Showing posts with label VCU VCUArts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VCU VCUArts. Show all posts

Thursday, May 21, 2015

By the Bi embraced by the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival

By the Bi was nominated for two awards for the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival (Caroline Downs and Morgan Barbour for Best New Writing, Jake Ehrlich for Best Male Performance) and WON the Doric Wilson Award for Inter-Cultural Dialogue

Considering how difficult it is to even get accepted by the festival, getting two nominations and one win was a huge honor.


By the Bi is also currently on the cover of Bi Community News, a magazine covering bisexual topics over in the UK! 

Things are looking positive for the future!


Monday, May 11, 2015

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


Thursday, April 23, 2015

Your last weekend to see Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster - THIS WEEKEND - starting tonight!

Thursday, April 23 - Saturday, April 26 - 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 26 - 3:00 pm

John Porter wrote an eloquent review of Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster
to read.

This is an all-original, world premiere.
Written by David Emerson Toney
Co-Directed by David S. Leong & David Emerson Toney
Designed, built & performed by our talented students.

Don't miss this powerful theatre production.

Tonight is VCU faculty & staff BOGO night.

for a great Group-On offer!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Resurrection of the Blog Monster - with news about Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster



The Bloginator has woken from a deep sleep and dragged her undead body over to the keyboard to share news about a fellow monster…. Frankenstein… who terrorized Richmond's Channel 6's Virginia This Morning Show yesterday.

It was wonderful show!

Go HERE and you can see that it's clear - the Monster (Brandon Sterrett)and the darling young William Frankenstein (Ryan Poquis) will live happily ever after…….

….or not.


Both actors and the playwright (David Emerson Toney) were interviewed by the show hosts as well.

Kudos to the crew who traveled to Channel 6 - Ariane Belcher, Telos Fuller (amazing makeup!); Alexis Black (on-the -spot movement coaching and direction); and Ryan's parents - Greg and April.

A great morning! Thanks to everyone at Virginia This Morning!

BOGO NIGHTS!!
Thursday April 17, 2015
ALL VCU STUDENTS - Buy One Get One Ticket FREE!! Bring your ID to the Box Office

Thursday April 23, 2015
ALL VCU STAFF & FACULTY- Buy One Get One Ticket FREE!! Bring your ID to the Box Office

Thursday, February 19, 2015

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!


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!



Wednesday, February 11, 2015

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

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates PhD is selected as recipient of the 2015 Women in the Arts Award by Style Weekly!

Congratulations Dr. T!!

Guest Artist Kevin Jones invites Theatre VCU students & faculty to his master class Wednesday, Feb. 4, 5 - 6 pm in B72, PAC

Kevin Jones is an accomplished musical director, director, and choreographer of musical theater, and teacher of acting and musical theater (including musical theater performance, acting for the stage, acting for film and television, musical theater history, and music theory). 

Over the course of his career Kevin has acquired one of the largest private collections of musical theater scores (in excess of 10,000 songs) in the United States. 

Kevin has a natural gift where he is able to assess an actor and select the perfect audition song and monologue from his collection in just a matter of minutes. He then coaches the actor on all aspects of the audition (vocal technique, musical staging, character work, etc.). His success rate is extraordinary. He has coached hundreds of actors into Broadway shows, national tours, and regional theater productions. 

As a musical director, Kevin has a most unique insight into the rehearsal process because he has also worked professionally as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer and producer. He is extremely organized and often breaks his rehearsal schedules down to fifteen-minute time blocks. 

Actors and musicians alike appreciate his work ethic, specificity in his conducting and musical direction, and the tremendous amount of positive energy that he brings to each production. Kevin has a true passion for the theater. He founded the Opening Doors Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit in 2003 to provide theater training and performance opportunities for youth, while at the same time, offer free, quality theater productions for the people of the Roanoke Valley - thus making live theater accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial status.

Specializing in teaching actors proper singing technique, how to “belt” safely, and how to dramatically interpret musical theater songs. Kevin will work with selected students and take questions from the observers. This is open to all VCU students and faculty.

Friday, January 30, 2015

SUPERHEROES!!

The Superheroes are Mariah, Tyler, Devin and David
and some other guys.

YOU will be able to buy one of the cardboard heroes 
(for just $1)
 next week at the first official
2015 Ball Bake Sale & Hero Raffle!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 • 10 AM - 2 PM • PAC LOBBY

Can you bake or sit at the table?
Please email gmbrannan@vcu.edu or Facebook
Theatre VCU

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Save the Date! High School Theatre Design & Technology Exposition - April 25, 2015

Design, Technology and Craft Exposition & Competitions! 

Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound & Makeup Design 
as well as
Costume Construction, Scenic Construction/ Painting, 
Props, Stage Management



A full day of Workshops such as:
Makeup  Model Making
Costume Design  
Costume Construction 
Lighting Design 
Props  
Projections
Stage Management
Portfolio Development &
Applying to Universities 

Your work will be critiqued by our professional
designers including Broadways' Toni-Leslie James!



Lunch with the Design Faculty and 
Theatre VCU students

Exhibition of award-winning 
Theatre VCU student designs

Attend an evening performance of 
Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster

$30.00 per student for entire day

Additional

$10.00 per student for  
Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster


Send your Application in BEFORE March 15 and  attend 
Frankenstein: Dawn of a Monster for FREE!

For More Information
Contact:
Ron Keller (rkeller@vcu.edu)
or call
804-828-1514

Be a part of the first HS Exposition at Theatre VCU!


Monday, November 17, 2014

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!!

Friday, November 14, 2014

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.

Monday, October 13, 2014

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!

Friday, October 3, 2014

A Little Support and Love for all Things Theatre VCU




The great weekend of Macbeth!! Do not miss this beautiful show. Go here to see some of the photos. 

Take a look at this wonderful video made by the Commonwealth Times!







There's also Chicago where David Leong (Theatre VCU Chair) and Brad Wilcuts (Theatre VCU grad student) are designing and polishing the fight choreography of
Amazing Grace
and Toni-Leslie James (Theatre VCU, Director of Costume Design/Tech) with her crew of Theatre VCU alumni, is putting the finishing touches on the extraordinary costumes for the of Amazing Grace - the pre-Broadway, world premiere.  Opening October 9th!!

 Here are some great random photos of rehearsal work with Brad in the top photo; David and Brad looking on the sailors to the left; and Brad firing rifles below.

Five days until opening in Chicago! You guys must be exhausted!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Theatre VCU is all over town… and if you're a student there are some great ticket deals!

Our very own David Emerson Toney is directing Frederick Knott's 
Wait Until Dark 
at Firehouse Theater. 
Opening Sept. 18 and running until Oct. 18.

An apartment in 1970’s Greenwich Village becomes the site of theatre’s most terrifying game of cat and mouse. Desperate to reclaim a mysterious doll stuffed with illegal drugs, a con man lays a trap to ensnare a blind woman.  With the help of his criminal cohorts and a few clever disguises, he spins a tale to fool the innocent and unsuspecting woman.  But when the doll can’t be found, the situation spirals out of control.   From the author of Dial “M” for Murder, Wait Until Dark proves that what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you.

Also the main character, Susy, is being played by Ciara McMillan (3rd year performance, Arabian Nights)

Other VCU students & alumni  in the cast:
Sam - Saidu Tejan-Thomas (Mass Comm, VCU, Arabian Nights)
Mike - Nicklas Aliff (Theatre VCU alumnus)
Policeman 1 - Jordan Jones (1st year Theatre VCU Performance)

Policeman 2 - Andrew Reid (2nd year, Theatre VCU Performance)

Preview Night (College Night) is this Thursday Sept. 18. All student tickets are $5.00 (with your VCU ID). During the run student tickets will be $16.00


According to Style Magazine:
The powerful "H2O" marks an auspicious debut for 5th Wall Theatre."

Starring two Theatre VCU alumni : Landon Nagel and Liz Earnest.

Here's what Style says about Landon and Liz:

"With his Everyman face and obvious charm, Nagel puts in an effortless performance as Jake."

"In the hands of a lesser actress, the role could easily be seen as supporting and one-dimensional, but Earnest works to show the character's complexity."

Thursday - Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 4PM at Theatre Gym at Virginia Repertory Center, 114 W. Broad Street

September 4 – 27, 2014
http://www.5thwalltheatre.org/

Contact Billy Christopher Maupin for student ticket information - billychristopher@5thwalltheatre.org.

Opening September 24 at Richmond Triangle Players
Noel Coward's Design for Living

Directed by alumnus Justin Amellio

and featuring alumnus Jeffrey Cole


Sept 24 – Oct 18, 2014
Three bohemian artists grapple with the pleasures and challenges of a ménage à trois lifestyle in this sophisticated and innovative comedy that scandalized two continents when it premiered! Gilda loves Otto, and it’s entirely mutual. But Gilda is rather fond of Leo as well. Leo adores Gilda – but come to think of it, Leo and Otto have a bit of history, too. So which of them will pair off, and who’ll be left out in the cold? Well, why should they have to?  What’s that all-too-common comment on relationships: “It’s complicated?” This one just happens to be rather more complicated than most!  A classic comedy where the morality is in the eye of the beholder.

Meanwhile in NYC David Leong (Theatre VCU Departmental Chair) with the assistance of  Brad Willcuts (Theatre VCU MFA 2015) is choreographing the many complex and exciting conflicts in the Broadway bound Amazing Grace - opening in Chicago this October! How cool is that?

Olivia Luna (Theatre VCU Perfomance Alumnus) was that you we saw on the new ABC dramatic series How to Get Away with Murder? PremieredThurs. Sept. 25.
 Looking great and living the dream!


Congratulations and Break Legs to ALL our Theatre VCU peeps!!