Spooky Halloween Theatre VCU Masquerade Bake Sale (try saying that 5 times fast)

Today 10am - 2 pm - Buy a baked goodie and you may vote for this year's Masquerade Ball theme!!

Emma as Day of the Dead Alice in Wonderland

Jannelle & her vampire sock monkey

Luke as ....a .... space warrior sword guy?

Lydia the Vampire Cupcake pusher

Maddy sans costume.

The good doctor who?

Danielle & Elizabeth lure you with balloons & cupcakes

Vinnie!!!!!!! (and friend)

Hairspray: Hard at Work and Loving It!!

Every night from 6:30 to 11:30 The Hairspray cast 

sing and dance....

then they it do all again, and even better the next night.

A SHOUT OUT

to the hardworking cast, stage managers directors & assistants for 

making this show so great!!

And to the costume designers for making it sparkle!

go HERE to buy tickets!

HURRY!! TICKETS ARE FLYING OUT THE DOOR!

We have got some GREAT Alumni!! Take a look

Joe Thompson (BFA Lighting 2012) stopped by early this Fall - looking great and working in NYC - details to follow. He's been working Off-Broadway and at the time of his visit was just recovering from New York's Fashion Week.


We saw Lori Ann Waddell (BFA Lighting 2001) in early October. Lori Ann was visiting from Las Vegas where she works as Rental Coordinator for Production Resource Group (PRG) one of the Nation's largest entertainment technology company specializing in live events, corporate events, and trade shows. She has worked on Taylor Swift, Pink, Bon Jovi concerts, as well as the Olympics, and the Super Bowl. Lori Ann credits much of

her success to Lou Szari who taught Lighting at Theatre VCU for almost thirty years. She "learned her work ethic from Theatre VCU - where being on time meant being fifteen minutes early." She shared that the Theatre VCU "Please and Thank You" shop taught her and her classmates how to be a professional, and she has never forgotten that Theatre VCU Design/Tech was (and is) family.


Matt Armentrout (Costume BFA 2013) stopped in for a few minutes a couple of weeks ago. He is busy attending Arrojo School of Cosmetology in Soho, NY working towards his Hair & Makeup Union card. Talk about jumping out of school and into work - Matt was the Hair and Makeup Supervisor for BOTH NYC Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park (Central Park)  shows this summer.


Yesterday Mackenzie Ellis (BFA Lighting, 2013) dropped by for a breather from her professional life in Washington DC. - working 70 hours a week seems to be average for her. She just wrapped up working sound for  Shakespeare Theatre Company's Funny Thing..., and is the Assistant Sound Design of the 2nd National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet. 

Court Watson (BFA Scene Design, 2003) emailed that his latest production with the Gotham Chamber Opera, Baden-Baden has gotten great pre-opening press from the New York Times and the New Yorker.  Go to Court's website to see his work!


Also, a shout out to Maggie Horan (BFA Performance 2013) who is loving life in NYC and just got her Equity card!

SO much good news!!

Last night was ARTSIE (Richmond Theater Critics Circle Award Event) night in Richmond.

Theatre VCU was represented well.

Here is a sampling:

Topping the list of winners was Richmond Triangle Players’

production of “bare: a pop opera,” which won the coveted Artsie for Best Musical.

(tons of players were VCU students & alumni: directed by Justin Amellio _ see below, featuring Ian Page, Morgan Meadows, Joe Winters & Lucian Restivo - students & alumni, lighting by Rebecca Brooks - alumnus)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role — Play: Nick Aliff for “Any Given Monday,” produced by Firehouse Theatre Project 
(Nick graduated  with a BFA in Performance in 2010)

Best Choreography: Patti D’Beck for “The Producers,” produced by Virginia Repertory Theatre
(Everyone knows Patti - Professor of Choreography & Movement and Director of Hairspray)


Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: K. Jenna Ferree for “Next To Normal,” produced by Cadence Theatre in cooperation with Virginia Rep
(Jenna graduated with a BFA in Lighting and now teaches Lighting Practicum here)


Justin Amellio was presented with the Artsie for Best Direction of a Musical for his work on “bare: a pop opera.”
(Justin graduated with his MFA in 2011 and now teaches at Univ. of Indiana, South Bend)

The evening also turned momentarily poignant when Virginia Rep artistic director Bruce Miller and managing director Phil Whiteway presented the Liz Marks Memorial Award for Ongoing Contribution to Richmond Area Theatre posthumously to Tom McGranahan for his longtime support of the Richmond theater scene.

McGranahan, a local actor and theater booster known throughout the community for more than 40 years, died in May at age 82.

(Tom was also Kevin McGranahan's dad, and was much beloved by everyone in the Richmond theatre scene)

Go HERE for more about the ARTSIES!

Another achievement worth noting:

Noreen Barnes, Theatre VCU's Director of Graduate Studies, has been elected to the Executive Board of Theatre Library Association.  The TLA was founded in 1937 and supports librarians and archivists affiliated with theatre, dance, performance studies, popular entertainment, motion picture and broadcasting collections. it publishes Broadside, and online newsletter and Performing Arts Resources, a monograph series, as well as conference compendia.

Congratulations to ALL!!

Theatre VCU's Dixon Cashwell gets a +1 in this week's STYLE

Check out page 7 of this week's Richmond Style Weekly

We made the weekly Scoreboard as a +1 for the Weekly Rating of the City Zeitgeist!

"After a campus-wide comedy search, Dixon Cashwell, a third-year theater performance student at VCU, is named Funniest Ram. When basketball season begins, he'll be summoned as Shaka Smart's official court jester."

Congrats Dixon!!