Congrats! A Standing Ovation for Deb Pearson
Deb Pearson has been honored for her outstanding service to the College of Liberal Arts. Dean Coleman in presenting the CLA Award January 21 at MacNamara Center remarked on Pearson 's years of dedicated service to the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance especially in the U of M /Guthrie Theatre Actor Training Program. Since 2005 Deb Pearson has served as a BFA associate supporting the work of this program behind the scenes. While her official title is teaching specialist, she covers a wide variety of responsibilities -- from advising to calming nervous student actors, planning the logistics of auditions, to scrounging for cheap props at Savers, and welcoming audience members as house manager for BFA showing. Dedicated, resourceful, talented and generous, Deb is living proof "there's no people like show people" Thank you, Deb, for all you do. It's time to steal that extra bow.
Spring Frameworks (Now with Fall Reflections!)
Rarig's Whiting Proscenium Theater Friday, Jan. 23rd noon-1:15pm
The Theater Arts & Dance community convenes for student reflections on the fall and sneak peeks towards spring. Students from BA and BFA theater and dance will perform and reflect on what they learned from Tadeusz Kantor, Tracy Letts, and the Walker Choreographer's evening, which responded to events in Ferguson. Directors Joel Sass and Michael Sommers (with designers) will offer their thoughts on what Blue Stockings and 7 Dwarfs provoke us to consider. The Peers will launch the first ever Theater/Dance 24-hour creative collaboration! All are invited to connect and question together.
GLENSHEEN : A Musical in Development
The University of Minnesota Theatre Arts & Dance department in partnership with St. Paul's History Theatre announce acting and vocal student auditions for Glensheen: A Musical in Development January 26-27. Professor Dominic Taylor is coordinating the collaborative project as part of his playwriting students to observe the process of creating a musical. GLENSHEEN book by Jeffrey Hatcher with music and lyrics by Chan Poling will be directed by Ron Peluso (U of M alum) Artistic Director of History Theatre, where it will be eventually staged following this development phase.
This world premiere musical will explore the murder mystery at the great Glensheen Mansion on Lake Superior in Duluth. The 1977 American tragedy was one of the most intriguing and public stories in Minnesota history. Newspapers of the time covered this story for years and a handful of books were published tracking the drama that surrounded the trials. Hatcher and Poling explore the complex nature of the investigation and the bizarre behavior of the accused murderer, Roger Caldwell, and his wife Marjorie. GLENSHEEN is a dark musical with a crackling satirical edge - in the vein of Broadway favorites Sweeney Todd and Chicago.
