Theatre Circle INSIGHTS Special Edition - Fall 2009 Indiana University Department of Theatre and Drama Alumni Memories
DeAnna D. Rieber, BA’81, reports that the “IU and the Drama Department opened up my whole world!” She shared fond memories of many wonderful teachers, includ- ing Chair R. Keith Michael “an amazing teacher,” drama teacher Marilyn Norris - “she was fabulous, and like so many other students, Bill [William] Kinzer. . . . I found out later in life that my father had Mr. Kinzer when he attended IU many years before.” Nancy Kierspe Carlson, BA’58, has wonderful stories to tell about the Brown County Playhouse and “those wild rides down to Nashville in a covered truck in the summer of 1957.” She writes, “Richard K. Knaub, who taught at I.U. and designed the lighting at the playhouse, would drive the cranky truck; and in the back were, honest-to-gosh, ten rickety folding chairs…five aligned on each side, attached to nothing, free to bounce wherever the bumps took them.” She also noted that today that would never happen - and she is right! THANK YOU, alumni, for responding to our request for your memories! This is a great start in our quest to collect stories, Special thanks to Theatre Circle for support of this color edition photos, and memorabilia that will tell our collective story for of STAGES which includes generations to come. When I shared these with students, some Theatre Circle INSIGHTS, a thought that a few of you might be pulling my leg. But, with a quarterly publication focusing little research we were able to come up with evidence that the on current events in the depart- stories are true. Including Nancy Carlson’s memory of “those ment. With the support of the wild rides” to the Brown County Playhouse. — Pat Kennedy IU Alumni Association, a second STAGES will be heading your way in Spring 2010! We thank ohn Mills, MA’59; PhD‘61 remembers Charles our team of graduate students, Kimbrough, who went on to an illustrious acting faculty and staff for content and J creative input. - Pat and Tom career but is best known for his brilliant comedic turn as Alumni Memories 1 the news anchor on TV’s hit show Murphy Brown. Mills Message from the Chair 3 remembers “ . . . during rehearsals Chuck (appearing Feature Article 4 as Hamlet), as we knew him, was in the habit of saying Class Notes 6 “something, something, something,” whenever he couldn’t Lee Norvelle Theatre and Faculty News 10 INSIGHTS 13 come up with a line. So, wouldn’t you know, at one perfor- Drama Center season opens Did we miss your information? mance he dried up momentarily and, whether from force of with longest running West habit or in sheer desperation, said “something, something, End musical. Write [email protected] something,” and that got him back on track. It nearly broke COMING SOON! up the cast but the audience, of course, was none the wiser. Theatre Circle INSIGHTS STAGES Spring 2010 It sounded quite properly Shakespearean after all.” starts on Page 13. INDIANA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DRAMA STAGES
Richard Jenkins playing Orsino and our very own Alumni Memories . . . Charles Railsback , PhD’96, (wearing hideous yellow tights) playing Malvolio. Like many students, William Grange, PhD’81, remem- bers the incredible impact of one of his mentors, here at IU. He recalls Durand L. Pope, former administrative director for the Department of Theatre and Drama, and his impact on the department at that time. “He saw me personally through quite a few ups and downs–and in the days when graduate assistants were paid $217 per month, his achievements are too numerous to recount individually. He held the hands of students who experienced nervous breakdowns, artistic successes, divorces, scholarly awards, bankruptcies, and births of children.” Grange is now the Hixson-Lied Professor of Theatre Arts at the Johnny Even though the University Theatre has been gutted for the next Carson School of Theatre and Film, University of Nebraska. phase of the renovation, and the Benton murals have been tem- porarily removed for restoration, Departmental Secretary Vicky Doug Long, MA’89, MFA’95, host of the alumni Facebook Crowe knew just where to look when asked about “ancient” chalk page, upon seeing the renovations in the last STAGES, drawings on the backstage walls. The guilty shall remain nameless! responded with a mix of emotions. When recalling the old University Theatre, he wondered, “Is it being retained and What department is complete without a story renovated? What about the Thomas Hart Benton murals? of true romance? Bloomington’s Anna K. Wiley, [The murals are being restored in our art museum]. What BA’56, remembers, “It dawned on me that my husband about (sniff, sniff) all my memories?” (David W. Wiley PhD’74) and I celebrate our 50th One part he did appreciate about the new space, however, wedding anniversary this year and we will be celebrating was the elevators. “When I directed Night, Mother there in the 75th anniversary of the Department of Theatre and 1986, we hauled a refrigerator up, and when I was in Poor Drama (although when we met in the summer of 1958 it Devils in 1995, we hauled up the front of a real car, piece by was still transitioning from the Department of Speech and piece. Oy.” Theatre).” Anna and David were acknowledged from the stage at the 75th Anniversary Gala. John Walker Vaughan, MA’52, claims to “be NOW among the oldest of the department’s extant Undergraduate Advisor, Charles Railsback graduates still active in the professional theatre.” points the way for a student and parents Vaughan is a Tony-award-winning actor and at the annual graduation brunch hosted by director, founding Artistic Director of The Seattle Theatre Circle. Repertory Theatre, and founder and artistic director of The New Globe Theatre in New York. He also is a Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont. Michael Bourne, MA’68, PhD’77, remembers Winged Victory, the first show he worked on in the fall of 1967. “I was in the tech crew and, while Kevin Kline, BA’70, as wooing a princess on the first act set at the front of the stage, I was on the second act set at the back of the stage fooling around with an undergrad. I later told Richard Scammon, the show’s designer, and he (always a frisky fellow) said ‘That’s wonderful! I meant that set to be erotic!’” Bourne’s memories don’t stop there, either. THEN He also remembers touring Shakespeare’s Charles Railsback starred alongside Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins in Twelfth Night with Oscar nominee those “hideous yellow tights” as Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
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Playwrights Reflect on Challenges Jordan Chaddock
In recent years, the world of commercial theatre has tell an entire story without words?” Noble’s answer was been swept up and carried away in a frenzy of work that Terminus: A Play in Motion. can, at best, be labeled unoriginal. Between Disney adapta- Combining diverse dance and movement techniques, tions, revivals and awkward constructs of popular songs original music by Peter Ermey, and featuring a 15 person known fondly – and sometimes not so fondly – as “Jukebox cast including Adam and Melissa Noble and multiple IU Musicals”, the average theatergoer is rarely exposed to students, Terminus, produced by the Dynamic Presence truly original and inspired work. And, it is troubling to hear Project at the INDY FRINGE Theatre in May 2009, is a theatre artists sighing and muttering, “What’s the point?” series of silent scenes that follow a female protagonist It takes a great deal of time, effort, commitment, and cour- known only as “She.” The work examines the woman’s age to create and produce truly new work, and it pleases chance encounters and unfolds a powerful story, unique to me to say that here at Indiana University, we have theatre each viewer, without audibly saying a word. artists willing to use their talents in pursuit of new ways In the classroom, Noble of expression and the seeks to instill in his creation of truly per- students and audiences a sonal, original works of sense of the power of the theatre. human body to communi- At the forefront of cate without relying solely this surge of new on the words. work over the past “To understand how the calendar year are IU physical side of the craft faculty members: Ken might help with playing Weitzman, Visiting Shakespeare is one thing; Assistant Professor to find that there is an of Playwriting/ entire world of physical Screenwriting, and theatre out there, where Adam Noble, the body is the only means Assistant Professor of of expression . . . well, that Movement/Combat. is something else,” says Weitzman offers guid- Noble. ance, encouragement and a discerning eye to any and all Faculty members are not the only artists with a desire to with an interest, and leads the way by tirelessly honing his create new work. PhD student Neal Utterback came to IU own craft. in the Fall of 2008 with a desire to create an adaptation of Weitzman’s play, Fire in the Garden, was featured as a part Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Utterback of ArtsWeek Festival ’09 at the John Waldron Arts Center. says, “I have believed for some time that the themes and Starring Weitzman and recent MFA Acting graduate Lilia issues that are inherent in the story are still relevant today. . Vassileva, Fire is a carefully intertwined piece centering . . the obsession with youth and celebrity, the corruption of on a new father’s experience in the first year of his child’s the innocent, and the consuming desire for pleasure.” life and his reaction to the story of Norman Morrison, a Utterback assembled actors Hanna Dillon, Lawrence Vietnam War protestor who lit himself on fire as his final Evans and Miles Heymann, director Jonathan act of protest, with his one-year-old daughter in his arms. Courtemanche, and stage manager Ryan Gohsman to In August 2009, Fire in the Garden, featuring Liam Craig, work on the piece. and directed by Woody King, Jr. (founder of the New Utterback served as the playwright, but much of the process Federal Theatre) was co-winner of the Mario Fratti-Fred consisted of group improvisation techniques to help Newman Political Playwriting Contest hosted and judged by inspire some of the text. The Picture (of Dorian Gray) was the Castillo Theater in New York. presented at IU in March 2009. In May, Utterback took the Traditional playwriting is not the only form that company to perform in Ireland at the Absolut Dublin Gay new theatre work assumes. Since 2005, Adam Noble, Theatre Festival, garnering two nominations: The Oscar along with his wife and artistic partner, Melissa, wrestled Wilde Award for Best New Writing and The Hilton Edwards with the question, “Can you have a feature-length play or Award for Best Concept and Direction.
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In summer 2009, Utterback collaborated with MFA Acting students Henry McDaniel and Shewan Howard to create an Cruisin’ Through Class interactive theatre experience called, The Vampire Trilogy, Part One: The Loved Ones. Beginning with a late-night When it comes to allowing students to just cruise through trek across campus, The Loved Ones incorporated music, a class, Production Manager David Grindle has the right light, movement, sound and good old-fashioned suspense idea! Each year David teaches aspiring stage managers to create an intimate theatrical experience unlike any other. Utterback utilized techniques he learned at the SITI Summer Intensive under the tutelage of Anne Bogart, and says, “I would take the raw data of their [the actors] compositions and rework and remix it into the final script. . . . it involves the total artist. It dissolves the traditional boundaries of actor, writer, director. Suddenly everyone is a theatre-maker.” MA graduate David Kopp,’09, relating to his experience of being ill and stuck in bed over the holidays, found himself resenting the feel-good ending of every Christmas film that he saw. Drawing from his experience, Kopp developed his play, It’s a Wonderful Lie, which was directed by Carle the intricacies of special event management and offers Gaier and featured a cast of undergraduate actors, The students an inside look at the profession. Last year, his title, of course, gives a gracious nod to Frank Capra’s class shadowed personnel and learned about the chal- masterpiece. lenges of managing multiple productions at Disney World (photo above). Regardless of the intent, style, mode of transmission or creative process used to create it, new work is always This January, his class will go cruising with Maritime refreshing to see. While popular forms of theatre may not Entertainment Operations and learn about the chal- always make room for nontraditional forms of theatre or lenges of staging shows on a moving target of weather truly original, new work, it is comforting to know that the and waves. Designed in cooperation with Gary Musick University setting still provides opportunity and inspiration Productions and Norwegian Cruise Lines, the class culmi- for new work. The burning need to create new work in nates with a week observing aboard a 5 day/4 night cruise theatre has caught fire here at Indiana University. from Miami to the Bahamas. It is certain that we can look forward to seeing increasing Theatre Circle donors, faculty and staff will join students in class and on the cruise! To date, the cruise is full, and Theatre amounts of original and exciting work coming out of our Circle has raised $2,000 to dedicate to scholarships and special faculty and students. student projects. MAINSPRING COLLECTIVE EXPLORES RELATIONSHIPS
In May 2007, Indiana University alum Hilary Krishnan, BA’06, Jenna Weinberg, BA’06, Laine Bonstein, BA’06, and Hannah Smith, BA’05 relocated to New York City and formed Mainspring Collective. Mainspring is devoted to the exploration and presentation of the experi- ences that drive people apart and pull them together. Focusing on the creation and interpreta- tion of honest work that they believe in, Mainspring Collective is at times a voice, a fist, a heart, a brain; but always a source of fresh and forward-thinking work. Their most recent endeavor, Dream of Me, was a multi-media theatre piece based on Charles Mee’s Fetes de la Nuit. The play, written by Alexandria LaPorte and directed by Hilary Krishnan, is a voyeuristic exploration of love, youth, naïveté, and the struggle for finding fulfillment, both in and out of relationships. The fast-paced original work infuses text inspired by Charles Mee with video art, original music, and innovative dance. The resulting vignettes featured IU gradu- ates Laine Bonstein and Jenna Weinberg among the ensemble. Following a nearly sold out run at the cell in Chelsea, Dream of Me moved to a 200-seat Off Broadway house in the West Village in May 2009. For more infor- mation please visit mainspringcollective.com.
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Press in 2006. This edition includes a new chapter about CLASS NOTES the historical development of theater buildings, discussions about the roles played by the audience, stage, and backstage Before 1960 areas, and new photographs, an updated glossary, and bibliography. Mell lives in Cold Spring, N.Y., where he Bob Williams, BS’56, MA’64, and his wife, Pat also serves as president of Theater Design Inc. He can be (Hargus), BS’60, both received Distinguished Service contacted at [email protected]. Awards from the IU Kokomo Alumni Association in 2008. Michael L. Bourne, MA’69, PhD’77, has been a disk The award is given for exemplary service to IU, the Kokomo jockey for Newark, N.J., public radio station WBGO since campus, the IU Alumni Association, and the community. 1984, hosting the station’s popular Singers Unlimited Former members at large on the IUAA Executive Council, program since 1986 and its Afternoon Jazz and Blues the Williamses live in Bloomington, Ind. Hour since 1997. A recipient of the Willis Conover–Marian 1960 - 69 McPartland Award for Excellence in Jazz Broadcasting from the Jazz Journalists Association, Bourne has written Serita Slocum Borgeas, BA’63, writes, “After living for Down Beat magazine since 1969 and has been a New in Phoenix for over 40 years, rearing two children, and York theatre critic for more than 25 years. Last year, while working as a speech pathologist in schools and hospitals, I reviewing his friend and IU theatre department classmate retired and moved back to Indianapolis with my husband. Kevin Kline, BA’70, in the role of Cyrano de Bergerac, A lifetime’s interest in music, theater, and radio has led to Bourne claimed that the production lacked a little “pizzazz,” being involved in community theater, playing keyboards in a criticism often leveled at both Bourne and Kline by their my husband’s band, and volunteering as a reader for the former Theatre & Drama professor and frequent director, Indiana Reading and Information Services, an outreach Bill Kinzer. Bourne lives in New York City. service provided by WFYI.” 1980 - 89 Thomas E. Turpin, BS’65, MAT’66, is a sales associate for the Macy’s store in Littleton, CO, where he works Jane M. Page, MFA’80, is a free-lance director, acting in men’s shoes. Turpin writes that he is also interested coach, and educator who lives in Denver. She has extensive in teaching and providing teaching support. He lives in experience working with teachers and students, and has Aurora, Colo., with his wife, Karon (Squier), BS’65, MS’66, worked in a variety of school and educational settings, from and can be contacted at [email protected]. elementary to university level, with highly gifted to at-risk populations. In 2007, the Alliance for Colorado Theater se- Ivan H. Davidson, MA’66, retired from teaching at Knox lected her as its Outstanding Theatre Educator of the Year. College in Galesburg, Ill., in 2005. In 2004, he received For the past eight years she has served on the faculty for the Knox College’s Caterpillar Faculty Achievement Award Aesthetic Education Institute of Colorado. Page’s national for extraordinary accomplishment in teaching, research directing credits include the Colorado Shakespeare Festival; or creative activity, and service. Davidson was also twice a Studio Arena Theater, Buffalo, New York; the Alabama recipient of the Wright Award for Excellence in Teaching. Shakespeare Festival; Virginia Stage Company; Florida He is currently the managing director of The Joe Jefferson Studio Theater; Repertory Theater of St. Louis; Cleveland Players in Mobile, Ala., where he lives, and has directed Play House; and Utah Shakespeare Festival. Her work has productions such as Amadeus, The Man of La Mancha, I also been seen throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. Do, I Do, A Delicate Balance and The Lion in Winter. He writes that he “enjoys living in the sunny South after 43 DeAnna Cross Rieber, BA’81, is an associate broker years in the frozen Midwest.” for Halstead Property, a real-estate firm in New York City. As a student at IU, she was a member of the Marching Rebecca Williams Leonard, BA’67, a medical research Hundred for two seasons, playing the baritone horn. Rieber scientist in otolaryngology surgery and a professor at the was also an ROTC graduate and served for three years in University of California in Sacramento, was one of four the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis, VA, reaching the rank of first individuals who were inducted into the Martinsville (IN) lieutenant. In 1984 she moved to New York City, where High School Hall of Fame in January. In the 1980s Leonard she has worked as an actress — including walk-on parts co-designed and produced an artificial tongue that helped on the daytime soap operas One Life to Live and Search surgeons pioneer new reconstructive techniques for replac- for Tomorrow — a teacher, an executive director of a ing mouthparts in recovering cancer patients. She lives in not-for-profit organization, a seamstress, interior designer, Sacramento. and a sewing instructor. Originally from a small farming 1970 - 79 community near Bedford, IN, Rieber has lived in New York Michael J. Mell, MA’78, is the author of Building Better City for over 25 years. Theaters, the second edition of which was published by ET
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Andrew C. Billings, BS’94, MA’96, PhD’99, is an associ- CLASS NOTES . . . ate professor in the Department of Communication and Culture at Clemson University. His research and teaching Alvia Lewis Frey, BA’82, MA’84, writes a column for The focuses on sports communication and mass media, par- Frankfort Times called “Slice of Life,” which focuses on ticularly on the portrayal of identity within televised sport. positive, thought-provoking stories about local residents. Routledge recently published Billings’ first book, Olympic She lives in Frankfort, IN, with her husband Dan. Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television. He and his wife, Angela (Bowser), BS’99, live in Central, S.C. Barry J. Saltzman, BA’83, writes that he has appeared 17 times as a panelist in What’s My Line—Live Onstage in Steven Cole Hughes, BA ‘95, has just had his first play Los Angeles and off-Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre published. Billy Hell, winner of the 2008 Denver Post alongside Drew Carey, Rose Marie, George Wendt, Fred Ovation Award for Best New Work, can be found at http:// Willard and others. He received an Outstanding Featured www.originalworksonline.com/billyhell.htm. Actor in a Drama recognition from StageSceneLA for his Clare M. Mottola, MFA’96, is chairwoman of the performance in the one-act play, “Letting Go.” Saltzman’s Department of Performing Arts at the Fieldston School in film and television credits include Danny Roane: First the Bronx, N.Y. With her company MTP, she continues to Time Director, starring Andy Dick, Jack Black, and Ben produce Cherry Picking, a festival of new plays featuring a Stiller, and General Hospital. He works for MGM Studios number of IU alumni. Mottola and her husband, Jon, live in Los Angeles, where he lives. with their two children in the Bronx. Lori Rosecrans Wekselblatt, BA’83, is a lecturer and Suzanne Lang, BA’96, finished filmingWalter’s Wife with co-chairwoman of the design and technology program in Scott Lowell in Michigan (release date: January 2010) and the Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film at Purchase What If with John Ratzenberger and Kevin Sorbo (release College, part of the State University of New York system, date: February 14, 2010). Last fall, she joined the DePaul based in Purchase, NY. She lives in New Rochelle, NY. University Theatre School as an adjunct faculty member Lynne K. Porter, MFA’85, is the chairwoman of the and has been teaching Performance Workshop. Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Fairfield (CT) Dawn Pearlman, BA’97, is human resources manager for University. She has been a design professor at Fairfield Credit Agricole Asset Management Alternative Investments since 1995 and now oversees all of the department’s five Inc. in Chicago. Previously, she worked as director of arts programs including art history, music, new media film, human resources for Levy Restaurants at Wrigley Field. studio arts, and theatre. Porter’s most recent set designs Pearlman lives in Chicago. were for The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Fairfield and Edward C. Elefterion, MFA’98, has been nominated for The Clean House at the Bloomsburg (PA) Theatre for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Ensemble. She has designed extensively for the Harrisburg Choreography/Movement for his work in Shadow of Shakespeare Festival—where she served as the associate Himself, produced by Rabbit Hole Ensemble. The nominees artistic director— the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, were announced at a sold-out event on July 20, 2009, the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre in North that was attended by over 500 artists and guests, and, the Carolina, the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, the Horizon awards were presented at a ceremony on September 21. Theatre in Atlanta, the Penobscot Theatre in Maine, and the Celebrating its 5th year, the New York Innovative Theatre Maine Shakespeare Festival. Porter has also held teaching Awards recognize the unique and essential role Off-Off- positions at Susquehanna University, Mars Hill College, Broadway plays in contributing to American and global and the University of North Texas. A portfolio of her work culture. The awards are given annually to honor individuals can be seen on her Web site www.lynneporter.com. Porter and organizations who have achieved artistic excellence in lives in Fairfield. Off-Off- Broadway theater. For more information about the 1990 - 99 awards, visit www.nyitawards.com. Elefterion lives in West Babylon, NY. Sandra L. Parker, BA’90, writes, “I am self-employed as a script supervisor in the film industry. I supervise continu- Hilary Ward Widdifield, BS’99, completed an MFA ity and act as liaison between the director and the editor.” degree in theatre from the University of California, San She lives in New Orleans. Diego in 2007. She currently works as an actress for Chalk Repertory Theatre, a company she co-founded along with Trey (Howard) Teufel, BA’91, currently lives in Los four other graduates of the UCSD MFA Theatre program. Angeles where he works as a physical fitness trainer and Widdifield lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif. pursues acting. Trey recently appeared in an episode of Nurse Betty.
P A G E 7 l F A L L 2 0 0 9 INDIANA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DRAMA STAGES CLASS NOTES . . . Arian Moayed, BA’02, most recently starred as an Iraqi translator in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. To reach the Los Angeles 2000 - 2008 Times feature on Arian visit http://www.latimes.com/ entertainment and search Arian Moayed (May 29 issue). John Kenneth DeBoer, BA’00, received the Voice and Speech Trainers Association Clyde Vinson Memorial Nathaniel Beaver, BA’03, is featured in an interview in Scholarship which is awarded each year to an up-and- the new book Living Abroad in New Zealand. In addition, coming VASTA member in their first three years of teach- there are about ten of Nathaniel’s photos included in the ing. This allowed him to travel to the 2009 Conference book. Nathaniel lived in New Zealand for two years after in New York City and attend workshops with Catherine graduating from IU. Since 2008 he has lived in the Los Fitzmaurice, Kristin Linklater, and Patsy Rodenburg. He is Angeles area, where he has worked as a personal assistant an Assistant Professor of Acting/Directing at the University on several reality programs and worked with Flip Filipelli of Montana & 41 Sets. At the beginning of this year, Beaver established his own film and video production company, Parry-Riposte Carolyn J. Klein, MFA’00, directed The Mysterious Films, where he has been busy editing and running camera Elephant and the Terrible Tragedy of the Unlikely on various projects. For more information, and to see some Addington Twins (*Who Kill Him), which ran at the of his videos, visit www.parry-ripostefilms.com. Beaver Chopin Theatre in Chicago from June to July 2008. lives in North Hollywood, Calif. Klein also directed Mr. Spacky, the Man Who Was Continuously Followed by Wolves, at the Chopin Theatre Andrew Elliott, MFA’03, moved to Madison, New Jersey in 2007. Both plays were written by fellow IU alumna, and is faculty Technical Director at Drew University where Emily A. Schwartz, BA’01. Mr. Spacky was named one he recently received tenure and a promotion to Associate of the top ten shows of the year (2007) by both Chicago Professor. He also has found work as a sound designer in Tribune and Time Out Chicago. Klein performed in the the northern New Jersey area and beyond, and has de- Chicago Shakespeare Company’s winter 2008 production signed several shows locally and written music for produc- of Macbeth and previously appeared in productions of tions as far away as Montana (working with IU MFA Alum Scenes From the Big Picture with Chicago’s Seanachai Noah Tuleja, MFA’04). He serves on the Board of Trustees Theatre Company and The Dreams in the Witch House for The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. His son, Aidan with Wildclaw Theatre. She is an ensemble member of the Jeffery Elliott starts kindergarten next year. Seanachai Theatre Company and an artistic associate with At Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York City, Nicole the Strange Tree Group. Klein lives in Chicago. Brickley, BA’05, was one of the stage managers sending DeAnna Toten Beard, PhD’01, has finished her new the models down the runway. No word if she knows who book based on the dissertation she wrote at IU. Sheldon the winner of Project Runway is or not. Cheney’s Theatre Arts Magazine: Promoting a Modern When the national tour of Wicked stopped in Indianapolis American Theatre, 1916-1921 will published by Scarecrow in June, cast member Colin Donnell, BA ‘05, who plays Press — http://www.scarecrowpress.com. She is associate Fiyero, took a break to visit with students and friends on professor and head of graduate studies in the Department campus. of Theatre Arts at Baylor University. Lyndsay K. Gilman, BAJ’05, is the first U.S. employee of Kiersten M. Vorheis, BA’01, has been acting profession- the Dublin, Ireland-based technology company Electronic ally around the country in roles such as Nickie in Sweet Product Services Ltd. She is the client-service coordinator Charity, Miss Bellamy in Father of the Bride, Maria in and manages the Plainfield, IN, office. Gilman lives in Lend Me a Tenor, Sister Margaretta in The Sound of Music, Indianapolis. and Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors. This fall, Vorheis Holly Holbrook, MA’05 recently directed a showcase will be joining the Sanders Family for the 4th time as June of seven short plays called Sex/Death, produced by Sanders, having played Vera three times, in Smoke on the the Bloomington Playwrights Project. The show is also Mountain at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, being performed as part of the 2009 IndyFringe Theatre PA. This move comes after playing Mayor Matilda Hyde in Festival at the Theatre on the Square’s Mainstage in All Shook Up twice during the spring and summer of this August. Holbrook is currently working with Canadian year. After Smoke, she will return to Dutch Apple to play playwright Lynda Martens on her first play, Naked in the Sister Amnesia in Nunsense. She lives in Clinton, Iowa. Kitchen, which is part of the BPPs 2009–10 Main Stage Gabe Lewin, BA’02, has been named the Artistic Director season. Earlier this summer, Holbrook collaborated with of the Jewish Theatre Workshop in Baltimore, Maryland. fellow IU graduates and students, Kevin Daly, MFA’08, Danielle Howard, MFA’07, Jeff Grafton, MFA’08, Kevin Anderson, BA’07, Casey Searles, BA’07, and
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Kyle Davis on a reading of Daly’s script, Elsewhere at the Rebecca R. Solomon, BA’06, is a reporter and weekend Crossroads Repertory Theatre’s New Play Tuesdays. news anchor for television station WJFW in Rhinelander, Tenaya I. Hurst, BA’05, writes,“while working in the WI, where she lives. She also keeps viewers informed on the San Francisco Bay area, I’ve performed in The Kentucky area’s popular restaurants in her segment, “Reservations Cycle, Hair, Guys and Dolls, Cocoanuts, and other with Rebecca.” Solomon can be reached at rroseol@aol. shows with large theatre companies.” Combining her com. undergraduate degrees in theatre and drama, geological Zach Spicer, BA’06, most recently appeared as Bobby in sciences, and anthropology, she describes herself as a “Geo- American Buffalo at TheatreWorks in Hartford, CT. AnthropActress.” Hurst’s self-produced “sexy geological Amanda L. Tanguay, BA’06, recently appeared in the cabaret,” Tenaya Rocks, has been produced on several oc- Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Grand Ole Opry casions since 2004, running most recently from October to in Nashville, TN. From August to October 2008, she November 2008 at Stage Werx in San Francisco. For more performed in Cabaret at the Drury Lane Oakbrook (IL) information on Hurst’s theater and film work, visit her Web Theatre. She also played Rosie in Sweet Charity at the site, www.tenayahurst.com. same theater from March to May 2008. Tanguay lives in Garlia Cornelia Jones, BA’05, is currently working on Downer’s Grove, IL. her Masters of Fine Arts in Playwriting at the New School Codey Girten, BA’07, and Jeremy Phillips, BA’09 for Drama. Previous Masters work was in African American have taken positions as an actor and production assistant, and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University. In respectively, with an American Musical Theatre company in 2003, while working on her BA in Theatre, Garlia founded Shanghai, China. Black Curtain, a Black theatre group devoted to perform- ing works about the Black experience in America. Black Amanda C. Smith, BA’07, works as a full-time performer Curtain began a new theatrical experience for Ms. Jones as in the entertainment department at Disney World. she began to mix the theatrical with the social and politi- Allison Moody, MFA’08, performed at the Brown County cal. Black Curtain and Garlia received awards from the Playhouse in Suds, How the Other Half Loves and The Boys Commission on Multicultural Understanding (COMU) and Next Door. She also appeared in Cardinal Stage Company’s Diversity Education for work that specifically dealt with production of The Diary of Anne Frank and Miep Gies and cross-cultural communication. Garlia and Black Curtain in Indiana Repertory Theatre’s production of A Christmas were also heavily involved with the Bloomington com- Carol as the Laundress and Plump Sister. This year she munity and HIV/AIDS. RedVolution, an HIV/AIDS Benefit, teamed up again with Dale McFadden in the Phoenix co-hosted by former MTV VJ, Quddus, was born from this Theatre’s production of Mauritius where she played Jackie. partnership in October 2006. Their HIV/AIDS work also She is currently working for the Human Race Theatre gave Black Curtain numerous opportunities to perform in Company in Dayton, OH, as Diana in Lend me a Tenor, a front of the Bloomington Mayor and in front of MC Lyte role she played at the Playhouse in 2007. during the Spring of 2007 in Indianapolis, IN. Andrew J. Rhoda, MA’06, MLS’08, works as an ALF Joohee Park, MA’05 , is a doctoral candidate in Theatre cataloging expert at the IU Bloomington Lilly Library. He and Drama at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Her recently completed his MLS with a specialization in rare dissertation examines Korean Theatre for Children and books and manuscripts librarianship. Rhoda also served Young People between 1992 and 2002. She now resides in as an intern to the curator of books at the Lilly, and as a Pullman, WA. student assistant to the librarian for English and American Clayton F. Sanderson, BA’05, joined the MFA acting literature, film studies, philosophy, and theatre and drama. program at DePaul University, appearing in productions He lives in Bloomington. such as Machinal, Spinning Into Butter, and Man From CLASS OF 2009 Nebraska. He has also worked as an actor in and around Chicago, most recently in The Shape of Things, Twelfth Alicia Bailey, MFA’09, accepted the Assistant Technical Night, and The Importance of Being Earnest with Festival Director position at Beloit College in Wisconsin. 56, The Mikado with Light Opera Works, and Kiss of the Seamus Bourne, MFA’09, accepted the Resident Spider Woman at Bailiwick Repertory. Sanderson lives in Designer/TD position at Theatre on the Square in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected]. Marietta,Georgia. Jamie L. Brouillette, BA’06, is a permanent member of Sara Dobbs, BA’09, is currently performing in the the chorus of the DuPage Opera Theatre, a resident profes- Broadway run of West Side Story. sional company based at the McAninch Arts Center of the College of DuPage, in Glen Ellyn, Ill. She lives in Dyer, IN.
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CLASS NOTES . . . FACULTY NOTES
Sabrina Ellenberger, BA’09, is Shakespeare in Istanbul Mark Kamie living in Germany and is very active in The English Theater Berlin. She Last October, Professor Rob Shakespeare was invited to be a guest speaker at reports that she has ventured out into the 7th Annual Radiance Workshop in Freiburg, Switzerland. A sixth-century a bit of film work in both German and architectural rendering of the Hagia Sophia, presented by researchers from English this year. She prefers the Germany’s Darmstadt University, caught his eye. stage, “but the camera does pay more!” The missing atmosphere was “light” according to Shakespeare. “I wondered Noe Montez, PhD’09, reviewed Tracy what it looked like on Easter morning with dawn’s first light streaming through G. Davis’s book Stages of Emergency the east-facing window and incense filled chancel.” for the New England Theatre Journal and presented his paper “Money the With the help of an Hard Way: Performing Rehabilitation Indiana University at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary New Frontiers grant, Rodeo,” at the annual ATHE confer- he is collaborating ence, held in Denver, CO, in August with Darmstadt 2008. Noe lives with his wife, Alison, University as the in Cleveland where he is the drama- Lighting Consultant turg at The Cleveland Playhouse. for a computer simula- Sean Smallman, MFA’09, has taken tion of how the interior a position as the Lighting Designer for appeared in the sixth the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. century. “I was fasci- nated by its history,” Mary Weber, MFA’09, was selected Shakespeare said of as the 2009 KM Fabrics Technical the Hagia Sophia. Production Award winner from Hagia Sophia USITT. The award goes to someone Now a museum, who “has demonstrated excellence the Hagia Sophia ( “Center of Wisdom”) was ordered to be built as the new or outstanding potential in the area Cathedral of Constantinople in five years by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. With of technical direction or production the resurgence of Islam, the once Christian Church was converted to a Mosque. management in the performing arts “It was the largest interior space for about a thousand years,” Shakespeare while pursuing a graduate degree.” added. Mary has accepted a faculty Technical Over the summer, Shakespeare met with researchers from Darmstadt for a week Director position at Millikin University of on-site research in Istanbul, then visited with principal investigator Professor in Illinois. Stichel in Germany. At pre-dawn on Easter, Hagia Sophia was lit with at least 10,000 oil lamps using olive oil as fuel and dried flower stems for wicks. To create an accurate simula- tion, the light output and color needs to be measured. Shakespeare purchased oil-lamps used in current mosques for this purpose, but discovered a differently shaped period lamp at Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, which an Indiana University glassblower will be replicating. The goal is to render six feet by twelve feet pictures of the interior in HDR, High Dynamic Range. Chris Wood, a second-year MFA lighting student, is taking an independent study tackling the data collection. Fortunately, Indiana University has one of the larg- est supercomputers in the United States, which will cut down on the rendering time. “I want to put my eyes in this amazing space,” Shakespeare said of the gold-mir- rored mosaic ceiling which is said to create the effect of looking into the heavens. He plans to return to Istanbul to measure the mosaics’ reflective properties with A magnificent lantern shines below the a spectrophotometer. windows of Hagia Sophia.
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This summer, Paul Brunner Brown County conducted research into the ap- Playhouse, plication of sustainability to stage giving students scenery construction. He attended a chance to the AWFS Convention (Association work with and of Woodworking and Furnishing learn from a Suppliers) to explore “green” products professional and current certification programs actor with a specific to construction materials. wonderful Paul specializes in wood-based talent for composite panels research, which comedy. includes products like particle board, If you are a medium-density fiberboard, hard Facebook fan, board, and similar products that make you’ve prob- highly efficient use of wood resources. ably seen the Midsummer Theatre Program students, from high schools across the His research will be documented in the invitations from country, stage a madcap moment. Students train in Shakespeare, near future for publication and as a Terry LaBolt movement, voice and speech, acting for the camera, musical theatre resource for students. for his monthly and dramatic literature. In addition to directing There Goes the appearances This year he spoke to the cast of Rent Bride at the Brown County Playhouse, in downtown Cincinnati at the Below (the school edition) at Park Tudor Bruce Burgun served as Chair of the Zero Cabaret. He managed to squeeze High School about the history of AIDS Artistic Director Search Committee cabaret dates into his hectic summer in the 1980’s. for the Bloomington Playwrights schedule, which included musical In addition to overseeing the depart- Project. “We vetted over 60 applica- direction for The All Night Strut! at ment’s annual Midsummer Theatre tions,” Bruce says. “and hired Chad the Brown County Playhouse. He Program for young artists preparing Rabinovitz of the Westport County could also be found behind the keys for college, Dale McFadden Playhouse, the theatre run by Joanne in the band for Mamma Mia during directed The Safety Net as part of the Woodward and the late Paul Newman. its stint at the IU Auditorium, and Crossroads Rep’s summer season in “The Bloomington Playwrights Project plans to join them again in October Terre Haute, and Driving Miss Daisy, is vital to the health of Bloomington’s at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis. Terry, which is now playing at the Brown cultural scene, and for 30 years, it has who has always been public about his County Playhouse. served as a crucial training ground fight with AIDS, will be featured in an and area of opportunity for IU grads upcoming edition of Bloom Magazine. In August 2007, with the support of and undergrads in the areas of acting, a New Frontiers grant, funded by the directing, playwriting, and design” Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment, says Burgun. IU theatre students traveled to South Africa with Professor Murray Amy Cook’s essay “Staging Nothing: McGibbon to mount Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Cognitive Science” previ- The Tempest at the Hexagon Theatre ously published in SubStance will be in Pietermaritzburg. This May, with reprinted in an edited volume called New Frontiers support, McGibbon Hamlet as a part of Harold Bloom’s brought members of the South African Modern Critical Interpretations cast, including its star Stephen series in 2009. Her essay “Wrinkles, Gurney, to America and remounted Wormholes, and Hamlet: Looking at the production in the Wells-Metz The Wooster Group Hamlet as a mani- Theatre. The play was set on an imagi- festation of science and a challenge to nary island off the coast of KwaZulu- periodicity” will be published in TDR Natal, and fused music, dance and next December. drama traditions of South Africa with Nancy Lipschultz hit the boards this South African star Stephen Gurney European and American ones to create summer in There Goes the Bride at the invokes the spirits in the Wells-Metz. a richly diverse performing art style.
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George Pinney reports that the body of work has garnered praise and ANNOUNCEMENTS experience of mounting The Rockae, recognition. If you missed the fantastic 75th this summer’s workshop in the Weitzmann says, “Central to the Anniversary spread in the College of Premiere Musicals series, in just mission of this department is properly Arts and Science magazine visit two short weeks was tremendously preparing students for the profession. http://college.indiana.edu/alumni/office/ valuable for all who participated. Many, in fact most, students will get mag.shtml. “Employing a rock band of three their first jobs and make many of Then... guitars and drums and no conductor (L to R): University Theatre’s first production (1933), The First Mrs. Fraser; Stage, their most valuable contacts through film and television actor Charles Kimbrough (BA ‘58) in Hamlet (1959); Kimbrough returned to IU as a Ralph L. Collins Memorial lecturer in 1993, when he was also named the College’s brings particular problems for singers. readings and workshops of new plays, Distinguished Alumni Award winner. Their voices are more exposed, and it either at theatres or at new play is extremely difficult for the singers to Taking Now... 3 development conferences such as New Center 1 hear and follow at times.” says Pinney. 2 Harmony. I hope by forging this new Stage 5 4 n 1933, under the direction of professor of speech Lee Norvelle, a group of students presented 6 “The 1980s-based choreography was The First Mrs. Fraser on the narrow stage in Alumni Hall. The romantic comedy went over well judging by most reviews—save one prominent donor’s objection to the portrayal of whiskey consumption on the stage. 1. Performance by Broadway Cabaret troupe, directed by relationship with the board and staff I George Pinney and Terry LaBolt. 2. Department Chair Jonathan Michaelsen speaks to Seventy-five years after the University Theatre’s first momentous season, students, faculty, members of Theatre Circle. alumni and patrons gathered in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center on May 2nd, 2009, to 3. The 2008 production of Dead Man Walking opened commemorate the diamond anniversary of the Department of Theatre and Drama. 75 years to the day after the first University Theatre performance (Henry McDaniel and Lilia Vassileva). 8 4. Miah Michaelsen, Bloomington’s assistant economic aerobic and lengthy, challenging Department Chair Jonathan Michaelsen, IU’s own Broadway Cabaret troupe, and current Theatre development director for the arts, chats with Sandy Moberly. students greeted guests to the gala evening, which included a “cast party” with dancing and 5. The Gala’s centerpieces, designed by Robbie Stanton, exhibits commemorating the history of theatre at IU. reflected recent IU productions—including 2008’s of the New Harmony Project, I’ll be Metamorphoses. Monies raised by the event, sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Drama and by Theatre 6. Theatre alumnus and emeritus faculty member David Albright gets directions from staffer Trish Hausmann. Circle, went to the department’s new production endowment. Michaelsen said the department hopes 7. Associate professor of theatre Fontaine Syer (left) chats with to raise $250,000 to establish the endowment, which will support the department’s 14-production Musical Theatre major Mark Banik. yearly season, “and help us pay for everything from scenery to costumes to the orchestra.” n 8. The Gala’s piano bar featured performances by Assistant actors to sustain notes while moving Professor Ray Fellman (pictured), among others. able to secure some internships and 7 Photos courtesy of IU Photographic/Ric Cradick
College Issue Spring 2009.indd 12-13 7/23/09 12:48 PM full out. The designers brought a apprenticeships for IU students.” wealth of enthusiasm and creativity to Don’t miss any of the great alumni the process. Turning the Wells-Metz events on campus and keep us into an unconventional space, their informed about the events in your life. meticulous and tireless work was Visit http://alumni.indiana.edu and inspiring. We also brought four Equity update your address and information. actors in from NYC to mesh with our And don’t forget your classnotes for students. This type of collaboration, our Spring edition! working alongside seasoned artists, is invaluable for the budding artist.” GOT THEATRE MEMORIES TO SHARE? Email Fontaine Syer’s summer was spent [email protected] directing Much Ado About Nothing at or write the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Indiana University Rob Morgan, who designed Twelfth Theatre and Drama Alumni Night a few years ago in the Lee 275 N Jordan Street, A300T Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, Bloomington IN 47405 was the set designer and senior Josh Hambrock was part of the company. “The show was a huge hit,” reports Fontaine, “and played to 800-1000 folks a night.” Ronald Wainscott, PhD’84, brought out the third edition of his This summer Ken Weitzman, was Allyn and Bacon textbook, Theatre: Groups - Check Us Out!t! a writer-in-residence at the New Collaborative Acts co-written with Harmony Project—a nationally recog- Kathy Fletcher (BA’77, PhD’86). We’ve Gone Social! nized, two-week playwriting confer- The text is widely used by colleges Join these groups today! ence held at New Harmony, Indiana. and universities across the country for Indiana University Theatre Alumni The purpose of The New Harmony teaching Introduction to Theatre and Project is to create, nurture, and pro- Theatre Appreciation. In April, Ron Indiana University – Department of mote new works for stage, television was an invited scholar for the Honors Theatre and Drama Conference at DePauw University, and film that sensitively and truthfully where he led a seminar in theatre explore the positive aspects of life. Indiana University Alumni research and presented a paper on his Association The writers-in-residence are invited to latest book-in-progress, provisionally work on projects of their own choosing titled A Modest History of Immodesty Indiana University and serve as an available resource to on the Stage. Additionally, he contin- Student Advisory Board other writers at the conference. These ues to research and prepare the 4th Remember Dramaprom? writers are typically individuals whose edition of Theatre: Collaborative Arts.
P A G E 1 2 l F A L L 2 0 0 9 Theatre Circle Insights Published 4 times a year for members of the Theatre Circle Season 2009-10, Issue 1 Insights on—and in—Stages
“So wise and humane… carries a big each issue of Theatre Circle Insights “A GOOD JOKE CLEANS YOUR INSIDES OUT.” emotional punch” Washington Post will present background about the next two plays in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, infor- mation about our productions, and news about the department and Theatre Circle. We think you’ll discover that Insights is a compelling reason to join Theatre Circle. In this issue of Insights, we offer a profile of playwright/composer/ librettist Willy Russell and his Blood Brothers, the longest running musical By Sarah Ruhl A comedy by Alfred Uhry • Directed by Dale McFadden on the West End, which opens in the Directed by Jonathan Michaelsen
Wells-Metz Theatre 10th St. Lee Norvelle Theatre & Drama Center Jordan Ave. 2009 S ASON Sept. 25 - Oct. 25 7th St. SEA Ruth N. Halls on October 9; a col- Your Theatre at 7th and Jordan B R OWN W N CO C OUNT Y Fri/Sat 8pm • Sun 3pm 3rd St. October 23-24, 27-31, 2009 7th & Jordan ORDER TODAY! lection of statements about plays and 855-1103 • IU Auditorium • theatre.indiana.edu 855.1103 • 988.2123 LNTDC0910_TheCleanHouse 8.5x11final.indd 1 9/18/09 7:28 AM NASHVILLE, INDIANA theatre.indiana.edu 70 S. Van Buren • Nashville Box Office opens Sept. 23 “Exhilarating… one of the best musicals ever written.” - Sunday Times playwriting by Sarah Ruhl, whose delightful The Clean House opens in elcome to this special issue of the Wells-Metz on October 23; an Theatre Circle Insights, pub- W article on Driving Miss Daisy, which lished in combination with Stages, opened September 24 at the Brown our department’s alumni newsletter. County Playhouse and is playing This once-a-year doubling up allows Friday and Saturday evenings, as Theatre Circle members to follow well as matinees on selected Satur- the post-IU journeys of our students, days, and Sunday matinees through while our alums—especially recent October 25; and a preview of the ones—will be able to keep up with Theatre Circle Lectures, which begin the recent and current activities on October 12. There’s much to read of the Department of Theatre and Direction Murray McGibbon in this issue of Insights and much to Drama. Musical Direction Terry LaBolt Choreography William C. Angulo enjoy on the stages of the Lee Nor-
If you are new to Theatre Circle, Ruth N. Halls Theatre 10th St. Lee Norvelle Theatre & Drama Center Jordan Ave. 7th St. Your Theatre at 7th and Jordan velle Theatre and Drama Center and 3rd St. you’ll discover that Insights is one of October 9-10, 13-17, 2009 7th & Jordan 855-1103 • IU Auditorium • theatre.indiana.edu the Brown County Playhouse. its great member benefits. Published LNTDC0910_BloodBrothers 8.5x11final.indd 1 9/18/09 7:32 AM Welcome to the theatre! four times in the academic season, This complimentary copy is provided courtesy of the Theatre Circle. Join the Circle and receive a subscription to Theatre Circle Insights as part of your member benefits. Enjoy three more issues and acquire insights into six wonderful productions: As You Like It, Parentheses of Blood, Marat / Sade, Major Barbara, Take Me Out, and A Little Night Music. Theatre Circle Insights—one of the many benefits of being in the Circle. INDIANA UNIVERSITY THEATRE CIRCLE I N S I G H T S Discussing Driving Miss Daisy raduate student Mark Kamie recently personal stories of people who are Southern ship between the 72-year-old Daisy and Ginterviewed—by email, no less—the natives.” the 60-year-old African-American Hoke, three actors of Driving Miss Daisy, Alfred Each of the three looked forward to played by Ansley Valentine at the Play- Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize- working within a house. The play follows their deepening winning drama now small, but talented relationship over the playing at the Brown and experienced period in which the County Playhouse. cast and to probing civil rights movement The play takes place deeply into the play changed American in Atlanta, Georgia, through the process society. Mark Kamie from 1948 to 1973, of rehearsals. Work- asked the cast if the and all three actors ing and reworking play, which was first thought the biggest the staging and the produced in 1987, is challenge in the piece text leads, inevitably, still relevant. The was playing characters to uncovering some- entire cast strongly that age twenty-five years on stage. An addi- thing new about the work, which, it turns affirms that the play has a great deal to say tional task, at least for Martha Jacobs, who out, is the thing Matthew Buffalo, who to 21st-century audiences. “Some people,” plays Daisy Werthan, has been to become plays Daisy’s son Boolie, loves most. “It’s remarks Ansley Valentine, “claim we are more familiar with the lifestyle and customs amazing how every day of rehearsal there is in a “post-racial era’ with the election of of the American South. “All three of these some sort of discovery involved. Sometimes President Obama. But as Hoke says in the characters,” she says, “are deeply rooted in it is as small as gaining a deeper understand- play, ‘Things changin’, but they ain’t change the South. I have lived mostly in the north- ing of a specific line or as large as person- all dat much.’ The lessons in the play about east and in the Midwest, and I really don’t alizing the physical characteristics of the trust, forgiveness, friendship, and love are have personal experience of the culture and character. I thoroughly enjoy the rehearsal timeless. Perhaps looking at them through pace of the South. I’ve been talking with process.” this particular lens, the audience can learn people who are from the South and reading Driving Miss Daisy is about the relation- many more.”
To read Mark Kamie’s complete interview with the cast of Driving Miss Daisy, now playing at the Brown County Playhouse, visit theatre.indiana.edu.
I. Christopher Berg. Scenic design for Driving Miss Daisy
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Driving Miss Daisy Direction: Dale McFadden Scenic Design: I. Christopher Berg Costume Design: Linda Pisano Lighting Design: Marie Shakespeare Sound Design: David N. Krueger Original Music Composed by: Robert Waldman
Linda Pisano. Costume designs for Driving Miss Daisy.
Nick Passafiume. Scenic Model. Blood Brothers.
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Blood Brothers Direction: Murray McGibbon Willy Russell Musical Direction: Terry LaBolt illy Russell was born in 1947 in friends formed a folk group, the Kirbytown Scenic Design: Nick Passafiume WWhilston, near Liverpool, England, to Three, and began to entertain at Liverpool’s Costume Design: Lydia Dawson lower-middle class parents. His father was Green Moose Café every Thursday night. “I Lighting Design: Chris Wood a factory worker. While in school, Rus- was learning all kinds of things about the Sound Design: Andrew Hopson sell realized he wanted to be a writer, but nature of performance,” Russell writes, Movement Coach/Fight Choreographer: initially he suppressed the desire, which “about audiences, about what will and won’t Adam Noble he believed to be impractical. Russell left work, about how overwriting can kill a song Voice and Speech Coach: school at fifteen, but wanted to avoid work- (or, indeed, a play or any other form for that Nancy Lipschultz ing at a factory. At his mother’s suggestion, matter). Although none of us knew it at the he trained to become a ladies’ hairdresser, a time, all those folk places, cafes, pubs, old Featuring job he held from 1963-68. While he didn’t cellars were a fantastic training ground for Matt Birdsong (Eddie) enjoy the work, hair dressing did give Rus- all kinds of talent.” Martin Brent (Mickey) sell an ear for the speech of working class Russell left hairdressing and worked Mandy Striph (Mrs. Johnstone) Liverpudlians, especially women. Brianna McClellan (Linda) From his early years as a teenager, Rus- Matthew Martin (Narrator) sell was involved with Liverpool’s emerging Julia Mosby (Mrs. Lyons) music scene. At the age of fourteen, Russell Ryan Dooley (Mr. Lyons/Conductor) “sagged off” school and attended lunch-time Taylor Crusore (Sammy) sessions at The Cavern, a local music club. Martin Brent (Mickey) In an article for Folk Arts Magazine, Russell and in the Ensemble: recalled his sublime discovery: Francesca Arostegui When I was fourteen I stumbled into Ethan Michael Carpenter the Cavern for the first time. It was David Coleman before the Beatles were known and I Natalie DePuy had two years of the best kind of music Lawrence Evans you could possibly imagine, right on Liverpool, England, is Willy Russell’s Erica Johnson my doorstep. In those days it was home. He grew up there, has worked CJ Pawlikowski mostly soul and rhythm and blues - the there—as a hairdresser, laborer, Brook Wood kind of stuff you’d normally only hear teacher, singer, and writer—and on Radio Luxembourg or American proudly remains a Liverpudlian. ful in writing works for radio and television. Forces Radio. The idea that someone His first commercial success was commis- was doing something as visceral as that as a laborer at the Bear Brand warehouse sioned by the Everyman in 1974: John, Paul, only six miles from where I lived was George, Ringo … and Bert, a musical based absolutely astonishing. from 1968-69. He married Ann Margaret Seagroatt in 1969. Russell decided to return on a documentary about the Beatles (When to school in 1969 and attended Childwall he heard Russell was working on the project, Russell became friends with the band, John Lennon wished him well). Featuring but he gave up on the rock music scene College of Further Education, Lancashire. He wanted to get a job that would allow songs by Lennon & McCartney, the musical when the Beatles became a national success was a great success locally and transferred to and the record companies and music pub- him time to write, so he started training as a teacher at St. Katherine’s College of the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London, lishers descended on Liverpool to sign new where it ran for a year and won the Evening acts from the Merseyside area. “I went very Higher Education in Liverpool from 1970 to 1973. While there he studied drama and Standard and London Critics’ awards for much off what had become a highly com- Best Musical. The successful West End run, mercial operation,” Russell recalls. started writing plays. His ambition to be a playwright had been sparked when he saw as well as two major tours, allowed Willy At about this time Russell heard “Don’t Russell to become a full-time writer. Think Twice, It’s Alright,” performed at a a production of John McGrath’s Unruly local gig by Eric Burdon and the Animals, Elements at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre in Educating Rita ...and others who attributed the song to “Bob Dye-lan.” 1971. After graduating from St. Katherine’s, Russell continued to write pieces for the After visiting, fruitlessly, several record he worked as a teacher at Shorefields Com- theatre, radio, and television, generating stores, trying to find any records by “Bob prehensive from 1973-74. from one to three works a year. In 1979, the Dye-lan,” Russell was put right by a clerk fa- Russell’s shorter plays started to be pro- Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned miliar with Dylan’s songs. “And that was my duced in the 1970s. What he considers to be Educating Rita, which ran for three years on route to folk music,” Russell says. “Throw- his first “serious” work, Sam O’Shanker was the West End, garnering many awards for ing away all the electric gear, going acoustic, first produced by St. Katherine’s College Russell and members of the company. Rus- trying to be Dylanesque, and beginning and then was taken to Edinburgh Fringe sell also wrote the screenplay for Educating to write my own songs.” Russell and two Festival in 1971. His plays began to be pro- Rita, written in 1981 and released in 1983, duced at the Everyman, and he was success- which was a great success and led to Russell
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and stars Michael Caine and Julie Walters The original production was well-re- being nominated for Academy Awards. ceived, both in the schools of Liverpool and Following what had become a familiar at London’s Theatre Royal, Stratford East, path, Russell premiered Shirley Valentine in where the company performed as part of a Liverpool at the Everyman Theatre in 1986. festival of youth theatre in February 1982. A tale of a 43-year-old Liverpool housewife Ned Chaillet in the London Times wrote who gives up her boorish husband and her that “Mr. Russell has not stinted and does family for a life in Greece, Shirley Valentine not offer a minor work[, but] … a fable that is a two-act monologue by the title character, grasps attention and never relents.” This in which she plays all the other characters in school production had but one song, the the play. The play starred Noreen Kershaw, Marilyn Monroe refrain, but as soon as the who did not have a stand-in. Russell admits play opened, Russell began work on a full- he was foolish to have “agreed that in the length musical of Blood Brothers. Using his event of Noreen ever being off, I would long experience as a writer of folk songs and go on and read the text.” In 1988 the play a singer, Russell wrote the book and lyrics opened in the West End, this time starring and composed the music. Pauline Collins, and won numerous awards, In 1983 Blood Brothers opened at the Liv- including Best Comedy and Best Actress. In erpool Playhouse, featuring Barbara Dick- 1989, the film version of Shirley Valentine, son as Mrs. Johnstone. It was an immediate written by Willy Russell, premiered and success and after twelve successful weeks in won the Evening Standard Film Award for Liverpool, the production transferred to the Best Screenplay. At the same time, Shirley Lyric Theatre in London, where, unfor- Valentine transferred to New York’s Booth tunately, it did not catch on as quickly as Theatre, and Pauline Collins won the Tony the producers had hoped. After six weeks Award for her performance. of mediocre box office, the owners of the Since the late 1980s, Russell has contin- Lyric booked another production into their ued to write, create, and produce. He has theatre. And that is when the show began to written teleplays, films, and musicals; has garner larger and larger audiences. Despite given public readings to sold-out houses; its late-blooming success and despite the has recorded his first album (2004’s Hoover- numerous awards the original London ing the Moon); and published his first novel production won (three Best Musical Awards, (the critically acclaimed The Wrong Boy, one Best Actress Award), it was too late to translated into fifteen languages). alter the decision to close the show. Blood Brothers Blood Brothers enjoyed two enormously Willy Russell’s wildest success, however, successful tours before Willy Russell was has been Blood Brothers. In 1981, the Mersey- persuaded to bring it back to the West End side Young People’s Theatre Company com- (“I didn’t want to diminish the memory missioned the playwright to write a 70-min- of the original,” he recalls. “There’d been ute piece, one, recalls Russell, the company such a warm feeling towards it in 1983.”) In could perform at schools and “give the kids 1988, the second West End version of Blood an experience of theatre without any hidden Brothers opened at the Albery Theatre, this or overt agenda.” Russell continues: time starring Kiki Dee, who had played Mrs.
I’d had the idea of Blood Brothers for Johnstone on the second tour. Blood Broth- years but had never got around to writ- ers is still playing on the West End, enjoying ing it, so I took this chance. We had no the distinction of being the longest running trickery or theatre technology to hide musical in London history. behind. We had a good story , and we In 1993 Blood Brothers opened at the had to tell it and grab the most difficult Music Box Theatre on Broadway, where audience in the world. Kids like that it ran for over two years. The role of Mrs. believe that if you’ve been arrogant Johnstone was played, successively, by Petula enough to stand up in front of them Clark, Helen Reddy, and Carole King. and perform a play, it had better be —Tom Shafer, assisted by Carle Gaier good. If it isn’t they’ll switch off. Sources: Contemporary Dramatists. 6th ed. St. James, 1999. Willy Russell. Interview. Jim Mulligan, ed. From above, Willy Russell and two of Blood Brothers. Introduction. Methuen, 1995. Lydia Dawson’s costume designs for Blood Brothers. willyrussell.com (a recommended site)
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and then a leap and then a strange bedev- iled jump and then they fall over. Clear steps? They are for a manual on how to put together furniture from another country.” So, instead of clear steps that show who Sarah Ruhl is and where The Clean House comes from, what follows is a series of paragraphs, a set of less-than-perfectly-clear steps that provide insight into this remark- able personality. Step 1. To Sarah Ruhl, theatre is like a garden, “something living, something patient, something always growing.” Her love of this garden of theatre was born out of its im- mediacy, the interaction between performers and audience, its living nature. As a child, she would attend rehearsals with her mother Kathleen. Her mother points out that one of Sarah’s “most intense theatrical experienc- es” occurred while Kathleen was directing Joseph Stein’s comedy, Enter Laughing. “She got to know all the actors. By that point, Clear Steps to Sarah Ruhl people would ask her for her notes. She was arah Ruhl was born in 1974 in Wilmette, a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship or six or seven.” SIllinois. Her mother was a high school “Genius Award” in 2006, the year following Also, theatre, like an ornamental garden, English teacher, who also acted and directed, her marriage to Tony Charuvastra, a child is an object created for the audience’s often bringing her daughter to the theatre. psychiatrist. She and her husband have one Above: Brothers meet, as Mandy Ruhl went to Brown University with the daughter, Anna. Striph (Mrs. Johnstone) comes intent of becoming a poet. While taking a Admittedly, the above, clear-cut account between Martin Brent (Mickey) class from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is an overly simplistic description of a per- and Matt Birdsong (Edward) in this Paula Vogel, her father died. Both Vogel’s son’s life. Sarah Ruhl would certainly agree. scene from Blood Brothers. course and the loss of her father spurred To Ruhl, any character, be they fictional Ruhl to change her program of study from or not, doesn’t take clearly defined steps. Below: Stephanie Feeley (Matilda) writing poetry to writing plays. She received “Characters take a step and then a back-step and Molly Casey (Lane), in a scene an A.B. and M.F.A. from Brown and from The Clean House. pursued further studies at Oxford. Ruhl had several plays under her belt by the time her play The Clean House received the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2004 and was a fi- nalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. She was
The Clean House Direction: Jonathan Michaelsen Scenic Design: Katie McDermott Costume Design: Erica Griese Lighting Design: Rob Shakespeare Sound Design: Allysa Lytell and Michael Goodpaster Movement Coach: Adam Noble Voice and Speech Coach: Nancy Lipschultz Featuring Molly Casey (Lane) Abby Rowold (Virginia) Stephanie Feeley (Matilda) Alana Cheshire (Ana) Alex McCausland (Charles)
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pleasure. Ruhl wonders why such an “object playwright was more of an Ovidian meta- of illusion” can inspire such intense dislike, morphosis than an Aristotelian drama, as questioning why its failure should not result she would prefer. Her life follows anything in, at worst, apathy, instead of the “bilious, but an Aristotelian model, where “a person gut-wrenching hatred” that can be the result. wants something, comes close to getting it Perhaps William Hazlitt, the 19th-century but is smashed down, then finally gets it, or critic and essayist, is right about hate having not, then learns from the experience.” Ruhl some form of pleasure. As Ruhl would say, wanted to be a poet. She didn’t become “otherwise why would we go to the theatre, one, but not for being smashed down and knowing that we will hate with as much unable to get it. Her goals changed along frequency as we will love?” the way. Instead, her life has been a series Then again, to Ruhl, theatre is a much of “small transformations that are delightful more emotional experience than current and tragic,” such as her tutelage under Paula impulse may suggest. Paula Vogel states that Vogel, her father’s death, her youth in the “there is an impulse to be ashamed of emo- theatre and any number of other factors that tions in theatre, which is rather odd because pushed her forward and backward to where one would think that’s why we have theatre.” she is. Emotion is vibrant in Sarah Ruhl’s plays. —Eric “C” Heaps This “living tradition of speech and emotion” is part of what distanced her from poetry, Sources: where a decade ago, one was “considered a Colman, David. “Cloaked in Memories.” hack” for writing about “trite themes like Above: Sarah Ruhl New York Times 12 August 2007. 3 love and death”—themes so central to The September 2009
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Members of the Theatre Circle Contributor Level and Above
SUSTAINING BENEFACTOR Helen Caldwell Jean Creek Frank and Becky Hrisomalos The Lawrence W. Inlow Foundation Carl F. Kiehler Sara and Bob LeBien Marion Bankert Michael and R. Keith Michael Dr. Howard Polley Reva and Jack Shiner Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Sparks Dr. Sarah Thorelli ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Carolyn A. Bailey Jean and Don Cook Connie and Harv Hegarty Frank and Becky Hrisomalos Jeanette Calkins Marchant Harriet Leve Audrey and Gerald Marker Marion Bankert Michael and on Producing R. Keith Michael William and Diana Miller ne of our distinguished alumna, Joan Olcott Robert L. Ralston Otheatre producer Harriet Leve, will Richard and Virginia Rose be returning to campus for several days of Winston and Sue Shindell workshops and discussions with our stu- Brad Wheeler dents. On October 22, she will give a public BENEFACTOR lecture and question and answer session in Fred and Beth Cate the Ruth N Halls Theatre, beginning at 5:00 Joyce and James Grandorf Sandra and Joseph Morrow P.M. Harriet Leve, B.S. in Education 1962, PATRON Ed.D. 1972, is aTony Award-winning theatre John and Kathleen Bethell Cathleen and John Cameron producer in New York. She is presently pro- Vivian L. Counts ducing the award-winning STOMP, created Howard Jensen by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. Benjamin Livingston Also, she is currently producing The 39 Steps Cynthia Dewees Nelson and Dale C. Nelson and co-producing Burn the Floor, Broad- Lee Sheldon way’s sizzling new dance spectacular, and Alan and Kathryn Somers Superior Donuts , the newest play by Pulitzer- SPONSOR Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts. David and Ruth Albright Recent productions include the Tony- Mary and Chris Albright award-winning The Norman Conquests by Teresa and John D. Ayres, M.D. Alan Ayckbourn, the Tony-nominated pro- Theresa and David Baer Honey and Bill Baldwin duction of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and James and Anne Bright the Broadway production of Ibsen’s Hedda Muriel and Armand Burgun Gabbler. Among her other notable shows William and Irene Bushaw have been the Tony-nominated production Roland and Susan Coté Greg Dillon and of The Diary of Anne Frank and Twilight Los Sue Sgambelluri Angeles, 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith. Jan and Greg Ellis Ms. Leve was the Director of Develop- James V. and Jacqueline C. Faris ment for Tony Bill Film Productions and Charles R. Forker Victor and Martha Harnack taught film workshops at the American Film Kathleen and Carter Henrich Institute in Los Angeles. She is a member of Peggy Intons-Peterson and From the top: Erica Griese. Cos- The Broadway League and was on the Board Lloyd R. Peterson of Directors of New York Stage and Film for Idalene Kesner and Paul Robins tume designs for Ana, Lane, and Cheryl and James Koryta the Woman and the Man, charac- four years. Ronald and Carolyn Kovener Dr. and Mrs. John W. McGreevey ters in The Clean House Carolee and Howard Mehlinger
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Jonathan and Miah Michaelsen George and Jody Fielding Stephen and Sandra Moberly Pat and Jack Mulholland Mrs. Eugene Fletchall Vera O’Lessker Susan and Charles Nelson Steven and Karen Franks Jill and Richard Olshavsky Robert and Donna Ormiston Howard and Virginia Gest Jeanne and Norman Overly Mary Wennerstrom Phillips and Skip and Leah Giessing Jane and Rob Parry, Jr. Leonard M. Phillips Georgia Gillis Wes Peters George Pinney Bruce and Mary Ann Gingles Richard and Harriet Pfister Phyllis C. Schwitzer Donald and Judith Granbois Carol Pierce Diane and Tom Spofford Charles and Susan Greer Patricia and Anthony Pizzo Janet C. Stavropoulos and Rita Grunwald John and Mary Frances Popp Michael Molenda Michael and Deborah Haller Rudy and Dorothy Pozzatti S. Holly Stocking and Jo Ellen and Steve Ham Elizabeth C. Raff William Timberlake Russell and Connie Hanson Dennis and Mary Carol Reardon Jeffrey and Michelle Stuckey Karen Hanson and Dennis Senchuk Lislott and John Richardson Kathy Fletcher and Ronald Wainscott Cigdem B. Harding Stanley Ritchie William and Patricia Wheeler Stephen and Margaret Harter Constance Roberts Doris Wittenburg and Harlan Lewis John Bower Hartley Mary Beth and Frederick Roedl Walter and Nancy Hasenmueller Dr. and Mrs. Albert W. Ruesnik CONTRIBUTOR J. Richard Hasler Edward P. and Janet M. Ryan Susan Klein and Robert Agranoff Jean Heidt and Robert Heidt Pat and John Ryan Rodger and Diana Alexander Steven Hendricks Judith Schroeder and Edward Mongoven Marian Armstrong Sandy and Jim Hertling Susan Parrish and Thomas P. Shafer David and Joan Austin William R. Hotz Rob and Marie Shakespeare Andrew Bacher Marlin Howard Erdine M. Simic Peggy Bachman Darla S. Brown and Fred and Pat Smith Cheryl Baumgart and William Sloan Michael E. Hunt Jean J. Smith Sarah Baumgart and William Lozowski Peter P. Jacobi Lynne Perkins Socey and Matthew Socey Robert and Patricia Bayer Martin D. Joachim, Jr. Ellen and Gene Stern Eva and Ernest Bernhardt-Kabish Sonja Johnson and Keith Solberg Robert and Virginia Stockton Caryl M. and L. Thomas Bowers David and Susan Jones David and Connie Strange Lucilla Hall Boyd Margaret S. and Donald A. Jones Gerald and Karen Striph Juanita and Herbert Brantley Ted W. Jones and Boyd and Sally Sturdevant Kathryn and Barry Brown Marcia M. Busch-Jones Sally S. Sturgeon, D.D.S. Mary Lou and Larry Brown Patricia C. Kellar Paula W. Sunderman Derek and Lyn Burleson Drs. Emanuel and Judith Klein Barry and Paula Thomas Jerry and Sarah Burton Naomi and Gene Lawlis Charles E. Thompson Gerald and Elizabeth Calkins John R. and Julia K. Lawson Jean Umiker-Sebeok and Mark T. Day Joan Caulton Jim and Kathie Lazerwitz Mr. and Mrs. Steven R. Waggoner Nelda Christ John and Victoria Lee Judy Walcoff Carole E. and John W. Clark Donna and Paul Love Carolyn Lipson-Walker and Wayne O. Craig P.A. Mack, Jr. George L. Walker Jef and Pam Davidson and Family Nancy Martin Mary and Joseph Walker John and Beckie DeLong Maureen and David G. Martin Natalie and Jim Weigand Rosemary and Dick Dever Jane and Jerry McIntosh Jack R. Wentworth Barbara M. Dixon Maribeth and Richard McKaig Judith Wertheim Gloria Dorson James McLay David and Anna Wiley Diane Druck Dr. Donald McMasters and Dr. Randall Garratt Sherman and Phyllis Winski David and Carolyn Emmert Nancy and Perry Metz Bob and Karen Whiteside Robert and Richie Epps Kathleen and Emanuel Mickel Billie and George Yost Julie Farris Gerry and John Miller Mary Kay Rothert and Tom Zeller Charlotte and Paul Zietlow The Theatre Circle Lectures: Four informal talks about four wonderful plays
his spring and summer the Theatre twenty years, was also reviewed with the British poetry, prose romance, and drama. TCircle Board met with members of the idea of increasing the audience (especially a In her popular courses on Shakespeare, she department to talk about details of the student audience) for the series and making focuses on how organization and its interaction with the it easier and more convenient to attend the the plays relate department and the productions it supports. lectures. to the issues of Some changes resulted from these discus- This season, the Theatre Circle Lectures the time and how sions: the member benefits packages were re- will be presented the Thursdays before they continue structured by “giving levels,” and to reduce the opening performances of four of our to be relevant to rising mailing and production costs, Insights productions in the Grand Hall of the Neal- our world today. was expanded to cover two productions per Marshall Black Culture Center at 5:30 P.M. She is the author issue, to be published and distributed in an As You Like It: November 12, 2009 of The Romance enlarged format four times a year. Addition- of the New World: ally, the production lecture series, which oan Pong Linton, Department of Gender and the the Department of Theatre and Drama and JEnglish, teaches early modern women Literary Forma- Theatre Circle have co-sponsored for over writers, cultural studies, and Renaissance tions of English Colonialism (Cambridge,
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1998, 2007). She is generally interested John Banville, aesthetics, theatre history, and cultural poli- in the diverse ways literary and cultural Paul Muldoon, tics. He is also examining how the global productions relate to history and theory, Derek Mahon, vision of Eugene O’Neill and other modern and these interests have led her to writ- and others. He dramatists underwrites American modernity ing on gender and the literary formations is the author and its theatre. He regularly teaches courses of English colonialism, the romance, and of numerous on modern and contemporary drama, dra- early modern women writers (especially the books, including matic theory, queer performance, and per- Protestant martyr, Anne Askew). Postmodern/Dra- formance studies. One of the cultural and social elements in ma: Reading the His essay, “Lena Horne’s Impersona,” As You Like It focuses on gender, and choices Contemporary published in the journal Camera Obscura, made by our director Fontaine Syer will un- Stage (University received the 2009 Outstanding Essay Award derline the exploration of gender. Rosalind, of Michigan), from the Association for Theatre in Higher the play’s chief character (she has more lines Joyce, O’Casey, and the Irish Popular The- Education and the 2009 Gerald Kahan than any of Shakespeare’s female characters, atre (Syracuse University Press), and, with Scholar’s Prize (Honorable Mention) from even Cleopatra), was originally played by a Cary Nelson, Academic Keywords: A Devil’s the American Society for Theatre Research. boy, who played a girl (Rosalind), who took Dictionary for Higher Education (Routledge) Professor Vogel will examine Richard Green- on the disguise of a boy (Ganymede), who, and Office Hours: Activism and Change in berg’s Tony Award-winning (Best Play) Take in turn, pretended to be a girl (Rosalind, the Academy (Routledge). His essays have Me Out from perspectives of theatre studies, again). Dr. Linton will explore the mercu- been published in journals and anthologies, gay studies, and social performance. rial nature of gender identification, among including Modern Drama, The Cambridge other topics, in her November 12 talk. Guide to Twentieth-Century Irish Drama, The Free On-Campus Parking for the Theatre Circle Lecture Series Parentheses of Blood (La parenthèse de Cambridge Companion to American Modern- sang): December 3, 2009 ism, and The Cambridge Companion to Brian he lectures are being held in the Grand Friel. THall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture emi Osofisan, visiting artist, will His lively interest in Irish theatre and drama Center and begin at 5:30 P.M. Of course, if Fdiscuss Sony Lab’ou Tansi’s play while had its origins in a lively interest of Bernard you have an appropriate permit, you may he is on campus as a Visiting Visionary Shaw and his plays. park in the “A” or “C” or the “Handicapped” Scholar. Osofisan enjoys a reputation as the Take Me Out: March 25, 2010 spaces around the Lee Norvelle Theatre and most regularly per- formed playwright in Drama Center. If, however, you do not have Nigeria. Professor of Drama since 1985 at hane Vogel, Department of English. an IU parking permit, the Theatre Circle the University of Ibadan where he has spent SShane Vogel’s scholarship and teaching has underwritten a permit to provide you most of his adult bring together his interests in performance with free, convenient parking. Just follow career, he was until studies, theatre studies, American stud- these steps: recently the Gen- ies, and gay and lesbian/queer studies. His 1. Park on the top level of the Jordan Av- eral Manager and recent book, The Scene of Harlem Cabaret enue Parking Garage after 5:00 P.M. To Chief Executive (University of Chicago), shows how black enter the top level, you will need to take of the National performers and a parking ticket. Theatre, Lagos. writers used caba- 2. Walk across the street to the entrance of Osofisan has writ- ret performance the Neal-Marshall Center and enter the ten over fifty plays, to critique racial Grand Hall before the 5:30 P.M. lecture. which have been and sexual norms 3. Enjoy. performed in various parts of the world, that were often 4. Following the lecture and the question- and some of which were commissioned deployed through and-answer session, go to the parking by theatres in Europe and America. Femi the ideologies, permit table (location to be announced Osofisan will discuss the life and work of his institutions, and at the lecture) and pick up a “VTO” friend Sony Lab’ou Tansi, whose tragic farce practices of racial (Valid Today Only) parking permit. La parenthèse de sang was written four years uplift. Combin- These permits will be valid only for pa- before his untimely death. ing performance trons who have parked on the level after Major Barbara: February 25, 2010 theory, literary criticism, archival research, 5:00 P.M. and biographical study, The Scene of Harlem 5. Return to your vehicle and leave the lot. tephen Watt, Departments of English, Cabaret shows how writers, performers, and Give the attendant both your ticket and Shas taught at Indiana since 1985. His spectators expanded the possibilities of the VTO permit, which will serve as major research interests include drama and blackness and sexuality in America through payment for your parking fees. theatre of the 19th and 20th centuries, Irish performance, resulting in a queer nightlife Studies, and the contemporary university. that flourished in music, in print, and on It’s almost too easy. Our thanks go out He recently finished his book, Beckett and stage. to the board for this strong show of support Contemporary Irish Writing (Cambridge, His current projects include an examina- for the lecture series. 2009), which discusses such writers as tion of the formal and historical significance Samuel Beckett, Brian Friel, Marina Carr, of the musical revue for African-American
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THEATRE CIRCLE CALENDAR 2009-2010 NOW PLAYING! OCTOBER 2009 FEBRUARY 2010 Brown County Playhouse Friday, October 16, 6:15 PM Thursday, February 25, 5:30 PM Dinner With Director and Designer Theatre Circle Lecture* Blood Brothers Major Barbara Neal Marshall Grand Hall Stephen Watt, Department of English Neal Marshall Grand Hall NOVEMBER 2009 Monday, November 9, 4:00 PM MARCH 2010 Board Meeting Friday, March 14, 6:15 PM Von Lee Conference Room Dinner with Director and Designer Major Barbara Thursday, November 12, 5:30 PM Neal Marshall Grand Hall Theatre Circle Lecture* As You Like It Monday, March 15, 4:00 PM Joan Pong Linton Board Meeting Department of English Von Lee Conference Room Neal Marshall Grand Hall Thursday, March 25, 5:30 PM Friday, November 20, 6:15 PM Theatre Circle Lecture* Dinner With Director and Designer Take Me Out DRIVING MISS DAISY As You Like It Shane Vogel, Department of English Neal Marshall Grand Hall Neal Marshall Grand Hall October 2 8:00 PM October 3 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM DECEMBER 2009 APRIL 2010 October 4 3:00 PM Thursday, December 3, 5:30 PM Friday April 23, 6:00 PM October 9 8:00 PM Theatre Circle Lecture* Theatre Circle Annual Meeting October 10 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM Parentheses of Blood A Little Night Music October 11 3:00 PM Femi Osofisan, Visiting Artist Neal Marshall Grand Hall October 16 8:00 PM Neal Marshall Grand Hall October 17 8:00 PM MAY 2010 October 18 3:00 PM JANUARY 2010 Monday, May 10, 4:00 PM October 23 8:00 PM January 4-8 Board Retreat October 24 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM Theatre Circle at Sea Von Lee Conference Room October 25 3:00 PM Department of Theatre and Drama Theatre Circle Cruise to the Bahamas DATES TBA PLAYHOUSE BOX OFFICE Monday, January 11, 4:00 PM Middle School visit to 812-988-2123 Board Meeting Musical Theatre Workshop IU AUDITORIUM Von Lee Conference Room Ralph L. Collins Memorial Lecture 812-855-1103 theatre.indiana.edu *All Theatre Circle Lectures are open to the public. LEE NORVELLE THEATRE AND DRAMA CENTER FALL SCHEDULE BLOOD BROTHERS AS YOU LIKE IT Music, Lyrics, and Book by Willy Russell By William Shakespeare October 9, 10, 13-17, 2009 at 7:30 pm November 13, 14, 17-21, 2009 at 7:30 pm October 17 at 2:00 pm November 21 at 2:00pm Ruth N. Halls Theatre Ruth N. Halls Theatre
THE CLEAN HOUSE PARENTHESES OF BLOOD By Sarah Ruhl By Sony Labou Tansi October 23, 24, 27-31, 2009 at 7:30 pm December 4, 5, 8-12, 2009 at 7:30 pm October 31 at 2:00 pm December 12 at 2:00 pm Wells-Metz Theatre Wells-Metz Theatre theatre.indiana.edu
PP A A G G E E 2 2 3 3 ll FF A A L L L L 2 0 0 9 Nonprofit Organization STAGES U.S Postage PAID Permit No. 2 This newsletter was published by the Bloomington, Indiana Department of Theatre and Drama in collaboration with Theatre Circle, 275 N. Jordan Avenue its donor membership organization. Bloomington, IN 47405-1101 Special thanks to the Indiana University Alumni Association, and Dean Bennett I. Berthenthal, and the staff of the College of Arts & Sciences. For information on Alumni Association membership, call (800) 824-3044 or e-mail iualumni@ indiana.edu. STAGES Patricia Kennedy Editor Jordan Chaddock Writer Mark Kamie Writer Class Notes Bill Elliott IU Alumni Association Vicky Crowe Contributor Adam Noble Assistant Professor Dennis J. Reardon Professor Emeritus David Grindle Contributor Movement/Combat Frank Silberstein Professor Emeritus Charles Railsback Contributor Murray McGibbon Associate Professor Professional Staff Acting and Directing I. Christopher Berg Assistant INSIGHTS George Pinney Professor Technical Director Tom Shafer Editor Eric “C” Heaps Writer Stage Movement/Musical Theatre Lara Berich Cutter/Draper Head of Musical Theatre James Barrow Fiscal Officer ______Ric Craddick Photography Linda Pisano Associate Professor David Grindle Production Manager John Kinzer Photography Costume Design Trish Hausmann House Manager/Patron rosenplotdesign.com Design Consultant Robert A. Shakespeare Professor Services Coordinator Rainbow Printing Production Lighting Design John Edward Kinzer Director of Audience Herald Times Mailing Services Rakesh H. Solomon Associate Professor Development History, Theory and Literature David Krueger Master Electrician Theatre and Drama Faculty Fontaine Syer Associate Professor Patricia Kennedy Arts Administrator Jonathan R. Michaelsen Professor Acting and Directing Charles Railsback Undergraduate Advisor Theatre and Drama, Chair Ronald Wainscott Professor Thomas Shafer Dramaturg Dale McFadden Professor History, Theory and Literature Robbie Stanton Costumer Acting and Directing, Associate Chair, Director of Graduate Studies Support Staff Director of Undergraduate Studies Ken Weitzman Visiting Assistant Professor Vicky Crowe Departmental Secretary Paul Brunner Assistant Professor Playwriting/Screenwriting Naomi Cohenour Accounts Supervisor Theatre Technology, Technical Director Adjunct Faculty Charlene McGlashan Executive Secretary Bruce Burgun Associate Professor Marion M. Bailey Adjunct Professor Catherine Richards Academic Secretary Acting and Directing History, Theory and LIterature Amy Cook Assistant Professor Craig Hamilton Acting Theatre Circle Board of Directors History, Theory, Literature Vincent Liotta Adjunct Professor David Albright President Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe Assistant Musical Theatre Jean Cook Vice President Professor, Acting/Directing Sylvia McNair Adjunct Professor Mary Albright Secretary Fred M. Duer Assistant Professor Musical Theatre Richard Dever Treasurer Scenic Design Stephen Watt Adjunct Professor ______Ray Fellman Assistant Professor History, Theory and Literature Carolyn Bailey Cigdem Balim Harding Vocal Instruction for Musical Theatre Faculty Emeritus John Bethell Vivian Counts Andrew Hopson Assistant Professor Leon I. Brauner Professor Emeritus Mark Day Harvey Hegarty Sound Design Winona Lee Fletcher Professor Emerita James Koryta Diana Lehner Miller Terry LaBolt Assistant Professor Roger W. Herzel Professor Emeritus Sarah McCarroll Jerry McIntosh Musical Theatre, Musical Director Howard Jensen Professor Emeritus Sandra Moberly Virginia Rose Nancy Lipschultz Associate Professor Marion Bankert Michael, Sue Sgambelluri Alan Somers Voice and Speech Associate Professor Emerita Erdine Simic Amanda Striph Stephanie Lynge Visiting Assistant R. Keith Michael Professor Emeritus Professor, Musical Theatre Wes Peters Professor Emeritus