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In-School Players Auditions
April 7-8, 5-8 PM
Craig 205
Mystery Plays Auditions
April 7, 5-8 PM
Coger Theatre
UTD Shoestring: Beirut
April 16-17, 7:30 PM
Carrington Auditorium
For a complete list of Upcoming Events, click here. |
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Missouri State University
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Message to T&D Majors
 The following is a message from Mark Biggs, head of the Theatre & Dance Department:
Dear Theatre and Dance Majors,
I write to let you know how important it will be to enroll in the classes you plan to take next fall as soon as you are able to sign up.
April 6 will be the first day to enroll for fall classes this year. And for the first time, there will be no $60 enrollment fee when you register for classes.
It will be especially important to sign up for the theatre and dance classes you need or want to take next fall since the University is going to be more strict this year about classes meeting minimum enrollment levels in order to keep those classes open.
I will be reviewing our course offerings on a regular basis as I try to determine what classes will be able to meet the University's enrollment minimums. Just for your information, the new enrollment expectations are as follows:
100-200 level classes = 20 students
300-400 level classes = 15 students
500 level classes = 8 students
I have already arranged for a large number of our classes to be subscribed at levels lower than the ones listed above - those limited by space, by equipment, by NAST accreditation standards, etc. The enrollment levels in the catalog will give you a good idea of the enrollment levels each of our classes need to meet.
I will do my dead level best to keep all of our classes open, but this will depend to a large extent upon your willingness to enroll early in the classes you need.
Thanks for understanding the new "reality" of the University and our department. Please contact me if you have any questions, or talk with your advisors to get additional insights in this matter.
See you soon,
Mark Biggs
Acting Head, Theatre and Dance
SIDE NOTE: With Missouri State using a new system for class registration,
there has been a lot of confusion as to how the new system works.
Click Here for a video tutorial to find out how to register for classes in Spring 2009.
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Important Dates from the Acting Faculty
 Attention BFA Acting & Musical Theatre Students:
The Acting Faculty wanted to remind you of some important upcoming dates:
Monday April
13th- Kathleen Turner Performance Scholarship Auditions, 6pm-8pm
Sign Up is on the call board. Please prepare 2 monologues (1 classical, 1
contemporary). 4 minutes TOTAL.
You also must have filled out the TD Scholarship application and indicated
interest in this scholarship.
Thursday April
30th- BFA Acting Self Evaluation documents due. The BFA Acting/MT Assessment Checklist and Sign-Up is on the T&D Call Board now! Here are the instructions:
1. Complete BFA
Self-Assessment Form. Form can be found on the TD website under the
document library section (under "Resources") as "Self Evaluation for
Annual BFA Assessment".
2. Make four Copies of completed Self-Assessment Form.
3. For those above sophomore rank, make four copies of your resume to accompany the self-assessment forms.
4. For those above sophomore rank, include one current headshot, to be turned in with self assessments and resume's.
5. Turn all required materials noted above into your area coordinator by Thursday April 30th at 12.00pm.
6. Sign-Up below for one 15 minute assessment time with area faculty.
7. Show up.
Monday May 4th-
Thursday May 7th- Student Evaluations with Acting Faculty. Sign up will be on
the call board. All PERFORMANCE THEATRE classes will be canceled this week in
order to accommodate student evaluations and to give you additional time for
Audition/Final prep. All BFA Actors must sign up for an assessment/evaluation time.
(Graduating seniors will have an assessment time scheduled after their
showcase)
Monday May 4th-
Wednesday May 6th (Evening, Time TBD)- Fall 2009 MSU Theatre Season General
Auditions: Miss Julie, I Love You Because, & Macbeth.
ALL BFA Acting & MT are required to audition. Sign-up and audition
information ARE NOW ON THE CALLBOARD!
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In-School Players Auditions
 Auditions for In-School Players will be held on April 7th & 8th, from 5:00-8:00 PM, in Craig 205.
For those interested in auditioning, please sign up for a 15-minnute spot at the Balcony Callboard. Also, be sure to prepare a 2 to 3 minute monologue and either 16
bars of a song (a cappella) or any other talent that would appeal to children!
The In-School
Players are a small cast of Missouri State University students who travel the
local elementary school and Springfield Public Library circuit to bring live
theater performances to children. Created in the fall of 1984, the cast
consists of six to eight members who present a performance consisting of
stories, poems, and music, all written or adapted by the cast. It is estimated
that the In-School Players Touring Group has entertained over 500,000 children
since it was formed. Membership in ISP
requires a year-long commitment. In the fall, the group meets on Monday and
Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. In the spring, the group meets on Tuesday and
Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m.
SCHOLARSHIPS UP TO $2,000 ARE AVAILABLE FOR
SELECT MEMBERS!For more information on auditions, please contact Michael Frizell at MichaelFrizell@MissouriState.edu. |
UTD Updates
 It's a busy time in the world of UTD!...
-The Oedipus Rex talkback will be held on Friday, April 17th from
1:00-1:50 PM. We encourage and invite all the technical students especially
to attend. The event is free and open to the public.
-The UTD Shoestring Production of Beirut runs April 16th & 17th in Carrington Auditorium.
We are asking for donations to Clint Overstreet and there will be a
separate donation jar for AIDs project of the Ozarks. For people who
cannot attend either date, we are holding an open final dress
(specifically for those people going to the NY showcase) but it would
be appreciated if a donation was made.
-People interested in helping put together the
educational display for AIDs project and protecting yourself from
sexually transmitted diseases, contact Addie Barnhart at Barnhart421@MissouriState.edu.
-We are also beginning to put together the Vickies
ballot. For anyone interested in helping or who has input to make,
contact Addie Barnhart at Barnhart421@MissouriState.edu.
-The Penny Wars to determine the hosts of the 2009 Vickie Awards will be happening soon. If you wish to be considered to host, please contact Addie Barnhart at Barnhart421@MissouriState.edu AND Jessica Morgan at Jessica14@MissouriState.edu.
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Directing II One-Acts
Human Knot Productions presents the Spring 2009 Directing II One Acts! The dates and shows are as follows:
Set A: Thurs., April 23 and Sat., April 25 at 7:30 pm
Bar and Ger directed by Bruce Hartley
A Wedding Story directed by Corey Dunne
The Siren Song of Stephen Jay Gould directed by Adman Gilgour
Funeral Parlor directed by Andy Willadsen
Set B: Fri., April 24 at 7:30 pm and Sat., April 25 at 2:30 pm
The Chocolate Affair directed by Carol Auterson
'Tis Pity He's a Whore directed by Timothy Hart
The Roads That Lead Here directed by Felicia Hall
Now We're Really Getting Somewhere directed by Stephanie Curry
Here We Are directed by Rachel Masters This event is FREE and open to the public... but space is limited, so get there early! Any questions, please contact Andy Willadsen at Willadsen13@MissouriState.edu |
Modern Mystery Plays Auditions
 Auditions for Modern Mysteries continue TONIGHT, Tuesday, April 7th, from 5-8 in Coger Theatre.
The Mystery Plays this year include:
-Moving, directed by Marnie Liesel
-Israel Ink, directed by Hannah Duncan
-Samson and Delilah, directed by Chelsea Russell
For those interested, or for more information please contact Tony Korol-Evans at DrKTKorolEvans@yahoo.com.
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New York Showcase
 The Musical Theatre Senior
Showcase will take place in New York on Tuesday, April 21st, at 3:30pm & 5:30pm in the New World Stages (340 W50th St.)
The seniors who will be performing this year include Addie
Barnhart,
Samantha
Barboza, Stephanie
Elzea, Emily
Bolt, Kelly
Hogan, Bryan
Benware, Stephanie
Brown, Beca
Rasch, Jackson
McKeehan, and Doran
Schmidt.
Break a leg to all who are performing!
For more information, visit the Missouri State Talent Connect Website!
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Spring 2009 Course: Green Theatre
 Presenting a new course for Spring 2009:
Green Theatre
THE 497-001, Fall 2009
Professors: Dr. Kurt Heinlein and Dr. Inno Onwueme
MW 3:00-3:50, 3 Credit Hours
Green Theatre: This course is an exciting opportunity for a diverse body of students who hold an interest in the means by which theatre can address social issues, and more specifically, how it can impact socio-environmental concerns. The course is aimed at utilizing investigative tools toward the development of new Green theatrical works in an ensemble environment.
The course will have a multi-tiered structure:
Tier One: Investigation
During this phase, students will be led through the task of investigating socio-
environmental issues that can be explored through theatrical development and
production.
Tier Two: Theatrical Development.
Students will work in small groups and utilize their investigative research to develop new Green theatrical texts. In true ensemble fashion, students will have the opportunity to work as researchers, writers, actors, and directors, while developing their work toward performance.
Tier Three: Performance.
The course will culminate in a public reading/presentation of the new works and a possible initiative toward publication.
Prerequisite: This course is open to students with a variety of interests and backgrounds including writers, actors, directors, activists, and those with a scientific orientation. Prerequisite is a true desire to participate and permission of instructor.
*If you are a theatre major, please be sure to chat with your advisor about how this course may fulfill unmet degree requirements.
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"Performing on Camera" Workshop
 FREE WORKSHOP FOR ALL THEATRE & DANCE STUDENTS!
Feature and Documentary Filmmakers Glen Pitre & Michelle Benoit will be visiting MSU as part of the Public Affairs Conference. They will also be offering the following workshop and screening:
Performing on Camera
Wednesday April 22nd, 11am-1pm, Craig Hall Balcony Theatre
This
session will provide students the opportunity to engage in a mock
audition with feature and documentary filmmakers Glen Pitre and
Michelle Benoit, and to gain important insights about the logistics of
film performance and the "on camera" industry. Substantial time will be
provided for inquiries and discussion. Audition participants will be pre-selected. All university students are invited to view auditions and participate in discussion. *
Screening and Discussion: American Creole: A New Orleans Reunion
Wednesday April 22nd, 3:00-5:00pm, Plaster Student Union Theatre
American Creole
"follows musician Don Vappie after Katrina and asks if culture emerges
from landscape, what happens when the landscape is forever changed."
Screening will be followed by a question/answer session. This Session
is open to all university students.*
*These
events are made possible through collaboration from COAL, Theatre &
Dance, Media Journalism & Film, and through support from the
futures grant Green Theatre: Vanishing Wetlands, Vanishing Cultures.
Artist Biographies:
Husband and wife filmmaking team Glen Pitre
and Michelle Benoit have garnered recognition worldwide for their
features and documentaries. Whether in film or video, their production
company, Côte Blanche, specializes in bringing the stories and history
of southern Louisiana to audiences. Pitre and Benoit have created
award winning films featuring the talents of Robert Duvall, Armand
Assante, Tim Curry, George Kennedy, Billy Zane, Julian Sands, Lacey
Chabert, and Tatum O'Neal, among others.
Their most recent feature collaborations include The Man Who Came Back, about the first labor strike post Civil War, and The Scoundrel's Wife (released as The Home Front), a feature about WWII on the bayou home front.
They recently completed the fourth in a
series of documentaries about coastal wetlands loss for the National
Estuary Program. Called Harvest to Restore America's Coastal Heartland, it details the impact of this natural and man-made disaster on the U.S. and what can be done to reverse it. American Creole: New Orleans Reunion, a documentary about post-Katrina New Orleans aired on PBS in 2006. In 2003, Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert acclaimed Pitre "a legendary American regional director."
Benoit most recently served as Artist-in-Residence at the University of New Orleans.
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Dance Day
On Saturday, May 2nd, the Theatre & Dance Department will be sponsoring "Dance Day" at Missouri State University, for students between the ages of 12 and 18!
Students will be able to take dance classes, meet
the dance faculty, and attend
the Spring Dance Concert.
The "Dance Day" Itinerary includes:
10:00
AM - 11:30 AM: Dance Class
11:30
AM - 12:30 PM: Lunch in the PSU
12:30
PM - 2:00 PM: Modern Class
2:00
PM - 3:30 PM: Jazz Class
3:30
PM - 5:00 PM: Workshop and Discussion with Teachers
7:30
PM - 9:30 PM: Art In Motion Spring Dance Concert in Coger Theatre
All classes and workshops will be in McDonald 203.
To register call the Theatre and Dance
Department Office at (417)
836-4400 or e-mail Sara Brummel at SaraBrummel@MissouriState.edu.
Cost
- $8.00 per student.
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TADbits
 Introducing TAD Tidbits- aka TADbits. These are just small random bits of news!
-Congrats to Professor Telory Davies, who recently published her first book, "Performing Disability: Staging the Actual."
Click Here for more information.
-The "Arts in Action" 10 Week Festival is going strong! Click Here to read the Springfield News-Leader article on the events, which includes a mention of the MSU Spring Dance Concert!
-Broadway star Diedre Goodwin is currently featured in the MSU Alumni Spotlight.
-The First Annual
BFA Acting Showcase will be held Saturday May 9th at 7:30 in Coger Theatre
on the MSU campus. Admission is Free. More information to be announced in future TAD eUpdates.
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TAD Giveaway
 This week, you can win two tickets to the Swan Rep. Theatre's production of The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote for it's opening weekend, April 9-11, at 7:30 PM, at the Skinny Improv Theatre.
If you wish to be entered in this giveaway, please respond to this e-mail with "Trip to Bountiful" in the Subject Field by THURSDAY, APRIL 9TH AT 11:30 AM! You MUST include the date(s) which you are available to see the show!
Directed by George Cron, this poignant story of Mrs. Watts, an aging widow living with her son and daughter-in-law in a three-room flat in Houston, Texas. Fearing that her presence may be an imposition on others, and chafing under the watchful eye of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Watts imagines that if she can get away and return to her old home in the town of Bountiful, she is sure to regain her strength, dignity and peace of mind. So she attempts to run away, and when she reaches a bus station on the last part of her short journey, she falls into the hands of a sheriff whom her son and daughter-in-law have put on her trail. The sheriff, a kindly fellow, allows her to complete the final stage of her journey, so she proceeds to Bountiful and makes a lonely pilgrimage to the scene of her old home. Only too soon she learns that the friends of her youth have all died or scattered, and her home is no longer the spacious mansion of her memories but a crumbling wreck. But she has the supreme satisfaction of plunging her hands into the strength-giving earth, and this leaves her with a sense of that strength and dignity that will give her the courage to survive. When her son and daughter-in-law appear on the scene to take her back to Houston, she consents to return quietly, secure in the knowledge that the remainder of her existence will be enriched as a result of her last contact with Bountiful.
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The TAD eUpdate is released every Tuesday at 5:00 PM. Should you have any new or updated information, perhaps something you want to share, please contact Matt Tassell (Tassell65456@MissouriState.edu).
The TAD eUpdate does not replace the department's callboards. Continue to check the callboards every day for more information.
This is an official publication of the Missouri State University Department of Theatre and Dance.
Please send corrections or comments to Matt Tassell (Tassell65456@MissouriState.edu).
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© 2008 Department of Theatre and Dance, Missouri State University
