This past year has arguably been one of the most ambitious and letter productive. Several large scale projects came to fruition, including our first exchange of faculty from our agreement with the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, our collaboration with the Columbus Sym- from phony Orchestra, our Marcel Marceau residency, and the first in-class testing of our Virtual Roy Bowen Theatre. And to cap it off, our work the was recognized with a major grant from the university! Many thanks to faculty, staff, and students who make this possible – and to our alumni and friends, whose continued support and gifts to the depart- chair ment make a significant difference! Sincerely, Lesley Ferris Fall Quarter Sophokles’ Elektra, Laugh, Cry and Get Angry 2001-02 a version by Ezra Pound with Benjamin Zephaniah s e a s o n Uncommon Clay, by Jeanine Thompson Special Events A Series of New and Winter Quarter Renewed Staged Readings Division Street, Annual Lawrence and Lee The- by Steve Tesich atre Research Institute Lecture Laurie Stone: Comedy and Solo Performance The Shoemaker’s Holiday, What the Comic Voice Can Get Away With by Thomas Dekker 50th Anniversary of the Lawrence and MFA New Works: Lee Theatre Research Institute by Kathleen Gonzales and Allyson Rosen School Tours Spring Quarter Private Words: The Hiding of Anne Frank’s Diary, Porcelain, by Lesley Ferris by Chay Yew Sobering Thoughts, The Memory of Water, by Jason Kravits by Shelagh Stephenson Saint Joan of the Stockyards, by Bertolt Brecht 2 encore 2001 table of contents partnerships 2001-02 Season ............................2 Season Review ...............................4 Regional Campus Report ..............6 1 da da kamera Residency ..............8 Wexner Partnerships ....................8 New Works .....................................9 2 Marceau Residency .................... 10 Peer Gynt .......................................12 Awards and Accolades .............. 13 3 Guest Artists ............................... 14 School Tours ................................ 16 Degrees Awarded ....................... 17 4 OSU and 1. Ebony Wimbs as Lucy and Ryan Columbus Theatre Scene .......... 18 Ratliff as Linus in our production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Comparative Brown 2. President Brit Kirwan poses with Drama Conference ..................... 19 Snoopy (aka MFA actress Jenni- fer Manvich) during the Wexner Internships & Actitivities ........... 20 Center’s Family Day celebration in honor of Charles Schulz. Scholarships .................................21 5 3. Undergraduates Allyson Morgan and Greg Maier perform in the first-ever Take-Out Theatre Festi- International Initiatives ............. 22 val. 4. Lighting studio supervisor Matt London Program ..........................24 Hazard basks in the glow from a Vari-Lite instrument TRI Update ................................... 25 5. The graduate and undergraduate actors who were featured in da da kamera’s new work Beautiful Technology and Innovation ....... 28 View, presented by the Wexner Center. Undergraduates .......................... 29 Faculty and Staff News ............. 30 Alumni and Friends News ........ 35 Questionnaire/Address Info ..... 43 encore 2001 3 1. The Ohio State Murders by Adrienne Kennedy. Mount Hall Studio Theatre. Directed by John Har- ris. Scenic Design by Jessica Secrest. Costume Design by Tatjana Longerot. Lighting Design by Kristopher Jones. Sound design by Dave Wallingford. OSU Season in Review October 31 – November 17, 2000. 2. Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams. Thurber Theatre. Directed by Sue Ott Rowlands. Scenic Design by Guest Artist Jaroslav Malina. Costume Design by Jean Najar. Lighting Design by Nan Zhang. Sound design by Mollie-Marie Work- man. November 8-19, 2000. 3. The London Cuckolds by Edward Ravenscroft, Gent. A Version by Terry Johnson. Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed by Mau- reen Ryan. Scenic Design by Vicki A. Horning. Costume Design by Rebecca Graves. Lighting Design by Nan Zhang. Sound design by Chad Lewis. February 7-24, 2001. 6 4. Alchemy of Desire/ Dead Man’s Blues 2 by Thurber Playwright-in-Residence Caridad Svich. Mount Hall Studio The- atre. Directed by Kristin Crouch. Scenic Design by Jessica Secrest. Costume Design by Jennifer L. Bach. Lighting Design by Drew Ward. Sound design by Jessica Secrest. February 13-17, 4 2001. 1 5. Peer Gynt by Henrick Ibsen. Adapted by Murray Ross. Presented by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and The Ohio State University College of the Arts, in association with the Wexner Center for the Arts. Mershon Auditorium. March 2-4, 2001. (see story p. 12) 6. Wit by Margaret Edson. Roy Bowen The- atre. Directed by Lesley Ferris. Scenic Design by Brad Steinmetz. Costume Design by Tatjana Longerot. Light- 5 ing Design by Jim Hutchison. Sound design by Eric H. Mayer. May 2-19, 2001. 7. Thirty-Three Swoons: Four Farces by Checkov by Anton Checkov. Translated by Carol Rocamora. Mount Hall Studio Theatre. Directed by Bruce Hermann. Scenic Design by Chad Mahan. Costume Designs by Colin Sweet and Rebecca Graves. Lighting Designs by Emily Mathews and Mollie-Marie Workman. Sound design by Ben Shurr. May 8-25, 2001. 4 encore 2001 OSU Season in Review AFTER WORDS A Post-Performance Discussion Following the 2nd Thursday eve- ning performance, an invited guest gives a brief response to the play and then leads a discussion with the audience and the production team. This year we were fortunate 2000– enough to have the following indi- viduals participate in After Words: The Ohio State Murders 2001 Dr. Paul Jackson Professor and Chair of Theatre, Miami University Orpheus Descending Dr. Mark Zelinsky 7 OSU Department of Theatre The London Cuckolds Dr. David Brewer OSU Department of English Peer Gynt Dramaturg Jennifer Schlueter, Dr. Thomas Postlewait, OSU Department of Theatre and William Halverson, Associate Dean Emeritus, University College at Ohio State Wit Dr. Larry Copeland Head of the Ovarian Cancer Unit at the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute Dr. Phoebe Spinrad OSU Department of English Carole Anderson Dean of the School of Nursing, 3 OSU Thirty-Three Swoons: Four Farces by Chekov Dr. George Kalbouss OSU Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures The After Words discussions were organized by Dr. Ted Ziter, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre, OSU. For school tours see page16. encore 2001 5 Regional Campus Report The theatre program at OSU-Mansfield continues to be very active, under the direction of Larry J. Evans, Associate Professor of Theatre. The fall production was The Diary of Anne Frank, which was entered in the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival, and which was also scheduled for two performances for the Richland County Children’s Theatre Foundation. The win- ter production was the musical Singin’ in the Rain (with Associate Professor of Music David Tovey as music director/ conductor); this musical was co-pro- duced with the Mansfield Renaissance Theatre. And the spring production was Impossible Marriage. OSU Lima. Spring 2001. Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was performed outdoors OSU - LIMA for five performances. Theatre students were kept busy with production in the newly renovated The theatre department and the cam- performance and technical responsibili- space (Spring 2003), marking Professor pus drama club (Ohio Eta Chapter of ties in two productions at OSU—Lima Malina’s third collaboration on the Lima Theta Alpha Phi) worked together on this past year. Dr. Maria Ignatieva, As- Campus. a number of special projects this past sistant Professor of Theatre, wrote and year: directed The Prince and the Puppet for OSU—Lima campus students kept 1. Sponsoring a European Theatre our sixth annual Theatre for Young Audi- busy backstage for on-campus tour Trip, July 25 – August 13, 2000, ences production. Dr. Joe Brandesky performances such as the National including the Oberammergau Pas- directed an all-student production of Shakespeare Company’s production of sion Play as well as travel through Impossible Marriage by Beth Henley Hamlet (SP 2001) and working off-cam- for the Spring 2001 production. Den- pus for Lima Symphony and Broadway nis Christilles, Associate Professor of Series performances at the Civic Center. Theatre and Film from the University of Kansas, served as guest designer for At the end-of-year barbecue in the the production. Next Autumn, Casey campus quad, three students were Kearns, a recent MFA recipient from recognized with awards. E. C. Miller re- the University of Kansas will join us in ceived the Arts Divisional Award while the new position of Technical Direc- Theatre Departmental awards went to tor/Designer. Kearns was selected from Dave Cook (a two time recipient) and a number of applicants from across the Jacob Elrod. E. C. Miller and Jair Torres U.S., Canada and Germany. His addition received financial awards that enabled is due in part to the upcoming renova- them to join the late summer Study tion of Reed Hall Auditorium, made Tour to the Czech Republic. They joined possible by a generous gift from former sixteen others in Prague, Brno, Cesky OSU—Lima Campus Theatre director, Krumlov and Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad). Martha Farmer. Campus performances The tour leader was Dr. Brandesky, as- will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial sisted by Dr. Beverly Bletstein, Assistant Civic and Convention Center in down- Professor of Music Education. town Lima during construction. Our longtime friend and colleague, Czech scenographer Jaroslav Malina, has OSU - Mansfield Mansfield Rain: Singing in the Rain, been selected to design the inaugural OSU Mansfield, Winter 2001. 6 encore 2001 Regional Campus Report 2000– sat on two sides of an open space rep20- 01 resenting the sunporch of the old-age home in which the play is set. Newark’s Nuts. The set was placed in the south- blue-blooded acting couple, Rich and west corner of the room, and featured a Ellie Unger, performed the two speak- stained-wood floor; the audience was ing roles with their customary high level placed very close to the stage. Audi- of craft, and the movement ensemble ences appreciated the intimacy, and the added by the director, Dave Williams, author’s clever dialogue.