Student Matt Meeks doing what he loves: stage managing
KICKS-OFF JUNIOR YEAR AS INTERN BACKSTAGE AT LONDON THEATRE
As an assistant stage manager Matt just opened and “called the show” I Went to a Fabulous Party, but his very first task upon arrival was “shopper” and he was to purchase props and costumes for the show. After successfully navigating his way through the maze of neighboring streets and alleys, his supervisor knew “this Yank was a keeper.” Matt has been involved in the get in/get out (that’s Brit techie for load in/load out) with Fabulous Party, and striking the preceding show. Later summer, he will also be in the office working on the business side of theatre.
“It's an enormous amount of fun, some long hours, and I am learning so incredibly much, says Matt. “I am loving the people that I'm working with. I really enjoy working here…” And who wouldn’t?
For fun, he has seen Merchant of Venice and As You Like It at The Globe on the South Bank. “And I've seen Wicked (UK style) in an attempt to learn more about the show before I intern in New York during this winter break. I'm also shadowing the Deputy Stage Manager on Phantom of the Opera in a deal I setup on my own so it is not affiliated with the study abroad.” When not backstage, Matt reports, “I’ve been checking out the sites and hitting the road to Stonehenge, Bath, and York.”
Matt found this London internship through the international summer intern program offered by U of M’s Learning Abroad Center, which is located in Heller Hall. Think about it. Maybe this could be you next summer?
“It's an enormous amount of fun, some long hours, and I am learning so incredibly much, says Matt. “I am loving the people that I'm working with. I really enjoy working here…” And who wouldn’t?
For fun, he has seen Merchant of Venice and As You Like It at The Globe on the South Bank. “And I've seen Wicked (UK style) in an attempt to learn more about the show before I intern in New York during this winter break. I'm also shadowing the Deputy Stage Manager on Phantom of the Opera in a deal I setup on my own so it is not affiliated with the study abroad.” When not backstage, Matt reports, “I’ve been checking out the sites and hitting the road to Stonehenge, Bath, and York.”
Matt found this London internship through the international summer intern program offered by U of M’s Learning Abroad Center, which is located in Heller Hall. Think about it. Maybe this could be you next summer?
Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Underbakke and Nick Ryan conceive and create 20,000 Leagues under the Sea at CTC
U OF M PARTNERS WITH CTC; SEVEN BA STUDENTS IN CAST
According to Elissa Adams, director of new play development for CTC, “After we saw Ryan’s production of The Happy Show at Bedlam Theatre, he was hired to create a project in 2011 and he chose 20,000 Leagues…We commissioned him based on his professional body of work as a Twin Cities- based writer/director.” Together with Nick Ryan, the alums began adapting Jules Verne’s 1870 classic science fiction tale into a working script; next came two workshops at CTC to try out its sea legs. Then “in the fall of 2013 CTC partnered with the U of M,” Adams continued, “to do a three-week workshop of the play.”
Casting student actors enrolled in the BA’s Creative Collaboration course that Fall, the director and his co-writer continued revising their work based on rehearsals, performance, and informal post-show debriefs with their young audiences. Together they tweaked the narrative to heighten audience participation, and honed in on action. Rather than staging the play in one of Rarig’s four performance spaces with seats, this interactive production kept spectators on their feet and swept them through the building’s labyrinth of stairways, halls, and offices transforming a real concrete into the shadowy ominous submarine interior. Audiences were small groups of elementary school age students (grades 3-8) were engaged and caught up in the show’s urgency by helping the crew search for the missing Captain Nemo.
The U of M’s special partnership continues with Children’s Theatre Company throughout 20,000 Leagues performances, July 7 – August 28. BA program head, faculty member Lisa Channer explained, “We are excited that seven of our BA Performance students: Makenzie Allen, Laini Devin, Juan Fonseca, Vishnu Namboodiripad, Rosa Raarup, Kohlman Thompson, and Erika Wichmann are currently cast in the production, gaining valuable experience and earning credit while performing through our Creative Collaboration course TH4380.” The CTC’s professional acting company in the major roles is complemented by the students. Perhaps Kohlman Thompson spoke for all the student actors: “I'm really learning a lot working with a professional theater company, director and actors…This show has provided me with an avenue in which to work on my craft…help[ing] me improve as a dramatic actor.”
What of the results of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea’s long gestation? Elissa Adams enthusiastically described the play as “something between a play, a game of laser tad, and a live action video.” Director Ryan Underbakke called it, “A thrill ride. ” CTC’s Artistic Director Peter Brocius, proudly endorsed “What Ryan and his team have created is something this town has never seen and this theatre has never done… ”
“Once more, dear friends unto the Breech!”
Summer Shakespeare Festivals embrace UofM talent
STUDENTS & ALUMNI TAKE CENTER STAGE
The Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota will feature alums Jucoby Johnson (BFA ’15) and Silas Sellnow (BFA ’16) in both Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing. Jucoby will play Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet; meanwhile Silas will take on multiple roles as Paris and Sampson, as well as providing musical accompaniment on his violin. In Much Ado About Nothing, Silas and Jucoby are cast as Balthazar and Friar Francis, respectively.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival cast Allie Babich (BFA ‘15) in multiple productions. Allie landed the leading female role of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. Congratulations! Allie will also be understudying the role of Bianca in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and playing the role of Ela Delahay in the classic comedy Charley’s Aunt.
Alum Torsten Johnson (BFA ’12) will also be working on Taming of the Shrew appearing as Petruchio at Montana Shakespeare in the Park. Torsten will also be featured in Cyrano de Bergerac as Christian, one of the leading roles, marking his debut with Montana Shakespeare in the Park. Jack Mackie (BFA ’13) will take the stage as Cassio in Nebraska Shakespeare on the Green’s production of Othello. In addition, Jack will also perform in As You Like It as Oliver.
A troupe of current TAD students and alums has been cast in the Public Theater of Minnesota’s production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, playing July 10 -26. Shae Palic (BFA ’16) is cast as Beatrice, Rebecca Leiner (BFA ’15) will perform the role of Hero, Dan Piering (BFA ’16) will play Claudio, and Avrielle Corti (BFA’16) will take on the role of Dogberry. In the words of Shakespeare, “it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” To all our current students and alums poised to enter --Break a leg!
Alum Darrius Strong (BFA’15) will be performing in Lost Voices in Jazz Dance: The Choreographers of Minnesota Jazz Dance. This show, created by U of M dance faculty’s
Karla Grotting and Eclectic Edge Ensemble, commemorates the four choreographers of MJDC who died from AIDS. (See Faculty Highlights below for details.)
Penumbra Theatre’s Summer Institute
IF YOU COULD CHANGE THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
Currently 46 students are enrolled, making this one of the largest Summer Institutes reported Harris, “25 first year participants, 10 second year and 11 third year returning so you know we are growing building on our successes.”
Summer Institute is a three year leadership development program that trains teens to use their passion for the arts to promote social justice and equity. Across the Twin Cities, students are positively impacting their communities by standing up , speaking out and moving those who listen with the power of performance. Students work alongside professional artists and likeminded teens who strive to eliminate racism, violence and intolerance one performance at a time.—excerpted Penumbra Theatre’s website.
This summer’s faculty of 19 instructors includes among others: Penumbra Theatre founder and professor emeritus Lou Bellamy, Theatre Novi Most co-founder and artistic director professor Lisa Channer, and U of M alums set designer Sara Brandner( MFA ’14), lighting designer Kathy Maxwell ( MFA ’14) and H. Adam Harris (BFA ’11). For more information click http://penumbratheatre.org/content/blogcategory/9/7/
Stage Elements Summer Theatre Intensive
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS “GET A TASTE” SAMPLING ACTOR TRAING PROGRAMS
Reflecting on the summer’s experience, Lisa Channer, who leads the Bachelor of Arts( BA) performance program said, “…this student group was just phenomenal… energized, excited and seemed to be soaking up everything with huge passion and talent. I'd be thrilled to have each and every one of the Stage Elements participants join our BA program next year. Joe Price and his faculty were great partners from the BFA program...”
Led by distinguished U of M faculty who are professional artists with strong links to the Guthrie Theater, Open Eye Figure Theatre, Theatre de la Jeune Lune and Theatre Novi Most, and the Margolis/Brown Company, these young people participated in classes offered through the BA and the BFA programs.
The BA faculty Kym Longhi, Vladimir Rovinsky, Dario Tangleson, Barbra Berlovitz, and Lisa Channer, shared material from courses they teach: Voice for the Physical Actor, Mask, Stage Combat, Contemporary Performance Making, Object/Puppet theatre, Viewpoints, Improvisation / Beginning Acting and Movement. Also were three former BA Performance students: Paul Stucker ('13), Billy Mullaney ('11), Samantha Johns ('07) who are now shaping the future of performance and training in the Twin Cities and beyond in addition to core faculty from our program.
Representing core faculty of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program, Lucinda Holshue worked with vocal exercises introducing basic fundamentals to the students. Alternatively Steve Cardamone presented lessons from his Acting Shakespeare course for the group sessions. “Their BFA time culminated in a Shakespeare monologue sharing, “explained Cardamone, so “each student now has a Shakespeare monologue that s/he can continue developing and use if, and when they audition for schools. Their monologue coaches consisted of current and former BFA students. Each high school student had three different coaches and me.” Deb Pearson, BFA program associate, spoke with them about the similarities and differences of the two degree programs, which they found very helpful.
Students witnessed live performances at the Guthrie (Juno and the Paycock), Bryant Lake Bowl (Francais, L'Amour, Francais) and joined in a spirited conversation with the artists after the performance about the University’s program and the meaning of making a life in the arts.
Special thanks to administrator Katie Willer also did a fantastic job of organizing the Stage Elements program.
Faculty Highlights: Summer offers professional growth
FROM STATE WIDE TOURS TO JAZZ DANCE AND ANIMAL DANCE TO STAGE COMBAT
http://www.sodhousetheater.org
Mathew J. LeFebvre is having a busy summer. He designed 152 of period costumes for the Guthrie Theater’s production of The Music Man, set in Iowa in 1912. His second summer project is the American Players Theatre production of Othello which opens August 7, in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
Torry Bend and Kym Longhi, faculty members, are working closely with performance artist Ann Carlson this summer developing set and costume designs for an upcoming Children’s Theatre Company production of Animal Dance, a play for young children.
Annie Enneking, associate faculty, has been working as the Fight Choreographer at the Guthrie Theater coaching those combative Iowa types how to throw a punch in Music Man and more recently with the submarine crew in Children’s Theatre’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
