperdine Univer- himself and the and beyond, two newly-hired members sity, teaching Advanced Period Styles in entire company of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre are Shakespeare and Voice and Movement. of the KC Rep already offering outlets to current students He also served as the assistant director available to any to expand the relationship between the for the Heart of America Shakespeare instructor in institutions. Both Jason Chanos, associate Festival production of The Winter’s Tale need of a guest artistic director, and Marissa Wolf, director in 2014; this is just one example of his speaker involv- of new works, see the benefits of collabo- national experiences balanced with a local ing a current or ration between the university focus. “I look forward to utilizing past production and the professional the graduate students as much – anything that company. Since KC Rep as possible, working around may enhance makes its home on the their busy schedules to provide the classroom campus of UMKC, cross- them with as many professional experience. over between the two is opportunities as possible,” Ch- Marissa Marissa Wolf not only practical, it is vi- anos says. As associate artistic tal to the survival of both director for KC Rep, he also has Wolf started Kansas City landmarks. a hand in casting and works with utilizing graduate talent immediately upon Chanos sees the graduate program to place her arrival at KC Rep. As a company with UMKC as an untapped MFA actors in the co-productions. a focus on cultivating work by new play- resource, one that he In recent years, KC Rep produc- wrights every season, Wolf was welcomed hopes to make full use tions have featured many UMKC to her new position by hundreds of new of throughout his tenure Theatre graduate students in play submissions yet to be read. She im- with KC Rep. “I come leading and featured roles in Our mediately reached out to the MA students from a background in Town, A Christmas Carol, and to assemble a play-reading committee, academia,” he says, “so I Romeo and Juliet. and together the team has made substan- know how important it is In another important func- tial progress in giving each new play the to incorporate the com- tion of his new role, Chanos is attention it deserves. Under the direction of Dr. Felicia Londré, MA students munity of a university Jason Chanos excited to expand the audience 20 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts strengthen their theatrical foundation the level of artistry and imagination among through courses in theatre history and dra- the costume design MFA students. Their maturgy, and through these courses the work will be instrumental in bringing to life skills to critically analyze play scripts are the world premiere productions of Fire in honed. “What a smart, insightful group of Dreamland by Rinne Groff and Lot’s Wife students. Their help in this process has by Eric Rosen.” been invaluable,” Wolf says. There are many benefits to sharing a campus with one of the most successful theatre companies in the region. Students are afforded every opportunity to contrib- ute and collaborate with professionals, and under the direction of Jason Chanos and Marissa Wolf, the bond between uni- versity and professional company is con- tinually strengthened.

Jamie Dufault and Courtney Salvage in Romeo and Juliet at The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, 2014. Photo courtesy of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre

Another part of the development of new works involves fully-realized pro- ductions, and Wolf is already including the UMKC Theatre design team in the compa- ny’s latest project. KC Rep’s newly branded Origin KC: New Works Festival is tak- ing over the final slot in the season with two world pre- miere productions running in repertory. This year Wolf is Sticky Traps at The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, 2015. thrilled to partner with UMKC Costume Design by Lauren Gaston Mariem S. Diaz in The Kansas City Repertory Theatre production of Our Town, (MFA Costume Design 2014). and to have MFA costume 2014. Photo courtesy of Kansas City Repertory Theatre Photo courtesy of Kansas City Repertory Theatre students design the shows. “I am deeply impressed with 21 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department performances periodically, showing the sys- tem to audiences, as well as students and other audio and theatre professionals. At one of the later performances, Jon Robertson played pieces he had recorded/ produced with the local artist group Ensemble By Ethan Zogg of Irreproducible Outcomes. One of the pieces the audience on all sides, with 35 of the consisted of 96 separate sine-waves, each speakers forming a wall-of-sound that reached slowly changing over the course of approxi- In the summer of 2015, Tom Mar- from floor to ceiling. The rig took three weeks mately 80 minutes. Another was made from dikes (UMKC Theatre chair) and four graduate to build. After it was built, each speaker had recordings of snow falling and synthesizers. design students created “Sound Mandala,” a to be tuned to create the best balance for the As you moved through the room, the sound 48-speaker sound system that surrounded the space. Once it was set up and adjusted, the changed based on your location. Even if you audience and gave the designers the chance team began their experiments. turned your head a little, what you heard to experiment with using sound to affect how At first, Professor Mardikes and the changed. Another piece, created by Jae an audience perceives a theatre space. team experimented with sound placement, or Shanks, consisted of a ghost chasing a child The idea for the experiment goes back how to move sound around the space. Each around the room. As the footsteps moved, the twenty years, when Tom Mardikes set up a of the designers would spend time experi- sound of the child running away created the smaller, similar system on the main stage menting, then meet and share the techniques illusion of depth, as if the child were running of the KC Rep to experiment with moving and results they found. As the experiment into the distance. sound. That experiment had some success, progressed, they moved on to mixing multi- As successful as the experiments but lacked the scale needed to become fully track recordings, moving the individual tracks were, the team wants to take it further. Jon realized. around the system. The team held Fast forward to 2015. Robertson described what he saw as his next Tom assembled a team of step. “Ideally I would create a brand new the- three graduate sound de- atre piece where a small cast is in the center signers (Jon Robertson, Jae of the room, the audience is all around and Shanks, and Jason Bauer) the sound [system] is all around as well, and and one technical direction you’re story-telling through sound and live student (Adam Terry) to action, but sound becomes a main character.” design, build, and experiment By building “Sound Mandala,” Mar- with a bigger, more complex dikes and the team have pushed the limits system. First, Studio 116 of what sound can do theatrically, exploring (UMKC’s black box theatre the way sound interacts with and affects an space) had to be dampened audience. They’ve found new techniques to by hanging curtains and transform a theatre, creating new worlds in laying down carpet. Then familiar spaces. The possible applications are the system was assembled. endless, and as they move forward in their ex- Composed of 48 separate ploration, no doubt they will give birth to a new speakers, each with its own form, a new experience, and a new theatre in custom-built enclosure, the which sound will be more powerful and more “Sound Mandala” surrounded Sound Mandala System. Photo by Jason Bauer. dynamic than ever before. 22 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online MFA Acting Heather Michele Lawler (MFA Acting 2018) MFA Scenic Design This summer Heather performed for three Chioma Anyanwu (MFA Acting 2018) Chioma recently performed in The Taste months at historical Colonial Williamsburg Trevor Frederiksen Test, by playwright and UMKC professor as a part of “The Hallam Players,” an act- (MFA Scenic Design 2016) Frank Higgins at the Just Off Broadway ing troupe based on the first professional Trevor served as the props master for the Theatre. She has also performed locally at acting company in the American colonies. summer season at Creede Repertory The- the Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie at Night, She performed the roles of Beatrice Ra- atre in Creede, Colorado. 2015 marked and the Metropolitan Theatre Ensemble, sponi in the classic commedia dell’arte the 50th season at Creede Repertory The- among others. play, The Servant of Two Masters as well atre and Trevor worked on a total of six as Player 3 in the original stage combat/ shows, including Our Town, August Osage Amy Billroth-MacLurg sketch comedy show, exclusive to Colo- County, and Good on Paper. (MFA Acting 2018) nial Williamsburg, Sword Play. It was an Working last summer at the Livermore incredible professional experience mixing Shakespeare Festival, Amy played Audrey her love of performing with her love of in As You Like It and Lucy Steele in Sense educating and history. and Sensibility. While in California, she also participated in a TheatreWorks’ New Charlie Spillers (MFA Acting 2018) Works Festival production, assisting in the In a spring production of All My Sons in staged reading of The Confederates by Orange County CA, Charlie played the Suzanne Bradbeer. role of Chris Keller, an experience he calls “invaluable” to his training and career.

Amy Billroth-MacLurg as Lucy Steele and Robyn Grahn as Good on Paper, Creede Repertory Theatre 2015. Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. Charlie Spillers in All My Sons at the Attic Community Theatre. Property design by Trevor Frederiksen. Livermore Shakespeare Festival 2015 Photo by Jennifer Owens Photo by John Gary Brown 23 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts MFA Costume Design MFA Lighting Design

Max Archimedes Levitt & Caitlin Tuten Marc Vital Kris Kirkwood (MFA Costume Design & Technology (MFA Costume Design & Technology (Lighting Design 2016) 2016) 2016) This summer Kris designed The True Sto- Both Max and Caitlin worked at the Long At the Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, ry of the Wolf for Paul Mesner Puppets. Lake Camp for the Arts in upstate New Michigan, Marc was one of three design- He also designed two shows for the KC York during the summer of 2015. They ers on staff to create and build costumes Fringe Festival: A Funny Thing Happened were each responsible for designing five for six shows. Marc’s assignments were on the Way to the Deathstar, and The shows, while stitching for all thirty that Peter Pan and Alone Together. Despite Georgette Show. In addition to his design were in production during their tenure. On limited budgets and resources, the pro- work Kris was involved with two profes- top of that, they taught classes in stage ductions garnered many accolades from sional internships. The first was with XS make-up and were responsible for hair/ the community and production company Lighting, where he built, installed and con- make-up for nine different productions. alike, resulting in a job offer for next sum- figured a 3D lighting visualization system mer. called ESP Vision, allowing for ighting de- signers to build and cue a show in virtual space. The second internship was for an architectural lighting designer, working on projects running the spectrum from hotels to museums to interactive dioramas Ethan Newman (MFA Lighting Design 2017) Ethan’s busy summer of 2015 was spent Spamalot at Long Lake Camp for the Arts 2015. Costume at the Forestburgh Playhouse in Forest- design by Max Archimedes Levitt. Photo by Jeoff Bauer burgh, New York. Working as lighting Gretchen Sophia Halle (MFA Costume designer and master electrician, his sea- Design 2017) worked at the Summer The- son included Damn Yankees, Young Fran- atre of New Canaan in Connecticut, with kenstein, Oliver!, The Music Man, 42nd UMKC alumni Peter Pan at Tibbits Opera House 2015. Street, The Fantasticks, and his favorite Lauren Gaston (MFA Cos- Costume design by Marc Vital. tume Design 2014). Ms. Halle served not design of the summer, Driving Miss Daisy. only as the assistant costume designer to Each two-week run also included an orig- Ms. Gaston, but was also wardrobe su- inal cabaret and a children’s production of pervisor and lead dresser on the produc- Shrek, the Musical, which Ethan adapted tion. Their production of Legally Blonde to the plot of each mainstage production. was nominated for Best Costume Design through Broadway World. 24 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department workshop for four days and then per- MFA Sound Design formed for the community. The festival MFA Technical Direction also included a workshop with Sarah Ruhl Jon Robertson & Jason Bauer and a staged reading of her newest work, Meg Dolben (MFA Technical Direction (MFA Sound Design 2016) The Oldest Boy, followed by a talk-back. 2017) Jon and Jason worked together on a piece The winning play received a full produc- Over the summer, Meg worked as techni- for the KC Fringe Festival called Compan- tion at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chica- cal director for The Barnstormers Theatre ions. In the play featuring performances go, Illinois, where Afton served as stage in Tamworth, New Hampshire, a summer by Jason and UMKC alumna Manon Hal- manager. stock theater company that was founded liburton, Jon composed a recording that Jordan Kruis (MFA Stage Management in 1931 by Francis Cleveland, the young- acted as a third character in the play – a 2016) est son of President Grover Cleveland. television set that communicated with the Jordan spent the summer of 2015 at the She helped produce six shows (two musi- actors and drove the action. Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Hol- cals and four plays) in ten weeks and had Jae Shanks (MFA Sound Design 2017) land, Michigan. He served as stage man- the opportunity to work with four different Jae had a busy summer in 2015, working ager for Smokey Joe’s Café and assistant scenic designers, two different stage man- on five different KC Fringe Festival shows. agers, one resident lighting designer, and Her sound design for the devised piece a brilliant paint charge. She ran a crew of Self-Ease from the spring of 2015 carried MA Theatre History/ two carpenters and four interns and was over into a summer run at Fringe. She charged with planning the schedules, also worked on several pieces performed Dramaturgy/Playwriting ordering materials, drafting construction at the Unicorn theatre, including Bond and drawings, and overseeing all builds, load- The Snake that Stole the Flower. Michelle Stelting (MA Theatre History ins, and strikes. She even learned how to 2015) drive standard in order to move scenery MFA Stage Management Participating in the 2015 Kansas City with the shop’s flatbed truck and even Fringe Festival, Michelle directed a new drove it in the Fourth of July parade. Karl Anderson (MFA Stage Manage- work called Flicker, which featured a ment 2017) Karl served as opera produc- talented cast, including UMKC alumnus tion stage manager at the Brevard Music Wendy Bucheidt. They plan to re-mount Center during the summer of 2015. the production in the spring at a local per- formance venue called The Buffalo Room. Afton Earp (MFA Stage Management 2017) Collin Vorbeck (MA Theatre History 2016) During the summer of 2015, Afton was Last summer, Collin performed in the production manager for the first-ever Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Activate Midwest Play Festival on the production ofKing Lear, playing the role of campus of Western Michigan University Albany. He also appeared in a Fringe play The Hollow, The Barnstormers Theatre 2015. (WMU). Plays were accepted from 118 by UMKC MA graduate Margaret Shelby Technical Direction by Meg Dolben. playwrights, and four were selected to titled The Lash. Photo by Meg Dolben 25 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online by Ethan Zogg

UMKC Theatre has strong re- lationships with Kansas City professional theatres, and through a new partnership with The Acting Company, we’re strength- ening our relationship with the national theatre scene as well. The Acting Company, a theatre company based out of New York City, has toured nationally for forty years and pro- duced high-caliber actors such as Kevin The Acting Company playwriting meeting September, 2015. Photo by Stephanie Roberts Kline, Jesse L. Martin, Patti LuPone, and “The Acting Company has decided products.” The Consortium Model is a Jeffery Wright. But recently, The Acting to actually embed itself into our commu- three-year cycle that works like this: four Company members realized that though nity to help grow and foster the develop- major universities are picked to be region- they would play in cities all over the coun- ment of the artists with whom they’ll be al hubs, networking with other schools try every year, they weren’t developing working and performing,” says Tom Mar- and organizations. UMKC is a hub for the any relationships with theatres on a na- dikes, chair of UMKC Theatre. “This pairs midwest, coordinating with University of tional scale. So they developed their new perfectly with our mission to have our Missouri-Columbia, Kansas University, “Consortium” model and tapped UMKC to students work side-by-side with profes- University of Central Missouri, and local collaborate on the maiden voyage of the sionals, actively engaging in professional high schools. The first year is the planning new system. 26 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts phase, laying out the plans for work- UMKC Theatre is shops, internships, and collaborations. a proud member A project, based on a theme, is picked school of for the cycle to center upon. For UMKC’s cycle, “assassination” is the chosen theme, including Shake- UMKC Theatre is speare’s Julius Caesar and a new associated with work being written by Marcus Gardley about the assassi- nation of Malcolm X. The second year focuses on carrying Ian Belknap, Margot Harley, and Tom Mardikes at The Acting Company Board Meeting, out those plans, September 2015 including a playwriting contest implemented by our providing students from all disciplines with consortium. Students from each hub will opportunities to work with theatre profes- submit scripts written on the theme, which sionals from all over the country. As a will then be evaluated and workshopped, hub for the midwest region, UMKC will act eventually to be performed in the third as a conduit, not only strengthening our phase. The third year is the culmination of relationships with the professional theatre the project. The Acting Company will tour scene in Kansas City, but with a network And is an their two productions, and the four best of artists all over the country. It is a truly plays drawn from the consortium schools national collaboration, and in this inaugu- will be given a public reading in New ral cycle, UMKC is leading the charge. York City where the students and faculty of consortium schools will participate in internships, workshops, and networking events. This new model puts UMKC in dia- logue with the national theatre world, 27 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department Nick Gehlfuss (MFA Acting 2010) Dina Thomas (MFA Acting 2011) Nick has had Dina performed in David Ives's world several recurring premiere of Metromaniacs, directed television roles on by Michael Kahn, programs that at The Shake- include News- speare Theatre room, Shameless, Company in Longmire and Washington DC, Murder in the First. which will transfer Acting He is also starring to the Old Globe in the new NBC in San Diego for a run starting in Jan- Anthony Merchant (MFA Acting 2009) series Chicago Med. Anthony recently appeared in a production uary 2016. She Nicole Marie Green (MFA Acting 2015) also played Jess of The Tempest at the Classical Theatre Since graduating in May 2015, Nicole of Harlem. His performance earned him in Everything You earned her Equity card by performing at Touch, directed by a nomination for a prestigious AUDELCO the Unicorn Theatre in Tribes. She played award for Best Supporting Actor May Adrales, at the Governess in The Turn of the Screw the Contemporary Dina Thomas in Metromaniacs, Anthony with Spinning Tree Theatre, and will return American Theater Shakespeare Theatre Company 2015. Photo by Scott Suchman Vaughn Mer- to the KCRep in The Diary of Anne Frank Festival. chant in The as Margot. Nicole also serves as a teach- Tempest, ing artist with The Coterie Theatre and the Kelly McAndrew (MFA Acting 1998) The Classical Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Kelly performed in Abundance and Men Theatre of on Boats in New York, productions which Harlem 2015. Michael Pauley (MFA Acting 2014) garnered NY Times Critics’ Picks. She has Photo by Janaki Michael performed in Fly at Florida Stu- Gerard appeared on Orange is the New Black, and dio Theatre, directed by UMKC professor recently finished filming When the Moon Ricardo Khan. He recently filmed Pee was Twice as Big, due out in 2016. She Wee’s Big Holiday and has recorded over Toccarra Cash (MFA Acting 2008) will be performing in the world premiere of 120 audio books. He currently works for a Toccarra has been work- a new play by Jen Silverman called The touring commedia dell’arte company called ing in New York and was Moors at Yale Repertory Theatre. Hyperion. recently in a production of Rick D. Wasserman (MFA Acting 1998) Brothers from the Bottom Grant Prewitt (MFA Acting 2012) Rick has been the signature voice of AMC at the Billie Holiday Grant played Kevin in Sarah Ruhl’s Stage Network (Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Theatre. She was also Kiss at the Guthrie and toured the United Breaking Bad, etc.) for over a decade. He nominated for an ADELCO States with The Acting Company, perform- is currently voicing Super Bowl spots for award for Best Supporting ing Macbeth and A Connecticut Yankee in NFL Network, and is working on many Actress. King Arthur’s Court. 28 video game and animation projects. www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online Caris Vujec (MFA Acting 1997) Spencer Christensen (MFA Acting 2015) Todd Potter (MFA Scenic Design 1993) The Pepper Project, created, written, exec- Since graduation in May 2015, Spencer Todd Potter has worked in regional the- utive-produced, and co-directed by Caris spent a summer in Creede, Colorado, with ater as well as in New York. His numerous Vujcec (also playing the lead role of the Creede Repertory Theatre acting in credits include work at The Irish Reperto- Pepper) has met with grateful and out- Guys and Dolls, Our Town, and a new play ry Theatre, Melting Pot Theatre, Naples standing success thus far, having been written to celebrate the founding of the Players, Florida RepertoryTheatre, to an Official Selection at the 2015 ITVFest, theatre, Ghost Light. He was hired as an name a few. Todd also teaches at NYU’s 2015 LA Femme International Film Fes- assistant professor of Theatre at Lake Tisch School of Drama, teaching funda- tival, and the Bilbao Web Fest (trailer Superior State University in Sault Ste. mentals of drawing and advanced drafting. competition). In addition, the pilot episode Marie, Michigan, and tasked to revise the He most recently designed the set for God won the Best Shorts Competition Award theatre curriculum and to create a more of Carnage at the Naples Players in Flori- of Excellence, Special Mention and two effective and appropriate theatre minor. da. IndieFest Awards (one for Cinematog- Charlie Corcoran (MFA Scenic Design raphy, James Parsons, DP, and one for 2001) Charlie Corcoran is working exten- Caris, who earned a Women's Filmmaker sively in regional theatres as well as on Award of Excellence). Caris continues her Scenic Design and off-Broadway. He has worked with recurring role as Detective Campesi on the Irish Repertory Theatre, Juilliard, The the long-running NBC hit series, Law and Todd Edward Ivins (MFA Scenic De- Mark Taper Forum, New Jersey Rep, and Order: Special Victims Unit. An avid cy- sign 1996)Todd Edward Ivins tells stories the Santa Fe Opera amongst others. He clist, Caris continues to raise money each through design. His work spans opera, received a Hewes Design Award nomina- year for MS in the annual Bike MS Ride in plays, musicals, corporate events and tion for his design for The Emperor Jones. Manhattan. newsroom sets and has been praised as He most recently designed, The Marriage Kelly Gibson (MFA Acting 2012) “inventive”, “cosmopolitan”, and "alluring.". of Figaro at Juilliard Opera, as well as A Kelly is currently playing Madge in a pro- His collaborative skills, design proficien- Comedy of Tenors for the Cleveland Play- duction of Picnic at Palm Beach Drama- cy, and breadth of knowledge have made house and the McCarter Theatre. works, where she also spent last winter him a trusted member of many Broadway playing Cecile in Les Liaisons Dangereus- design teams. Ivins’ scenic designs have es. Her summer was spent doing a five-ac- been seen at The Walnut Street Theatre tor adaption of Cyrano de Bergerac at the (Philadelphia), The 5th Avenue Theatre beloved Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, as (Seattle), Milwaukee Rep, Theatre Row well as workshopping and showcasing a (NYC), Prince Music Theater (Philadel- new pop-style musical at Collaborative Arts phia), Jewish Repertory Theater (NYC), Project 21 in NYC titled Alone in the U.S. and The Signature Theatre (DC), amongst Joseph Fournier (MFA Acting 2015) others. Most recently he designed the sets At the Metropolitan Theatre Ensemble, and costumes for Mirror Mirror at the Joseph performed in the two-man show Milwaukee Ballet. Scenic design by Charlie Corcoran for Vanya & Stones in his Pockets to open their 2015- Sonia & Masha & Spike at the Goodman Theatre. 2016 season. Photo by Liz Lauren 29 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts Tony Schmidt (MFA Scenic Design 1998) Whitney Locher (MFA Tony Schmidt has maintained an active Costume Design and career working in a variety of capacities Technology 2005) as both a scenic designer and fine artist. Whitney lives in New York Some of these experiences have included: on famed 42nd Street. Her a permanent installation for the Chicago recent Off-Broadway credits Museum of Science and Industry involv- include Into The Woods at ing HO scaled replicas of Chicago Loop the Roundabout Theatre buildings and downtown Seattle, design for and Two Gentlemen of Ve- an enormous chandelier graphic for Arbor rona for Theatre For a New Into the Woods, Roundabout Theatre 2015. Place Mall (Douglasville, Georgia), stage Audience. She also Costumes by Whitney Locher. designs for management meetings for com- designed For the Last Time, a new mu- Photo by Sara Krulwich panies such as Longaberger and Toyota, sical on Theatre Row, and Eve for The trade show exhibits, such as ADP and Net- Neo-Political Cowgirls, presented at the Aaron Chvatal (MFA Costume Design caddy.com, representation in the Prague Gym at Judson. Currently, Whitney is pre- & Technology 2013) currently resides in Quadrennial 1999 for his set design of paring Measure for Measure for the Long Minneapolis, Minnesota. He recently in- Crazy for You (directed by Ernie Williams), Wharf Theatre in Connecticut. terned as costume design assistant in the and gallery showings and commissions in Guthrie costume shop for their production of To Kill a Mockingbird. He also designed Cincinnati and Chicago. Kelly Kasper (MFA Costume Design & costumes for productions at Park Square Technology 2009) Kelly has been living Theatre (4000 Miles and Murder for Two), Costume Design and working in NYC for the past 5 years. The Penumbra Theatre Company (Detroit She has worked on Broadway's Cinderel- Kate R. Mincer (MFA Costume Design ’67), The Rose Ensemble (Singing for la, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, 2008) Kate is currently designing cos- Freedom), and Lakeshore Players (The and at the Metropolitan Opera. tumes in NYC and beyond. She recently Mystery of Edwin Drood). Twice a year, designed the season at Stonington Opera he travels to Lynchburg, Virginia, to coor- House; this year she has also designed at dinate costumes for Opera on the James the New Ohio Theatre and the Northeast (Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, La Voix Children’sTheatre Company. She also Humane, Bon Appétit, Little Women, La designed the costumes for the world pre- Bohème, The Marriage of Figaro, and miere of R J Z (Romeo & Juliet & Zom- Carmen this November). This February, bies), which was nominated for three New he was a featured artist in Gallery 92 West York Innovative Theatre Awards. Kate is in his hometown of Fremont, Nebraska. currently co-designing two upcoming pro- There, he showcased costume render- ductions for the award-winning New York ings, finished costumes, hats constructed City Children’s Theatre, and is working from scratch, and panels featuring Japa- on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Romeo and Juliet and Zombies, New Ohio Theatre 2015. nese dye techniques. After great demand, Dream for spring 2016. Costumes by Kate Mincer. Photo by Hunter Canning he taught two classes on Arashi Shibori, 30 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department and one class on the Serti silk painting and projections for The Effect of Gamma video aspect of the show. Rocco also technique. During the summer, he man- Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds for worked on Desire with The Acting Compa- ages the costume shop of the Castleton KCAT, projections for a tour of The Great ny. His work teams with set designers to Opera Festival, where he also designed Divorce, a touring project of The Music Man help them realize their projection designs. a production of Our Town for their 2015 with Shirley Jones, and several corporate Thanks to his work on Desire, he was season. events across the country. recommended to design Incident at Vichy for Signature Theatre in New York next Rocco DiSanti (MFA Lighting 2008) month. Rocco was promoted to production man- ager of Shen Wei Dance Arts and contin- Brandon Clark (BA 2013) ued his work with that company through Continuing his professional work with last year. Additionally, he has recently DSS, Inc. in Kansas City as a lighting worked with Crossroads and did the tech, Brandon served as the LD/L1 on lighting and projection design for Lift at several notable shows around their client 59E59 and his designs were mentioned in NASCAR, including an “awards show” in “Lighting and Sound America.” He also did Vegas called NASCAR After the Lap and the projection design for Fly with artistic a live-televised promotional event called director Ricardo Khan in Sarasota, which Bash at the Beach for Fox Sports 1. DSS Aaron Chvatal exhibition at Gallery 92West. also allowed him the opportunity to fill-in Photo by Aaron Chvatal won five local awards, including best set design, and projections including the as Matt Gumniski’s lighting director on the Neon Trees’s summer tour for their last seven dates around the Northeastern states in July. Lighting Design Following his work with DSS, Brandon was offered a posi- Jeff Cady (MFA Lighting 1996) tion at DK Production Design in Last year was one of Jeff’s busiest yet, Chicago, as junior designer and as he designed four shows for the KC manager of their pre-visualiza- Rep, including lights and projections for A tion studio called Creative Spac- Christmas Carol, lights for Sticky Traps, es. He assists senior designers and projections for Hair, Retrospective and on projects, and goes out on the new workshop production of Stillwater. the road as a lighting and me- He spent the summer on tour with J-Lo dia director. In his first show, he with her AKA tour as the projections pro- served as the lighting director for grammer and media coordinator for Nick Missy Elliott’s headlining perfor- Mitello and VER. He also spent several mance at Bestival in the UK. weeks on the road with the Jason Aldean Robert Karma Robinson, Michael Pauley, Sean Patrick Hopkins and Jordan crew and his Burn it Down tour in a similar Bellow in Fly. Projection design by Rocco Disanti. position. Other designs included lights Photo by Matthew Holler 31 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online David Hardy (MFA Lighting & Technical Steve Dubay (MFA Lighting 1999) Direction 2002) Steve is currently the assistant lighting Sound Design David is currently the assistant profes- director at CNN in Atlanta GA, a freelance sor of theatre, set and lighting Design, lighting designer based in Atlanta GA, Kristian Ball (MFA 2007) Lipscomb University TN (2010-present), and lighting programmer for movies and Since leaving Lehigh in July of last year, the former Assistant Professor of Tech television. He started the year dimmer Kristian had a busy year in design, engi- Theatre/Lighting Design, Coe College IA teching and programming for the Hunger neering, consultation and academic work. (2007-2010), and the former opera pro- Games: Mockingjay (parts 1 and 2) and He designed sound and composed for duction manager/resident lighting design- continued with Marvel’s Ant-Man, Taken nine productions, including Pennsylvania er for the University of Memphis School 3, Goosebumps and Insurgent. Television Shakespeare Festival’s The Foreigner of Music TN (2004-2007). He is also the work includes the series, The Family Feud and their WillPower touring production resident lighting designer for the Blackbird and Rectify, episode 17, S2 of the Origi- of Julius Caesar, Allentown Public The- Theatre in Nashville TN and designed the nals, and the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards. atre’s True West and The Jungle Book, lights on the premiere of Roger’s Version, He has also designed lights for numerous and Touchstone Theatre’s world premier Hairspray, Pacific Overtures, Amade- installation art exhibitions and in February Journey from the East. He also exhibited a us and Red for the Blackbird Theatre in he programmed LED sculptures for Gri- sound installation piece titled Water Waste Nashville TN. manesa Amoros in NYC. He had worked at Arizona State University, and is current- on this installation in Madrid, Beijing and ly lecturer in Sound Art for the School of Sharareh Abvabi (BA 2014) Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, and Sao Art at Muhlenberg College. After only a year in Los Angeles, Shara Paolo, Brazil. has acquired quite a resume. She de- signed lights for an opera at Pepperdine University which led to work at the Malibu Robert Bowen (MFA Lighting 2008) Playhouse designing God of Carnage Robert is a freelance lighting designer directed by Gramme Clifford. After that based in Texas. For the past two years, production, she was offered a position he has also been adjunct instructor for the of resident lighting designer for the play- University of North Texas as well as work- house, which led to more design work ing toward a film MFA. He was always and earned her the position of production interested in directing film even while he manager. Over the course of six months was here. His lighting design for Big River she designed lights and managed shows produced by the Culture House at the for Ed Asner, Mark Rydell, Ed Weinberg, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Jimmy Dore, Kathrine Ross, Sam Elliot, in Kansas City recently won best lighting Dan Lauria, Ray Abruzzo, Wendy Malick, for a musical from the International Mu- and most recently, Dick Van Dyke which sic and Entertainment Arts Association will be featured in his official documentary (IMEA). and The Today Show. Kristian Derek Ball 32 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts Eric Webster (MFA Sound Design 1998) Glen Dunzweiler (MFA Sound Design echnical irection After spending 10 years as the A1 on 2003) T D multiple Broadway tours, Eric settled into After recently leaving academia (CSU San Kansas City and concentrated on the Bernardino), Glen moved to LA to focus David Hawkinson (MFA Technical Di- consulting and contracting markets. In that on the business side of entertainment. He rection 2010) time he designed or supervised AV instal- is currently shopping a children's TV show David has been employed as an IATSE lations across the country including Major pilot called Musical Robot and is working 829 Scenic Artist in NYC for the past League baseball and football stadiums, on getting a distributor for his documenta- five years. He worked on three seasons a NASCAR track, Federal Reserve bank ry yHomeless?. of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, as well as and numerous churches, schools and Show Me a Hero and Louie. He is now theaters. He eventually returned to theater working on HBO's upcoming show Vinyl. as the sound head for Starlight Theater for five years before taking over as head carpenter in 2015. He is currently the associate electrician for the national tour Stage Management of C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. Eric is a proud 23-year member of the IATSE and serves as the training coordinator for Kelly Schmidli (MFA Stage Manage- Local 3 ment 2015) During the summer of 2015, Kelly served Ryan Hall (MFA Sound 2012) MUSICAL ROBOT TV plate. Photo by Glen Dunzweiler Ryan currently resides in New York City as production manager for the Arkansas and is a proud member of IATSE Local 1 Shakespeare Festival, followed by work Dan Warneke (MFA Sound Design 2012) at Starlight Theatre on their production of and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Dan is the audio engineer at the New The- Mary Poppins. She will continue her work Composers Association. Most recently he atre Restaurant in Overland Park KS, one in the field of stage management on multi- provided production audio for PEARL at of the nation’s most successful dinner the- ple productions at the Lyric Opera of Kan- the Koch Theatre in the Lincoln Center. atres, which produces five productions per sas City throughout the 2015-16 season, year including plays and Broadway-style Joe Concha (MFA Sound Design 2012) including productions of Don Giovanni and musicals. Each production utilizes In 2015, Joe worked as a contract sound Rusalka. designer with Vicarious Visions, a video Sennheiser wireless microphone systems game developer for Activision-Blizzard. He outfitted with Countryman B6 lavalieres. April Brewer (MFA Stage Management designed, implemented, and debugged The vocal sound system contains 2015) audio for Skylanders SuperChargers, seven rows of time-aligned speakers April spent the summer of 2015 working which just came out in September. He placed throughout the venue to deliver at The New Theatre Restaurant on their also managed the entire dialogue pipeline, sound reinforcement to the audience. production of The Addams Family. She including localization in 11 languages from followed this up with work on the KC Rep around the world, totaling around 200,000 production of Blueprints to Freedom in the individual assets. fall. 33 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department Vanessa Campagna (MA 2012) Bobbie Jeffrey (MA 2009) Vanessa completed her Ph.D. with distinc- Bobbie is founding chair of Theatre Arts Dramaturgy/ tion at the University of Missouri-Columbia at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, and is now assistant professor of theatre where she most recently directed Over the Playwrighting at Monmouth College. She has presented River and Through the Woods in October papers at regional and national confer- 2015. Andrea Anderson (MA 2012) Andrea is ences. In August she directed Seussical Saejoon Oh (MA 2000) working on her Ph.D. dissertation at Texas the Musical at Gladstone Theatre in the Saejoon teaches modern drama at Tech University in Lubbock. In August she Park. Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Ko- presented a paper on the Dramaturgy De- David Coley (MA 2008) rea. He recently directed David Mamet’s but panel at the Asssociation for Theatre David earned his Ph.D. at Louisiana State Speed the Plow in Seoul. He published in Higher Education conference in Mon- University and now is assistant professor three articles this year on Choe Seung- treal and was elected graduate student and director of theatre at St. Gregory’s hee (known in the West as Sai Shoki), the representative for ATHE’s dramaturgy University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. pioneer of modern dance in Korea. focus group. Ben Fleer (MA 2014) Rachel Mastin Stanley (MA 2007) Tanya lives in Tanya Barber (MA 2010) Ben is pursuing Ph.D. studies at the Rachel is assistant director of the Honors Seattle and is married to Brian Dugas. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Program at Missouri Southern State She works in the marketing department of University in Joplin. Taproot Theatre Company. Her play, Chad Alyson Germinder (MA 2015) and Tara Save the World, was produced Alyson had a busy summer after complet- Marianna Vogt (MA 2007) there in fall 2014. ing her MA in May: Dramaturgy Fellow Marianna is married to Ben Bschor and at The John F. Kennedy Center for the lives in London. She teaches regularly for Katrina Darden Bondari (MA 2005) Performing Arts in Washington DC, partic- the National Youth Theatre and continues Katrina teaches at Trinity University and ipant in the National New Play Network’s performing cabaret, while working primar- Alamo College in San Antonio, Texas. She Dramaturgy Intensive, and beginning a ily as drama and movement therapist with has published an article and several book new position as literary manager of The traumatized children at the Royal School reviews on classical Greek theatre. Midwest Dramatists Center. She is also of Speech and Drama. house manager and dramaturg for Kansa Amanda Boyle (MA 2012) City Actors Theatre and continues as dra- Amanda will complete her Ph.D. at the maturg for Heart of America Shakespeare University of Kansas in May 2016. She Festival. has taught several theatre courses in the department there while also working as Kristin Janke Henning (MA 2013) resident dramaturg at the Unicorn The- Kristin completed her MA in 2014 and has atre. In 2014-15 she presented papers at been teaching at the University of Central the annual conferences of LMDA, ASTR, Missouri in Warrensburg. She reviews and ATHE. Kansas City theatre for KCMetropolis.org. 34 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online by Jamie Alderiso

Taylor Marun is a 2011 alumna of UMKC with an MFA She speaks of her confidence on going into her first in Stage Management. Since her graduation, she has been professional interview after recieving her degree. “The Program active in New York. Taylor talks about her recent career devel- helped shape me into the stage manager I am today. It gave me opments: “I have been a member of AEA for a few years now. I some good foundations to build on in my career. I got that job am currently finishing up an Off-Broadway show, In Bed with Roy by the way.” Taylor also received many more job offers after that Cohn. Following this show, I will be going to Roanoke, Virgin- first interview; she continues to remain an active and passion- ia, to stage manage 42nd Street at the Mill Mountain Theatre.” ate stage manager. Taylor is based in New York, but also takes work in other mar- Sadie DeSantis, kets around the country. Within the past year, she has worked on who oversees the pro- several other Off-Broadway shows as well as readings, galas, gram, speaks of its in- and concerts. herent value. “The Stage In terms of Taylor’s Management program own personal view of stage is a perfect gateway to management, she believes accelerate a professional that the best way to learn career in two years. It the art is through a ton of gives students the op- “hands on” experience. portunity to work side by She reflects fondly on her side with professional days in Kansas City. “I was stage managers in all able to do many shows, in- forms of performance cluding working with some including: theatre, opera, companies in the KC area. dance, and corporate I learned a lot from work- events.” Sadie was also ing with professional SMs Taylor’s classmate in on these shows.” Taylor graduate school. Both champions these opportu- alumni continue to serve nities as invaluable assets as examples of the high- to her professional resume; est professionalism in Taylor Marun working in New York. through acquiring a good their field. Both of them Photo by Sadie Desantis Taylor Marun working in New York. amount of experience in acquired an immense Photo by Sadie Desantis graduate school, she was knowledge of their art able to find work quickly. form. 35 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts introduced students to the local commu- nity theatre process.” Higgins also has by Andrew Hagerty dozens of students and former students who have produced work for Kansas City Fringe Festival. Two students, Nick Sawin The Master of Arts in Theatre Many students have found success and Andrew Hagerty, have had ten-minute program at the University of Missou- as playwrights following in Higgins’ foot- plays selected for readings at the Kenne- ri–Kansas City offers many outlets, both steps. Stephanie Demaree (MA 2014) dy Center American College Theatre Fes- academic and artistic. Some students says, “Thanks to Frank’s class, I can now tival, Region Five, with Sawin’s advancing choose a focus centered on playwriting, call myself a published playwright.” to the national Kennedy Center Festival in or supplement their theatre history stud- Higgins recommended Demaree for a writ- Washington D.C ies with playwriting classes. Instructor of ing commission with a local middle school, Higgins has had many students of playwriting Frank Higgins, whose play and that play, Gran’s Guide to Stop an diverse backgrounds in the fifteen years Black Pearl Sings! was one of the top ten Ogre (Also Works for Witches and Bul- he has taught playwriting at UMKC. Some plays produced in the 2009-10 season, lies), was subsequently published by Pio- are pursuing their MAs, but some MFA aims to provide those who take his class neer Drama. Her play Teacher’s Lounge candidates, and even faculty members with the tools to make their work both received a workshop production at UMKC. have been enriched by his courses. Hig- personal and producible. Higgins states Demaree also competed in Kansas City’s gins calls storytelling a part of human that the most basic goal of his teaching Project Playwright competition, coming in nature, and that knowing the practical is to “help people discover how to make second to another former Higgins student aspects of playwriting can be invaluable: themselves better writers,” and to realize Cynthia Hardeman. “The play is the thing and all other disci- that, whatever the subjective approaches Hardeman concurs that Higgins’ plines help to tell the story.” to how one writes, “there are objective teaching provided clarity of focus. “I’d tools to work on.” He compares the work always written stories but once I sat in of the playwright to that of an architect: Frank’s class I knew that all along, I had creativity is important, but the structure been writing plays.” She says. “I can’t help must stand. The etymology of the word the bias, Frank and his playwriting class playwright is essential, “Yes, it’s an art, but changed my life and I’m forever grateful it’s also a craft,” Higgins says. “Picasso to him for recognizing and nurturing my invented Cubism, but prior to that he could talent.” Her play Truth Stands has been paint a portrait that was recognizably you.” produced in several cities across the This is the crux of Higgins’ teaching, and country. “Practically every opportunity I what Master of Arts students interested in have had to see my work produced has playwriting can expect. Students learn to been through Frank’s class,” Demaree “break past their insecurities and find the says. Hardeman elaborates that Higgins approaches that tend to work,” as Higgins “not only taught but showed in his actions puts it, benefitting from his expertise in the that theatre is all about making connec- professional field. tions and collaborating with others. He Frank Higgins. Photo by Dr. Felicia Londré 36 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department by Collin Vorbeck

Harvard University, UMKC Who says you can’t go home Theatre conducted a national again? Scott Stackhouse has returned to search and Stackhouse was one of the first stops on his theatrical jour- chosen to fill the graduate po- ney. But where he once roamed the halls sition permanently. as an undergraduate student, Stackhouse “It’s bittersweet,” Stack- now bears the title of Assistant Professor of house says of saying goodbye Theatre in Voice and Acting for the Pro- to his undergraduate duties. fessional Actor Training Program at UMKC “So much of my time was Theatre. And after years of paying his spent helping students balance dues by adjunct teaching at colleges and theatre work with their other universities across the city, he finds himself studies, and there was some- in a place that will allow him to focus on thing exciting and rewarding strengthening the graduate program and to in that.” He is looking forward prepare MFA actors for professional vocal to the change in perspective: careers. “Now, my focus is on the grad- After receiving his MFA in acting uate student whose life IS the from the University of California–Los Ange- theatre. It is more demanding les in 1999, Stackhouse returned to Kansas for them; they just “go” all day. City and worked at a number of schools in How do they get through the the area before landing a full-time position day? How can I help that pro- at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. cess?” Stackhouse has three He worked primarily with undergraduates, focuses in the immediate future but also began running six-week blocks for the program. The first is of breath work for the MFA actors, in the the overall health and well-be- Linklater technique he’d studied at UCLA. ing of the students. “I want This work led to Stackhouse working as them to take the best-possible vocal coach for university productions, care of themselves, physically which led to more work with the graduate and emotionally. Resting their department on dialects and vocal training. voices, using them correctly.” Scott Stackhouse Following the departure of Erika Bailey to 37 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online His second focus is to emphasize the need for what he calls “athletic” voices. “Contemporary work sometimes leads to disengaged or partially-attentive voices. Our work needs to be crisp, not on its heels.” The third focus is one that other programs, and even students them- selves, often overlook: voice-over work. “Our third-year actors have always left with a professional demo reel. Last year, I started in-depth animation voice-over work with the second-year actors. The goal is to develop these techniques over the course of their time with us, and to tailor the work according to the abilities of the individual student. This is a great way to use what we teach in the classroom to get professional work after graduation.” Stackhouse is also excited to shape his own style of teaching voice: “So much of what we do as professors is based on how others have taught it to us. What will my version of vocal training be? How can I make it Shipwrecked! directed by Scott Stackhouse. Courtesy of Seaside REP. Photo by Nikki Hedrick

unique and original to me?” Now that he is no longer dividing his time between graduate voice work and under- graduate directing and acting work, he’ll have the opportu- nity to give the program his own special stamp. However that special stamp manifests itself, Stackhouse will certain- ly strengthen the foundation of the graduate program and guide its graduates into a successful future.

Shipwrecked! directed by Scott Stackhouse. Courtesy of Seaside REP. Photo by Nikki Hedrick 38 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts by David Ruis

For the past eleven years, The He feels that it is a “great place for artists to Kansas City Fringe Festival has given practice and perform what the artists love, KC artists the opportunity to produce and art.” As for Bauer, the most important thing showcase their work in a theatrical stew about KC Fringe is that, “It allows artists to that includes: theatre, spoken word, film, create original pieces or to produce known music, dance, comedy, and burlesque. pieces that the artist loves. It is a platform Fringe delivers to an array of audiences, that is unbiased and inexpensive to work providing a variety of entertainment that from and gives opportunities for artists to can appeal to anyone’s particular perfor- learn.” mance taste. There is a show for every- Margaret Shelby (MA Theatre one. Inspired by the Edinburgh Festival in History 2015) and a few friends decided Scotland, the festival gathers a menagerie to take the risk and self-produce their own of artists and art supporters, celebrating scripts about art and art-making for KC theatrical artistry at its truest, purest form. Fringe. The Art is a Lie, an evening of short The Fringe Festival has also given ample plays, was executed at Phosphor Studios. opportunities to University of Missouri-Kan- Shelby’s own play, The Lash, was directed sas City theatre students. by UMKC graduate student Elizabeth Bet- Jonathan Robertson (MFA Sound tendorf Bowman and featured many UMKC Design 2016) and Jason Bauer (MFA students and alums. Shelby sees the value Sound Design 2016), along with Jason of KC Fringe for an artist. There is no ex- Ludlow created the “sound play” Compan- cuse not to be a part of it. “Seriously, there ions. Describing the play, Robertson states is very little that can prevent you from being that “The main character is the sound of a a part of Fringe. We self-produced, and did television, which we learn is actually a son- so by launching a very successful Kickstart- ic projection of the wife’s internal thoughts.” er campaign to raise money. Fringe pro- Robertson also directed and did the sound Manon Halliburton and Jason Bauer in vides a venue for the most shoe-string of design for the piece. This was Robertson’s Companions, KC Fringe Festival 2015. efforts, and you really have to take advan- Photo by Darren Toliver second year in the Fringe Festival. tage of that.” 39 University of Missouri- Kansas City Theatre Department Lauren Pope, Margaret Shelby, and Chris Roady in Love Me Tinder, KC Fringe Festival 2015. The Snake That Stole the Flower. Photo by Jill Toyoshiba KC Fringe Festival 2015. Photo by Mary Donaldson

Jae Shanks (MFA Sound Design 2017) sound designed five shows for the festival: Love Me Tinder, The Penis Monologues, Bond: a soldier and his dog, Self-Ease, and The Snake that Stole the Flower. Shanks was also the assistant stage manager for Lovesick. For Shanks, the festival was all about adapting. In designing her show, Shank focused on keeping it simple to run and simply aug- menting the show as a whole. “Overall, I learned so much about my own capabilities and ideas and how to adapt to the needs of a show in three hours of tech (sometimes less!). I am glad that I was a part of such an interesting experience seeing crazy theatre. It’s a fantastic feeling to be a part of such collaborative effort.” The KC Fringe Festival continues to grow year after year, pro- viding platforms for original work and stellar talent, combining artists and audiences together in a community of support and celebration Vanessa Severo in The Penis Monologues. for the love of theatre. KC Fringe Festival 2015. Photo by Roy Inman 40 www.umkctheatre.org Apply Online first” before branching off into theo- ry-based studies. This is why even MFA students take at least two of Londré’s by Andrew Hagerty courses, to solidify that foundation and strengthen their artistic pursuits. And, as dramaturg for the Missouri Repertory hat is a dramaturg? Curators’ Londré points out, many MFA candidates W Theatre for 22 years, says that UMKC’s Professor of Theatre Felicia Hardison Lon- choose to take additional courses, be- MA program trains its students to “create dré heads up the Master of Arts program cause the knowledge of where theatre a richer experience” both for those who at the University of Missouri-Kansas City has been is as important as figuring out work on a production and those who view and prepares her students to be scholars where it is going. it. of theatre history and dramaturgs. Author Germinder says that “One of the Alyson Germinder (MA 2015) is of fourteen books and scores of scholar- hallmark traits of dramaturgs is our curios- the current literary manager with Midwest ly articles, Londré says dramaturgs can ity.” As Londré points out, the MA program Dramatists’ Center and works profession- function as the “conscience of the play,” is structured to be flexible in tailoring to ally asa dramaturg throughout Kansas and instead of focusing on particular de- students’ particular interests. MA students City. She sees dramaturgy as “a power- sign or performance aspects, are able to are encouraged to branch out into various ful and necessary part of any theatrical offer a wider view of the world within the literary forms, Londré says, “to help them process.” For Germinder, the work of the play. Londré says many directors are now find their strengths” and enhance the im- dramaturg is all about the audience: “I “clamoring” for dramaturgs and my time to making the pact of their theses. As Germinder says, Kansas City theatres information I collect for “You have the ability to make the MA in particular look to each show as accessi- program unique and applicable to your the MAs of UMKC. ble as possible for any interests – and you don’t find that at every Graduates of the MA audience member that university.” program have stud- may come in contact ied extensively under with the production.” Londré and work This is in keeping with as dramaturgs for Londré’s statement that UMKC productions theatre history is the and co-productions. “absolute foundation” Several of these of professional theatri- theatres, including cal productions. While the Coterie and the Germinder states that Unicorn, have hired “dramaturgs have to graduates to serve constantly fight for their as staff dramaturgs place in the room,” Lon- and literary man- dré maintains that it is The Gin Game at Kansas City Actors Theatre. agers. Londré, who At Home at the Zoo at Kansas City Actors Theatre. vital to “learn the facts Photo by Brian Paulette served as Photo by Mike Tsai 41 Missouri’s Campus for the Arts 2015/16 2015-2016 THEATRE SCHOLARS

Lee & Nadine Marts Scholarship Graduate Productions Bill Baker, Jr. Scholarship Jason Bauer Sandra Lopez pRIvATELy-AWARDED The Learned Ladies Season Ingram Family Scholarship Fund SCHOLARSHIpS Baker Thomas Scholarship Nicole Jaja (Molière) Danny Fleming The William & Jo Ann Sullivan The Honorable Karen McCarthy Fellowship PAC Room 116 Jeanne McIlrath Finter Scholarship for Theatre Maya Jackson Memorial Scholarship in Caroline Allander October 16th-31st Costume Richard J. Stern Fellowship- Jeannette Nichols Scholarship Gretchen Halle Costume Immeasurable Heaven Elizabeth Still Marc Vital The Mary Ellen Fowler Award (Stephanie Roberts & Ensemble) SCS Scholarship Richard J. Stern Fellowship- Fund Jon Robertson Sound Spencer Theatre Mariem S. Diaz, Maya Jackson, Joshua Gilman, Caitlin Tuten Cast of Pericles, UMKC Theatre 2015. Gretel Sigmund Scholarship Jessica Shanks April 29th-May 8th and Caroline Vuchetich in The Learned Ladies. Gretchen Halle in Theatre Photo by Brian Paulette John D. Ezell Design Scholarship Patricia A. McIlrath Scholarship Glenn Linder UMKC Theatre 2015. Tzu-Ching Cheng Undergraduate Productions Afton Earp . Photo by Brian Paulette William & Fay Sollner Scholarship Mark Exline Wittenberg Patricia Crowe Morgan Elizabeth Sampley Trevor Frederiksen Acting Internship Douglas Enderle Honorary Tristan James (David Davalos) Edwin Brown III Scholarship in Theatre Design Sandra Lopez Michael Thayer Paige Beltowski Grant Hall Theatre THE HALL FAMILy Morgan-Oppenstein October 9th-25th Richard J. Stern Foundation FOUNDATION FELLOWS Acting Award Scholarship for Theatre Arts - Medea Mariem Diaz Costume Jason Bauer Joshua Gilman Caitlin Tuten Paige Beltowski (Euripides) Caroline Vuchetich The Kelly Award for Theatre Shannon Barondeau Pac Room 116 Jeanne McIlrath Finter Nils Emerson Joshua Christ February 26th-March 12th Acting Award Margaret Dolben Joshua Gilman THE NEW THEATRE GUILD Afton Earp Co-Productions The Darker Face of the Earth SCHOLARSHIpS Mark Exline Katherine Gehrlein Benefit Scholarship Dr. Patricia McIlrath Scholarship Jessica Hawkins Fall Faust Intensive Max Levitt Grethen Halle Nicole Jaja Cast of Freedom Rider, UMKC Theatre 2015. Fishtank Theatre Cast of The Rocky Horror Show, Three Sisters Benefit MFA, Costume Design Scholarship Tristan James UMKC Theatre 2015. The New Theatre Guild Photo by Brian Paulette October 1st-4th Morgan Lea Palmer Ashley Kok Photo by Brian Paulette Richard Carrothers & Dennis D. Kaleb Krahn MR BURNS, a post-electric play Noises Off Benefit Scholarship Hennessy Scholarship Jacob Lensing Margaret Dolben Michael Thayer, Glenn Linder (Ann Washburn) MFA Acting Unicorn Theatre AWARDS ADMINISTERED by Morgan Lea Palmer THE UMKC COLLEGE of The Virginia Kelley Scholarship Jon Robertson December 2nd-27th ARTS & SCIENCES James Alderiso, MA Elizabeth Sampley Andrew Steele AND JUSTICE FOR SOME: The Trial Francis J. Cullinan & The Julia Boutross Scholarship Baker S. Smith, Jr. Scholarship Jamie Leonard, BA Theatre Adam Terry of Anthony Burns [1858] Amanda Davison Caitlin Tuten The Michelle Bushman Scholarship Tzu-Ching Cheng (Wendy Lament and Bethany Dunakin) Dalton Pierce Mariem Diaz, MFA Acting The Coterie January 19th-February 21st Winter Greek Intensive KC Rep and UMKC Theatre work in partnership to prepare talented young artists for a future in theatre. Financial assistance from generous donors is essential to sustain UMKC’s acclaimed Fishtank Theatre theatre training programs. February 18th-21st Pictured Top to Bottom: Spencer Christensen, Nicole Marie If you are interested in contributing or in establishing a scholarship, please contact Jason Elliott Laura GreenJacobs & Jamie and SpencerDufault, Frank Christensen Lillig & at [email protected], 816.235.5776. Cast of Caucasian Chalk Circle, UMKC in The KorrieLiar, UMKC Murphy, Theatre Margaret 2015.Shelby. Photo Theatre 2015. Photo by Brian Paulette www.umkctheatre.org All Photosby Brian by Brian Paulette Paulette Master of Fine Arts Theatre Design and Technology: Technology Acting and Directing: Acting Stage Management Theodore Swetz Sadie DeSantis 816-235-2858 816-235-2783 [email protected] [email protected] PROGRAMS Carla Noack Technical Direction 816-235-5207 Chuck Hayes [email protected] 816-235-2772 [email protected] Design and Technology: Design Costume Lindsay W. Davis Master of Arts Theatre 816-235-6023 [email protected] Dr. Felicia Hardison Londré 816-235-2781 Lighting [email protected] Victor En Yu Tan 816-235-2767 or 816-213-8826 (cell) Academic Advisor [email protected] Cindy Stofiel 816-235-6683 Scenic [email protected] John Ezell Gene Friedman 816-674-7333 816-235-2733 Apply Online! [email protected] [email protected]

Sound www.umkctheatre.org Tom Mardikes [email protected]

Greg Mackender [email protected]

Relay Missouri at 1-800-735-2966 (TT) or 1-800-735-2466 (VIOCE) Spring 2016 Training News