MEDIA ALERT: Cirque du Soleil Returns to Chapman University With Its 2nd Annual Entertainment Technology Symposium, Friday-Sunday, Oct. 12-14

WHAT:                        Cirque du Soleil’s 2^nd Annual Entertainment Technology Symposium

 

WHEN:                        Friday-Sunday, October 12-14, 2012

 

WHERE:                       Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, Calif.

 

HOW MUCH:             Symposium $40 for the public; free for Chapman University students, faculty and staff

 

FREE PUBLIC EVENTS:                  Free outdoor screenings of two full-length Cirque du Soleil movies on the Chapman campus – all ages are invited to enjoy!

• “Flow: A Tribute to the Artists of ‘O’” – Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., Attallah Piazza
• “The Mystery of Mystere” – Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., Attallah Piazza

DETAILS:                     Cirque du Soleil returns to Chapman University as the famed entertainment company conducts its second educational symposium at the university.  Last year more than 1,400 students and faculty from California, Arizona and Nevada attended the inaugural symposium, directed by husband-wife assistant professors Alicia Guy from Chapman’s Department of Dance and Don Guy, head of Entertainment Technology at Chapman.  Both professors have a longtime working relationship with Cirque du Soleil.

This symposium is the first of its kind at a university, offering master classes, taught by top artistic and technical representatives from Cirque and other companies,  in a variety of “behind-the-scenes” live-show areas, such as lighting, rigging, makeup and costuming, projections, stage management for large-scale shows, casting, choreography and movement, company management and operations, props, technical direction and much more.

Partnering with Cirque du Soleil to offer symposium classes at Chapman will be Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Creative Entertainment, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Columbus McKinnon, Rosco Laboratories and others.

The purpose of the symposium is to introduce students to the world of backstage crafts and technology on large-scale live touring shows such as Cirque du Soleil and many Las Vegas shows and the like, and to help prepare students for careers in this fascinating and fast-growing field, which has a great need for well-trained personnel.  The symposium is open to anyone who has the desire to learn more about the tech side of the live entertainment industry.

More information: Cirque du Soleil Symposium at Chapman University website: www.chapman.edu/cirque

MEDIA:                       

Print and broadcast media are welcome to attend and cover the symposium and interview Professors Alicia and Don Guy and the students.

NOTE that Cirque du Soleil will NOT be performing – this is a technical symposium on behind-the-scenes careers.  However, some of the classes, such as makeup, choreography and theater exercises, will be highly visual.

Check the Master Class Schedule at http://www.chapman.edu/cirque/MasterClassDescriptions.pdf for a complete list of classes and times.

MEDIA CONTACT (please call ahead for campus parking and other information):

Mary Platt

Director of Communications and Media Relations

Chapman University

One University Drive, Orange, CA

OFFICE: platt@chapman.edu