Keeping you in the Theatre VCU loop - check out these 2 entertaining events!

Final projects for Advanced Playwriting: Adaptation

Thursday, May 3, 3:00 PM, PAC B72

Refreshments provided

Selections from adaptations of The Assault, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Bury Me in My Jersey, G.K. Chesterton, Roald Dahl, T.S. Eliot, V.S. Naipaul, David Sedaris, Kurt Vonnegut, The War for Late Night, and even diatomic chemistry and a Medieval French werewolf!

by Jim Aschenbach, Zach Burley, Kim Campbell, Patrick Clark, Blair Cousins, Justin Delaney, Andrew Flack, Cassandra Hamilton, Jeannie Melcher, Sarah Stepahin, Sarah Wilson, Joe Winters

Questions? E-mail Matt at dicintiomk@vcu.edu.

Before you head over to the PAC  - Hurry and find a seat for the 2012 Senior Showcase performance at Thursday, May 3, 2:00 PM at the Newdick Theatre in Shafer.

Come support our graduating seniors FRESH back from their successful NYC Actor's Connection workshops and NYC Showcase and the LA Connection Workshops

Just gotta share this news about two fabulous alumni

Our own John DeBoer ( Theatre VCU - MFA 2007) is now an Associate Professor at University of Montana. John, you will rule the world one day... until then you are still the voice on our answering machine.

Congratulations!!

Matt Mitchell (Theatre VCU - BFA 2011) has a great article about his work about town 

in Style Weekly

Go Here to Read All About It!

This weekend at Shafer visit this Corner of the World

"Sequences of events from the corners of the world will draw gradually together, and miracles of coincidence bring the inevitable to pass."
- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With A Thousand Faces

A Corner of the World, a SALT production directed by Rachel Blackburn and assistant directed by Sydney Ballesteros, is a funny, imaginative, poignant, cross-cultural story which involves a cast of characters ranging from Christopher Walken to the Oldest Living Bird in Indonesia. They are all brought together, knowingly and unknowingly, following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. A comedy about connecting and also, not: featuring the incredible performances of -


Gina Badillo
Max Ehrlich
Andrea Hurt
Hayden Ireland
Mauricio Marces
Caty Nicholson
Joshua Norton
Mahlon Raoufi
Connor Scully
James Spence
Juliette Tostain
Alan Vollmer
Danielle Williams

And the incredible designs of:

Benjamin Burke
Cody Richardson
Ashley Swiger
Nathan Wunderlich

This is a FREE event!

Performances will take place at the Newdick Theatre in Shafer Street Playhouse on the VCU Monroe Park Campus, Richmond, VA:

Friday, April 27th at 8:00pm
Saturday, April 28th at 8:00pm
Sunday, April 29th at 3:00pm

A Corner of the World is written by Bridget Carpenter, Julia Cho, Jordan Harrison, Itamar Moses, and Chay Yew. It was originally commissioned and produced in 2005 by Emigrant Theater, Minneapolis.

Speaking of Alumni...

Our Saturday, April 21, 2012 Alumni Reunion was a "Huge Success" or "Fantastic!" or "Lovely" depending on which alumni you spoke to. One alum just said "I had a wonderful time!" Another two couldn't agree about Gary Hopper's production of Spelling Bee, whether it was "just adorable" or "hysterically funny".

The Bloginator just knows it was a great day, and the alumni who were there were absolutely amazing. Funny, smart, generous, happy to see each other, amazing. And here are the photos to prove my point:

Want a FREE ticket to Spelling Bee? Come to a wonderul, enlightening, educational, entertaining symposium this Saturday

An Important Invitation to ALL Theatre VCU Students

An opportunity to meet and talk to successful Theatre VCU Graduates who are giving their time & knowledge to you

On Saturday afternoon from 1:30 – 3:30 pm

We will be hosting our alumni in

Several symposiums in

• Performance/Directing

      Shafer 204 – 1:30 – 2:20

              Constance Boardman BFA 80

                  Paul Valley MFA 2010

                        Bob Smith - BFA 1979

Andy Umberger - BFA79

• Lighting

       Lighting Lab – 1:30 – 2:20

James Ryan BFA 91

                  Thomas Wycoop BFA 77

• Design & Art Direction - Design SS 301

Court Watson - BFA 2003 -  (1:30 - 2:20)

C. J. Simpson - BVA 76 (2:30- 3:20)

• Stage Management

PAC B57­ 1:30 - 2:20

Emily Watson BFA 2005

Bill Burdette BFA 1972

•Technical Theatre

Hodges (1:30 - 2:20)

                  Ronald L. Thacker BFA 94

Career Opportunities - Thinking Outside the Box

• Costuming After College

Costume Shop (1:30 - 2:20)

Kathleen Leary

Kirby Spencer - BFA 82

• Sound

Mac Lab - 2:30 - 3:20

Dennis Mitchell BFA 81

• Direction & Management

Hodges (2:30 - 3:30)

Thomas Guthrie BFA 77

Geoffrey Hamby BFA 77

• Arts Administration & other jobs after graduation

Shafer 204  (2:30 - 3:30)

Noreen Wilson Major BFA 2000

Shanea Taylor - MFA 2007

These grads have taken valuable time to come to talk to you our students.

They know the business. They have valuable connections. They have made a living from what they have learned here at VCU.

We need you to be here on Saturday to represent, and to learn.

If you email Bonnie McCoy at bsmccoy@vcu.edu and let her know you will be here Saturday we will give you ONE FREE TICKET TO SPELLING BEE FOR SATURDAY NIGHT!!

We are having a BIG week at Theatre VCU!

• TWO sold out high school matinees for Spelling Bee! Today and tomorrow.


• BAKESALE  tomorrow - Wednesday -  for the Masked Ball
Goodies for a dollar. Buy a Ball ticket. Get a free mask. Make a song request. 


• FIVE DOLLAR FRIDAY!! This Friday - every and ALL VCU students can come see the delightful, funny, quirky fabulous Spelling Bee for only $5.00. Bring your student ID and have a great time!

• Fabulous Theatre VCU Reunion - This Saturday. Calling all students to profit from the wisdom of our amazing alums! 1:30 - 3:00 pm

An Alumni Celebration for Our Former Students... with a Bonus for Our Current Students

This coming Saturday

April 21, 2012

From 1:30 - 3:30 

Our generous alumni have agreed to talk to our Theatre VCU students about 

their lives, 

their experience, 

their triumphs, 

their failures, 

their work

 ALL FOR OUR CURRENT STUDENTS.

If you are interested in a career in:

Acting 

stage and in front of the camera

Art Direction 

TV, Opera, Theatre, Movies 

Technical Direction 

Sound

Lighting

Stage Management 

Arts Administration

Design

If you would like to ask questions about:

How to find a job

Creating a successful career

How to improve your design portfolio

How to continue to hone your craft throughout your career

Then you need to clear an hour and a half out of your Saturday and join our Alumni. 

Our alumni want to share the wealth. 

You need to be here to receive it.

Right?

Safety First!

Photos from the Bee!! I look at these and I'm humming all the songs...

"I'm not that smart..."

"Really?"

Magic Foot

Pandemonium One

Pandemonium Two

Do I see a bookmark in your future?

Today. April 9. 3:00 pm. PAC 72. Meet David Everson Toney. Pizza.

That's all you need to know... but if you are curious, read on:

David Emerson Toney will be coming to Theatre VCU this Monday afternoon, April 9th to visit with us for the purpose of discussing the performance Professor position being vacated by Josh Chenard who is off to New Mexico to teach. David is a nationally recognized actor with credits on Broadway and regional theatre, experienced professional writer of stage, film and TV and holds an MFA in acting from Ohio University. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at Howard University, the New School of Drama, and Ohio University. David’s bio is attached.



** David will be here this Monday, April 9th at 3:00 PM. Please come to Pac 72 to meet him and learn more about him.



NOTE: WE WILL HAVE 4 – 5 PIZZAS ON HAND SO THE FIRST 15 – 20 STUDENTS WHO ATTEND WILL NOT GO HOME WITH AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Friday Night is Opening night and we need your help!

Dear Theatre VCU family!

We have a situation.
A large group, that we were counting on for our Opening Night audience, has DROPPED OUT at the last minute.

Theatre VCU students - If you have not bought your ticket to Saturday's performance of Spelling Bee - could you please change your plans and ATTEND THE FRIDAY NIGHT PERFORMANCE?!

Everyone involved in this delightful production has worked SO hard - We need to come together as a family and support their work by flocking to the Opening Night and celebrating with them!

Theatre VCU needs to start this run with a great audience - and that great audience is YOU!!

Please
Call the Box Office (804-828-6026)
Email the Box Office - theatretix@vcu.edu
Order on-line vcutheatre.showclix.com
or stop by the Box Office in the PAC lobby and buy your tickets as soon as possible.

Help me get the word out! 
We're counting on you to make Spelling Bee the success it deserves to be!

Support Theatre VCU, support each other, this Friday!!

with my most sincere thanks,

the bloginator (and the exhausted Spelling Bee cast & crew)

(Be there and the paparazzi will be sure to snap your photo in all your finery for the blog!)

Openings! Announcements! Receptions!

Friday Night is Opening Night for our delightful Spelling Bee!!

Tickets are STILL AVAILABLE

Curtain - 7:30pm

This charming confection, directed by the equally charming Gary C. Hopper runs 90 minutes with no intermission and will have you giggling your way into your weekend.  A Free Reception following the performance.

vcutheatre.showclix.com
or
call 804-828-6026

Saturday Night is Theatre VCU student night.
All you Theatre VCU students who haven't bought tickets - please visit the Box Office today and get your seats. Another Free Reception will follow the performance.
Dress Up • Tell Your Friends • Celebrate • Support Your Fellow Students • OOOH and AAAH over the set and lights and costumes as well as the delightful actors!

Everyone in the Richmond/VCU community is welcome - our students will be great company during a great show!

No matinee on Easter Sunday!

Friday is another delicious Masquerade Ball Bakesale in the PAC lobby from 10am - 2 pm.
The plans for this end of the year celebration are FANTASTIC!  You won't want to miss this ball... no matter your opinion of balls in general.

Come to the bakesale table and buy a cupcake, AND purchase your ticket for the BALL!! ($7.00 in advance, $10.00 at the door). This glorious party is for Theatre VCU grads and undergrads and their guests. Tickets are limited though... so you better start safeguarding yours. After the bakesale you can purchase tickets at the main office! You will receive a (very nice, we upgraded this year) mask with each ticket

Stay tuned to the blog for the announcement of the newly chosen director of next season's NOISES OFF!

yesterday was Costume's time to crow... today how 'bout some lighting blog brag

Johnny Kernisky (affectionately known as Johnny K) is New York bound.

Having not even graduated from the undergrad program, Johnny K was recommended by Stephen Fried to The New World's Theatre Project to design lights for Stephen's Welcome to America, opening May 2 at Off-Broadway' 45th Street Theatre.

Quite an accomplishment Johnny - we are proud of you.

To read more go HERE.

By the way - Mr. Johnny K. (to you) is also designing the light for this year's Theatre VCU Masquerade Ball to be held on May 4.

Congratulations to Toni-Leslie James! and to her students extrordinaire!!

next time You see Ms James be sure to ask "Been nominated for a Lortel lately?"

YES! 

Toni-Leslie James has been nominated for  the 2012 Lucille Lortel Awards, honoring outstanding achievement in off-Broadway productions:

Outstanding Costume Design
ESosa, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark
Toni-Leslie James, Milk Like Sugar
William Ivey Long, The School For Lies
Ilona Somogyi, Maple and Vine
Catherine Zuber, Death Takes a Holiday

Congrats Toni!

We are extremely proud of you!

For more information go HERE

In the meantime check out what our Costume majors and alumni are doing:

Chris Mueller, MFA 2008 – USA Local 829 NY gained while Asst. Costume Designer
on Finian’s Rainbow at NY City Center and Broadway. Asst. Designer, The Bluest Eye, Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT, The Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT 2008. Asst. Designer, A Civil War Christmas, The Long Wharf Theatre, 2008. Currently Costume Shop Manager and Head Designer for Birmingham Children’s Theatre.

Keenan Quander, MFA 2010 - Asst. Designer and Floor Manager at The Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC. October-March 2011-12. Designer the Hanger Theatre.
Ithaca, NY 2010. Designer Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn 2010-2011. Honorable Mention Grad. Design SETC 2010. Currently represented by my former agent, Cheryl E Andrews & Associates LLC.

Josh Quinn, MFA 2012 (awaiting Thesis) - Asst. Designer at The Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC. April-June 2012. Asst. Costume Shop Manager for The Williamstown Theatre Festival, 2012. Designer, Metamorphosis, The Warehouse Theatre Greenville, SC. 2011. Designer, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Warehouse Theatre, Greenville, SC. Asst. Designer, Pipe Dream, NY City Center, March 2012. Asst. Designer, Cotton Club Parade, NY City Center, November 2011. Asst. Designer, Milk Like Sugar, Playwrights Horizons, NYC, October 2011 and La Jolla
Playhouse, September 2011. Shopper, Finian’s Rainbow, Broadway 2009. Asst. Designer, Bell, Book & Candle, Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, NY, 2009.
Asst. Designer, Juno, NY City Center, November 2008. Currently represented by my former agent, Cheryl E Andrews & Associates LLC. 1st Place Regional KCACTF 2011,
2nd Place Nat’l. KCACTF, 2nd Place Graduate SETC 2011.

J. Theresa Bush, MFA 2013 – The first graduate student ever to be hired has the Costume Shop Manager for The Williamstown Theatre Festival, 2012. Ever!!!
Designer The Warehouse Theatre, Greenville, SC. 2013 (she gets to pick her show!). Winner of the SETC Ready To Work Award 2012 awarded a professional design position by The Warehouse Theatre, Honorable Mention Grad Design, SETC 2012 & 2011. The Richmond Theater Critics Circle Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design 2011.

Isabella Tavares de Melo, MFA 2014 – Designer, A Soldier’s Tale, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, 2012.

Cailin Anderson, BFA 2009 – Member of IATSE Local 764 NY gained while working on Finian’s Rainbow Broadway. Asst. Wardrobe Supervisor, Once, Broadway 2012.
Asst. Wardrobe Supervisor, Hair, National Tour 2011. Wardrobe Supervisor, Lysistrata Jones, New York Theatre Workshop, NYC 2011. Wardrobe, A Normal Heart, Broadway 2011. Wardrobe, The Scottsboro Boys, Broadway 2010. Wardrobe Supervisor, The Scottsboro Boys, Vineyard Theatre, 2010. A BFA student on her 4th Broadway show in less than 3 years.

Rebecca Willett, BFA 2010 - Asst. Designer, Cotton Club Parade, NY City Center, November 2011. Wardrobe Staff Cap21, NYC, 2012. Currently wardrobe staff for The
Hurt Village, Signature Theatre, NYC 2012.

Adrian Boyes, BFA 2011 – Wardrobe staff for the Public Theatre in NYC. Currently employed by Parsons Meers Ltd, one of NYC’s premiere costume shops.

Elizabeth Ensminger, BFA 2012 – Working in NYC as I type as Asst. Wig/Costumes on Pipe Dream, NY City Center, March 2012. Wardrobe, The Lion King National Tour, Richmond, VA 2012. Wardrobe, Wicked, Richmond, VA 2011.

Jessica Goldman, BFA 2012 - Asst. Design on Pipe Dream, NY City Center, March 2012. Asst. Costume Design, The Scottsboro Boys, The Old Globe, San Diego, CA 2012.

Hannah Goldman, BFA 2012 – Asst. Design, Macbeth 1969, The Long Wharf Theatre Company, February 2012.

Nicole Slaven, BFA 2012 – Intern, The Williamston Theatre Festival 2011. Intern, The Santa Fe Opera, 2012. Honorable Mention in Undergrad Costume Design SETC
2012.

Jennifer O’Donnell, BFA 2012 – Asst. Design, A Trip to Bountiful, The Cleveland Playhouse, 2011 and The Round House Theatre, Bethesda, MD 2011. The Shenandoah Summer Music Festival, 2011. Virginia Opera 2010.

Matt Armentrout, BFA 2013 – Wig Supervisor, Amazing Grace: A New Musical, Goodspeed Opera House, East Chatam, CT. Wig Supervisor on Pipe Dream, NY City Center, March 2012. Wig Supervisor, Cotton Club Parade, NY City Center, November 2011. Wig Crew, Wicked, Richmond, VA 2011. Intern, The Williamston Theatre Festival 2011. Third Place Crafts Award, SETC 2011. This is a junior with more professional credits than college credits.

Gloria Kim, BFA 2013 - Asst. Design, Good Goods, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT 2012. This talented student showed her portfolio along side
1st & 2nd year students at The Yale School of Drama, and they’re still reeling! She later had an private portfolio review with Professor Ilona Somogyi, who told her
that she would get into ANY grad school of her choice including Yale School of Drama. Intern, The Williamston Theatre Festival 2012.

Frances Ritter, BFA 2013 – Draper, Heritage Theatre Company 2011. First Place Winner in costume construction SETC 2012. Virginia Opera 2011.

Virginia Varland, BFA 2013 – Costume Designer, BigFork Summer Playhouse, Bigfork, MT. Third Place Undergrad Costume Design SETC 2012.

Charles Umhau, BFA 2014 - Asst. Design, Fly, The Ford’s Theatre Washington, DC. September 2012.

Jared Elton, BFA 2014 - Wardrobe, The Lion King National Tour, Richmond, VA 2012.

Michael Bertoni, BFA 2014 – Wardrobe, The Lion King National Tour, Richmond, VA 2012.
Jasmine Hammond, BFA 2014 – Wardrobe, The Lion King National Tour, Richmond, VA 2012.