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Michael Kennedy's Farewell Roast |
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This Week Rachel Mayer at the Kennedy Center At the festival, Mayer networked with directors from both the undergraduate and graduate level, take workshops and master classes with renowned artists, and attend productions that performed at the Kennedy Center. It was a full week of classes and discussions with many theatre artists. Two workshops required Mayer to prepare presentations. One of those workshops was with renowned scenic designer, Ming Cho Lee. For this class, Mayer prepared a photo gallery of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” that included inspiration for the physical world of the play and photographs of what the characters should look like. The workshop included both directors and scenic designers. Says Mayer of the experience, “We were all incredibly nervous and intimidated going into the workshop, but it was an amazing experience to work with him.” Mayer also prepared a concept presentation for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” to present to John Dillon, the founder of the fellowship that she received. Other workshop opportunities included working with Matt Chapman from the Theatre Dell’Arte and Vyachelav Dolgachev from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in Moscow. Mayer also toured the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in D.C. and talked with the artistic director, Howard Shalwitz. Other workshops were discussion based and put the directors together with playwrights and designers. One workshop in particular focused on the collaboration process between directors and designers. Mayer explains, “Coming from a smaller department, where I’ve had the opportunity to choose my designers, it was incredibly helpful to learn about working with people that you aren’t familiar with during the creative process.” After six full days of classes and workshops, Mayer saw the invited productions from other regions in the Kennedy Center. “One show that really stood out for me was a production of “Tongues,” by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin. It was a very short show (only a little over an hour), but it was a brilliant and moving piece of physical theatre that was amazing to see,” says Mayer. “The entire week was one incredibly busy, amazing experience,” says Mayer, “I feel incredibly lucky to have had this opportunity. I learned a great deal, and met many wonderful people, and just had the most rewarding experience.” |
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The End of One Era, the Beginning of Another When asked about what he was most looking forward to in coming to SAU as a professor he responded, “The people. Getting to work with people I know and respect and have enjoyed working with in the past. It’s a chance to reconnect, as well as meet new people. SAU is a place I hold near and dear to my heart. The people and the location are great. I love Iowa, which is a great place to raise a family, and I have a growing family, but it’s not far from Chicago, St. Louis, and the Twin Cities. It’s a great central Midwest location for the theatre community.” Rairdin-Hale is an actor in addition to his new job as professor. After attending SAU Hale attended graduate school at DePaul University in Chicago, where he had an experience that led him towards teaching. “I had an experience in Chicago where I was helping out a fellow grad student who was teaching a class at Columbia. He brought in guest artists, and I got to teach one of his classes on Commedia ‘dell Arte. I’ve always enjoyed teaching, I enjoy teaching and performing, and I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive.” Does Rairdin-Hale have any specific goals he wants to accomplish in his first years at SAU? “I want to bring a flavor of my Chicago training and experience to the QCA. What exactly that means, I’m not sure. I’ve had some amazing experiences in Chicago and I’d like to bring some of that energy and excitement with me as I teach classes and direct shows here. I think the theatre dept. is already vibrant and successful, but I’m excited to add my own texture to the mix.” That being said, what are his feelings stepping into the position previously held by Mike Kennedy? “They are big shoes to fill, big rubber bands to chew, but I will do my best. I have nothing but respect for Michael Kennedy, he’s a great professor and a really great friend, and we’ve worked together, but I am looking to make the position my own.” Starting in the fall, Rairdin-Hale will be teaching Survey of Theatre, Acting for Non-Majors, Advanced Acting, as well as directing the Children’s Show in December. Best of Luck on your future time here Dan! |
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Announcing the 2009-2010 Studio Theatre Season… “Fat Pig” is the story of Tom, a well-to-do, attractive businessman who falls for Helen, an overweight librarian. Even though their romance is blossoming, Tom is reluctant to share his relationship with his friends. When he finally tells his friends about Helen, their reaction is entirely negative. They tell him that it is important that he “run with his own kind.” In the end, Tom is ultimately forced to make a decision about his relationship with Helen. “Fat Pig” will be in the Studio Theatre September 10, 11, and 12. The cast is as follows: The second show in the Studio Theatre will be performed March 25, 26, and 27, 2010 and will be David Mamet’s “Sexual Perversity in Chicago.” The show will be directed by SAU Junior Katie McCormack. “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” follows the lives of two men and two women in Chicago’s dating pool during the 1970s. Bernie, a misogynist who has been around the block a few times, and Danny, his slightly more naïve friend, encounter Debbie and Joan, two women in their mid 20s who haven't had very good luck with men. Debbie and Danny have a one night stand that, surprisingly enough, turns into a relationship that ends about as well as it started. Catch “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” next March! |
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Announcing the Newest Mike Kennedy Scholar!
The newest recipient of the scholarship is Stephanie Seward, a senior graduating from Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa this May. Stephanie chose St. Ambrose after participating in “Pippin” here last spring. She said, “It was such a fantastic experience and I loved everyone I worked with. Before the show had finished, I knew St. Ambrose was the place for me.” Stephanie has been doing theatre since she was in fourth grade, but has been around it her entire life while watching her parents and her brothers perform. Some of her previous roles include, Rosalie Wells in “The Children’s Hour,” Mayzie La Bird in SAU’s production of “Seussical Jr!,” an ensemble member in “Pippin,” Miss Prism in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Delilah in “The Father of the Bride,” and the Baker’s Wife in “Into the Woods.” Her favorite theatrical experience has been “Pippin.” When asked to describe her experience, Stephanie said, “I grew so much through that show, both as a performer and as a person and I met so many great people; also, it helped me make a pretty major decision about my future.” Stephanie hopes to continue her growth as a person and a performer at St. Ambrose while establishing connections and making lifelong friends. Previous recipients of the award were SAU Senior Seth Kaltwasser (2005), SAU Junior Catie Osborn (2006), SAU Senior Ryan Westwood (2007), and SAU Freshman Justine Petesch (2008). The Michael Kennedy Scholarship is given to students who meet the following criteria:
The SAU Theatre Department would like to formally welcome Stephanie to our family and wish her the best of luck in her transition! |
Stephanie DeLacy Named Outstanding Theatre Major of 2009
Stephanie DeLacy has been named been named the Outstanding Theatre Major of 2009. This award goes to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average. Stephanie DeLacy came to St. Ambrose originally for the Physical Therapy program. She also liked that it was close to home seeing as she had never been away from home for more than five days before college. She decided she needed to find a school that felt like home to her, and Ambrose happened to be it. When asked to describe her experience with the SAU theatre department Stephanie said, “Words can't even begin to describe it. The theatre department is my second family. They have helped me grow and shape me into who I am now. If it hadn't have been for Kris [Eitrheim], I never would have tried anything outside of acting. He taught me how to hang lights without having a panic attack (well...without having a major one) and that I COULD stage manage a show. If it hadn't been for Cory [Johnson], I never would have conquered my biggest fear: singing in front of others. I will never ever be able to thank her enough for that. If it hadn't been for Mike, I never would have done a musical...EVER! And if it hadn't have been for every single theatre student, I wouldn't still be here at Ambrose. You guys have been my support and my strength for three years and I love you all. I know its cliche, but you have made ME a better person, and I appreciate that more than words can say.” Stephanie said there is no possible way for her to pick just one favorite experience with the SAU theatre department. Her first show was “Eastern Standard” so it holds a special place in her heart, but “Sweeney Todd” was her first musical here so she will also never forget her great experience with that. Her favorite role was Sara in “Stop Kiss,” and she describes her stage management experience with “Seussical Jr.” as fantastic! Stephanie said, “One of my favorite memories was the night Seth, Dan and I stayed up until 2am working on light plots for lighting design. We had no idea what we were doing and ended up drawing mini Batmans all over our plots...the night ended with lots of swear words and ripped up paper...and some photographic evidence!” Stephanie’s plans for next year include staying in town for another year or two while working as a fulltime tap/jazz/hiphop teacher at a dance studio in Bettendorf. She will also be choreographing Assumption High School’s musical next spring. She can’t wait to find out where her future will lead her. St. Ambrose wishes its Outstanding Theatre Major of 2009 the best of luck with her future endeavors! |
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SAU Theatre Department’s Production of "Sweeney Todd" a Success
“Sweeney Todd” tells the story of a London barber, Benjamin Barker, who is wrongfully accused of crimes and sent to prison in Australia. Fifteen years later, Barker, now going by the alias Sweeney Todd, returns to London hoping to find the wife and child he left behind. While looking for his family he meets Mrs. Lovett, a woman who owns a pie shop below his own former tonsorial parlor. Mrs. Lovett informs him his wife is dead and his daughter has been living as a ward to the judge, the tyrant responsible for Todd’s wrongful conviction. Todd vows to get revenge, but as the path to the judge becomes more and more cluttered, Lovett convinces him to start eliminating, literally, all people in his path on the way to the judge. Todd agrees, and soon enough Todd’s tonsorial parlor has become a house of death. When finally Todd gets the judge in his hands and at last gets his revenge, he realizes that in his course to right the wrongs of the past, he has killed or lost everything he loved to begin with. Sweeney Todd sold to larger-than-normal audiences perhaps partially due to the recent release of Tim Burton’s film version, but also due in part to the final Michael Kennedy show and the large cast. With the ensemble and leads totaling 28, there were quite a few bodies to place around the stage. Kennedy was assisted by Shellee Frazee, choreographer/ensemble movement for “Sweeney Todd.” “Being in the ensemble was a real challenge,” said SAU Senior Steph DeLacy. “This was my first and only mainstage show at SAU, and it was quite the experience! I’m a dancer, but this choreography and movement was so different than anything I have ever done before. With all the specific head pops and movements on certain words, as well as staying on stage for the entire show and being very still for long periods of time. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to work with Mike as well as everyone else in the show!” “Sweeney Todd” was the last show of the 2008-09 season to be a part of the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival. Each KC/ACTF has two Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition Nominees, and the final nominees for this year are SAU Sophomore Andrew Benson, for his role of Adolfo Pirelli, fellow barber and victim of Sweeney Todd, and SAU Senior Sarah Ulloa, for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett. Congratulations to all involved, especially Michael Kennedy on a spectacular directing career at SAU! |
The school year is winding down, but the students of the SAU Theatre Department are still going strong. Here’s a list of some exciting theatre work by St. Ambrose students coming this summer: Andrew Benson “I am an Indian, ensemble member, and flying operator,” says Benson. “I heard about auditions at school, so I went to Circa to audition and then attended a callback.” This experience will also require Benson to use some of his technical skills. “I will be operating the flying mechanism of one of the family members or Peter Pan.” “Peter Pan” will open on June 19 and run through August 29. Jessica Denney Emily Kurash Sarah Ulloa |
SAU Theatre Students Gain Experience Abroad Abby VanGerpen in England “This semester I have had the chance to get more involved in the drama program here. It’s definitely a lot different from back home! I’m currently in a stagecraft class in which we had to design an entire show on our own throughout the semester and then create a large portfolio of everything we did and then that is our only grade! It’s been extremely stressful at some points but I have been learning so much because of it! I’ve really taken a liking to costume and set designing. “I’ve also been involved with a forum theatre class. One of our assignments was to perform for students in the social worker program and teach them through doing scenes. It requires a lot of research on the topic you are trying to teach as well as a lot of improv. I had to play an 8-year-old abused girl with no script and solely going off student’s questions. “I also just recently performed in an event for charity called ‘Dedication to the Stage.’ It’s a two hour cabaret-like show with lots of dancing and singing to musical classics. It was a ton of fun and all the proceeds went to cancer research. I’ve also gotten involved with the Northern Line Musical Theatre Company. It’s basically a company that meets once or twice a week and rehearses for shows. They put on about one every two months and they range from variety shows to shows like “Little Shop of Horrors” which we are putting on next week. “I’m also in a second-year’s scene for their directing class. It’s “The Beggar’s Opera,” and I play Polly Peachum! It’s been really fun to revive the role because I loved it so much when we did it [at SAU] a few years ago. “I would not trade my experiences abroad this past year for anything in the world. It has definitely been a year to remember and I have made some fantastic life-long friendships with people here. This experience has taught me so much about the world and most importantly, about myself. It’s going to be so hard to leave, but I cannot wait to get back and see everyone as well! I've missed you guys so much!” Jaci Entwisle in Morocco “This is definitely a new and different experience for me, which is what I was searching for when I looked for somewhere to study abroad. I chose Morocco because it was off the beaten path (not many students choose to study here), it was somewhere I hadn't been before, and it would give me the opportunity to learn not one, but two new languages (Arabic and French). “Language has certainly been one of the biggest challenges, but also one of the biggest rewards. I enrolled in intensive French and Arabic classes, and have picked up enough French to get around the city. Arabic is more just something cool that I can read now, because it took so long to learn the alphabet (I have picked up some Derija, or street Arabic). “We've taken several excursions to other places in Morocco, like Fes and Casablanca, and we met up with a group of students studying in Spain for a trip to the desert, where we rode camels and watched the sun rise over the Saharan dunes. “I think some of the best experiences, however, have come independently. A group of three of us (the only three in French class, in fact) go on adventures occasionally. I've also enrolled in a belly-dancing class near our apartment. The instructor speaks no English, but she did mention something along the lines of how I must be a little Moroccan during class last night! I'm also taking embroidery and ceramics lessons at a local women's association (again, where nobody speaks English), so I'm getting out and about on my own as much as I can. “Something that Moroccans are known for is their hospitality, and we've certainly felt that. People will invite you to their homes for dinner after having known you for 10 minutes. Shopowners will offer you tea if you are in their shop for a few minutes. At the association, the women brought us tea and cookies and offered to make us lunch for the next time we come in. The food and tea are consistently delicious, which is something I will miss terribly when I leave. I've started watching our cook, Saida, to see how she prepares some of our dishes, including the weekly couscous (on Fridays), in hopes that I might be able to recreate them when I return. “I'm hoping that this experience will help me in the future because it has exposed me to something I hadn't known before. It's given me the opportunity to write a lot, including a promising start to a play. I have certainly missed performing, and am looking forward to getting back to Ambrose to complete my final semester!” |
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Freshman Spotlight: Tyler Reinert
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| Freshman Spotlight: Katie Harrington
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Theatre in the QCA This Month Show: “Church Basement Ladies” Show: Going Back Naked: New Plays by Local Playwrights Show: ComedySportz Quad Cities Show: The Children’s Hour Show: The Graduate Show: Trojan Woman |
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SAU Theatre Newsletter Next Issue
Thank you all for your continued support of the SAU Theatre Department and we look forward to another great year with you all!! Please use our convenient signup page to manage your subscription to SAU e-newsletters. Visit the St. Ambrose University Web site for more information about courses offered, degrees, events, and staff. And also check out the SAU Theatre Website for more information about the Theatre Department, or contact theatre chair Kristofer Eitrheim by email or by phone at 563/333-6255. |
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Department Chair: Kristofer Eitrheim - 563/333-6255
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SAU Senior Rachel Mayer spent a week in Washington, D.C., for the National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Mayer was selected to participate in the festival after being selected as the Region V winner for her scene in Melanie Marnich’s “Quake.” She also earned the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers Fellowship.
This month, The SAU Theatre Department named the fifth recipient of the annual Michael Kennedy Theatre Scholarship, which was established in 2004 to provide funds for students majoring in theatre. The gifts of several SAU alumni and faculty helped to establish the fund with an idea to honor the many contributions that SAU Theatre Professor Michael Kennedy has made to Ambrose's department.
For three days audiences were treated to a few hours of blood, guts, revenge, deceit, and some spectacular performances in the theatre. The final mainstage show of SAU’s 2008-09 season, “Sweeney Todd,” ran from April 17-19. “Sweeney Todd” was Michael Kennedy’s final directing project as an SAU faculty member.
Abby VanGerpen, SAU Junior, has been studying abroad in England since September of 2008. When asked about her experience thus far, this is what she shared.
SAU Senior Jaci Entwisle has been studying abroad in Morocco since January. This is what she had to say about her experience.
Hometown: Davenport, IA 
Hometown:
Lakeside, Iowa 
Hometown: Waukee, IA Copyright 2009St. Ambrose University 518 W. Locust Street Davenport IA 52803 563/333-6000Contact SAU