2012
ENCORE
is the annual newsletter of The Ohio State University Department of Theatre 1089 Drake Performance and Event Center 1849 Cannon Drive Columbus, Ohio 43210-1208 Office: 614-292-5821 Fax: 614-292-3222 Editor-in-Chief & Chair: Dan Gray Editor: Damian Bowerman
Contributors: Joe Brandesky, Nena Couch, Pam Decker, Victoria Ellwood, Joseph Fahey, Christopher Matsos, Eric H. Mayer, Anne Bowen Paulle, Beth Josephsen Simon, Francesca Spedalieri, Mary Tarantino, Andrew Trimmer, Elizabeth Wellman, Dave Williams Design/Layout: Arts and Sciences Communications Services Written and researched by the faculty, staff and students of the Department of Theatre. All Alumni and Friends information is collected from alumni, friends, and other readers; gathered and processed at the Department of Theatre; researched, edited, and placed either in our Encore publication or the Alumni page of Encore on our website: theatre.osu.edu
cover image: Marat/Sade, spring 2012; above image: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, autumn 2011
CONTENTS 4
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
13 MACBETH SCHOOL TOUR
5
2012 – 2013 SEASON
14 ORDINAL 5
6
2011 – 2012 SEASON IN REVIEW
15 TRI REPORT
8
GUEST ARTISTS AND SCHOLARS
20 SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS
10
ON ROY BOWEN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY
24 END OF YEAR AWARDS
11
THE BROTHEL AND THE FACTORY
27 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
11
HOUSE / DIVIDED
29 REGIONAL CAMPUS UPDATE
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THE YEAR OF SHAKESPEARE
Staging Immigration and Women’s Labor” that brought several top scholars to campus. This Above All was the highly successful MFA Acting Outreach Project that dramatized the influential practices of the RSC’s Stand Up for Shakespeare (SUFS) program and the amazingly positive effect it can have on local schools. I’m also happy to report that our collaboration with the RSC and SUFS will continue through 2015! We continued to model the success of the RSC’s Young People’s Shakespeare program with our school tour. The ghostly, fast-paced, 70-minute telling of Macbeth kept young audiences riveted to the action in their schools and on the stage at the historic Lincoln Theatre.
Dear Friends of Ohio State Theatre, I trust you will enjoy this year’s edition of encore in its new look and format. We are excited to share the news of this past year on these glossy pages and encourage those hungry for even more information to check us out online at theatre.osu.edu/encore. We hope this combination will allow us to get a little “greener” while still providing a thorough update of the terrific work being done by the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the Department of Theatre. Much like the football team, our past season started even before students arrived back on campus in the fall. We partnered with the Wexner Center and were fortunate enough to receive a highly competitive Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Creative Campus Grant to work with the Builder’s Association on HOUSE / DIVIDED, their multimedia exploration of the mortgage crisis counterpointed against John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath in Thurber Theatre. Although much of this piece developed over the spring and summer, production began in earnest just before Labor Day. Students who returned early were treated to a first-hand look at the creative process of one of the nation’s top theatre collectives. We then ventured back downtown to present Living Out at the Studio One Theatre in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts. This study in race, class, power and family was our first fully mounted, non-musical to be presented downtown. Next we shared a searing version of the Last Days of Judas Iscariot in the Bowen Theatre. This provocative glimpse of purgatory provided great material for thoughtful conversation and lively talk-backs. An equally busy winter quarter began with a double bill of one-acts in Thurber. Real Women Have Curves and Matchmaker challenged audiences to consider many issues facing women and the difficult choices they are often forced to make. These productions became the focus of a two-day symposium “The Brothel and the Factory: 4 ENCORE
Spring quarter got off to a rather insane start with our production of Marat/Sade which featured over 30 undergraduate actors. The MFA actors showcased their considerable talents across the river at the Mount Hall Studio Theatre in their Solo Projects. These solo works are conceived and written by the MFAs as the culmination of their three year program. Guest artist Peter Cutts performed his new solo work Hamlet’s Fool at the Studio Theatre. His performance exemplified the power of a single actor to transform into a cast of characters simply and beautifully. The spring was rounded out with a showing of innovative, student created video work presented under the title Digi-Eye. Throughout the year, the department was happy to support a new performance initiative known as The Lab Series. This is a student-driven series that places an emphasis on innovative work that functions on a zero-budget model. The work ranges from new student written pieces to reworkings of the classic and obscure. Over 17 productions were presented as part of this series! And if all this was not enough, we were fortunate enough to tour The Camouflage Project to Washington D.C. after classes wrapped up in June. These performances were very well received and I want to thank all our donors who made the dream a reality. It was great to share this extraordinary production with a wider national audience. As you will see from the pages that follow, this is just a taste of the many highlights from another full year in the Department of Theatre. Please enjoy this issue of encore and let us know what you’ve been up to since graduation. You are an important part of the OSU theatre family and we want to share your successes in art and life. Look forward to hearing from you!
Dan Gray Chair/Associate Professor
OHIO STATE THEATRE 2012 – 2013 SEASON The Arabian Nights October 11 - 21 By Mary Zimmerman Directed by Mandy Fox Roy Bowen Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Company Young People’s Shakespeare King October 31 - November 10 By William Shakespeare Edited and Directed by Tim Crouch Roy Bowen Theatre
Lear
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
November 7 - 11 Book, Music and Lyrics by Rupert Holmes Directed and Conducted by A. Scott Parry Co-produced by the Department of Theatre and School of Music Thurber Theatre
Twelfth Night
February 1 - 3 By William Shakespeare Edited by Christopher Matsos Directed by Tory Matsos Lincoln Theatre
The Visit
February 28 - March 7 By Friedrich Dürrenmatt Directed by Lesley Ferris Thurber Theatre
DIGI-EYE: Film/Video Showcase March 29 - 30 By Undergraduate and Graduate Students Thurber Theatre
aPOEtheosis: A Fantasy Based on the Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe April 4 - 14 Co-Conceived by Czech Scenographer Petr Matásek and Joe Brandesky Directed by Joe Brandesky Roy Bowen Theatre theatre.osu.edu
Ohio state Theatre Box Office 1849 Cannon Drive | Columbus, OH 43210 p:(614) 292-2295 | f:(614) 292-3222 theatre-tix@osu.edu 5
Living Out
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Real Women Have Curves
6 ENCORE Matchmaker
This Above All
Macbeth
Marat/Sade
MFA Solo Projects
2011 – 2012 SEASON IN REVIEW Living Out
This Above All
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Macbeth
October 27 - November 6, 2011 By Lisa Loomer. Vern Riffe Studio One Theatre. Directed by Maureen Ryan. Set Design by Brad Steinmetz. Costume Design by Samantha A. Kuhn. Lighting Design by Brian Elston. Sound Design by Dan Shifflet. Stage Manager Margaret Glaser. Special thanks to Intercultural Specialist, Hispanic/Latin@ and Women Student Initiatives Indra Leyva from The Ohio State University’s Multicultural Center for sharing her knowledge and insights at “AfterWords,” our post-performance discussion.
November 10-20, 2011 By Stephen Adly Guirgis. Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed by Jimmy Bohr. Set Design by Marty Salvoskis. Costume Design by Lauren Bush. Lighting Design by Matt Hazard. Sound Design by Ruth Luketic. Stage Manager Jackie Benedict. Special thanks to John Acker, a graduate student from the Department of English; Fritz Graf, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Classics; Sarah Iles Johnston, professor of Classics; Lindsay Jones, professor of comparative studies; and Father Vinny McKiernan of Ohio State’s St. Thomas More Newman Center for sharing their knowledge and insights at “AfterWords,” our postperformance discussion.
February 16 - March 3, 2012 By MFA Acting Ensemble 2012. Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed Mo Ryan. Set Design by Marni Balint. Costume Design by Kristine Kearney. Lighting Design by Justin John. Sound Design by Kevin Rhodus. Stage Manager Kyler Dean Moor. Special thanks to Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and Rachel Gartside, Lead Practitioner for RSC Education, for sharing their knowledge and insights at “AfterWords,” our post-performance discussion.
March 4, 2012 By William Shakespeare. Lincoln Theatre. Adapted and Directed by Christopher Matsos. Set Design by Jon Baggs. Costume Design by Stephanie Keller. Lighting Design by Mary Tarantino. Stage Manager Danielle Wisti.
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates
February 2-11, 2012 By Josefina Lopez. Thurber Theatre. Directed by Francesca Spedalieri. Set Design by Divya Murthy. Costume Design by Shiree Houf. Lighting Design by Brian Elston. Sound Design Michelle Cohen. Stage Manager Claire Landuyt.
of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade May 3 - 9, 2012 By Peter Weiss. Roy Bowen Theatre. Guest Directed by Mark Mann. Set Design by Trenton Bean. Costume Design by Samantha A. Kuhn. Lighting Design by Chelsie McPhilimy. Sound Design by Lowri Sion. Stage Manager Sam Sharkey. Special thanks to Dale VanKley, professor of history; Nina Berman, professor of comparative studies; Jennifer Schlueter, assistant professor of theatre; Trenton Bean; and Samantha A. Kuhn, for sharing their knowledge and insights at “AfterWords,” our post-performance discussion.
Matchmaker
MFA Solo Projects
Real Women Have Curves
February 2-11, 2012 By Patricia Suarez. Translated by Ana Elena Puga. Thurber Theatre. Directed by Lesley Ferris. Set Design by Divya Murthy. Costume Design by Shiree Houf. Lighting Design by Brian Elston. Sound Design by Ruth Luketic. Stage Manager Jackie Benedict.
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May 17 - 25, 2012 By MFA Acting Ensemble 2012. Mount Hall Studio Theatre. Coordinating Director Jeanine Thompson. Scenic Coordinator Dan Gray. Costume Coordinator Rebecca Baygents Turk. Lighting Design by Brian Elston. Sound Design by Zack Ivans. Video Programming by Max Roseman. Stage Managers Angella Cutrell and Eve Nordyke.
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The Builders Association
By Elizabeth Wellman (PhD Student) and Damian Bowerman, Graduate Studies and Publicity Coordinator
Autumn 2011 Head of movement at the Royal Shakespeare Company, guest artist Struan Leslie completed a residency at Ohio State, working with faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. He gave a public lecture at the Theatre Research Institute, in addition to teaching several movement classes and workshops during his time on campus. Over the course of a month-long residency in autumn 2011, Artslink Fellow Viktoriya Myronyuk
developed a new project, WordLinks, in which she asked Ukrainian and U.S. citizens to write anonymous letters describing their way of life, their beliefs and concerns. As part of the project, she delivered letters from the Ukraine to the U.S., asking the recipients to answer with their descriptions of daily life here. Viktoriya created an interactive presentation for WordLinks that included video and installation. Viktoriya was especially interested in the act of mediation between political systems and cultures.
New York Theatre Company The Builders Association in partnership with The Wexner Center for the Arts and Ohio State premiered its devised multimedia theatre work HOUSE / DIVIDED in October 2011. As part of the “Society of American Indians Centennial Symposium 19112011,” held at the Ohio Union, actor, playwright, and artist-scholar Monique Mojica, from Spiderwoman Theatre in New York, gave a talk on the dramaturgy of Guna culture in terms of aesthetics, story narrative, and literary structure in October 2011.
(Pictured L to R) Struan Leslie; Viktoriya Myronyuk; Xela Batchelder; Simona Rybáková; Jonathan Pryce; Peter Cutts
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Sharon Marcus, the first Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute Fellow and the Orlando Harriman Professor at Columbia University, gave a presentation entitled, “Learning from Scrapbooks: Theatrical Celebrity and its Archives” at Thompson Library.
The Department of Theatre hosted a conversation in the Roy Bowen Theatre with guest artists, award-winning stage and screen actor Jonathan Pryce, as well as actors Alan Cox and Alex Hassell. All three actors appeared in the CAPA/CATCOPhoenix production of The Caretaker by Harold Pinter.
In November 2011, movement artist Yanci Bukovec completed a residency at Ohio State, teaching master classes, as well as doing motion capture work with ACCAD.
Actor, writer, producer, and director Peter Cutts premiered his new work Hamlet’s Fool, which was commissioned by the Arts Initiative and the Department of Theatre as part the Year of Shakespeare. Peter also taught Theatre 280: The Craft of Acting for the department during his stay. In the past three decades he’s created and extensively toured seven original solo performances. His work has been featured on both radio and television, including over 40 commissions to write and present poetry programs for the BBC. His films have been shown at the Royal Society of Arts, the Kicks n Flicks Festival, and the Olympic Visions Exhibition in London’s East End.
Winter 2012 Palestinian-American playwright Betty Shamieh performed excerpts from her work including ROAR, Chocolate in Heat, and The Black-Eyed. During her visit to Ohio State, she also taught a workshop, “Addressing Arab-American Social Issues Through Theatrical Performance.” Shamieh’s visit was the result of a partnership between the Department of Theatre, the Multicultural Center through the Office of Student Life, The Women’s Place, Council of Graduate Students, Diversity and Identity Studies Collective, the Committee for Justice in Palestine, and through the dedicated efforts of theatre graduate student Allison Brogan, whose research on the work of Betty Shamieh recently culminated in her master’s thesis.
In collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Department of Theatre’s Stand Up for Shakespeare pedagogy, local elementary, middle school, and high school students presented abridged versions of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet as part of the Young People’s Stand Up for Shakespeare Festival at Ohio State in May 2012.
Ohio State theatre graduate Xela Batchelder is the executive and artistic director for Rocket Venues, one of the venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During her visit to campus, she met with department faculty and gave a presentation to students developing new works.
Spring 2012 Local actor, director, writer, and producer Mark Mann joined the department to direct The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade. In March, Czech costume designer Simona Rybáková presented her work designing for theatre, film, and television and was also involved in reviewing design students’ individual portfolios.
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On Roy Bowen’s 100th Birthday,
A Request for Bowen Scholarship Fund Support Theatre and Ohio State were his great loves. He adored the football teams and was among the stage directors who created Stadium Theatre at Gate Ten of Ohio Stadium where in the ‘50s and ‘60s central Ohio audiences enjoyed a summer theatre season in which students, professors and the Columbus theatre community collaborated in vibrant productions. Roy’s dissertation focused on audience participation at Stadium Theatre: Did audiences used to the proscenium arch really become as involved when theatre was in the round? Yes, said his data and this encouraged theatre production in all kinds of spaces – a vibrant innovation. Dad cared very much about the teaching of acting and theatre history. He and my mother, Addeleen Wallace Bowen, cared very much about the students. Back in 1937, as high school English and drama teacher, Roy wrote:
I started teaching after graduation from college and found that I liked it intensely, particularly the directing of plays…I never enjoy myself so thoroughly as when working on a show. I get more of a kick out of helping other people to develop character and Roy Bowen directing an Ohio State production. learn how to handle themselves on the stage than I’ve ever gotten from By Anne Bowen Paulle (BS 1979) anything. I like (students) and I’ve found that one can get to know 2012 is the centenary of Roy Bowen’s birth. Roy died them better and help them more in 2005. through dramatics than in any other way. In the early 1950s Roy was a doctoral student in The Ohio State University Department of Theatre and professor, and later chair of the department from the early 1960s to 1977. He was an innovator who helped establish Stadium Theatre and the efficacy and audience involvement of theatre in the round. For many years he was referred to in the Columbus Dispatch as “Mr. Theatre” so creative, excellent, exciting were the plays he directed and programs he launched. He was my dad.
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In Dad’s 100th anniversary year, please join me in making contributions to the Roy and Addeleen Bowen Scholarship Fund. Roy Bowen’s legacy, his love for students, teaching, acting and theatre production and innovation are honored through this fund that will allow new Ms. and Mr. Theatres to study, to make art, and to benefit from the precious principle: “one can get to know them better and help them more through dramatics than in any other way.”
The Brothel and the Factory: Staging Immigration and Women’s Labor By Pamela Decker, PhD Student In conjunction with the Ohio State Department of Theatre’s 2012 doublebilled productions of Matchmaker, by Patricia Suárez, and Real Women Have Curves, by Josefina López, the Departments of Theatre, Spanish and Portuguese, the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, the Thompson Memorial Library, the Theatre Graduate Syndicate, and the Latino and Latin American Space for Enrichment and Research (LASER) hosted the academic symposium “The Brothel
and the Factory: Staging Immigration and Women’s Labor,” on February 3-4, 2012. Guest scholars Isabel Molina-Guzmán, associate professor of media & cinema studies and Latino/a studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and Mary Romero, sociology professor of justice studies and social inquiry at Arizona State University, presented on topics related to Real Women Have Curves, while guest scholars May Farnsworth, assistant professor of Spanish and Hispanic studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges; and Paola Hernández, assistant
HOUSE / DIVIDED
professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, presented on topics related to Matchmaker. Other presenters included graduate students from Ohio State and Northwestern Universities, as well as scholars from the College of Wooster. In addition to contributing to Ohio State’s yearlong “A Conversation on Immigration” program, this was the fourth annual academic symposium hosted by the Ohio State Department of Theatre and the Theatre Graduate Syndicate.
By Francesca Spedalieri, PhD Student Previously published in TheatreForum (June 2012)
The Builders Association HOUSE / DIVIDED was the newest, large-scale production by The Builders Association. It used live actors, documentary and archival film footage, animation, and live music to create a contemporary re-reading of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath — his 1939 Pulitzer Winning novel — in light of the recent mortgage crisis. Conceived and directed by Marianne Weems and edited and written by James Gibbs and Moe Angelos, the performance was developed under the patronage of the Doris Duke Foundation Creative Campus Grant and the Wexner Center for the Arts Artist Residency Program in collaboration with The Ohio State University, and premiered at the Drake Performance and Event Center Thurber Theatre in Columbus on October 6, 2011. Students from the Department of Theatre took part in various stages of the project’s development, including assisting with and performing in the world premiere. Known for being innovators in the use of technology on stage, as well as a socially conscious collaborative dedicated to addressing topics at the forefront of public interest, the Builders Association has produced visually stunning and socially engaging multidisciplinary and multimedial theatrical works. HOUSE / DIVIDED was no exception. Through the visual design by Austin Switser, the original sound design and music compositions by Dan Dobson, Jennifer Tipton’s lighting design, and costume design by Shiree Houf (MFA in Costume Design, Ohio State alumna), the performance’s 21 scenes collage together the past and the present. Interlacing the beautiful lyric imagery of John Steinbeck’s novel with stories related to the housing crises that since 2004 has shaken to the core the economic system of the United States, the production explores the dynamics that brought to the collapse of the distressed edifice of the American economy and its tangible consequences. theatre.osu.edu
The Builders Association 11
By Christopher Matsos, Lecturer The Ohio State University marked the first three years of its international collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) throughout the 20112012 academic year. The Ohio State/RSC Program, along with its partners across the university, including the Department of Theatre, the Arts Initiative, Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State Libraries, Department of English, School of Music, School of Teaching and Learning, and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, was pleased to designate 2011-2012 as the Year of Shakespeare at Ohio State. The Year of Shakespeare was a robust, ongoing series of public events that included live theatre, film, lectures, music, and an exhibition, which culminated in the Young People’s Stand Up for Shakespeare Festival on May 11 and 12. The festival’s centerpiece was its performances of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, which were presented by 200 of the 4,000 local elementary, middle, and high school students who have benefitted from their teachers’ participation in the Stand Up for Shakespeare program at Ohio State. A tried-and-true success in the UK, Stand Up for Shakespeare promotes literacy, leadership, and theatre education in our public schools. To date, 40 Central Ohio public schoolteachers, and nearly 20 Ohio State faculty and graduate students, including 10 MFA acting students, have trained in the Stand Up for Shakespeare approach with RSC actors and educators in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and Columbus. This three-tiered philosophy — “See It Live – Do It On Your Feet – Start It Earlier” — challenges students to engage Shakespeare’s plays with lively, ensemble-building activities, just as professional actors do. On October 31, 2012 President E. Gordon Gee announced the continuation of The Ohio State University and Royal Shakespeare Company collaboration for another three years.
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Local student performs the ball scene from Romeo and Juliet in the Young People’s Stand Up for Shakespeare Festival - May 2012
Cornelius Hubbard, Jr. and Kelsey Bates in a scene from Ohio State Theatre’s production of Macbeth.
By Christopher Matsos, Lecturer Following the success of 2011’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Department of Theatre was proud to present Macbeth, Shakespeare’s classic tale of murder, intrigue, and a man hounded by his own greed. This 70-minute, interactive touring production, adapted and directed by Christopher Matsos, was designed to introduce younger audiences to the joys of Shakespeare and his language, and was presented in celebration of the landmark collaboration between Ohio State and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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Macbeth toured to over a dozen elementary, middle, and high schools in the greater Columbus area, playing to more than 2,500 students between the first and twelfth grades. The production enjoyed a successful public run in the historic Lincoln Theatre in downtown Columbus, where it was complemented with a reading by local author Lisa Klein, who shared excerpts from her popular novel Lady Macbeth’s Daughter. The production closed with two well-attended performances at the Lima campus of Ohio State.
stage manager. The production was designed to invite young audience members to join the action of the play on stage as spirits conjured by the play’s mysterious witches; this interaction proved to be a highlight of each performance. School performances were followed by workshops led by the actors, who engaged students with exercises based on Stand Up for Shakespeare, the pedagogy at the heart of the Ohio State/Royal Shakespeare Company collaboration.
Macbeth was performed by an exclusively undergraduate cast, and the tour was operated by an undergraduate tour manager and
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Ordinal 5: Theatre, Dance Students Bring Math Equation to Life By Victoria Ellwood, College of Arts and Sciences
“The result has been amazing,” Rotman said. “I presented an abstract mathematical idea to Jeanine in the A group of six undergraduate and form of a diagram, with a motion graduate students from Ohio State ‘floor plan.’ The students had to headed to London in November 2011 keep to a strict structure of arriving to present a dance performance together at certain points — like — based on a mathematical buttons on a couch — but between equation — at the Tate Modern these points, anything could happen. international museum of modern and That’s up to the choreographer and contemporary art. the ensemble.” That’s right, math. And dance. The group, led by Jeanine Thompson, associate professor in theatre, collaborated to create a movement piece based on the math equation known as “Ordinal 5.” The unique endeavor was the brainchild of Brian Rotman, professor in comparative studies and former professor of mathematics in the UK, and was supported by an arts and humanities grant in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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The original idea, according to Rotman, was exploring the question – “How can you physicalize a mathematical equation? How can you produce a work of art that incorporates a mathematical idea?” Thompson said the 10-minute dance takes the math equation and “makes it live in space and time.” She held auditions for theatre and dance students, and ended up with three from each department. “This is truly an interdisciplinary project,” she said.
The group of students, she added, has developed into a deeply sensitive ensemble who work well together. “I see learning going on with each rehearsal,” she said. “They are helping each other realize this equation and create a work of art. They’ve really run with it.” The students include: Owen David, Natalia Lepore Hagan, and Rachel Switlick (dance); and Moopi Mothibeli, Ibsen Santos, and Beth Josephsen (theatre). They spent a week in London in late November and presented the performance numerous times during an event that’s part of a six-month Tate investigation on topology. A London musician created a musical score to accompany the piece. And Janet Parrott, associate professor in the Department of Theatre, created a video documentation of their creation.
A scene from Ordinal 5.
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TRI REPORT 2011 – 2012 By Nena Couch, Curator; Beth Kattelman, Associate Curator; and Mary Tarantino, Director Fringe Festival Collection. This growing archive will focus upon the Edinburgh Fringe, but will also draw together information about other fringe festivals throughout the world.
TRI annual lecture – Struan Leslie
(Left to Right) Mo Ryan, Tory Matsos, Meryl Streep, Robin Post, Beth Kattelman, and Christopher Matsos at the Margo Jones Award Ceremony.
Margo Jones award The Institute presented the 2011 Margo Jones Award to Lincoln Center Theater (LTC) dramaturg Anne Cattaneo in a ceremony in the Vivian Beaumont Theater lobby on Monday, July 11, 2011. The award is given annually to a “citizen-of-thetheatre who has demonstrated a significant impact, understanding and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theatre everywhere.” This year’s award was a triple-threat in that it commemorated Margo Jones’ 100th birthday, was the 50th year of the award itself, and was the first time the award was given to a dramaturg. Speakers celebrating Anne included her friends and colleagues LCT Artistic Director Andre Bishop, playwright John Guare, and actress Meryl Streep. Deborah and Paula Robison represented the Lawrence and Lee families. Dean Mark Shanda was a great emcee, and was joined at the podium by Margo Jones Committee members Nena Couch, Beth Kattelman, and Mary Tarantino.
Scholarly Activities in and around the Institute Randy Skinner master class TRI donor, Ohio State alumnus, and Broadway choreographer and dancer
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Randy Skinner gave theatre students a fabulous master class during a fall visit to the department and to the TRI in its beautiful new Thompson Library location. Beth traveled to Scotland at the end of August to attend the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. While there, she met up with Ohio State alum Xela Batchelder (PhD 2006). Xela is a veteran of the Edinburgh Festival, having served as executive and artistic director of the Fringe’s Rocket Venues for many years. Xela and Beth visited with Richard Demarco, visual artist and co-founder of the Traverse Theatre and obtained materials about his theatrical work at the Fringe. Beth then traveled to London where she met up with Department of Theatre Professor Lesley Ferris. The two made a day trip to call on director/scenographer Pamela Howard at her seaside home in Sussex where Pamela showed many design renderings she has done throughout her career. In February, Xela Batchelder came to Ohio State to talk about her experiences at the Edinburgh Fringe. She gave a well-attended talk to students and faculty of the Department of Theatre about international fringe festivals and about the logistics of running a fringe venue. She also provided information about taking a performance to a fringe festival. During her visit Xela established the Batchelder
Struan Leslie, head of movement at the Royal Shakespeare Company delivered the 2011-2012 annual Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute Lecture. Struan has performed, directed, and devised work in theatre, opera, dance, and live art. His practice draws on a wide range of applications, experimentations, and explorations of movement including choreography, architecture, music, and fine art. His work has been presented extensively in the repertoires of theatre companies throughout Europe and in the U.S., including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, English and Welsh National Opera, Geneva Opera, Berkeley Rep, and American Repertory Theatre. Struan choreographed the BBC’s highly acclaimed television series Casanova. Struan also spent a morning exploring Institute dance and movement holdings in anticipation of future uses.
Yanci Bukovec returns for a master class Because of scheduling, we actually had two lectures in 2011. This ongoing program, supported by the Department of Theatre, has brought a wide range of speakers over the years, beginning with playwright Tony Kushner. The 2010-2011 Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute Lecture featured voice, speech, and master of movement Yanci Bukovec, who visited in March. Yanci delighted the department with conversation, philosophy, and memories of mime training and touring with Marcel Marceau. He also taught master classes to voice and movement students, and gave a demonstration/performance in the campus reading room on the 11th floor of Thompson Library. Ohio State alumus and former Yanci student Chris Matsos greatly helped to facilitate this engaging visit.
Lawrence and Lee Visiting Research Fellow Sharon Marcus
Lawrence and Lee Visiting Research Fellow: Sharon Marcus
This year we were delighted to be able to offer the first research fellowship supported by Jerome Lawrence’s bequest. Sharon Marcus, the inaugural Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute Fellow, was in residence in October, exploring what she characterizes as the institute’s “exceptionally rich collection” of scrapbooks from the second half of the 19th through the first third of the 20th centuries. The Orlando Harriman Professor at Columbia University, Marcus was the keynote speaker at last year’s British Women Writers Conference at Ohio State, and is a leading scholar in 19th and 20th century literary and cultural studies. Currently she is doing research for a book on the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt. During her residency, she gave an insightful and provocative presentation on her experience in exploring the scrapbooks in the institute collections and how they and other archival collections are contributing to her work on Bernhardt. She also discussed her understanding of celebrity, her skill at combining acting and authorship, and her ability to unite live presence with visual and written representations. The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute Visiting Research Fellowship is awarded annually, and is supported through the Jerome Lawrence Endowed Fund.
Upcoming visiting research fellows: Mervyn Heard, Lisa Booth Mervyn Heard is an internationally recognized expert in the history of the
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lantern slide. He is also a professional lanternist who has presented magic lantern demonstrations to audiences in the UK, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. During his tenure at the TRI, he will examine the Kliegl “pose” slide collection and supporting materials in the Joel Rubin Collection. Heard is interested in the pose slide within the context of the history and development of international screen practice and 20th-century vaudeville and cabaret performance. He plans to publish a monograph on the subject and also is working toward a re-staging of pose slide performances. Lisa Booth is doing research for her dissertation in Russian history (University of Florida) on jazz and Russian culture in the 1950s - 1960s. She will work with the Robert Breen Collection documenting the 1955 – 1956 Soviet tour of Porgy and Bess, which was an incredibly important event in the history of Soviet-American cultural exchange, and which occupies a central place in her dissertation. Porgy and Bess embodies a paradox at the heart of Soviet ideology: the “highbrow” valued by Soviet officials and represented by opera, symphony, and ballet, and the “lowbrow” represented by jazz.
Programs, clippings, CDs, books, videos, journals, scrapbooks, and additions to other collections have come from Abe Bassett, the Bowling Green State University Popular Culture Library, Dan Collins, Allison W. Cusick, William Fetterman, Susan Hatten, Wu Jimei, Orville Martin, Shlomit Ofer, Abramo Ottolenghi, Dennis Parker, the Stratford Festival of Canada. TRI director emeritus Alan Woods donated a fascinating box with the papers of Margerete Bieber in preparation for a revised edition of her landmark The History of the Greek and Roman Theater. Playwrights who have added to or established collections include Catherine Filloux, Don Nigro, and Emily Davis. Charles H. McCaghy, donor of the McCaghy Collection of Exotic Dance from Burlesque to Clubs has finalized a new endowment fund to support the ongoing needs of the Exotic Dance collection. A major addition, the Ann Corio Collection, was acquired from Corio’s niece Carole Nelson, building on the already rich collection. Corio was one of the major 20th century burlesque stars, and she revived interest in burlesque through her 1960s-1980s This Was Burlesque historical revue.
Collections Theatre design and technology remains an important area of collection with a major new collection established by costume designer Carrie Robbins, who has designed 38 Broadway productions including Grease (1972), The Octette Bridge Club (1985), and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (2009), regional theatre, opera, and ballet, as well as uniforms for the New York restaurants Windows on the World and the Rainbow Room. She has won multiple awards including the 2012 Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award. The Marcel Marceau American Collection was donated by the Marcel Marceau Foundation for the Advancement of the Art of Mime, Inc., through the offices of Tony Micocci; work by theatre faculty member Jeanine Thompson began. Joel E. Rubin continues to build his collection on theatre lighting and technology. A set of designs for Love’s Labour’s Lost by Czech designer Jaroslav Malina was acquired, and additional work of Czech costume designer Simona Rybáková was added.
Costumes for Rags by Carrie Robbins (Paper Mill Playhouse, 1999)
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The Edwin A. Locke Collection was donated by Mary and Mahala Killoran, great-granddaughters of playwright and theatre company director Locke, and is a remarkable collection of Locke’s playscripts, music, and lyrics, correspondence, programs and photographs documenting the fascinating story of late 19th and early 20th century American theatre. Their grandmother, “Little Helen,” is featured in many of the programs. Xela Batchelder established the Batchelder Fringe Festival Collection, an archive that will gather information from fringe festivals around the world. TRI and Rare Books are collaborating in building the Claude Anibal collection of Spanish Golden Age drama with additions this year of comedias sueltas and entremeses.
and graduated from Ohio State. She was known to radio audiences of the 1930s and 40s as a soloist on NBC’s Voice of Firestone. The Speaks collection offers collaborative opportunities with the School of Music, which has a scholarship in Margaret Speaks’ name. John and his wife were accompanied by Stephanie
and the Rare Books and Manuscripts collections. It also featured materials from The Ohio State University’s collaboration with the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and their “Stand Up For Shakespeare” program. Students from Nena and Beth’s Theatre 801: Research Methods also contributed their expertise by choosing one Shakespearerelated artifact from the TRI to research and write about. These items and information provided by the students were featured in the exhibit in a case on archival research. The exhibition drew over 2,500 visitors during its four-month run, including some special guests from the RSC.
The Lawrence and Lee Institute co-sponsored “The Brothel and the Factory: Staging Immigration and Women’s Labor,” this year’s symposium of the Theatre Graduate Many existing Syndicate. collections have Accompanying grown during the symposium the year: Grayce was an exhibition Burian contributed Costume for Juliet designed by Daphne Dare for the Stratford Festival of Canada, constructed mounted by numerous from the design in TRI’s Dare Collection by theatre faculty member Kristine Kearney and Nena and materials on graduate student Samantha A. Kuhn for Year of Shakespeare: The Exhibition. TRI graduate Czech theatre associate Pam and culture: Lesley Tingler, an associate professor from the Decker on immigration as shown through Ferris expanded the Carnival collection University of Georgia who is currently materials in two collections, The Fire Still with material acquired during her trip to working on a book on Margaret Speaks. Burns documentation in the John Giffin Brazil; Geoffrey Nelson donated CATCO Collection, and costumes for Rags by records; the Dance Notation Bureau sent designer Carrie Robbins. These materials additional materials; Holly Hill added Exhibitions were remounted in the special collections to her collection with Terence Rattigan display area (Rags) and in the east atrium materials; Jeffrey Eric Jenkins built on the Beth curated an exhibit for The Year of (The Fire Still Burns) in March to support Best Plays collection; and Michele LaRue Shakespeare, with the help of theatre the large campus-wide “Conversation on donated East Lynne Theater materials. graduate student Geoffrey Wilson who Immigration.” served as assistant to the curator. The Donor John Speaks delivered items exhibition was featured in the Thompson In May the Sexuality Studies program at documenting the career of his mother, Library Gallery from January through April, Ohio State hosted a symposium entitled singer Margaret Speaks, who was an and consisted of Shakespeare-related Queer Places, Practices and Lives: A internationally acclaimed soprano. holdings from the Jerome Lawrence and Symposium in Honor of Samuel Steward. Margaret Speaks was born in Columbus Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute
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In conjunction with this event, the library’s special collections mounted an exhibit in the Thompson Library display area featuring materials connected to the LGBTQ conference themes. For this exhibit Beth created a display featuring items drawn from The Reality Theatre Collection, a queer-identified Columbus theatre company that is no longer active. She also loaned several of her own items to enhance the display, including a puppet she constructed for her comedy troupe, The Puppet-Queers.
VISITORS A few visitors this year include Frank Dent, donor of the Norris Houghton Collection; Georgeanna Whistler, donor of the Harvey Whistler collection, who visited from California with family and friends; Broadway choreographer, donor, and alumnus Randy Skinner; donor and Ohio State alumnus Corliss Phillabaum; Phineas and Ferb on Tour cast member Emily Derrick with Friends of the Libraries past president Susan Hatten; Shlomit Ofer, visiting Israeli scholar in Dance and authority on EshkolWachman notation; costume designer and Ohio State alum Annie Cleveland who was on campus teaching computer master classes in the use of Painter and Poser in the Department of Theatre. With Barry Cleveland, Annie recently published the book The Designs of Carrie Robbins on the amazing work of this New York costume designer. Also we were delighted to welcome back Barbora Príhodová a visiting Fulbright Fellow whom TRI had hosted fall 2010-January
2011. Barbora came to the U.S. from the Czech Republic because of the strengths of the Jarka Burian Collection donated by Grayce Burian, which is especially rich in resources on Czech scenographer, Josef Svoboda, the subject of her research. Her doctoral dissertation in progress is Mirror(ing) in the Work of the Scenographer Josef Svoboda.
Other News Dance Heritage Coalition fellow Rachael Riggs Leyva did a 2011 summer archival fellowship with Nena at TRI, completing and mounting the Bebe Miller collection finding aid and working as “archivist in the studio” with the Bebe Miller Company. Two more Dance Heritage Coalition grant-funded fellowships started in spring 2012 — an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)-funded project that provides a DHC fellow for collection processing, and a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Hidden Collections-funded project that provides a DHC fellow for 18 months. Recent publications about TRI collections include “Dance Notation Bureau Collection at The Ohio State University’s Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute” by Mara Penrose (Library News from the Dance Notation Bureau, 6.1 September 2011:3-4) and “Czech Collections of the Theatre Research Institute at Ohio State University” by Nena Couch (in Czech Stage Art and Stage Design, Brno, Czech Republic: Masaryk University, 2011: 277-291).
In the fall, Nena and Beth were interviewed by Doug Dangler on the radio program Writers Talk about the treasures of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute. Please follow this link to listen to the broadcast: go.osu.edu/PVW. In late spring, Mary curated a leaner version of The Camouflage Project exhibition for its tour — with a 2012 version of the performance as well — to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. The performance/exhibition was presented at the request of the by National Cryptologic Museum Foundation.
Remembering Friends Some very special friends have gone this year. Beloved dancer, choreographer, and teacher Maggie Patton died in the summer. Her legacy is spread through many dancing bodies across the country, and lasts in the memories of those who were fortunate to see her great choreographic work. Julie Vogt, who was instrumental in bringing the Ann Corio collection to the institute, died in the fall, leaving a huge void for her young family and a major loss for theatre scholarship. We were saddened to hear of the death of longtime TRI volunteer Chuck Moulton. Chuck was a dedicated friend who organized a number of collections ranging from actors (Clifton Webb) to entertainment writers (Earl Wilson) to theatre critics (Alice Carter), and was always interested in a good discussion on opera or film.
Dazzle Camouflage and Women of the SOE exhibits at the University of Maryland.
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Matt Yde, Phil Garrett, Dan Gray, Jennifer Schlueter, Melissa Lee, Ian Pugh, and Alison Vasquez participating in CEC ArtsLink Fellow, Viktoriya Myronyuk’s presentation of WordLinks.
By Damian Bowerman, Eric H. Mayer, and Beth Josephsen Simon
PhD Student Ian Pugh received an Arts & Humanities Graduate Small Research Grant for the 2012 “Devoted & Disgruntled” conference in London
Autumn PhD Student Melissa Lee was awarded a Presidential Fellowship for the calendar year 2012. The fellowship is awarded by the Graduate School to support completion of her dissertation entitled Staging the Actress: Dramatic Character and the Performance of Female Identity. Matt Hazard completed his MFA in design. Matt’s lighting has been seen on our stages and elsewhere in Columbus frequently over the last decade. His thesis design was for Eurydice. Matt’s committee was chaired by Mary Tarantino, joined by committee members Beth Kattelman, and Mark Shanda. The following BA students performed in or worked on Imagine Productions production of The Wedding Singer in summer 2011: Lesley Fisher as Rosie/ensemble, Kyle Rutkowski as George, Kelly Feast as Linda/Ensemble/Assistant Costumer, Jackie Benedict as assistant stage manager and theatre minor Adrian Helser as assistant director. PhD Student Matt Yde passed his oral defense in July 2011 and submitted his dissertation entitled The Utopian Imagination of George Bernard Shaw: Totalitarianism and the Seduction of the Superman. His dissertation advisor was Lesley Ferris (theatre) with committee members Beth Kattelman (library/theatre) and Richard Dutton (chair of Department of English); Richard Pogge (astronomy) served as the Graduate School representative on the defense.
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Lesley Fisher presents her director’s concept for the production, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress at the Denman.
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Stratos E. Constantinidis (Chair), Beth Kattelman, and Joy Reilly. BA student Margaret Glaser was accepted to the USITT Elite Training Sound Track in Las Vegas, May 9-13, 2012 where she worked with Cirque du Soleil and Meyer Sound. She also landed an interview for the production management apprenticeship with Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. PhD student Jill Summerville successfully passed her candidacy exams. BA student Zak Houston was accepted into the following three MFA acting programs: Columbia, University of California Irvine, and University of Missouri in Kansas City. Zak will be attending UC Irvine. Guest artist Struan Lesley leads a lecture at the Thompson Library for the Department of Theatre on his movement work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Winter MFA Student Phil Garrett’s film Measured Sacrifice, which he produced and co-wrote, is being published by The Journal of Short Film, a publication of the film studies program at Ohio State. It will be included in volume 24 this quarter. You can view the film online here: go.osu.edu/measuredsacrifice The Journal of Short Film: go.osu.edu/thejournal
Spring MFA design students Divya Murthy and Marty Savolskis successfully completed their MFA design theses and defenses. Divya’s thesis project was the scenic design of Real Women Have Curves and Matchmaker. Her committee was Dan Gray (advisor) Lesley Ferris, and Janet Parrott. Marty’s thesis project was the scenic design of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. His committee was Dan Gray (advisor), Jimmy Bohr, Kristine Kearney, and Joy Reilly. MA Student Allison Brogan graduated with her MA in theatre. The title of her thesis is Fortifying The Roar of Women: Betty Shamieh and the Palestinian-American Female Voice. Her thesis advisor was Joy Reilly and her second committee member was Beth Kattelman. Allison completed her thesis in early May and was also accepted into the PhD program. She got to know the playwright when she organized the funding for a visit by Betty Shamieh to Ohio State in February working with a variety of departments on campus. Allison directed the playwright’s play Chocolate in Heat in the department’s Lab Series in fall 2012. MA student Elizabeth Harelik passed the oral defense of her MA thesis, submitted her approved thesis shortly after and graduated with her MA in theatre. The title of her thesis is: Masculine Stirrings, The Bitch of Living, and Bodily Filth: Representations of Adolescence and Adolescent Sexuality in Spring Awakening and its Adaptations. Her thesis advisor was Lesley Ferris and her second committee member was Jennifer Schlueter. PhD Student Darius Omar Williams successfully completed and defended his dissertation, The Negro Ensemble Company: Beyond Black Fists from 1967 to 1978 and graduated with his PhD in Theatre. The members of his dissertation committee were:
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The screening of Jean-Pierre Melville’s gangster classic Le Samourai was introduced by BA student Alan Weisenberger. The winner of this year’s Student Choice Award selected by Ohio State’s film studies program, Weisenberger introduced the film by reading from his winning essay. The award, which also includes a cash prize, provides students with an opportunity to explore the fields of film criticism and programming using knowledge acquired in their film studies coursework.
Summer Matt Vadnais successfully defended his dissertation, “According to the Scrippe”: Speeches, Speech Order, and Performance in Shakespeare’s Early Play Texts. His committee was co-chaired by Jennifer Schlueter (theatre) and Alan Farmer (English), and included Lesley Ferris (theatre) and Richard Dutton (English). Phil Garrett successfully defended his MFA thesis and graduated with his MFA in Theatre. The title of his thesis is: The Creation, Design, and Staging of the Intermedial Play All Things Shining. This followed his very successful presentation of his intermedial play at the AACAD EMMA Lab. His thesis advisor was Jimmy Bohr, and his committee members were Mo Ryan and Janet Parrott. Phil will be starting a new job in autumn 2012 at the Columbus College of Art and Design as a full time faculty member in the new Cinematic Arts Department, teaching video, visual narrative, storyboarding, and design for media. PhD students Melissa Lee and Francesca Spedalieri presented papers at IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research). Melissa’s paper is titled “Re-visioning the First Actresses” and was part of a general panel titled “Mediating Gender through Performance: Women Playwrights at the Turn of the XXI Century, Part I.” Francesca’s paper is titled “Re-Membering Sicily: Mediating Tradition and Regional Identity through the Body in Emma Dante´s Trilogy, Carnezzeria.” Alexander Childs (BA 2012) attended the American Sign Language Interpreting Program at Columbus State. PhD student Emily Davis was hired to teach theatre history for Ohio University Lancaster and theatrical experience at Ohio University Pickerington beginning fall semester. Emily directed Sperlos Versnakt by Laura Fullerton Gilbert for Evolution Theatre’s 2012 Bicentennial Play Festival in September 2012. Gilbert’s family members attended the production. Emily was also an associate curator for the Bebe Miller exhibition, which opened at the end of August 2012 at the Urban Arts Space. She
wrote a scene and two monologues performed as part of the Ohio State Libraries Read Aloud series in conjunction with the TRI dance exhibit, Dancing Dimensions: Movement through Time and Space, which opened in September 2012. Evan Derr (BA 2012) started working at the American Red Cross managing the First Aid Services Team, and continued at the Schottenstein Center and in event management part-time. Kelsey Evans (BA 2012) began professional work as a registered yoga trainer at the 200 level, working with various studios and private clients in and around Columbus. Kelsey’s pursuit of work as an entertainer in dance, film, and theatre also continued. Lesley Fisher (BA 2012) completed her honors thesis project directing Five Women Wearing the Same Dress and moved to New York in fall 2012 to pursue directing. Margaret Glaser (BA 2012) went to Walt Disney World to work in attractions at Epcot. Sierra Hall (BA 2012) participated and remained active in the community theatres in Cleveland and will be attending Cleveland Marshall Law School at Cleveland State University in the fall of 2013.
Kevin McClatchy (MFA 2012) stayed in Columbus for at least the next year as his daughter continued in the gifted & talented program at her school. Kevin taught private classes and Carrickmacross Productions and will produce a short film and another play in 2012-13. He also continued to pursue work as a professional actor. Kyler Dean Moor (BA 2012) began his pursuit of a masters of divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in the fall of 2012. Robert Philpott (BA 2012) worked with the Actor’s Theatre of Columbus on its production of Robin Hood, and operated the sound board for it’s production of The Merchant of Venice and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged. Charlesanne Rabensburg (MFA 2012) spent the summer in Texas sitting in the Colorado river, riding horses, eating BBQ and seeing all her friends she’s missed for the past three years. In September she performed in the short film Star and the Snowman and moved to Chicago to audition for any and everyone. Ibsen Santos (MFA 2012) moved to New York City to continue his research in the bridging of the Linklater Voice Training, the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, and Viewpoints Training. He also attended VASTA in August in Washington D.C. to further his research in voice and speech. Marty Savolskis (MFA 2012) began a tenure track faculty position at the Illinois Central College Department of Arts and Communication in Peoria, Illinois. He is one of three faculty members in the department with a five member support staff: technical director, carps, master electrician and costume shop manager. Marty is the scenic designer, charge artist and oversees student props designers. He will also teach a full course load including introduction to theatre, technical theatre and design including scenic, lighting, costume and make-up. Dayna Schlefstein (BA 2012) worked in film or theatre for a year and hopes to attend graduate school in 2013.
John O.S. Houston presents his research for his devised piece, When a Man Stands Alone at the Denman.
John O.S. Houston (BA 2012) continued to tour his one-man show on Muhammad Ali. He returned to the Muhammad Ali Center to open an art exhibit called Americans Who Tell the Truth and performed his show there over Labor Day weekend.
Alison Vasquez (MFA 2012) pursued employment with GALA Hispanic Theatre (a.k.a. The National Hispanic Theatre Company) in Washington D.C. or Teatro Luna in Chicago. Darius Omar Williams (PhD 2012) pursued a tenure track position at the university level and work as an Equity actor and writer. Cameron Williamson (BA 2012) is running his own business, Paradox Productions.
Ian Howard (BA 2012) began as a full-time staff member with The Ohio State University Libraries. Ashley Rae Kobza (MFA 2012) moved to Chicago to pursue her comedic/clown/devising/acting dreams. In summer 2012 Ashley was part of the University of Nebraska Kearney Broadway Bound Workshop for high schoolers interested in musical theatre and did some devising work with a group working with Robert Post. Caitlin Leow (BA 2012) moved to Los Angeles in July to make her way toward becoming a professional actress.
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Department of Theatre Class of 2012.
2011-2012 End of Year Celebration Awards & Recognition Program May 30, 2012
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• 2011-2012 Honorary Dramatic Fraternity Alpha Psi Omega (APO) President Kyler Dean Moor led the newly elected 20112012 APO officers in the oath of office: President Liz Light, Vice President Genevieve Simon, Business Manager Rachel Sieger. The following students with Undergraduate Student Excellence in recognition for distinction work in theatre: •
Rashida Davison - “Profiles: A Commentary on Racial Profiling”
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Lesley Fisher - “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: an Exploration in Mounting a Stage Show” Christina Gevas - “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: Truth of the Character in a Performance” John O.S. Houston - “When a Man Stands Alone: the Life of the Louisville Lip” Kapil Melkote - “Sabina’s Restaurant: Deconstructing the South Asian Immigrant” Danielle Wisti - “The Costume Design: Five Women Wearing the Same Dress”
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OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE 2011-2012 PRODUCTION SEASON:
Alexander Childs for his work as production electrician on Matchmaker and Real Women Have Curves Angela Cutrell for her stage management for the MFA Solo Projects Caitlin Leow for her performances in Living Out and Marat/Sade Christina Gevas for her performance in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Claire Landuyt for her stage management and props tracking for Hamlet’s Fool, Living Out, and Real Women Have Curves Cornelius Hubbard, Jr. for his performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Macbeth, and Marat/Sade
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Danielle Wisti for her performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Marat/Sade and her costume design for Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Dayna Schlefstein for technical excellence for the Lab Series Eve Nordyke for her stage management for the MFA Solo Projects Genevieve Simon for her performances in Living Out and Marat/Sade Jackie Benedict for her stage management for The Camouflage Project: 2012 Jesse Massaro for his performance in Marat/Sade John O.S. Houston for his performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and When a Man Stands Alone
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Jonathan Baggs for his scenic design for Macbeth Judy Rodriguez for her performance in Living Out Kelsey Bates for her performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Macbeth Kevin Rhodus for his dedicated service and in-depth knowledge Kristyn Jones for her leadership and assistance in the Scenic Studio Kyler Dean Moor for his stage management for This Above All and his performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Lesley Fisher for her assistance on Living Out and direction of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress Liz Light for her performance in Real Women Have Curves and Marat/Sade Alan Weisenberger for his video design for Living Out Lowri Sion for her dedicated service and high standard of excellence Margaret Glaser for her stage management for Living Out Michelle Cohen for her sound designs for Living Out and Hamlet’s Fool Natalie Woods for technical excellence and her projection programming and operation for The Camouflage Project: 2012 Robert Philpott for technical excellence for the Lab Series Ryan Harrison for his leadership and assistance in the Scenic Studio Sam Sharkey for her stage management for Marat/Sade Taylor Moss for his performance in Living Out Zacharey Owens for his performance in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Zak Houston for his performances in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Macbeth, and Marat/Sade
Nakia Deon Smith was honored with Best Lab Series New Work for her performance of her play Owe’d to Thomas Kennedy. The Autism and Shakespeare pilot project ensemble was honored for it’s commitment and risk in venturing into unknown territory with this groundbreaking work in Columbus: Alex Boyles, Andrew Trimmer, Anooj Bhandari, Eve Nordyke, Genevieve Simon, JiRye Lee, Kimberly Martin, Stephanie Nusbaum
The InterACT troupe was honored for its diligent, fearless and respectful work to tackle issues of racism and discrimination in the classroom: Alexander Childs, Amanda Heintzelman, Anooj Bhandari, Ashton Brammer, Dana Anderson, Elizabeth Wellman, Rebekah Vouis, Thanh Nguyen, Yohana Gelaye Christina Gevas with Danielle Wisti were recognized with Lifetime Achievement for their performance, dedication, and support of the Department of Theatre directing courses.
SPECIAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Ibsen Santos was a finalist of the 20112012 ASC Student Council Outstanding Graduate Associate Teaching Award. Marty Savolskis was offered a tenure track faculty position at the Illinois Central College Department of Arts and Communication. Divya Murthy won a Theatre Roundtable Award for her scenic design of Ohio State’s production of Eurydice. Phil Garrett’s film, Measured Sacrifice, which he produced and co-wrote, was published by The Journal of Short Film, a publication of the Film Studies Program at Ohio State. Phil’s 30-minute short film, ERODED, was named Best Film at the Harmony Ridge Film Festival in Ambridge, PA. ERODED was also honored at the Underneath Cincinnati Film Festival. The film received a number of awards at this annual juried, independent film festival. Francesca Spedalieri was featured in Ohio State Alumni Magazine for her work with Builders Association. Ian Pugh received an Arts and Humanities Graduate Small Research Grant for the 2012 “Devoted & Disgruntled” conference in London.
GRADUATE STUDENT MORROW AND SNOW FUND RECIPIENTS Established in 1980 in memory of Dr. John C. Morrow, Professor of Theatre from 1963 until his death in 1979, the Morrow Memorial Fund provides small grants for graduate student research. Recipients: Emily Davis, Pamela Decker, Melissa Lee, Chelsea Phillips, Ian Pugh,
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END OF YEAR AWARDS 2011 – 2012 Francesca Spedalieri, Jill Summerville, John Tener, Matt Vadnais, Alison Vasquez, Geoffrey Wilson Established February 7, 2003, The Aida Cannarsa Snow Endowment Fund was established to provide need-based scholarships to students interested in the arts. Recipients: Trenton Bean, Andrew Blasenak, Emily Davis, Pamela Decker, Anthony Frank, Phil Garrett, Samantha Kuhn, Melissa Lee, Divya Murthy, Chelsea Phillips, Ian Pugh, Charlesanne Rabensburg, Ibsen Santos, Francesca Spedalieri, Jill Summerville, John Tener, Matthew Vadnais, Alison Vasquez, Geoffrey Wilson
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS The Gerald R. Black Scholarship Fund for Recognition of Excellence in Theatre was established in 1974 in memory of Gerald R. Black, a 1924 graduate of The Ohio State University. The scholarship is intended for undergraduate students within the Department of Theatre interested in the area of playwrighting. Recipients: Ashton Brammer, Thanh Nguyen, Andrew Trimmer The Michael Swink Fund for Talent in Theatre Technology was established in 1980 in memory of Michael Swink, BA 1975, and provides funding for undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and ability in theatre in the area of design and technology.
The Scarlet Mask Award was established in 1973 by members of the Scarlet Mask Society to recognize distinction and outstanding performance. Recipient: Liz Light The Robert Eugene Johnson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1983 with gifts from the estate of Robert Eugene Johnson, MA 1950, to provide one or more scholarships for junior and/or senior students who are majoring in theatre and are maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. Recipients: Liz Light, Rachel Seiger, Andrew Trimmer The Roy and Addeleen Bowen Fund for Exceptional Talent in Theatre was established in 1978 to honor Roy H. Bowen, professor emeritus of theatre. The scholarship supports undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in theatre. Recipients: Victoria Carthorn, Elisabeth Rogge, Rachel Seiger Established in 1983 by Agnes Turner Davis, the Francis W. Davis Photography and Cinema Fund provides scholarships to students whose major area is in cinema or video. Recipients: Robert Hildreth, Alan Weisenberger
Recipients: Robert Hildreth, Emily Jeu
Undergraduate students pose for a picture in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the 2011-2012 production season.
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GRADUATE STUDENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS Recipients: Francesca Spedalieri, service and creative activity; JiRye Lee, service and creative activity; Moopi Mothibeli, service and creative activity; Alex Boyles, teaching, service and creative activity; Chelsea Phillips, teaching, service and creative activity; Elizabeth Wellman, teaching, service and creative activity; Samantha A. Kuhn, teaching and creative activity; Allison Brogan, service and creative activity; Pam Decker, service and creative activity; Elizabeth Harelik, teaching, service and creative activity; Chris Hill, research and creative activity; Ibsen Santos, teaching and research; Alison Vasquez, research and creative activity; Moopi Mothibeli, research and creative activity; MFA Actor/Creator/Teaching-Artist Ensemble, teaching, service, research and creative activity
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AREA OF VIDEO PRODUCTION Anthony Frank was honored for outstanding service in recognition of his contributions and dedication to the video program.
CHAIR’S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Emi Bungo; Victoria Carthorn; Alexander Childs; Andrew Factor; Lesley Fisher; Mia Fowler; Michael Freeze; Alyssa Haverfield; Kelly Hogan; Katie Howard; Stephanie Keller; Anna Leeper; Caitlin Leow; Liz Light; Trenton Rowland; Dayna Schlefstein; Rachel Seiger; Lowri Sion; Rebekah Vouis
ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Alumni News
1990s
1960s
Brad Powers (BA, 1994) accepted a position at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, as assistant professor of production technology. Brad is also a co-author on the second edition of Structural Design for the Stage.
Jim Rapport (PhD, 1960) died on August 28, 2011. Jim designed the Forest Roberts Theatre and was one of the lead members in forming the theatre program at Northern Michigan University during his time as a faculty member there. He taught many courses in speech and drama at the university for over 40 years and was named Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus at NMU.
1970s Maureen Shea (PhD, 1977) directed Sugar with ArtsEmerson at the Paramount Theatre in Boston. The show was written by and starred award-winning performer Robbie McCauley.
1980s Annette Reid (BC, 1985) worked on the project, Poems for the 99, in February 2012 in Los Angeles. Robert Roznowski (MFA, 1989) was named the Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year at Michigan State University. Robert has been at MSU since 2004 and has helped develop an online theatre analysis class and helped set up showcases for graduating acting students in Detroit, New York, and Chicago.
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Roy Sexton (MA, 1997) Roy portrayed Georg Nowack in The Penny Seats Theatre Company production of She Loves Me in July – August 2012 in Ann Arbor. Roy is the board chair of the company.
2000s Jason Bush (PhD, 2011) was awarded a two year Mellon post Doctoral Fellowship at Stanford University beginning fall 2012 for his work on Peruvian scissors dancers. Eric Colleary (BA, 2006) has started a writing services business in Minneapolis. Carney Gray (MFA, 2000) is the owner and president of Poetry Alive!, Inc.
Illinois, and has worked as a director, teacher, and performer for many schools and companies in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Columbus. Kenny Hathaway (BA, 2007) lives in Las Vegas where he works as a digital content developer for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Jim Hutchison (MFA, 2003) assumed the role of production manager for CAST Software’s wysiwyg and for Vivien Virtual Event Designer. He has worked with the company since 2009, and has contributed many pieces to the company’s newsletter, The Plan. Christopher Matsos (MA, 2006, PhD, 2010) accepted a position as visiting assistant professor at the University of Findlay Department of Theatre. Tanya McBride (MFA, 2006) performed in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s The White Snake as Green Snake. The show was directed by Tony Award Winner Mary Zimmerman. Tanya also did a radio interview with some of her fellow castmates with Dmae Roberts of Stage and Studio in Portland, Oregon.
Kiana Harris (MFA, 2009) stepped down as marketing director of Glass City Films in summer 2012 to pursue other life goals. Kiana works as director of marketing and event entertainment for The Actors Gymnasium in Evanston,
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ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Jeremy Meier (MFA, 2002) is an assistant professor at Owens Community College and portrayed Oliver Hazard Perry as part of the Ohio Chautauqua program over the summer. He has previously done one-person shows on George Armstrong Custer and John Dillinger. Pamela Sanchez (BA, 2008) recently attended the Mideast Taekwondo Invitational in Indianapolis and received first place in forms, and second place in both board breaking and sparring. Benjamin Shurr (BA, 2001) is in his seventh year as the technical director of Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas, and has established a student chapter of USITT there. He was the co-recipient of the Mildred and Glenn Martin Service Award in 2010 for his work with the southwest USITT region. Benjamin has also been writing and recording music on the side. Elizabeth Shurr (BA, 2001) is in her seventh year teaching theatre in Frisco, Texas. She was the co-recipient of the Mildred and Glenn Martin Service Award with her husband, Benjamin Shurr, and in spring 2011 she served as the assistant to the Vice President of Development of SW USITT. Cole Simon (BA, 2007) married Kiana Harris (MFA, 2009) in September 2011, and was cast in CATCO’s production of Next Fall. Cole works as the artistic director with Glass City Films on its most recent project, Chrysalis, and has been working on refining his photography skills.
Amy Stauffer (BA, 2004) worked on the inaugural season of Johnny Appleseed in Mifflin, Ohio, shortly after graduation. She then worked in the costume shop for many shows at Cedar Point before working for Norwegian Cruise Lines in Hawaii as head of wardrobe. She then started a tour with Field Entertainment as head of wardrobe in November 2011 and toured Eastern Europe with them for five months. Scott Wilson (MFA, 2009) has been working as adjunct faculty at the New World School of the Arts, Barry University, and the Acting School of South Florida. Scott has just finished a run of the Southeastern premiere of Lombardi at the Mosaic Theatre and played Katurian in The Pillowman in summer 2012.
Friends News Elinor R. Alger died on April 15, 2012, at the The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Elinor was a long time subscriber and donor to the theatre department, and was a frequent audience member at Ohio State Theatre productions. Dennis Terrell died on November 30, 2011. Dennis was a housekeeper with a big heart for the Drake Performance and Event Center. Dennis Thompson, undergraduate student advisor for the Arts, retired in December 2011 after 30 years of working at Ohio State, and more than 27 years as an advisor.
ALUMNI & FRIENDS We want to hear from you! Please send updates and photos to: theatre@osu.edu or encore
The Ohio State University Department of Theatre 1089 Drake Performance & Event Center 1849 Cannon Drive Columbus, OH 43210-1208 28 ENCORE
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REGIONAL CAMPUS UPDATE The season closed with the third presentation of 30 Plays from Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, which is deliberately non-illusionistic theater. The cast of seven presented 30 short plays in 60 minutes, in random order determined by the audience. As with every Neo-Futurist show, the mood changed from silly to sexy to serious to bizarre in a heartbeat, and the subjects included nostalgia, competition among women, Aristotle’s remarks on magnitude, point-of-death fantasies, breastfeeding, and successful blackjack strategy. This high-energy production sent the season into the history books with flair and style. With the conversion of the Ohio State system to semesters, the 2012-2013 Ohio State Newark season will include two exciting new developments. First, instead of merely presenting three productions every year, we will be going to a four play season. These include the hostage drama Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, Marsha Norman’s harrowing ’night, Mother, and two world premieres. Second, audience members will have the opportunity to become subscribers. They will be able to see all four shows for the price of three, and the first 40 who sign up will have first-night privileges, including light refreshments before the show. All in all, it looks like exciting times ahead!
Ohio State Lima Play It Again, Sam!, Ohio State Newark, winter 2012
Ohio State Newark By Dave Williams, Associate Professor In retrospect, OSU-Newark’s 2011-2012 season could’ve been called the “leave no fourth wall standing” season. The autumn show was Cynthia Heimel’s A Girl’s Guide To Chaos, which includes equal parts direct address to the audience and interactions between actors. In addition, the show was a good opportunity for students to experience a period before their birth (the 1980s), and for their parents in the audience to relive it. The set displayed many icons of the time, such as a Rubik’s Cube, a brick-sized cell phone, the MTV logo, a pile of cocaine surrounding a razor blade and a rolled-up $100 bill, and the international terminal of the Los Angeles airport. Houses were generally on the full side, and audience reaction was positive.
By Joe Brandesky, Professor and Coordinator of Theatre The Lima campus theatre program had another active year with three productions in the 2011-12 academic year. Joe Brandesky directed and wrote The Twelve Months (based on a Czech fairy tale) for our Theatre for Young Audiences performances during autumn 2011. Over 2,000 local schoolchildren witnessed the production. Maria Ignatieva directed Alexander Galin’s Stars in the Morning Sky during winter 2012. New Ohio State Lima faculty member Margie Anich directed our spring 2012 musical production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, with musical direction by Bev Bletstein. Greg Owen designed sets and Loo Brandesky designed costumes for all productions last year. Doug Raver spent the year keeping us organized and the auditorium schedule legible.
The winter show was Woody Allen’s Play It Again, Sam! In order to create a stronger fourth wall (and thereby strengthen the impact of its breaking), the director and set designer converted the Black Box Theater in LeFevre Hall into a proscenium theater. This false proscenium was mostly black, with some Art Deco patterns and elements to evoke the period of Bogart’s movies. By extreme good fortune, an actor (Josh Gingras, now on the main campus) bearing a more-than-passing resemblance to Woody Allen, auditioned for and secured the lead. With a cast of 13, this show was the largest put on in the Black Box in the last 15 years. It drew very well, with extra chairs being required for one performance. The Twelve Months, Ohio State Lima, autumn 2011
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Stand Up for Shakespeare made an appearance at Ohio State Lima during the winter 2012 quarter. Macbeth was performed twice on our campus for local audiences. The Ohio State Lima Theatre Department would like to thank Lesley Ferris, Christopher Matsos (director) and the cast and crew of Macbeth for sharing their talents with us. Eleven students were awarded Martha Farmer theatre scholarships during the past academic year. Among those were Lance McPherson, who was also awarded the Outstanding Divisional Award for the Arts during the 2012 academic awards ceremony at Ohio State Lima. Theatre Departmental Academic Awards were also given to Anne Weigand and Brett Swick during that ceremony. This year’s season in Lima, our first on semesters, will include two major productions: The Jungle Book, a play for young audiences directed by Margie Anich, (autumn 2012), and The Foreigner (Larry Shue’s comedy is celebrating its 30th anniversary) directed by Maria Ignatieva (spring 2013). This academic year we will inaugurate a series of devised collaborations called ATM Showcase. The art, theatre and music departments will develop the first production for November 2012 aptly titled, First Collaboration. In late February, the showcase production will be A Look at Rock Musicals. Faculty from all departments involved are excited about the potential for these showcases and look forward to giving students the chance to display their collaborative and creative skills. All set designs for this coming year will be by Greg Owen and all costumes provided by Loo Brandesky.
Finally, this year Ohio State Lima was granted the opportunity to offer the bachelor of arts in theatre. Faculty and students alike fervently express their thanks for the support and encouragement expressed by their colleagues in the Department of Theatre, Ohio State Columbus. Ohio State Mansfield By Joseph Fahey, Assistant Professor The 2011-2012 theatre season at Ohio State Mansfield included community collaborations and a mix of old and new. Our season opened in September with another rendition of The 24, a studentled 24-hour play creation competition. We then followed in November with performances of the musical Big River at The Renaissance Theatre, a beautiful 1,400-seat theatre in downtown Mansfield. The show, guest directed by Ohio State Alumus and Columbus State theatre professor Frank Barnhart, was a huge success and brought many new audience members to our season’s offerings.
In February we presented Winter Shorts 2012, a collection of short comic and serious pieces including Samuel Beckett’s Ohio Impromptu, several great comic pieces by Los Angeles playwright Mark Harvey Levine, and an original script by Mansfield native and Renaissance Theatre Artistic Director Michael Thomas. Four students joined Joseph Fahey to share directing responsibilities, and audiences delighted in the eclectic mix of new, old, local, and international plays. Finally, in May, we teamed with the Children’s Theatre Foundation to present Of Mice and Men to local school children. With the set and lighting beautifully designed and executed by Richard Keith, this Steinbeck classic came alive for student audiences and traditional audiences alike. For 2012-2013, we look forward to another rich and challenging season, including a school touring production of Macbeth, a youth production of The Little Mermaid, Jr., and a mainstage production of “My Way,” A Tribute to Frank Sinatra.
Of Mice and Men, Ohio State Mansfield, spring 2012
For more information on our regional campuses visit: go.osu.edu/newark-theatre lima.osu.edu/academics/theatre/ mansfield.osu.edu/theatre/
In January Ohio State Mansfield Theatre teamed with Mansfield Youth Theatre to present Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr. under the direction of Dauphne Maloney. This was the largest and most dance-heavy youth production offered on our stage to date, and our young actors performed with flair. Audiences were excited to see their high-quality work and the exceptional teamwork of these students from many local schools.
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DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE 1089 Drake Performance and Event Center 1849 Cannon Drive Columbus, OH 43210-1208
02800-011000-61801
Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID Columbus, OH Permit #711
(614) 292-5821
I would not have the opportunity to attend college and fully realize the driving force of my dreams: intermixing arts and sciences. I became involved in social justice theater through InterAct; dramaturged for Arabian Nights; advocated for the Asian, Vietnamese, and Filipino communities; and studied abroad in London, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Thank you Ohio State for a life changing experience! Thanh Nguyen, Theatre and Anthropology Major Evolution and Ecology and Spanish Minor
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