The 2009-2010 Season

In saying goodbye to the 2008-09 season, the Department of Theatre and Dance is pleased to announce our 2009-10 season. We have on tap for you the following shows:

• Charlotte’s Web – This classic tale of “some pig” will open our season in October in the Marvel Theatre. Directed by Prof. Ted Sharon, this family-friendly show will have something for everyone.
• Fuddy Mears – An offbeat comedy in which a woman who wakes up every day not knowing who she is gets caught up in the wild machinations of six eccentric characters. Directed by Dr. Jessica Hillman, this show will be in the Bartlett Theatre in late November.
• The Fredonia Dance Ensemble – The FDE will once again take the Marvel stage in early March with a variety of dance styles and newly choreographed pieces from our dance faculty.
• Sophocle’s Electra – Dr. Jim Ivey will direct this tragic Greek tale of Electra and her brother Orestes as they seek revenge for the murder of their father Agamemnon. Using the translation from the 1998 Broadway production by Frank McGuinness, the play will be presented in the Bartlett Theatre in mid-March
• Kiss Me, Kate! – This season’s spring musical features the wild goings-on backstage and onstage as Fred Graham/Petruchio pursues his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi/Kate during an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. With music by Cole Porter, and featuring such tunes as “So In Love,” “Why Can’t You Behave,” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” this production, under the direction of Prof. Paul Mockovak, will take the Marvel Stage in late April.
• La Bohéme – A co-production of the School of Music and the Department of Theatre and Dance, this Puccini favorite of starving artists in 1840s Paris and their love affairs will be on the Marvel stage in mid-November. Stage direction will be by Prof. Tom Loughlin, and the orchestra will be under the baton of Dr. David Rudge.

We certainly hope you’ll return next year to join us for all these favorites and get behind-the-scene peeks into the action by reading our blog. Until August!

 

The Party’s Over

Sophomores at the APO Semi-Formal (photo courtesy Jen Lefsyk)

Well, not quite. Sure, there was the annual Alpha Psi Omega semi-formal and the annual PACnic this past weekend, but there are still finals to take, and graduation is coming up this Saturday for our departing seniors. As the days dwindle down to a precious few, we thought we’d give our readers some idea of what our graduating seniors will be moving on to, and what some of our returning students will be up to in the summer. You can read the complete list following the break by clicking on the “Read More” link.

We’ll have one more post featuring our upcoming 2009-10 Walter Gloor Mainstage Season, but we will also be winding down this blog for the summer. We will not be totally inactive over the summer, but no doubt the postings will dwindle down to a few here and there. Perhaps we will catch up with some of our students as they work over the summer and get their reactions to their work. If you’re interested in auditioning for our program next year, do stay tuned for our audition dates for the 2009-10 audition season. Those will be revealed in late August as the academic year begins.

And thanks for reading this blog! We at the Department of Theatre and Dance wish you a productive and pleasant summer, and we look forward to bringing you all the action from our 2009-10 academic year.

Students enjoying the PACnic (photo courtesy Cynthia Hannon)

 

La Commedia

The Commedia dell’Arte Class, taught by Dr. Jim Ivey, is in the middle of preparing canovacci (improvised scenes) for their final performance exam.  Thanks to the
cooperative spring weather the class has been able to rehearse outside.  The
following video (graciously shot by Professor Tom Loughlin) captures some of
the groups presenting traditional commedia characters such as Dottore,
Pantalone, Zanni, Capitano, Arlecchino and Columbina.  The class has also
created original comic characters that they are incorporating into
improvised canovacci as well.  A canovacci is the Italian term for a basic
storyline around which the performers build their prepared improvisation.
The performers in the video can be observed creating lazzi (physical
business) in both the traditional and modern forms.

The class will present their final performance on Thursday, May 14 at 5:45
pm in the outdoor amphitheatre on the campus of SUNY Fredonia.  In case of
inclement weather the performance will be moved to the Bartlett Theatre.

 

Alumnus Sheds Light on “A Chorus Line”

One of our lighting alumi, Jim Pritchard, was interviewed in the Buffalo News about the lighting design for A Chorus Line now currently on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. The original design was by the late Tharon Musser, one of Broadway’s most well-known designers. Click the link above to see what Jim had to say.

A Chorus Line at Shea's Buffalo

 

Awards Night

The tradition in the Department of Theatre and Dance is that the closing night of the final show of the year is our annual Awards Night. The department gives out several awards, many of them accompanied by cash awards or tuition remission, to honor student accomplishments throughout the year. On May 2, the closing night for Romeo and Juliet, the department once again presented its awards to our outstanding students. Below is a picture of the winners taken after the ceremony. Congratulations to them all!

The 2009 Department Award winners in the Marvel Theatre Lobby

Front Row l-r: Amy Van Deusen, Jessi St. George, Danielle Pelcher, Jessica Bertollo, Julie Shelton, John Crampton
Middle Row l-r: Mike Valvo, Kate Mulberry, Vince Oddo, Colin Chauche, Kate Stack, Joe Tolle.
Back Row l-r: Brian Moe, Kyle Blount, Rick Haug, Ron Grimshaw, Mark Reeve, Owen Hughes.
Not pictured: Sarah Flanagan, Ashley Arnone, Joe Corallo

Awards Given:

1929 Graduate Fund for Excellence in Dance – Joe Corallo
Alice Bartlett Award for Excellence in Theatre – Kyle Blount
Bea Ullman Award for Excellence in Theatre Arts – Colin Chauche and Michael Valvo
Carol Blanchard Design Award – Ashley Arnone
Carol Prevet Award for Dance – John Crampton
Theatre and Dance Award for Stage Management – Julie Shelton
The Gary Eckhart Award for Design – Richard Haug
Harry John Brown & Paul Mockovac Award in Musical Theatre – Brian Moe and Amy Van Deusen
New York State Home Bureau/Sally Bulger Award – Sarah Flanagan
Howard E. Marsh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre – Kate Mulberry
Jack Cogdill Award – Amy Van Deusen
John S. Mintun Award for Excellence in Performance – Mark Reeve
Jurgen Banse-Fay – Joe Tolle
Keith Cronin Memorial Award – Kate Stack
Mary and Steve Rees Rising Junior Award – Jessica Bertollo
Myers BFA Dance Award for New Majors – Amanda Kellner
President’s Award for Excellence in Theatre – Vince Oddo
Tamara Malueg Award – Jessica St George
Theatre Arts Outstanding Senior – Ron Grimshaw
Trent Illig Memorial Award for Dance – Danielle Pelcher  and Owen Hughes

 

Surprise

So last night was the department awards ceremony.  Every year, the department gives out a number of awards for excellence in several different areas.  More often than not, they are given to juniors and seniors.  One of my favorite things to do at these kinds of events is sit with friends, listen to the description of the award and try to guess who it will go to.

Towards the beginning, the associate chair (and my advisor), Ted Sharon, was introduced to present teh Alice E. Bartlett award for Excellence in Theatre.  As he described the award, he mentioned that the award is presented to someone who has a strong drive for theatre and is unafraid to be experimental.  I was having a hard time trying to figure out who the award was going to because there are so many people in our department who do things like that every day!

Then my name was called.  It was one of the most humbling and honoring experiences I’ve had here at Fredonia.  All of the juniors and seniors came in nice dresses or button shirts.  I wore shorts and a polo expecting to be excited for my friends.  I never expected to win an award.  I feel extrordinarily honored to be selected by my faculty and I can’t help but feel reassured that I have finally found a place where I can fit in and call it home.

 

Leaving the comfort zone…

One of the main philosophies of the Tech Department is that a good technician knows more than just one area of theatre.  Our art is collaborative, so we need to know how everyone works in order to get the job done.  That’s why everyone takes scenic, lighting, and costuming classes, no matter what your  concentration (as well as acting and directing…scary!).  This extends to our theatre practice class as well.  Although I call myself a Carpenter/Technical Director, I was the Costume Crafts Artisan for Romeo and Juliet. It was so much fun!  I got to leave the loud, rough and tumble world of the scene shop to enjoy the quiet, mostly calm atmosphere of the costume shop.  I got to build masks from scratch for the party scene by draping buckram over a clay base, make modern-style ruffs with lace and ribbon, and make jewelry.  I’m the crafty sort of carpenter, so it was a great experience, but leaving the shop always makes me miss it.  Honestly, I love trying other jobs, because it reinforces that I really am doing what I love.

Love,

Kate

 

The Greenest Department!

The Department of Theatre and Dance does a number of things to help keep things “green” around the Rockefeller Arts Center, like recycling set pieces for use in other productions, as well as collecting all manner of refundable bottles and cans that students go through while working in the shop and hanging in the commons. The faculty pitch in by buying eco-friendly automobiles or finding other means to get themselves to campus. Pictures below are Dr. James Ivey biking to work, while Profs. Tom Loughlin and Steve Rees show off their unique gas-conserving “smart” wheels (Profs. Rees and Ivey also drive Priuses). Profs. Rees and Loughlin go so far as to share the same parking space on campus (weather permitting, of course).

Dr. Ivey, Prof. Loughlin and Prof. Rees show off their eco-friendly wheels

 

Romeo and Juliet Opens!

UPDATE – See the Flickr slideshow of photos taken on Photo Call night April 26, 2009

Tonight – April 24 – is opening night for Romeo and Juliet. The review is in, written by Dr. Ted Steinberg of the Department of English. You can read the review immediately following this little compilation video from the preview performance on Thursday 4/23. We hope you’ll join us for what we believe will be quite a show. Ticket information can be obtained right here.

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The review comes next:

 

What’s up?

It’s 9:12AM on Thursday and I am home early from my Jazz dance class.  So I thought I’d take the time to write a quick blog!

As the year is dying down, there is still a lot of activity in the department.  Romeo and Juliet opens with their preview tonight!  Also on the horizon is the one act fest.  Since there are 2 directing classes this year, there are TWENTY one acts.  This means that instead of two days of plays, there will be a whopping FOUR days of one acts.  It’s sure to be a really good time for all!

Tonight also marks the elections for the PAC board.  This year, I’m running for Assistant to the Board.  I really wanted to be a part of the PAC board because I have a lot of experience with executive boards and I handle running situations very well.  For example, right now, I’m running a murder mystery dinner through the Improv Society.  I’m the vice president of the organization so I’ve been working for the past 5 months to create an interesting evening.  That goes up tomorrow night!  I’m also the Events Coordinator for the eXtreme Sports Nerf group.  I’m running our annual Nerf-a-palooza event this Sunday.  So I have a very full weekend ahead of me!

Well, in an effort to keep this fairly short, I will cut it off here for now.  I’ll let you know how everything goes at a later date.

KAB