UNCOMMONWEALTH - one night only in Richmond - THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 30 - HODGES - PAC

Support & Share the Love.

This Thursday in Hodges.

7:30 pm

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

go HERE

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.

Go HERE 

for a great Group-On offer!

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.

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!!

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

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

Look Who's On a National Tour!!

Our very own Tony Tillman (BFA Performance 2013) is on the Mamma Mia! National Tour!

Tony is playing Eddie. Take a look at his career on the Mamma Mia! site: http://www.mammamiaontour.com/mm/mamma-mia-cast-creative.asp#

Let us know how it's going Tony!

Reminder to all current 

Theatre VCU students:

Next Thursday, September 25 is MACBET's open night

That night only tickets are $5.00 for all Theatre VCU students! 

Buy your tickets now at the Box Office 

& be sure to bring your student ID!

Dress up and join the celebration! There will be a reception in the lobby following the show.

We will all be there to support the hard work of the Macbeth cast and crew!

News From VA REP to 

ALL VCU Students 

We are holding seats for VCU students for the evening of Friday, October 3 for $14.  The students can call 282-2620 and pay for their seat as a part of this group.  

VCU students are invited to join UR students that evening at 6:45 for a reception and comments by Bruce Miller and Jan Powell.    

Students who cannot attend that evening can attend any performance for $10.  That rate is only good day of show but there should be tickets.  

Other adults in the VCU community - faculty, alumni, etc can use this code for a $5 discount for any show by using the code VCUSHAKES online or at the box office.

Here's more about the show:

It is 1606, and Shakespeare has been commanded to write a propaganda play about the Gunpowder Plot, in service to King James. Will he agree to be a pawn in the cynical gamesmanship of the king’s spymaster, or will he equivocate—lie by telling the truth? The playwright, his acting company, and a variety of historical figures clash in this high-stakes political thriller about the complexities of the truth and the terrible consequences of compromise. Read the Press Release (PDF)

“One of the most bracingly intelligent, sizzlingly theatrical American plays in a decade.” Variety

Something wicked this way comes….

Tickets to Macbeth are moving fast…
vcutheate.showclix.com

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!!

End-of-the-Year Portfolio Review 2014

This year Toni Leslie James (Head of Costume Design) and Ron Keller (Head of Design) arranged to have these nationally known Scenic, Costume and Lighting Designers, Technical Director and Stage Manager spend and entire day at Theatre VCU reviewing our Design/Tech students’ portfolios,  - allowing our students to meet some of the nation's finest theatrical design/tech.

Below are their bios:

Scenic Design

Tony Cisek 

Mr. Cisek has created designs for Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Opera, Folger Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre, Studio Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Signature Theatre and Theatre of the First Amendment, among others. Regionally, his work has been seen at the Guthrie Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Delaware Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival and City Theatre. Hewas the theatre consultant on the theater construction for the new Atlas Performing Arts Center in Northeast Washington, D.C., which he designed with Dan Covey. He is the recipient of four Helen Hayes Awards for outstanding set design and holds an M.F.A. in design from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Shannon Robert 

Clemson, Paint Crafts Manager of The Spoon Group Productions : The Grinch, Grease (and national tour), Xanadu, Legally Blonde, Inherit the Wind, The Pirate Queen, Coram Boy, The Color Purple (and Chicago production), Jersey Boys (and national tour and Vegas), Spamalot (London West End and Vegas), Hairspray (and Vegas) and Sponge Bob Squarepants (Asian tour). 

Shannon Robert received the M.F.A. in scene design from Florida State University. While at FSU, she participated in an international exchange with the Moscow Art Theatre Conservatory. Shannon was director of theatre and head of design at William Carey University, where she taught scene design for 14 years. She served KCACTF as Region IV design chair (3 years – managed the design exposition), regional vice chair (3 years – managed the Irene Ryan acting scholarships), regional chair (1 year) and served on national design committees. Shannon has worked internationally in venues in Nairobi, Bratislava, Moscow and Edinburgh and has designed for Mill Mountain Theatre, New Stage Theatre, Auburn University Theatre, Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts (MTSU), Southern Arena Theatre, University of Southern Mississippi, SC Governor’s School for the Arts, The Fine Arts Center, The Peace Center, and ReelRock Productions. She was a consultant for The Saenger Theatre renovation in Hattiesburg, MS for Albert and Associates Architects. 

Shannon has also worked as an evaluator, respondent and adjudicator for a number of productions/projects and has presented several workshops and served on panels throughout the U.S. She is currently the Associate Artistic Director and Scene Designer in Residence for The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC.

James Schuette 

James Schuette’s work at Steppenwolf includes set designs for Time to Burn, Space, Berlin Circle, The Royal Family (Jeff Award) and Homebody/Kabul, as well as costume designs for Mother Courage, Purple Heart and Time of Your Life. Recent work includes set or costume designs for Of Thee I Sing directed by Tina Landau (Papermill Playhouse), Frank Galati’s Oedipus Complex (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Nixon in China directed by James Robinson (Opera Theatre of St Louis), Intimations for Saxophone directed by Anne Bogart (Arena Stage) and Doug Varone’s Deconstructing English. His work has been seen at the Goodman Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, A.C.T, Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Prince Music Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theatre, Glimmerglass Opera, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, New York City Opera and Santa Fe Opera. Upcoming projects include Rigoletto and Marriage of Figaro at Opera Colorado and After the Quake at Steppenwolf.

Stanley Meyer

Stanley Meyer was the set designer for Disney Theatricals’ Broadway hit, Beauty and the Beast, which was the sixth longest running Broadway show in history, and the designer of the world premiere of Aida at the Alliance Theatre for Disney Theatricals. He was the first receiptient of the League of American Theatre Producers “National Broadway Award” for his North American design of the national tours of Beauty and The Beast. Stanley Meyer has more than four dozen credits as a scenic designer/production  designer/ illustrator that have earned him numerous awards and nominations, including an American Theatre Wing nomination, A National  Broadway Theatre Award Nomination, A LA Ovation Award Nomination, the THEA Award winner-Best Outdoor Nighttime Spectacular (Peter Pan’s Neverland at Universal Studios Japan), and the IAPPA Brass Ring Award Winner for Best Outdoor Daytime Spectacular (Seaworld’s Blue Horizons, Orlando, FL and San Diego, CA). He has also designed the national & world tours of Alice Cooper, The Steve Miller Band, Cindi Lauper, Disney Ice Shows, and The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.  He has been a concept designer for Nike, Sony, Inmotion Entertainment, Clear Channel, Thinkwell Design & Entertainment, Mdame Tussand’s NYC and Las Vegas, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

CostumeDesign

James Schuette (see bio above.)

Leslie Yarmo  

Leslie Yarmo was the costume designer for the pilot and seasons 1 through 3 of Law & Order: SVU for NBC. USA Television Network and Wolf Films Prod. Other film and television credits include: Empire (Touchstone/CBS), The Rage: Carrie II (United Artists), Cadillac Records (Sony Pictures, costume consultant), Rome (HBO, costume consultant), Lipstick Jungle (NBC, Asst. Designer), The Siege (20th Century Fox, Asst. Designer), I Am Legend (Warner Bros., Asst. Designer), The Eye of the Dolphin(Paradise Productions), History is Made at Night (Shaftsbury Films Inc.), Ricochet River (Dee Gee Entertainment), and Hudson River Blues (The Shooting Gallery), among other credits. She received a dual MFA in Costume & Set Design from NYU, where she was the winner of the S. Seidman Award for Design Excellence. Ms. Yarmo completed her B.A in Theatre Arts from UCLA. and also holds a certificate in French Language & Culture from The Paris Fashion Institute and The Sorbonne in Paris, France.  She is an currently assistant professor of theater, costume design, period production as interdisciplinary study and researcher of Medieval dress codes st Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD.  As a professor of costume design, history of architecture, fashion, and International Studies in Theatre in Italy, Leslie endeavors to inspire her students to create work with integrity, thought and conscience. She has also taught at Theater Conservatory, Design-Tech Department, Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, and,The Accademia Italiana di Design, Rome, Italy International Design School for Theatre & Film. Ms. Yarmo is fluent in the Italian language. 

Joe Solasavich 

Joe Solasavich is a costume designer and the Costume Director at Arena Stage, where he has worked for thirteen seasons on over 100 productions. Mother Courage and Her Children is his Arena Stage design debut. He has realized designs for Theoni Aldredge, Susan Benson, Linda Cho, Anne Hould-Ward, Toni-Leslie James, Willa Kim, Jess Goldstein, Martin Pakledinaz, Carrie Robbins, ESosa, and Paul Tazewell, among others. In addition to his work at Arena Stage, Joe has served in various capacities in costume departments for the Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre, Virginia Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, NBC, HBO and Disney. His internships were with Williamstown Theatre Festival and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Joe studied at the University of Dayton.

Emily DeAngelis 

Emily received her MFA from the University of California San Diego and her BA from Michigan State University. In NYC, she has designed at The Working Theatre, Theatre for the New City, Daryl Roth Productions, The Parsons Dance Company, New Georges, Classical Theatre of Harlem/ HHTF,  The Public Theater Summer Play Festival, Central Park Summer Stage, Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and for Frankel Green Theatricals. She has also designed productions for the national tour of The Soul Doctor, La Jolla Playhouse, The Hungarian Theatre of Clu in Romania, the Yale Dramatic Association, Pacific Coast Performing Arts Center, SEED, Victory Gardens Theatre, and The EPA Theatre in Chicago. Ms. DeAngelis has also been a costume stylist for various commercials for Netflix and Nickelodeon Music Videos.

Carol Ramsdell

Head Draper at Arena Stage, Washington D.C.

Lighting Design

Ken Billington

Since joining the United Scenic Artists Local 829 in 1968,  Ken Billington has worked as an assistant to such designers to Tharon Musser, Thomas Skelton, William Ritman and Pat Collins. In 1973 he lit his first Broadway show, The Visit, directed by Harold Prince and as of April 2014, Ken has designed 98 Broadway productions including Act One, Chaplin, Don’t Dress for Dinner, Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway, Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It, The Scottsboro Boys, are among his numerous Broadway credits. Ken works in all forms of theatrical lighting including opera, dance, concerts and spectaculars. He has designed lighting for 13 productions for the NY City Opera. Other companies include Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, La Scala, Theatro Real in Madrid and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Some of the great entertainers that Ken has lit include Ann Margret, Shirley MacLane, Liberace, Sigfried and Roy, Juliet Prowse, Chita Rivera and Lisa Minelli to name just a few. For 27 years the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular had lighting by Ken Billington as well as the annual Easter Show. Other spectaculars include the relighting of Jubilee at Bally’s Las Vegas in 2004, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, Shamu Rocks at the Seaworld Parks and lluminights at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Ken Billington has been nominated for nine Tony Awards (winning in 1997 for Chicago), and six Drama Desk Awards (once again winning for Chicago in 1997). Ken has been received many awards including the Ace Award for Television Lighting, the Luman Award for Architectural Lighting and many theatre awards including the Tony, NY Drama Desk, Los Angeles Drama Critics and Boston Drama Critics to name a few. A more complete list of his credits can be found at www.kenbillington.com.

David Arch

Lighting Programmer for Broadway including: If/Then; Matilda; Ghost; Lysistrata Jones; Hugh Jackman “Back on Broadway”; Baby Its You; The Book of Mormon; Million Dollar Quartet - On and Off Broadway; Memphis; 9 to 5; West Side Story; Guys and Dolls; “13”; In the Heights; Sunday in the Park with George; Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; A Bronx Tale; Grease; The Pirate Queen; High Fidelity; Lestat; Ring of Fire; The Color Purple; Lennon; Sweet Charity; Pacific Overtures; Fiddler on the Roof; Never Gonna Dance; Dance of the Vampires; Into the Woods; The Crucible; Dreamgirls; 42nd Street; The Rocky Horror Show; Fame; The Life

Lighting Programmer,  Off Broadway & Theatre Tours: The Book of Mormon - Chicago; The Book of Mormon - 1st National Tour; Fela - Off Broadway; The Drowsy Chaperone - Tour; Memphis - 1st National Tour; High School Musical - Tour; The Wiz (Encores); Merrily We Roll Along (Encores); On your Toes (Encores); “First You Dream” Kennedy Center DC; Wonderland (Tampa); White Christmas - Tour; West Side Story - 1st National Tour; Dreamgirls - Tour.

Lighting Programmer, Concerts/Tours - 1993 – 2012 (19 years)Barbra Streisand - Back to Brooklyn Tour; Hugh Jackman - In Performance; Prince - Musicology; Madonna - Drowned World Tour; Madonna - Don’t Tell Me Promo Tour; Madonna - Girly Show Tour; Barbra Streisand - Timeless Tour; Reba McEntire - 1994 -2000; Michael Crawford - Concert tour; Bette Midler - Experience the Divine; Ricky Martin - Livin La Vida Loca Tour; Shakira - 2001 Sony Record Debut; Yanni - 1997 World tour; Lighting Programmer

TV shows and Special Events 1997 – 2011 (14 years) The Tonight Show (Programming Consultant); Iron Chef America; Who wants to be a Millionaire; Sweet Genius; “Living it Up” with Alley and Jack; The Tony Danza Show; Studio 7; The Boston Pops 4th of July; The Apprentice; Imagination Movers; The Conan Writers Live; The James Beard Awards; Fast Track To Fame; Tyra; 2 Minute Drill; Heisman Awards; Viva Variety

Anthony Pearson 

Anthony Pearson is an Australian lighting designer and a member of KB Associates.  He received his degree in lighting design from The National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney (NIDA).  He has designed off-Broadway and regionally at The New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Asolo Repertory Theatre in FL, and at Busch Gardens Williamsburg  His Broadway credits include: as Associate Lighting Designer on Pippin  (Broadway, 2013), Kinky Boots (Broadway, 2013), Finian’s Rainbow (Broadway, 2009), and Boeing-Boeing (Broadway, 2008). As an assistant designer he has contributed to the productions of Other Desert Cities (Broadway, 2011), Looped (Broadway, 2010), Bye Bye Birdie (Broadway, 2009), High Fidelity (Broadway, 2006) The Drowsy Chaperone (Broadway, 2011.)

Technical Director

John Forsman  

Technical Director.  M.F.A., University of Virginia; B.F.A., Nebraska Wesleyan University. Forsman has worked in a variety of theatres across the country. He has worked as the Assistant Technical Director for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and as Stage Crew Supervisor at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. Currently the Technical Director for Hollins Universtiy. 

Stage Management 

Cary Lawless  

Production Manager, Arena Stage, Washington, DC; Production Manager, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee, WI; Production Manager Actors’ Studio Drama School, New School University, NY; Theater Manager, Graduate Theater Division, Columbia University, NY; Stage Manager, The Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City, Utah; Production Manager, School of Fine Arts, University of California, Irvine, California. Member of the Actor’s Equity Association and the American Guild of Variety Artists. Professional member of the Stage Manager Association. Ms. Lawless received her Master of Science at Illinois State University

End of the year at Theatre VCU - so much great stuff...

So many things they should be numbered…
                        (not in order of importance)

one.

Isabel in front of her work at the Anderson Gallery

For the FIRST time our Theatre VCU Grad students have been included in the School of the Arts MFA Thesis Exhibitions (April 25 - May 18, Anderson Gallery). Isabel Tavares de Melo (Costume Design) and Torrie Sanders (Scene Design) are both exhibiting and their work is brilliant!

Please go HERE for more information, and then take a stroll to the Anderson Gallery.

Congratulations to both Isabel & Torrie, as well as many thanks to the fabulous Toni Leslie-James for her perseverance in making this happen!


two.

Yesterday was the 3rd year Musical Theatre Final.

It was a wonderful conclusion to their year. Kudos to the students and to Miss Patti D'Beck and her talented assistants Brad Willcuts and Rebecca Frost Mayer who created SO MANYshow-stopping moments. Ya' know, it's pretty wonderful when a Broadway legend creates magic in your basement, right?

three.

Monday was the Family and Friends night for the 2014 Senior Showcase. It was a great night Two packed performances - ready to hit LA and NYC with 45 minutes of fast tight scenes and 2 great songs. SO much fun. So much talent. A few highlights in photos...

four.

The ball.

coming soon to the blog…. the AMAZING Portfolio Review Day 2014.