A graduation snapshot

Alexiandria Gogolin

Don't they look GREAT!

The Costume Design/Tech Mafia : Anastazia Whittle, Emily Atkins,
Cierra Coan, Giselle Carillo, Sophia Shaw

Becky Granger & Dixon Cashwell

Raven Wilkes & her gorgeous family

Jorge Bermudez & Aaron Mauck

Julia Tibor

Mahlon Raoufi

Emily Atkins & Heather Falks

The MFA gang: James Stover, Heather Falks, Drew Richardson, Jorge Bermudez, Tara Weintraub,
Brad Wilcuts, Erica Hughes, Hannah Hammond, Emily Atkins, Jessica Dotson

Drew and his clowns: Max Ehrlich, Elliot Duffy, Daniel Braunstein, Raven Wilkes, Drew Richardson,
Elizabeth Kovacich, Madeline Lovegrove, Dixon Cashwell, Becky Granger

The adorable and fabulous Jorge

Madeline & grandfather

Erica & the ghost light

Caroline Downs, Jess Rawls & Becky again

Same great group (see above)

Chris Foote looking dubious

Kat Lea

Dr. T & Heather Falks

Yes it's a little chilly outside - but Pride & Prejudice will warm your heart (especially with a VCU Faculty & Staff BOGO tonight!!)

This is what we heard from our audience the first week:

"The costumes were simply gorgeous"

"It was surprisingly FUNNY!"

"The lighting was gorgeous - really enhanced every scene."

"I loved this story and I fell in love with Elizabeth."

Then there's always Mr. Darcy….

Take a look at this great little youtube. 

Thanks Sophie and Andrew!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPJeFQZFbAo

Feb.19-21 at 7:30 pm  

Feb. 15 & 22 at 3:00 pm

General Admission- $25.00 • Seniors, VCU Faculty & Staff- $20.00

VCU Students with Valid ID- $10.00 

Other Students with Valid ID- $15.00 

VCU Alumni Members -$15.00 - show membership cards at the Box Office

vcutheatre.showclix.com 

Box Office: 804-828-6026 • theatretix@vcu.edu 

Raymond Hodges Theatre, W.E. Singleton Performing Arts Center

922 Park Ave., Richmond, VA 23284 • arts.vcu.edu/theatre

VCU FACULTY & STAFF  BOGO NIGHT 

Thursday, FEB. 19

Buy one ticket with VCU ID and get one ticket for FREE!

Pride and Prejudice woke up Richmond this morning with a reel an argument and an interview.

Our cast of Pride and Prejudice looked divinely 18th century!

Check out the Channel 6 Website

Jess waiting for her entrance.

The reel - real and on the camera.

Backstage.

Waiting to tease the audience with what's to come.

Jess being wired, Ciara looking on.

Pride and Prejudice opens TOMORROW 7:30 pm! 

Tickets are going fast!

Online tickets: vcutheatre.showclix.com

Time to Build the Ball!

Anyone interested in the 2015 Theatre VCU Masquerade Ball should join us THIS Wednesday, December 3, 2014 - 12:15 second floor PAC.

We are forming some committees
Talking about one last Bakesale this semester.
Choosing a Ball logo

Enthusiasm is welcome.

Please come by for a few minutes. It will be fun. Really.

In the meantime… which one do you like - One, two or three?

Our second week of Man of La Mancha was sold out - Have you bought your tickets for the final week yet?

Only one week left!

Theatre VCU's
Man of La Mancha
is getting standing ovations and standing room only crowds.

It's the musical you don't want to miss!

Audiences have been loving this tale of the mad knight, and James Taylor's rich baritone brings to life "The Impossible Dream", "Dulcinea", and ", Don Quixote"!

Check out last Thursday's  appearance on Good Morning Virginia -
http://wtvr.com/2014/11/13/the-epic-tale-of-don-quixote-comes-to-life-on-the-theatre-vcu-stage/

For tickets go to 
vcutheate.showcix.com

or call the Box Office at
804-828-6026.

Reserve your tickets now - we would hate for you to miss out!!

Man of La Mancha comes to Channel 6

This was SUCH a great experience yesterday at Virginia This Morning on Richmond's Channel 6 (CBS)

Go here: http://wtvr.com/2014/11/13/the-epic-tale-of-don-quixote-comes-to-life-on-the-theatre-vcu-stage/

Check out James Taylor (Don Quoxite) mahlon Raoufi (Sancho) and Emily Adler & Alex Burkart (the Horses) singing and galloping their way through "I Don Quixote" - SO much fun!

Don't miss this show - it's one of the last Golden Age musicals -

winner of 5 Tony Awards - and the Theatre VCU production features a magnificent set, exquisite costumes and the beautiful voices of our students. Plus Don Quixote is played by James Taylor, known for his international operatic work. He brings not only his incredible vocal talent, but also his true understanding of Cervantes magical character…. James Taylor IS Don Quixote!

There is still a GroupOn deal out there…. shhh… don't tell anyone, but it's:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-vcu-dept-of-theater-2012-1-4

Come downtown and support the work of our artists - it's well worth the trip.

Two more weeks of Man of La Mancha!!

MAN OF LA MANCHA IS ABOUT TO ENTER IT'S SECOND WEEK! 
Audiences are raving!
Here's what John Porter (Theatre Reviewer of WCVE) has to say:

If you need a reason to head over and see one of the great musicals of the American theatre  currently playing at VCU trust me, MAN OF LA MANCHA is well worth the effort if only to admire Ron Keller’s towering set. In an era of tiny stages with rotating turntables, this set rises a good thirty feet in the air with a staircase that lowers out of the ceiling like the hand of God passing judgment or deliverance to the actors below.

Since most theatre goers don’t just go to be amazed by the set, let’s look at some of the other reasons to enjoy the play. MAN OF LA MANCHA is a play within a play detailing the life and adventures of Don Quixote de La Mancha – a chivalrous knight roaming the land some 300 years after knights stopped serving king and country.

As the nobleman knight, James Taylor (not the pop singer) is a commanding presence. In the dual role of Don Miguel de Cervantes and Quixote, he has to move from madness to lucidity and back again. His voice is strong and clear, and his interpretation of the big song, “The Impossible Dream” is a highlight.

Kamaron Carter makes a strong Aldonza – the stable girl who becomes the noblewoman muse of Quixote and is elevated by his adoration.

The rest of the cast takes on multiple roles, most without much of a hitch, and under Patti D’Beck’s direction and choreography handle the varied dance moves well. These characters start off waiting trial – some portray murderers and thieves while others play characters with mental disorders and must move accordingly.

David Leong provides the fight choreography and utilizes stylized movements for one fight to comedic effect, and brutal more realistic movements for another in order to emphasize the horror that Aldonza faces.

Devario D. Simmons’ costumes work very well – showing differences in status, and in the case of Quixote versatility moving him back and forth between his two characters. Michael Jarett’s lights are very good – equal to just about any seen on a professional stage this season. Ben Miller serves as the Musical Director and keeps the music moving very well.

I don’t get out to see University productions as often as I would like. Often they operate on short schedules and are in conflict with professional shows I need to see. However, I may have to reevaluate that policy as invariably I find things that excite me and give me hope for the future of theatre.

Now if we could only offer these talented performers more incentive to stay in Richmond after graduation and continue to grace our stages. Even though there are more and more opportunities to perform, making a living creating the art they love is always going to be a struggle.

Okay, I’ll climb off my soapbox now and get back to MAN OF LA MANCHA. This production will be running through November 23 and is well worth making the journey.

For 88.9 WCVE, I’m John Porter.



Thank you John Porter!!

We have heard such wonderful things from our audience about Man of La Mancha - Don't miss it!

This weekend  - Nov. 13-15 at 7:30 pm and 
Sunday Nov. 16 at 3:00 pm

Next weekend - Nov. 20 - 22 at 7:30 pm and 
Sunday Nov. 23 at 3:00 pm

vcutheatre.showclix.com

It was RTCC night in Richmond and Theatre VCU was there!

Sunday October 19th was RTCC night (Richmond Theatre Critic's Circle Awards)

Here are all the nominated and the winners - with Theatre VCU highlighted (of course):

Best Direction (Musical): Chase Kniffen, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Josh Marin

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Richard Parison, Fiddler on the Roof

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Actor (Musical): Josh Marin, The Color Purple

David Benoit, Fiddler on the Roof

Ronnie Brown, Shrek the Musical

Chris Hester, Cabaret

Jason Marks, Shrek the Musical

Jerold Solomon, The Color Purple

Best Actress (Musical): Felicia Curry, The Color Purple

Grey Garrett, Beyond the Rainbow, Swift Creek Mill

Christie Jackson, The Drowsy Chaperone

Nicole Oberleitner, Caberet

Aly Wepplo, Shrek the Musical

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical): Doug Schneider, Cabaret

Steve King, The Drowsy Chaperone

Josh Marin, The Wild Party, Firehouse Theatre

Matt Shofner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Scott Wichmann, Olympus on my Mind, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Musical): Jeanie Rule, Cabaret

Carolyn Meade, The Wild Party

Carolyn Minor-Daughtry, The Color Purple

Nicole Oberleitner, The Drowsy Chaperone

Desiree Roots, The Color Purple

Best Musical Direction: Paul Deiss, The Drowsy Chaperone

Kim Fox, Cabaret

Ben Miller, The Color Purple

Ben Miller, The Wild Party

Anthony Smith, Fiddler of the Roof

Best Choreography: Leslie Owens-Harrington, The Color Purple

Robin Arthur, Shrek the Musical

Dennis Clark, The Drowsy Chaperone

Karen Getz, Fiddler on the Roof

Penny Ayn Maas, Cabaret

Best Play: Clybourne Park, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Firehouse Theatre (aka ‘Chad Deity’)

Good People, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Joshua Plant, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

Quality of Life, HATTheatre

Best Direction (Play): Keri Wormald, Clybourne Park

Anna Johnson, Detroit, Cadence Theatre (collaboration with Virginia Rep)

Anna Johnson, Good People

Kerry McGee, Chad Deity

David Emerson Toney, ‘night, Mother, Firehouse Theatre

Best Actor (Play): Scott Wichmann, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joseph Carlson, A Streetcar Named Desire, Firehouse Theatre

Jeff Cole, Wittenberg, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Aaron Orensky, Joshua Plant

Alexander Sapp, Grace, TheatreLAB

Best Actress (Play): Catherine Shaffner, ‘night, Mother

Eva DeVirgilis, Hypocrites & Strippers, Richmond Triangle Players

McLean Jesse, Clybourne Park

Katrinah Carol Lewis, Death & the Maiden, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

Dawn A. Westbrook, Good People

Mauricio Marces, Nicklas Aliff, Joe Carlson

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Play): TIE: Mauricio Marces, Chad Deity & Alexander Sapp, Richard III

Andrew Firda, Clybourne Park

Stephen Ryan, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henley Street/Richmond

Shakespeare/Richmond Triangle Players

Alexander Sapp, Tartuffe, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Play): Jacquie O’Connor, Good People

Jennifer Frank, The Dixie Swim Club, Swift Creek Mill

Melissa Johnston Price, Other Desert Cities, Virginia Repertory Theatre

Debra Wagoner, Tartuffe

Raven Wilkes, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henley Street/Richmond Shakespeare

The Ernie McClintock Award for Best Ensemble Acting: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

Clybourne Park

Detroit

Grace

Quality of Life

Most Promising Newcomer: TIE Grace Mincks, Beyond the Rainbow & Diego Salinas, Joshua Plant

Isabella Cipolina, The Miracle Worker, Swift Creek Mill

Ally Dodds, Fiddler on the Roof

Brad Frazier, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: Geno Brantley, Chad Deity

Joe Doran, The Drowsy Chaperone

Joe Doran, The Color Purple

Lynne M. Hartman, Other Desert Cities

Robert Perry, Fiddler on the Roof

Elizabeth Hopper

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Shrek the Musical

Maura Lynch Cravey, The Drowsy Chaperone

Sue Griffin, The Color Purple

Sue Griffin, Fiddler on the Roof

Sue Griffin, Tartuffe

Outstanding Achievement in

Set Design: Ben Burke, Other Desert Cities

Tennessee Dixon, Death & the Maiden

Frank Foster, Cabaret

Ron Keller, Color Purple

Tom Width, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: Joey Luck, Cabaret

Andrew Craig, Death & the Maiden

Derek Dumais, The Color Purple

Chase Kniffen, Say Goodnight Gracie

Joey Luck, Chad Deity

Opening Night for Amazing Grace in Chicago!!

WOW!

It was a wonderful night in Chicago for Theatre VCU!

Here's what Paul W. Thompson wrote in Broadway World.com:

"Director Gabriel Barre and music director Joseph Church, guided to no small degree by the willingness of producer Carolyn Rossi Copeland to give Smith’s musico-dramatic vision a chance to live, have crafted a complex and moving piece of theater, with thrilling musical moments, stunning visual imagery and roles that actors would give their eyeteeth to sink their molars into. Passion here takes the form of the struggle to live, to love, to be free, to live in peace in community. These are universal themes, and John Newton’s story lends itself well to this passion and these themes."


He also points out:

"exquisite and sexy costumes by Toni-Leslie James"

And references are made to:

"And it’s a highly physical role (gunfights, fistfights, beatings, dancing, falling overboard, all sort of shirts coming on and off)." (Fight Choreography - our own David Leong & Brad Wilcuts.)

Yep, It was a wonderful night - the pictures tell the story!

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, David Leong, Josh Quinn (Assistant Costume Designer - MFA 2012)

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Matt Armentrout (Assistant Wig Designer - BFA 2012), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Gabriel Barre (Director - Theatre VCU Guest Director 2014), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, David Leong, Vince Oddo (Fight Captain)

Kudos for Toni-Leslie James from VCU News!

VCU News just posted a wonderful article about Theatre VCU's very own Toni-Leslie James - Director of Costume Design/Tech.

"James joined Theatre VCU in 2007, and she has eagerly shared her vast experience, as well as the attendant prestige and opportunity, with her students and colleagues during her tenure, including hiring them to work with her on productions."

Illustrated with her work from Amazing Grace (previewing in Chicago right now) and Bull Durham (in previews in Atlanta), the article talks about how she is giving our students and alumni opportunities to work on shows bound for Broadway.

In the article J. Theresa Bush (theatre VCU MFA, 2011) says: 
“She works in the business, and she trains us to do so,” Bush said. “She also has an impeccable eye, a spot-on intuition and 40 years of experience working at full tilt. She is a woman of discerning tastes and has the highest standards for herself and everyone in her sphere, and she has elevated me to a level that I did not know I could reach.”

Go HERE and read the complete article

Thank you Toni!

Only one week left for you to see Theatre VCU's beautiful production of MACBETH!

Theatre VCU's Macbeth has everything 

that makes live theatre fun…. and exciting!

Take a look…

Sexiness….

Lots and Lots of Blood

Comedy…. yes. really...

Fighting….

More Fighting…..

Bloody Ghosts…..

And Macbeth Madness.

 One last week.

Don't miss MACBETH