Welcome back to the second half of the Spring 2019 semester!
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Monday, March 25, 2019
Welcome back, TDPS! We hope you had a wonderful, rejuvenating spring break.
#ICYMI, our student organization UTAS was featured in Maryland Today for their TDPS Backwards cabaret! Check out the story below. Also check out all the great news and opportunities as we wind down the semester and start thinking about the summer!
CORRECTION: We have corrected the link for the TDPS Backwards "Role Reversal" story under Feature Stories below.
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In this newsletter:
- Upcoming Events
- Feature Stories
- News
- Opportunities
Want to share your news with the TDPS family? Have a story you want featured? Have suggestions to improve the TDPS newsletter and communications?
Tell us about the creative, collaborative, innovative, and entrepreneurial work you're doing!
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Are you a TDPS student, faculty member, or staff member? Show us what a week in your life at TDPS looks like!
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TDPS Course Auditions and Interviews
This week: March 25-29
This week, auditions and interviews for
Fall 2019 courses at TDPS will take place:
- Voice for the Actor I/II and Introduction to Musical Theatre with Lisa Nathans
- Character Development, Movement for Actors. and Alexander Technique with Leslie Felbain
- Play Directing with Scot Reese
- Actor’s Process II with Mitchell Hébert
- Playwriting with Jennifer Barclay
More details and the full schedule can be found
here.
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Mark your calendars for the upcoming final reports of our IPCCR grantees!
Gianina Lockley and Mustapha Braimah '18
Thursday, March 28, 3:15pm; Room 1809
Christine Hands
Thursday, April 11, 3:30pm; Room 1809
Details coming soon.
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Shawn Stone, photo credit: Geoff Sheil
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Second Season:
Shared Graduate Dance Concert
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Friday, March 29, 7:30PM
Saturday, March 30, 2PM and 7PM
Dance Theatre
Featuring provocative choreography by
MFA Dance students, this concert is a collection of eclectic new works, serving as an unguarded exploration of these diverse artists' talents and interests.
Tickets and information
here.
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Porte Parole’s
The Assembly
Friday, March 29, 7PM
Saturday, March 30, 7PM
Cafritz Foundation Theatre
Porte Parole is a documentary theatre company from Montreal that has been working on The Assembly project at UMD the past few months. TDPS students were interviewed during the process so please come to join the conversation. The project was conceived and written by Alex Ivanovici, Annabel Soutar and Brett Watson and is directed by Chris Abraham.
Please email Jane Hirshberg at
janeh22@umd.edu with the number of seats you would like and your preferred date.
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Photo credit: Dylan Uremovich
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Wednesday, April 3, 7:30pm
Cafritz Foundation Theatre
The talented student recipients of the
Jim Henson Fund for Puppetry will perform/present their funded projects. This year’s student presenters are
Kristen Ahern (MFA Design candidate),
Olivia Brann (MA candidate),
Chris Brusberg (MFA Design candidate), and
Stacey Carlson (MFA Dance candidate).
Check out the details of each project on the
website. Free, no tickets required.
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Encountering Vulnerability
Thursday, April 4, 7:30PM
Cafritz Foundation Theatre
Join Dance major
Miejo Dambita for an immersive discussion on vulnerability and see its power revealed to you through art and the lives of others. This is part of Miejo’s Keystone Project for UMD’s Honors Humanities program.
For more information, see the
flyer. Limited registration spots available
here.
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First Fridays (dance showings)
Friday, April 5, 5:30PM
Friday, May 3, 5:30PM
Dance Studio 2
First Fridays are held each month as an informal forum for
anyone to show work in progress or any talent they would like to showcase. Dance, Music, or stand up comedy. Watch or perform—the event is FREE!
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UMoves 2018; photo credit: Geoff Sheil
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Kreativity End of Semester Show:
Puzzles and Paradoxes
Friday, April 5, 2019, 7PM
Saturday, April 6, 2019, 2PM
Dance Theatre
Kreativity Diversity Troupe will present their
End of Semester Show: Puzzles and Paradoxes
This is the last chance of the year to see the troupe's innovative kreations!
More info
here
. Free, no tickets required.
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MadDASH Festival 2019
April 12-17
The TDPS Dance area's MadDASH Festival 2019 is coming up on April 12-17, for five days of FREE master classes and discussions. We have confirmed the following guest artists:
- Monica Bill Barnes
- Alexandra Beller
- Robert Een
- Sekou Heru
- Christopher K. Morgan
- Angie Pittman
- Toyin Sogunro
- Janet Schroeder
Classes are open to everyone; no registration required. Updates will be posted at
go.umd.edu/MadDASH19.
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Raja Feather Kelly teaching modern dance technique at MadDash Festival 2018; photo credit: Dylan Uremovich
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Wednesday, April 17, 7:30PM
Thursday, April 18, 7:30PM
Cafritz Foundation Theatre
By
Claire Barron
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. Clare Barron’s raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers have more than choreography on their minds, because every plié and jeté is a step toward finding themselves, and a fight to unleash their power.
Tickets and information
here. Free, no tickets required.
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Role Reversal: Performers Put Nontraditional Spin on Broadway, Hollywood Tunes
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TDPS Theater Students were featured in
Maryland Today for their production of
TDPS Backwards. This event was inspired by
by Broadway Backwards, an event where big-name Broadway actors sing songs from shows, typically reversing gender roles or playing a type of part that they wouldn’t normally get to play.
Read more
here
(corrected link)
.
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Edima Essien; Photo credit: David Andrews
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TDPS at ACDA 2019
ACDA (American College Dance Association) is an annual regional conference at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Our dance undergraduates, graduates and faculty attend ACDA to teach, learn and connect with other schools in the region. Each school prepares by selecting work from the department to be part of informal concerts and adjudicated concerts. The four days are packed with classes, seminars and concerts with feedback sessions. This year, five of our MFA graduate students taught classes, as well as assistant professor Crystal Davis and artist-in-residence, Kendra Portier.
We are proud of the work that TDPS did at this year's Mid-Atlantic North Regional ACDA festival! Students who attended recognized the importance of being involved in a festival that celebrates and cultivates conversation in and about dance.
"ACDA is a 4 day long conference packed with dance classes, performances, and connecting with fellow dance majors. I took classes in partnering, body percussion, post-modern technique, hip hop and more. Some of my favorite moments were the conversations around dance I engaged in at dinners, in hotel rooms, and sitting in the hallways at Seton Hill University. I also enjoyed meeting dance majors from different schools. Chatting about the difference between the program at UMD and theirs made me appreciate what our program and teachers emphasize."
- Sydney Lemelin, Dance Major
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Dance faculty Patrik Widrig taught a master class at Anne Arundel Community College on Thursday, March 14.
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- Recent alumna Alicia Grace ‘18 stepped into the role of Joetta "Joey" Watson in last week’s Kennedy Center production of “The Watsons Go to Birmingham." This production, directed by Faye M. Price, tells the tale of the Watson family of Flint, Michigan, and their bond and endurance amidst one of the darkest periods in America’s history. The scenic designer for this production was Professor Daniel Conway, with assistant scenic designer Ryan Fox (current MFA Design candidate), the projection designer was MFA Design alum Sarah Tundermann ‘13, the stage manager was alum Maribeth Chaprkna Weatherford, and the music director was Victor Simonson, our School’s new musical director and accompanist for musical theater. TDPS alum Erika Rose also replaced Tichina Arnold as Wilona Watson for some performances. Go Team TDPS!
- PhD candidate Po-Hsien Chu has been accepted into this summer’s Mellon School of Theatre and Performance Research, a two-week program at Harvard University. This year’s session will focus on migration—specifically, the role that the performing arts can play in a future in which migration will likely increase. Congratulations, Po-Hsien!
- Recent PhD alum Michael Boynton ‘18 was promoted to Associate Professor in the Drama Department at Jacksonville State University. Congrats, Mike!
- Assistant professor Jennifer Barclay has been selected for a writing residency this spring at the New Harmony Project, an organization dedicated to supporting writers whose work emanates hope. Jennifer will join a core group of writers which include Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Robert Schenkkan (All the Way), and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo). Congrats, Jennifer!
- MFA Dance candidates Renee Gerardo and Ronya-Lee Anderson and BA Dance students Nana Edu, Sandra Bazubwabo, and Megan McDevitt have been accepted to attend the 2019 Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) Summer Institute as Arnhold Summer Fellows this year. Congrats, all!
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Have news you want to share?
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- NEW Andrew Schneider’s performances push theater into new experiences that defy easy categorization. With AFTER, Schneider and his recurring collaborators will present part two of a trilogy about what it means to be alive in the world today. AFTER is a mind-bending performance examination of what constitutes a single life and the endless possible outcomes at the precise moment of death. With their trademark combination of hyper-precise sound, light and physicality, this NYC-based team manipulates theatrical conventions to deliver a poignant evening of shared consciousness about perceiving where we are, how we got here, and what comes AFTER. For Andrew Schneider’s upcoming performance at The Clarice on May 10 & 11, they are seeking 9 HYPERCUT “Principals” to handle the bulk of the scenes. More information about this opportunity can be found in the call.
- NEW Local author Meredith Hale will be holding auditions for her book trailer on Saturday, March 30 from 2-4PM and Sunday, March 31 from 1-3PM in the Baltimore room of the UMD Stamp Student Union. If you have any questions or want to audition, but can't make those times, email meredithkh@live.com. More information on the flyer.
- NEW Nu Sass is seeking a stage manager for a production that will run in summer 2019. Rehearsals start immediately and reimbursement is $500. For more information, email nusass@nusass.com.
- NEW Folger Shakespeare Library is seeking a production assistant and assistant stage manager for its 2019/2020 season. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume on their website.
- NEW Montgomery College is now accepting applications for paid internships for their summer dinner theater. Application deadline is April 5th. For questions or more information, contact Dennis Mulligan, SDT Production Coordinator at dennismulligan@montgomerycollege.edu. More information here.
- The Shakespeare Theatre Company seeks qualified Teaching Artist candidates and qualified Camp Assistants for Camp Shakespeare 2019, a summer education program from June 17 to August 17. For more information about Camp Shakespeare, check here, apply on their website, or send a cover letter, resume and references to employment@shakespearetheatre.org.
- Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville, PA, is looking to fill several positions for their 2019 summer stock season. For information, see the flyer.
- Wildwood Summer Theatre is looking for staff members and designers for their 2019 summer season team. Rehearsals start early June. Positions are unpaid but provide great working relationships and opportunities. Send resumes and covers letters to chairman@wst.org or producer@wst.org. More information is available on their website.
- Capital Fringe is looking for staff and interns for a variety of positions for the 2019 Capital Fringe Festival from July 9-28. For more information, visit their website and check out their flyer.
- The Harmonia School of Music & Art, an after-school program for music and theater in Vienna, VA, is seeking a marketing intern from March to August 2019. See the flyer for more information.
- Folger Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library is seeking an experienced Lead House Manager. For more information see the flyer and their website.
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Have an opportunity you want to share?
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Do you have news to share with the TDPS community?
The School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
advances and transforms the research and practice of the performing arts
through a commitment to excellence and innovative education.
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Kate Spanos, Coordinator of Marketing & Communications
Renee Gerardo, Graduate Assistant
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