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Theatre
Newsletter: March 2005
St.
Ambrose University Theatre Department Newsletter
March Edition
March 8, Edition 6 - '04-'05
518 West Locust St. Davenport, IA 52804
Department
Chair: Kristofer Eitrheim - (563) 333-6255, EitrheimKristoferJ@sau.edu
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Corinne Johnson - (563)
333-6427, JohnsonCorinneS@sau.edu
Newsletter Editor: Jenny Stodd, SAU Junior,
SAUTheatreNews@Yahoo.com
Contributing Journalists: Daniel Sheridan, SAU
Senior / Emily Clifton, SAU Sophomore/ Andrew Harvey, SAU
Sophomore
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In This Issue:
1. Upcoming Studio Production of The
Children's Hour
2. New Theatre Topics courses
offered for Fall 2005
3. Alumni Awareness : Susan Sharp
and Eric Behnke
4. A look at graduate school
opportunities
5. Freshman Spotlight : Sean
Tweedale
6. Senior Salute : Allison
Costello
7. SAU students teach children at
Davenport Jr. Theatre
8. Theatre Around the QCA
============================================================
THE
HOUR IS NEAR FOR NEXT STUDIO SHOW
Contrary to the title, this play is not
for children. The
Children's Hour, by Lillian Hellman, is a play about
two women teaching young girls at a private school.
Their school and lives change forever when Mary
(Colleen Winters), a deceitful student, tells her
grandmother (Kayla Tramp) a secret about her two teachers
Miss Dobie (Claire Richards) and Miss Wright (Sarah Ade).
This secret causes the teachers to lose their jobs
and dignity.
The cast and crew is made up fully of
SAU students, many making their SAU debut.
Freshman Sean Tweedale is working on his first show
at SAU as assistant stage manager.
Senior Sarah Ade is undertaking the role of Karen who
is the teacher who loses everything: her school, her fiance
(Jacob Kendall), and much, much more.
Heather Feist, Kristen Raabe, and Freshman Kayla
Tramp are also new to the SAU stage.
Sue Brandt, a Senior Theater Major, is directing full
length play for the first time and is really excited about
how well the show is going.
Stage Manager Emily Clifton commented,
"Everybody in the cast and crew is working really hard,
and they're all pumped about how well the show is going.
I can't wait to see all the elements come
together."
WHERE:
Galvin Fine Arts Center, Studio Theatre
WHEN:
Friday, April 1st @ 7:30pm
Satuday, April 2nd @ 7:30pm
Sunday, April 3rd @ 3:00pm
TICKETS:
*Reserve Tickets at the Galvin Box
Office (563) 333 - 6251.
*The studio is a limited seating venue, 50 seats.
Reserve your seat today.
*$6 for all tickets.
CAST:
Peggy............................Ashley
Allen
Catherine.......................Heather
Feist
Mrs. Mortar...................Caciona
Reece
Martha Dobie..............Claire
Richards
Karen Wright...............Sarah Ade
Helen...........................Jessica
Stratton
Evelyn..........................Kristin
Raabe
Mary Tilford...................Colleen
Winters
Dr. Cardin......................Jake
Kendall
Rosalie Wells.................Christine
Goodall
Agatha.........................Amanda
Bourn
Amelia Tilford.................Kayla
Tramp
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DON'T REGISTER BEFORE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE!
The St. Ambrose University Theatre
Department is overjoyed to offer students three wonderful
"topics" courses for the Fall 2005 Semester.
Topics courses are defined as any specialty course
that serves the specific needs of the theatre department.
In the past, SAU has offered courses in Musical
Theatre, Theatre in London, and Theatre in Ireland as topics
that have later made their way into the permanent
curriculum. Two new topics and one taken out of the archives are
introduced in the fall of 2005.
Each course is worth three credit hours and taught on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Acting for the Camera (THTR 220)
will be taught by Michael Kennedy on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 12:15-1:20pm. Kennedy
has over ten years of experience teaching the class which is
based in part on his own film experience.
The course gives basic acting skills of stage, and
adaptation to television and cinematic techniques.
Students view themselves on video tape for production
and evaluation purposes.
Both beginning and advanced students may take this
course. In addition to the camera work and cinematic skills
learned, Dr. Cory Johnson will guest lecture for
approximately one month to pass on information she obtained
during her 2004 sabbatical in Los Angeles, CA.
No prerequisites are necessary.
Shakespeare Performance (THTR 320a) is
a chance for students, beginning to advanced, to go back in
time and stretch their acting muscles through the brilliant
works of William Shakespeare.
This class is for you if you have an interest in
performing Shakespeare and would like to gain greater
knowledge of Shakespearean history.
The course, taught by Dr. Cory Johnson on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 10:50am-12:05pm, does not fulfill the ENG
303 Shakespearean Lit requirement, nor does it assure you a
role in the proposed spring 2005 production of Much Ado
About Nothing. It
does, however, help you a great deal to audition for the
show, and if you are even considering being a part of Much
Ado, Dr. Johnson highly recommends you take this course!
Mike Kennedy will also be a guest instructor in the
class as he shares his knowledge of and experience in
Shakespeare performance. No prerequisites are necessary.
Movement for Actors I (THTR 320b)
is an exciting addition to our regular schedule this fall.
Taught by Shellee Frazee, the class has a dance
element (mostly beginning ballet skills) but is not
predominantly for dance.
Students will get to know their strengths and
weaknesses in movement in order to better their skills in
performance. This
course his hoping to be followed by Movement for Actors II
in the spring, which will concentrate more on dance.
Of course, all levels of ability are welcome to
register. The
class will be held off campus at the Center Stage Performing
Arts Studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-3:30pm.
The studio is located off Brady Street near
Interstate 80, and is about a 10-15 minute drive to and from
campus. This
course is a late add and will not appear on the Beeline
listings. If you would like to take THTR 320b, you must sign up with an
add slip in the registrar's office.
Please consider these courses before
making your 2005 fall schedule!
The St. Ambrose Theatre Department is a small one,
and continues to make great efforts in allowing our students
the same variety of course opportunities given to bigger
universities; it would be much to your advantage to make the
most of these options!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
ALUMNI
AWARENESS
The St. Ambrose Theatre Department has
happily tracked down two alumni for this month's newsletter
and reminds those of you who are alumni doing theatre work
or any work, for that matter, we would love to hear from
you!
Susan
Sharp graduated from SAU in 1991 with a B.A. in
Speech/Theatre. Not only did she participate in SAU productions, but she was
also in the first group of
SAU Irene Ryan Theatre Scholarship nominees to attend
the American College Theatre Festival.
A few years after graduation, Susan received her M.A.
in Theatre at the University of Northern Iowa.
She worked for three years at Scott Community College
in Bettendorf, IA, before moving to Tennessee to head up the
theatre department at Jackson State Community College, where
she worked until 2004.
While in Tennessee, she was a member of the
Southeastern Theatre Conference, the Tennessee Theatre
Association, and adjudicated productions for KC/ACTF. Recently, Susan moved to Galesburg, IL, where she teaches at
Carl Sandburg College.
"Currently, I am rehearsing An Enemy of the
People by Henrik Ibsen, and collaborating on a new
musical with some colleagues from Tennessee."
That's not all-Susan also as a small dot com selling
the abstract fiber art she creates in her spare time.
Congratulations on all your successes!
Eric
Behnke also caught up with us this month, even though he
has been busy rehearsing "The Little Engine that
Could." Eric
is the production stage manager and props master for the
Downtown Cabaret Theatre Children's Company in Bridgeport,
Connecticut. Currently,
they are running their fourth show of five this season, and
will close with "Winnie the Pooh" in May. "The children's company is like a big family," he
explained. "Many
of my actors are in all five shows this year, and most of
them have been working together with this company for years.
They make life a lot of fun and very
interesting." That's
not all this 2004 graduate has been up to; he also runs
followspot for the theatre's main stage productions, which
at the present time is the musical HAIR.
This summer, Eric will return to Ash Lawn Opera
Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia as the production
stage manager. Break-a-leg
in all your work!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
GRADUATE
SCHOOL MIGHT BE FOR YOU
It is always good to keep your options
open while thinking about a career in theatre, and one of
those options is graduate school.
Graduate school is a way to increase your skills in
technical work, teaching, acting, design, and many others by
taking specialized classes and participating in intense
hands-on work. Three
SAU alumni are currently enrolled in graduate school
programs, while another student and alum recently auditioned
for elite institutions.
2004 SAU graduate Dan Hale is just
finishing his first year at DePaul University in Chicago,
IL. Hale is
striving to receive his M.F.A. in Acting within three years,
and has confessed it will take a great deal of work. "My first year at DePaul has whirled past me and I'm
still spinning," he explained.
Hale's studies include a lot more hands-on classroom
work than studying in books every night.
"When people told me 'graduate school is really
hard,' I guess I thought they meant the workload.
And it is a heavy workload, but that isn't the hard
part. They
stretch and pull you apart, send you places you've never
been before, and then leave the pieces for you to pick up
and put back together again."
Hale also told us he's not only working
hard, but also making some new friends.
"I'm having a lot of fun," he assures,
"but I do wish I could be out in the real world doing
theatre outside of the academic setting."
Mike Shafer graduated in December of
2003, and also decided graduate school was the right choice
for him. Shafer
said that auditioning for graduate schools was a scary
process for him. He
applied to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northern
Illinois University. Northern
offered him a full tuition waiver and a stipend, so he took
the opportunity.
Shafter is a Graduate Assistant in this
academic program, which means he is a Graduate Technical
Director, helping in the scene shop.
The ultimate interest in graduate school for Shafer
was to get his M.F.A. to teach at the university level.
He is already getting practice in the classroom,
since one of his jobs is to teach a stagecraft class.
The work doesn't stop there for Shafer.
Being a leader in the scene shop is not an easy task,
but Shafer is up to the challenge.
One of his credits each semester is gained by
technical direction a production.
"I have to take the scenic design drawings and
figure out how much the design will cost and report whether
we can afford it with the budget I have been given.
I then draft out working drawings so that the shop
can build from it, and I oversee and manage the building
process. I then
run technical rehearsals with the stage manager, helping to
keep the running crew on task and the show in working
order."
Although his experiences sound
exhausting, Shafer is having a great time.
He is already setting up contacts for future work in
theatre, and is learning a great deal.
"I have learned a lot about myself and about my
abilities; not only TD abilities, but team work,
communication, and teaching," Shafer shared.
"The biggest reward is when you see a smile on
one of your student's faces because they are learning from
you."
Lou Hare graduated from SAU in 2002
with a degree in Theatre, Journalism, and Radio/TV
Production. After
graduation, he decided graduate school was the next step for
him, since he is hoping to teach at the college level
someday. Hare
chose Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL,
to obtain his M.F.A. in theatre with a concentration
on acting.
"I like being able to branch out
and learn new techniques and approaches to acting,"
Hare explained. "It
has added onto the solid base I got at SAU."
Hare confessed that the hardest aspect of graduate
programs is learning to deal with the constant criticism.
"The teachers already know you have talent, so
they don't waste time telling you so," he said.
When offering advice to those looking
at graduate school, Hare explains that in a sense, you will
be married to theatre.
"Graduate school requires a total commitment.
The work is harder and there is a lot more of
it," Hare promised. He also pushes students to start saving money once they know
graduate school is the next step.
Even when an assistanceship is offered, a great deal
of funding is required.
All in all, Hare knows graduate school
was the right choice for him.
"It can be a very rewarding experience to those
with the drive and determination to grow both as an artist
and a person."
After getting his Theatre Degree in
2004, Ted Stephens III decided he'd audition at the URTAs, a
mass graduate school audition process, in Chicago this
winter. He
performed monologues from Moliere's The Misanthrope
and Stephen Dietz's Inventing VanGogh, and had
"an arsenal of other monologues ready to go."
Stephens was coached by Dr. Cory Johnson in the
Theatre Department to prepare for his audition, and
explained that she pushed him in his preparation.
"URTAs were insanely scary and a
total rush, too," Stephens confessed.
He had to go through a screening process with a
couple hundred actors, and only about 25 or 30 of them
actually got the chance to audition for the graduate
programs. "For
the first time, I felt unimportant; like another face."
Stephens made it through to the final
round of auditions! "They
gave me a folded piece of paper which said I had been moved
on to the final round...and there was no one around me to
celebrate with!" From
his final audition, Stephens received two callbacks from the
University of Florida and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville.
In the long run, Stephens was very glad he took part
in the auditions.
SAU Senior Daniel Sheridan was lucky
enough to be a "silver bullet" at the URTA
auditions. Through his success at the Kennedy Center/American College
Theatre Festival in January, Sheridan was moved through the
screening process and straight to the final round of
auditions. He
was called back to Ohio State University, the University of
Connecticut, Southern Methodist University (in Dallas,
Texas), California State University, the University of
Virginia, and Case Western.
Sheridan has had an offer to attend Southern
Methodist University in Dallas next fall, and is at the top
of the alternate list for the University of Connecticut's
M.F.A. program as well, but no decisions have been made as
of yet. For his
various auditions Sheridan performed monologues from William
Shakespeare's Cymbeline, The Taming of the Shrew, and
Julius Caesar, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman,
Sam Shepard's Buried Child, and Yasmina Reza's
"Art". He
also prepared a song from Little Shop of Horrors by
Ashman and Rice.
Sheridan also auditioned for "non-URTA"
schools, which were held separately.
The National Theatre Conservatory in Denver, CO, the
University of Washington, and the American Theatre
Conservatory in San Francisco, CA, all saw Sheridan
audition. "It
was intense to get outside of auditioning for shows at your
university," Sheridan explained.
"That one audition may decide the course of your
life."
These five young men greatly encourage
other students to keep graduate school one of their options
after SAU. It takes hard work and dedication not only to audition for
the school, but also to make it through the program you end
up choosing. "Anyone
who has studied with Cory (Johnson), Mike (Kennedy) and Kris
(Eitrheim) can say they have exceptional abilities,"
Dan Hale honestly states.
Those exceptional abilities may separate you from the
rest-so give graduate school a go!
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Freshman Spotlight
Name:
Sean Tweedale
Hometown:
West Des Moines, IA
Major(s)
& Minor(s): Theatre Major & a Catholic Studies
Minor
Previous
Productions: Oklahoma!
(Slim), The Hobbit
(Goblin #3), The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Ben), The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (a Fox)
Why did you come to SAU? "I liked the theatre and choir
departments."
Favorite SAU experience? "KCACTF 2005!!!"
Latest
project? The
Children's Hour (Assistant Stage Manager) and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (Alfred).
Dream
job? "To
be a working actor."
Favorite
Actor/Actress? "Russell
Crowe"
Favorite
phrase/word? "Tweedale-In!"
Least
favorite phrase/word? "Tweedale-Out!"
What
do you hope to accomplish at SAU?
"To get the good grades that will help me to
get into a good grad school."
********************************************************************
Senior
Salute
Name:
Allison Costello
Hometown:
Charlotte, IA
Majors/Minors:
Theatre
Previous
Productions at SAU:
Blithe Spirit (Madame Arcati), The
Shape of Things (Costume Designer),
H.M.S. Pinafore (Cousin Hebe)
Favorite
SAU experience? "Singing with STAMVOJA at Carnegie
Hall."
Favorite
role? "Pippi
in Pippi Longstocking."
Latest
project? Rosencrantz
& Guildenstern are Dead (Gertrude)
Dream
job? "To
be a working actress."
Favorite
Actor/Actress? "Matt
Damon, because he's hot/Nicole Kidman."
Favorite
quote? "To
be or not to be-that is the question."
Favorite
word/phrase? "What's
up?"
Least
favorite word/phrase?
"Never."
What
will you miss the most about SAU?
"St. Ambrose was like a second home to me; I'll
miss the protective boundaries that won't be there after I
graduate."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SAU
STUDENTS EXTEND TALENT TO LOCAL CHILDREN
Jenny Stodd, SAU Junior, and Marianna
Caldwell, SAU Sophomore, are both currently extending their
talents and each teaching two courses in theatre at
Davenport's Junior Theatre, located two miles east of SAU at
the Annie Whittenmyer Complex.
Stodd, teaching one class of 5-6-year-olds and one
group of children ages 12 and older, remarked, "Once
you start teaching children in the program, it is really
tough to stop. They
teach you just as much as you teach them."
Caldwell, currently teaching two of the 5-6 year old
classes, agrees, "Working around kids and theatre helps
remind you of why you began the journey (into theatre) in
the first place. It's
good to be a role model and do for them what someone has
done for you."
Davenport's Junior Theatre was founded
in 1951 by Mary Fluhrer Nighswander with the goal of
cultivating "theatre written for children, performed by
children, and presented to children and adults."
Program supervisor Bonnie Guenther added, "It is always
great to extend our family and bring in more people to
create a diversely collaborative environment."
Currently, Junior Theatre offers
courses in dance and drama, starting at the age of five and
ending at age 18. A group of selected students who are singled out for advanced
skills in classes move into the Main Stage Company and have
the opportunity to perform in four full-length productions
every season. Along with class shows in the fall and spring,
Junior Theatre produces a summer repertory program of short
plays travels to local parks on a portable stage known as
the Show Wagon, week long summer intensive Drama Day Camps
and appears at many local events.
However, this program would not have
excelled over its 54-year history without the help of
trained teachers and staff like Caldwell and Stodd.
"For us it is important to bring in local talent from
the college level because they have more extensive training
to share with the students than our Main Stage Junior
Staff," commented Guenther.
"It's also a huge opportunity for artists to
practice the application of their craft through teaching a
younger generation of actors.
Past SAU students and faculty who have
answered the call and offered their skills at Davenport
Junior Theatre are Daniel Sheridan (senior), Sam Michael
(junior), Dan Hale ('04), Erick Holloway ('00), Ted Stephens
III ('00), Ryan Mosher ('99), Eric Lorscheider ('94), and
Dr. Corinne Johnson (faculty).
Currently, Junior Theatre is looking
for teachers for fall classes beginning in late August or
early September of 2005.
The courses are intended to educate children in
theatre history, movement, terminology, and character
analysis. A performance is culminated from these skills at
the end of the 13 week course in the Mary Nighswander
Theatre. The
classes meet once a week for an hour and teachers are paid
for their time. "Seeing
kids who come to class so shy in the beginning and then
watching them five weeks later interacting with you and
other kids and shouting out suggestions in class makes you
feel accomplished as a teacher and actor," noted Stodd.
If you are interested in teaching, please contact
Bonnie Guenther at (563) 326-7862.
Guenther would also like to extend her
thanks to the faculty and staff at SAU for creating talent
that reaches out to the community in which they are
embedded. "It's
important for any artist to be aware of their community and
how they can support its growth," concluded Guenther.
"SAU is a program that has always strived for that
excellence and continues to achieve it with diligence."
The newsletter personally congratulates
Jenny Stodd and Marianna Caldwell to their outstanding
contributions to the community.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
THEATRE
AROUND THE QCA THIS MONTH
Show:
The Children's
Hour
Producer:
St. Ambrose University
Dates:
Friday & Saturday April 1 & 2 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, April 3 @ 3pm
Tickets:
$6 General Admission
For reservations call (563)333-6251 or see
www.sau.edu/galvin
*Remember
that there is limited seating, so get your tickets soon!
Location:
518 W. Locust St, Davenport, IA in the Studio
Theatre, located in the
Galvin Fine Arts Building under the Allaert
Auditorium stage
Show:
Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Producer:
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Dates:
Now through April 2
Wednesday matinee @ 11:45am (with show only at
1:00pm), Wednesday-
Saturday evenings @ 5:45pm (with show only at 7:15pm)
and
Sunday evenings @ 3:45pm (with show only at 5:15pm)
Tickets:
Tickets range from $22.36 to $39.00 per ticket
For
reservations call (309) 786-7733 or go to www.circa21.com
Location:
1828 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL
Note:
Producer and owner Denny Hitchcock is on the SAU Theatre Advisory Board
Show:
ComedySportz Quad Cities
Producer:
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Dates:
Every
Friday and Saturday night at 7:00pm
Tickets:
$8 prepaid, $10 at the door
Location:
1818 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL.
Downtown in the District, next to Circa '21.
Note:
SAU students Andrew Harvey, Daniel Sheridan and Don
Abbott are
ComedySportz players.
Check with them to catch them onstage.
Show:
The Drawer Boy
Producer:
New Ground Theatre
Dates:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday March 10-12 @
7:30pm
Sunday,
March 13 @ 2pm
Tickets: $12 Adults, $10
Students/Sr. Citizens
Call (563) 326-PLAY for tickets and information or see
www.newgroundtheatre.org
Location:
Rivermont Collegiate
1828 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, IA
Show:
Gilligan's Island: The Musical
Producer:
Ghostlight Theatre Company
Dates:
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday March 10-12 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, March 13 @ 2:30pm
Tickets:
$10 Students, $12 Adults
Call (563) 505-7057 or see www.ghostlighttheatre.org
for tickets
Location:
Captial Theatre located in downtown Davenport
Show:
Murder in the Meadows
Producer:
Playcrafter's Barn Theatre
Dates:
March 11-13 and 18-20
Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30pm, Sundays @ 3pm
Tickets: $8 Admission. Call (309) 762-0330 or see www.playcrafters.com
Location: 4950 35th
Ave, Moline, IL
####################################################################
SAU
NEWSLETTER: NEXT
EDITION
The newsletter is sent out on the first business day of
every month. Next month's issue will be released on
Monday, April 4th.
The April issue will take a look at SAU students both past
and present performing together on a local professional
stage, a look at the upcoming show Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead, and provide information on when
and where the Galvins will be held so you don't miss the
magnificent event!
To inquire further about St. Ambrose
University and our offered courses, degrees, events, and
staff, visit www.SAU.edu for
information. Come
check out the SAU Theatre Website at www.sau.edu/theatre.
If interested in learning more about the Theatre
Department, please contact theatre chair Kristofer Eitrheim
by phone at (563) 333-6255 or e-mail at EitrheimKristoferJ@sau.edu.
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD
LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE SAU NEWSLETTER MAILING LIST?
If yes, contact us at SAUTheatreNews@Yahoo.com
and get their names put on our e-mail list. If you
would like to be removed from the mailing list, please
contact us at the same address. Thanks.
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