The College of Performing Arts has added Wilson Mendieta to the Department of Dance faculty beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. Mendieta joins Chapman University as assistant professor of dance. He worked previously at the University of Washington as director of the musical theatre program. “I am excited to bring Wilson to Chapman,” said Julianne
The College of Performing Arts announces the addition of Nick Gabriel as a full-time tenure-track faculty to the Department of Theatre. As a resident artist at the American Conservatory Theater and Director of Studio A.C.T., Professor Gabriel also serves on the associate faculty of A.C.T.’s Master of Fine Arts program. “I am extremely excited about
Department of Theatre alumna and actress/singer/writer Leah McKendrick’s film M.F.A. made its debut this week at the SXSW (South by South West) Festival in Austin, TX (March 10 – 19, 2017). The film follows the aftermath of a vicious campus rape, including the violent death of the attacker, and the revenge campaign engendered by the
The Who’s Tommy reaches deep and leaves no element of heartbreak unexplored in its tale of self-discovery and familial reconciliation. It is a challenging musical for many reasons; actors must infuse every moment with energy worthy not only of immortal rock stars, but also of vulnerable humans. The Pinball Wizard of The Who’s Tommy experiences the glories of rock and roll and
Of course, Pinball Wizard is his favorite number. Never mind that it’s hard to keep a straight face as an absurdly-costumed cast prances around him while he compulsively plays a pinball machine. This is The Who’s Tommy, and if you’re Tommy you just have to love the iconic moment in the 1969 rock opera when
Surrounded by small piles of dark sweaters and jackets, 21 Chapman University student dancers swirl around the floor at the Partridge Dance Center. Despite their closeness, the dancers avoid each other’s touch and stick to their contained spheres of motion. Several times they lift cupped hands to their eyes, creating singular tunnel visions. This collection
On Sunday, November 6, renowned British theatre director Phelim McDermott spent 90 minutes with Dr. Theresa Dudeck and her theatre students in the Waltmar Theatre, talking about his range of work over the last 30 years as a theatre and opera director, creator, collaborator, and improviser. McDermott, one of the masterminds behind the dark,
This weekend October 21-23, Opera Chapman will perform selections from two of Kurt Weill’s masterworks at Musco Center for the Arts. The show consists of a compilation of arias and duets from Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) and Street Scene, two of Weill’s masterpieces, performed in the
This week, the Department of Theatre opens with two repertory productions focused on timely issues that are found in today’s headlines and faced by today’s youth. Good Kids by Naomi Iizuka, directed by James Gardner, and Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Bert V. Royal, directed by Nanci Ruby, begin an alternating schedule October 11 through