Nonprofit Org. Postage PAID Indiana University Alumni Association IU College luggage tags College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Association · Winter 2008-09 Send us your business card and we’ll send you a custom College IU Department of Theatre and Drama Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center luggage tag! Membership matters. This publication is paid for in part by dues-paying members of the Indiana University Alumni Association. Mail to: Luggage Tags, College of Arts & Sciences, Kirkwood Hall 208, 130 S.Woodlawn, Bloomington, IN 47405. Building the future one play at a time Printed on recycled paper in U.S.A. his year, Indiana University STAGES celebrates its 75th season of plays, Theatre & Drama Alumni: What’s new with you? Ttracing its formal commitment to This newsletter is published by the artistic and academic excellence back to Indiana University Alumni Association, The IU Alumni Association is charged with maintaining records for all IU alumni. Oct. 10, 1933, when, under the direction Please print as much of the following information as you wish. Its purpose, in addition to in cooperation with the Department of of Professor Lee Norvelle, the University Theatre and Drama and the college of providing us with your class note, is to keep IU’s alumni records accurate and up to date. ✄ Theatre presented The First Mrs. Frazer. Arts & Sciences Alumni Association, to To verify and update your information online, visit our online alumni directory at encourage alumni interest in and support www.alumni.indiana.edu/directory. Theatre has been part of campus life since for Indiana University. For activities and Name _________________________________________ Date____________________ the 1880s, when various student groups membership information, call (800) 824- Preferred name __________________________________________________________ were performing plays on the Bloomington 3044 or send e-mail to iualumni@indiana. campus. During that period, and for years Last name while at IU _____________________________________________________ edu. to come, theatre on the IU campus varied IU Degree(s)/Yr(s) _______________________________________________________ wildly in performance quality and produc- Department of Theatre & Drama Univ. ID # (PeopleSoft) or last four digits of Soc. Sec. # ________________________ tion standards. Chair.....................Jonathan.Michaelsen Home address ___________________________________________________________ Editor/Graphic.Design In 1915, the Department of English offered Home phone ____________________________________________________________ ................................... Patricia.Kennedy the first theatre course, The Staging of The First Mrs. Fraser, Staff.Writers..Tom.Shaffer,.John.Kinzer City _______________________________ State________ Zip____________________ The.first.production.of.the.first.season,. opened.in.1933.and. Plays. Business title ____________________________________________________________ featured.Catherine.Feltus,.who.went.on.to.a.professional.acting.career.as.Catherine. (continued on page 2). Available Photo Credits Company/Institution _____________________________________________________ Craig..In.1940,.she.married.actor.Robert.Preston. Steven.Sondheim..............Jerry.Jackson Frank.Rich..........................Fred.Conrad Company address ________________________________________________________ Work phone _____________________________________________________________ Department Photographers City _______________________________ State________ Zip____________________ .................... .Ric.Craddick,.John.Kinzer * E-mail ________________________________________________________________ WANTED: Your stories! College of Arts & Sciences * Home page URL _______________________________________________________ Dean...................Bennett.I..Berthenthal Did one professor or mentor have a lasting impact on you? Did you * Please indicate clearly upper and lower case. Executive.Director.of.Development.&. fall into the pit at the University Theatre? Did you make it to Broadway ❍ ❍ Alumni.Programs................. David.Ellies Mailing address preference: Home Business (not just to see a show)? Did your theatre training play a part in help- Spouse name ____________________________________________________________ IU Alumni Association ing to achieve your career goals? Got GREAT IU photos? Last name while at IU _____________________________________________________ President/CEO.....................Tom.Martz The Department of Theatre and Drama is collecting stories and Senior.Director,.Constituent.&.Affiliate. IU Degree(s)/Yr(s) _______________________________________________________ pictures from alumni, faculty, and staff. Your story will be compiled in Groups.................................Nicki.Bland Your news: ______________________________________________________________ our research archives to be treasured by students, alumni, and anyone Editor.for.Constituent. ________________________________________________________________________ who loves IU theatre for generations to come. Periodicals....................Sarah.J..Preuschl ________________________________________________________________________ Your story could end up in STAGES, on our alumni Web page, or even Class.Notes............................. Bill.Elliott ________________________________________________________________________ be featured at the 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee on May 2, 2009. Stephen Sondheim o Please send me information about IU Alumni Association membership. Send your memories to [email protected], or mail to: accepts invitation IUAA membership supports and includes membership in the College of Arts & Alumni Relations, Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, 275 N. to deliver Ralph L. Sciences Alumni Association and your local alumni chapter. You may join online Jordan Avenue, A300T Bloomington, IN 47405-1101. at www.alumni.indiana.edu or call (800) 824-3044. Collins lecture. Questions? Call Pat Kennedy at (812) 855-5568. Attach additional pages if necessary. Mail to the address above, or fax to (812) 855-8266. See story on page 10. Future (continued.from.page.18) (continued.from.page.1) works with the goal of showing a new, PURPLE BENCH THEATRE COMPANY In 1925, Lee Norvelle joined the Looking to the future multicultural perspective through non- traditional casting that does not hinder English faculty to teach courses in Oral by Jonathan Michaelsen, Chair In 2007 a group of alums founded a theatre named after the purple English (which became the Division of a work but rather enhances the work in benches in the lobby of the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center. an innovative manner and fosters fresh Speech in 1931). He strongly believed e are celebrating our 75th season of plays at Indiana University. Indeed, The Chicago-based Purple Bench Productions opened its doors in in a formalized approach to theatre perceptions. Find out more about her July with a production John Patrick Shanley’s The Big Funk and we opened our first production of 2008, Dead Man Walking, on Oct. 10, company at www.curiousfrog.org. education and added courses in theatre 75 years to the night of our first season opener. This means that IU (not continued production in April 2008 with Phyllis Nagy’s Disappeared. W Eric VanTielen, MFA’06, made his In September of this year current PhD student Emmy Kreilkamp production. counting the Brown County Playhouse) has produced well over 500 plays — the In 1928, Norvelle, with the support equivalent of producing all the works of Shakespeare some 15 times over. Broadway debut as Gabelle in Tale of directed actress Jessie Fisher in the Chicago premiere of My Name Is of IU Administration, founded the Two Cities this season. Eric is in the en- Rachel Corrie, which received good reviews from the Chicago press Generations of students, with birthdates stretching back over 100 years, have cre- semble and the understudy for the role. (The Tribune says the production “hits somewhere near the gut and University Players, bringing together ated seasons of theatre at IU. They have spoken the words of the world’s greatest Rebecca Faulkenberry, BA’07, will be occasionally straight to the heart.” theatre groups from The Garrick Club, playwrights, examined the most contemporary texts (for their time), and col- starring as Sharpay Evans in High School The ensemble of Purple Bench Productions reads like a list of recent The Studio Players, Campus Affairs, laborated to bring new works to life on stage. Thousands of students have designed Musical 2 at Atlanta’s Theater of the alumni from the department: Co-founder Brenden P. Hill, BA’06, The Jordan River Revue, the public costumes, built scenery, and witnessed a revolution in the way technology is used Stars in November 2008. serves as artistic director, while co-founder Matty Zaradich, BA’04, speaking classes, and the play acting in producing theatre. Generations have studied history and provided criticism that serves as executive director, produced The Big Funk, and directed class. illuminates the past, present, and future of theatre onstage and in our culture. Matthew D. Leach, BA’07, lives in New York City and in November was hired as Disappeared; co-founder Jennifer Harber, BA’07, also produced The Bringing the University Players to life In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in his first year as President. The country a sports writer for WPIX, the flagship Big Funk and acts as the company’s consultant. Other members of was “a slow and at times rather pain-