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
Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts announced Professor John B. Benitz has been appointed the new chairperson for the Department of Theatre, effective immediately. Benitz shared the department chair responsibility in the 2015-16 academic year with Professor Don Guy as the department transitioned from the leadership of Dr. Nina LeNoir who held the position from
Inspired by the infamous 1927 murder trial of spouse killer Ruth Snyder, Machinal is the powerful tale of one woman’s isolation in a life that’s been entirely decided for her. Snyder is trapped first in a dead-end job, then forced to marry her boss and have a baby with him. But when she begins to discover her
During Interterm, a group of 14 students from various disciplines took “Impro for People Skills” with Dr. Theresa R. Dudeck, instructor of acting. In this course, students applied improvisational theatre theories and techniques to improve their soft skills (e.g., authentically engaging with others, collaborating, taking risks, motivating others, spontaneously and effectively delivering a story or
Six Chapman theatre students will be attending the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Regional Festival in Los Angeles, February 19-22, to take part in a variety of activities. Harrison Givens ’14 is a semi-finalist in the Ten-Minute play competition and Kesia Ross ’14 will be competing in the Stage Management Competition. Two
The Henry Kemp-Blair Shakespeare Festival is an annual event hosted by Chapman University’s Department of Theatre. This year’s festival will take place February 14 and 15. All California high schools are invited, but only 21 can participate. Our participants come from as far away as Novato, San Diego and Palm Springs and as close as Anaheim and
The Department of Theatre presents A Night of Noh Theatre in the Waltmar Theatre, February 13-15, 20-22, conceived and directed by associate professor Tamiko Washington. The beauty of movement comes to life in this innovative and original adaptation of Japanese Noh Theatre, transformed on the stage using Tadashi Suzuki’s captivating movement style. If you have
Alicia Guy, associate professor of dance, and Don Guy, assistant professor of theatre, took a group of dance majors and technical theatre students to see a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Totem in Irvine and then did a backstage tour lead by the company manager, technical director and operations manager.
If All the Sky Were Paper, directed by associate professor of theatre John Benitz, was featured on a CNN segment that aired on Veterans Day that also included an interview with playwright Andrew Carroll. Professor Benitz also appeared on WAMC radio , the NPR station for Upstate NY, Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and New Jersey