Congrats to all on a successful Madden Dance Project this past weekend!
Monday, November 18, 2019

Fall 2019 has flown by and we are done with all of our Main Season productions for the semester! Don't worry, there are still plenty of opportunities to see great theatre and dance: we still have two Second Season shows and countless presentations and student group performances.

Check out the photos below from the Madden Dance Project this past weekend, which featured new works by Heidi Henderson (elephant JANE dance) and our artist-in-residence Kendra Portier (BANDportier).

Have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving break! Once we get back, it's a mad sprint to the end of the semester.
  In this newsletter:

  • Upcoming events
  • Feature stories
  • Opportunities

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Madden Dance Project
untitled sad piece by elephant JANE dance.
untitled sad piece by elephant JANE dance.
Burnish (Magenta #08) by BANDportier.
Burnish (Magenta #08) by BANDportier.
Photos by Jonathan Hsu.
Upcoming events at UMD and in the DMV
IPCCR Presentation:
Professor Dan Conway

November 19, 2:30PM
TDPS Conference Room 2804

Please join us on Tuesday, November 19 for a presentation by Professor Dan Conway. He will be talking about his trip to the Prague Quadrennial this past June on a grant from the International Program for Creative Collaboration & Research (IPCCR). Professor Conway's scenic design for Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's production of Macbeth was chosen to represent the United States as a featured design exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial (PQ) in June 2019. The design was chosen from hundreds of design applications, and he was one of five American featured set designers at the PQ. For more information, check out this feature Q&A about his trip.
ZineClub
November 19, 6-8PM
Tawes Hall 3248

Do you want to make a zine? Do you like to collage, draw, paint, write, cut, fold, play with the book as a form? Do you like to sit around a big table with others and make stuff with your hands? Is there something you want to say/express but you haven't found the right creative outlet? Try making a zine! BookLab (the book-oriented critical-maker space in UMD English) would love to have you join us on Tuesday, November 19 from 6-8pm in Tawes Hall 3248 for the monthly meeting of ZineClub. No experience necessary. Bring what you can for a potluck. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot.

ZineClub is intended to provide a relaxed, creative atmosphere where undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and faculty are all welcome to experiment/play with/explore/exploit form and content
through hands-on making within the medium of the DIY zine. ZineClub will meet monthly throughout the semester in UMD's BookLab. Follow @umd_booklab on Instagram for upcoming meetings.
Kreativity's End of Semester Show

November 20, 7PM
Dance Theatre
Free, no tickets required

For more information, click here.

Interested in learning more about Kreativity? Email  [email protected]  and  like them on Facebook !
Monica Bill Barnes: Happy Hour
November 21 & 22, 8PM
MilkBoy ArtHouse

A dance show turned into an after-work office party. Come for the free drink, stay for the hope of a life-changing experience. Monica Bill Barnes and company insert dance into unusual contexts, moving as fluidly on the world’s largest stages as in an art museum or at the fictional after-work party of “Happy Hour.”

“Like all good happy hours, this one has plentiful munchies and libations. And like the best ones, it offers abundant laughter.” —The New York Times

Second Season:
"Breath, Boom" and "Revolt"

November 22-24
Cafritz Foundation Theatre

"Breath, Boom"
Written by Kia Corthron
Directed by Jasmine Mitchell
This impressionistic, episodic play by UMD alumna Kia Corthron creates a voice for Black women in today’s society, portraying them as multidimensional, empowered and demanding of respect. Rather than seeing them thrive unrealistically against all odds, we see them crack and break, ultimately supporting each other to build agency and resistance.
 
"Revolt"
Written & Directed by Walker Green
Music Direction by Liezel Werner
Revolt is a monologue-based historical play that pays homage to young activists, protestors and revolutionaries who were harmed or killed for their activism. A mosaic of stories represents the perspectives of youth who were involved in the Israel/Palestine conflict, resistance to Nazi Germany, the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock, Mississippi’s Civil Rights movement and more. This play encourages political activism among students and meaningful engagement in today’s politics.

REFORM: Baakari Wilder & Kerri Edge at Dance Place

November 23, 8PM
November 24, 4PM
Dance Place

Baakari Wilder (BA Theatre alum) is directing and starring in REFORM at Dance Place. REFORM uses tap dance as a vehicle to shed light on the racial disparities in the American criminal justice system and encourage others to advocate for legislation. This collection of tap dance monologues danced by Baakari Wilder, Omar Edwards, Joseph Webb, and Abron Glover are set to urban political music, poetry, and film. The performers portray stories that highlight the African American male experience with the criminal justice system and the lasting effects on both the African American family and the community at large. 

Porte Parole
December 5-7, 8PM
Kogod Theatre

The Clarice's Artist Partner Programs present Porte Parole (Canada):
The Assembly .

I nspired by the 2016 American presidential election, this performance is a provocative re-creation of a dinner party between strangers with radically divergent views. During the play, the audience is asked to participate, to take their own seat at the table, and dig into topics about their community with their community. This is catalyzing art that asks a necessary but seemingly intractable question: how can we change the world without learning to break bread with our neighbors?



Second Season:
"Soundtrack" and "The Triumph of Horus"

December 6 & 7

Soundtrack
Written by Diallo Adams

In this original play about the struggles of a local record store to stay afloat, Adams explores how strong friendships help us deal with disappointment and unforeseen circumstances. The highs and lows of the story are echoed in music written by Adams, featuring a broad range of styles to represent the play’s dynamic shifts.

The Triumph of Horus
Translated by H. W. Fairman
Adapted and directed by Allison Hedges

Considered by some to be the oldest play in existence, “The Triumph of Horus” was discovered in the form of hieroglyphic inscriptions dating back to the second century BCE at Egypt’s Temple of Horus in Edfu. Hedges applies her doctoral research on ancient Egyptian drama to stage this rarely produced play with undergraduate students. This performance will include "The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys," a brief ritual drama based on the translation by Miriam Lichtheim.



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Feature stories
Untold Stories of the Western Frontier

For many Americans, the “Western frontier” evokes romantic images of cowboys, covered wagons, gun fights and stagecoach chases. Often written out of these stories are the diverse populations of immigrants and formerly enslaved black people who also traveled West.

Pearl Cleage’s “Flyin’ West” tells the story of African American women pioneers at the turn of the 20th century who settled in the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas.

“It is so important in 2019 to have a play that features strong African American characters,” he says, “and especially women who exemplify determination and pride in the black community.”

Read the full story here .
Photo by David Andrews.
New Zealand dance company visits UMD

Black Grace performs dance work that brings Pacific Island and Samoan culture into discussion with contemporary dance. ... “It was thought provoking, riveting...so precise yet elegant at the same time. The mix of styles was something I wasn’t expecting...I wish I could go to New Zealand and see them again.” said Nana Edu, a senior Dance major, after seeing the company’s performance.

Read the full story here.
 Black Grace. Photo courtesy of The Clarice.
Opportunities
TDPS Opportunities
  • NEW New Vital Theatre with Assistant Professor Jennifer Barclay. Winter term: January 2-22, 2020. An ONLINE 3-week, 3-credit analytical and creative course. "New Vital Theatre" is for aspiring theatre-makers who want to be on the vanguard of explosive, fresh, ground-breaking, and inclusive theatre. We will read brand new plays from the U.S., England, Ireland, and Canada; plays which challenge assumptions about storytelling, bring under-represented voices to the forefront, and reimagine how to interact with our audience in the ritual of live performance. You will analyze these plays as practitioners (playwrights, directors, actors, designers, dramaturgs), and will be challenged to create your own ideas for dreaming forward the art of theatre. Course work will include discussion boards, creative writing exercises, and analytical essays, and you can do the work on your own schedule. Our class vocabulary will be centered around the ideas laid forward by the new, industry-shaking book Theatre of the Unimpressed by Jordan Tannahil. See the flyer for more info.

  • Annual Jim Henson Award for Puppetry applications are due Monday, December 2 by 5pm via email to Susan Miller at [email protected]. The Jim Henson Fund for Puppetry was established by Jane Henson family to honor the memory of Jim Henson (1960), creator of the world famous Muppets. Up to 4 awards in the amount of $1,500 will be offered to undergraduate or graduate students in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies for the creation of a puppet project or performance. You may not be awarded the Henson Award for two consecutive years. Application for the award includes the name of the project, an abstract, a detailed written concept, your intended audience, and an itemized budget. Current projects or already-made items are not eligible. There will be a 30-minute performance/presentation showcase for each project awarded during the Spring 2020 semester in the Cafritz Theatre. A tech rehearsal will be scheduled for the day before the performance/presentation. Guidelines and application info here.
  • We are happy to offer the TDPS Board of Visitors Student Award for both undergraduate and graduate students for Summer 2020. Applications are due December 13. This prestigious merit award is available for undergraduate and graduate Dance and Theatre majors and may be used to fund projects supporting career training, study abroad, research projects, unpaid internships, etc. during Summer 2020. Please see attached for guidelines, deadlines, and the application form.
Additional Opportunities
  • NEW The Shakespeare Theatre Company is seeking part-time Assistant House Managers. Under the direction of the Theatre Services Manager, this position serves as a key member in welcoming our patrons to the theatre and ensuring their safety. Responsibilities for this entry-level position include training ushers, greeting and seating patrons, and maintaining a high level of customer care and safety under the direction of the Lead House Managers. Must be available for at least two shifts per week, including nights and weekends. Apply on their website or send a cover letter, resume, and references to [email protected].

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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 Aurelia Spanos, Coordinator of Marketing & Communications
Krissy Aurelia Harris, Graduate Assistant