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backstage-bucknell · 21 days

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Come See Spelling Bee!

The annual spelling bee at Putnam Valley Middle School in Putnam County, NY is a fierce competition. In this hilarious, charming, and fast-paced musical, six spellers divulge their own intensity, quirks, and backstory.

Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk award for Best Book, this musical comedy based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original improvisation play created by Rebecca Feldman, touches on the pressure of competition, the roots of ambition, and how we are impacted by formative experiences from childhood.

Audiences are invited to join in the bee to experience the rush and anxiety of trying to avoid the dreaded “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Only one can be named champion.

Tickets Here.

Maya Gurung On Associate Choreographing Spelling Bee

By Abby Campion

Maya Gurung has a Harry Potter “Funko Pop!” collection. She’s also associate choreographing the upcoming Mainstage, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. A sophomore double-majoring in Economics and Theatre, Maya will be making her choreographing debut with Spelling Bee. Hardly a stranger to the theater department, or our newsletter, for that matter, Maya’s credits include directing a Cocktail; performing as OG Howland/Chief Tsauwait in the fall Mainstage production, Men On Boats; and acting in the first-year show. Before Spelling Bee, Maya organized hip-hop dances for herself and her friends and acted in her high school’s musicals. However, teaching dance to a larger group of people is an entirely brand-new venture.

When reflecting on her position, Maya acknowledges how being an associate choreographer is the perfect blend of directing and dancing. At rehearsal, Maya helps to choreograph certain parts of the dances, while providing notes and feedback to clean up some of the numbers. She collaborates with director Dustyn Martincich by offering her input whenever necessary. In terms of parts of the show that Maya has choreographed, such as sections of “Pandemonium,” she thoroughly considered how the characters’ bodies would match their emotions.

Spelling Bee is an extremely fluid workspace, with all of its pieces adapting and changing until they finally fall into place. In the rehearsal process, Maya offers her ideas and suggestions for Dustyn’s visions on the production’s choreography as it gets closer and closer to the final product. Maya complimented director Dustyn, commending her investment in collaboration and her limitless creativity. Regarding their collaboration, Maya also applauds Dustyn’s eagerness to take into consideration her and Assistant Director Tessa Brizhik’s opinions. At the beginning of the Spelling Bee creative process, Maya appreciated Dustyn’s quintessential question, which was “What do you want to get out of this process?”. Dustyn’s commitment to supporting others in their artistic journeys is ever-appreciated, no less by the Spelling Bee cast.

Maya’s main approach to associate choreographing is truly “just trial-and-error.” When offered this opportunity, Maya figured she might as well just jump right into it. Throughout this process, Maya has been met with certain challenges that come with instructing one’s peers. She doesn’t view herself as an “authority figure” by any means but rather agrees that it can be challenging to corral a vast group of people who are her age or older. “They’re so nice about it though! When they say ‘Thank you, Maya’ . . . . you know, it makes you feel good.”

Pondering her favorite parts of the Spelling Bee process, Maya immediately gushes about the cast: “They’re just so fun to watch . . . they make different choices every single day.” Emphasizing senior Ryan Hill’s performance in “Magic Foot,” her favorite number, Maya notes how interesting it is to see each member of the cast find something new in the script to explore each and every day. If you’d like to see “Magic Foot,” and all of the other waney antics Spelling Bee has to offer, come see the show April 12-15!

Alpha Psi Omega: Theatre Fraternity

Alpha Psi Omega is a national theatre honors society that recognizes students who excel in Theatre. Bucknell’s chapter inducts new members yearly, and the initiation is coming up this spring. There is a formula for accruing points through stage productions in order to be eligible for admission. If you are interested in learning more, you can browse the constitution or talk to Bucknell Theatre’s Lighting and Sound Design/Production Manager Heath Hansum at [email protected].

From the Screen to her 82nd Birthday in a Jail Cell: Cassie Smith on Jane Fonda

To be completely honest, I had never heard of Jane Fonda before she came to Bucknell. Fonda was the final speaker of the “Freedom of Expression” series, an excellent fit for her. If you aren’t familiar with Jane Fonda, she gained fame from her acting career, but her most memorable moment comes from a photograph of her sitting on a North Vietnamese weapon during the Vietnam War, This gained her the infamous nickname “Hanoi Jane.” My parents urged me to go, and my Tuesday night was free, so with the bare knowledge of a quick Google search I went to hear what she had to say.

Within a few minutes I leaned over to my friend and said, “I love her.” I think it was the way she was unapologetically herself, she didn’t try to answer the questions in a traditional or expected way, often going off on long stories or tangents. Her genuine nature shown through in the way she connected with the audience, even going as far as recognizing someone in the audience from her past and taking the time to have a short conversation with them. The majority of Fonda’s talk focused on her recent cause, environmental justice and combating the climate crisis, a relevant issue, important to many Bucknellians including me. Fonda’s message of never giving up and remaining optimistic resonated deeply, and the energy of the crowd reflected this. She was often interrupted with cheers and clapping when she said something especially impactful.

As a theatre enthusiast, I was hoping to hear about Fonda’s experience and lessons from the television and movie scene. While her talk didn’t necessarily center around this like I selfishly hoped, there were golden nuggets of wisdom and humorous stories. She raved about the expression art allows the person, and the connection it creates between a human and the world around them. She encouraged aspiring performers to follow their passion and change the world with their art. She is a strong example of not becoming complacent in her position, using her art as a position to fight for positive change in the world, something that I think is very important and I strive to imitate. Overall, I think the biggest lesson I took from Jane Fonda is to keep persevering when you’re passionate about something even when it feels like the whole world is against you. Whether that means starting a petition for a cause you care about, continuing to audition for shows after rejection, or even risking spending your birthday in jail for a cause important to you.

So next time you see a speaker at Bucknell you’ve never heard of, go listen to them. You will rarely regret it, and you may find yourself a new idol, like I did in Jane Fonda.

One Last Newsletter To Come!

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, take care of each other, & take care of art:)

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backstage-bucknell · 2 months

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Happy Spring Break!

By Katie Schadler and Abby Campion

Joe Dox on Arts Merit Weekend - “What Can the Theater Department Provide for You?”

By Abby Campion

Joseph Dox, or as the theater department affectionately calls him, “JoeDox,” is a Class of ’25 Computer Engineering Major and Theater and Technology Minor. Dox is heavily involved with the tech side of the Theater and Dance Department, and is a familiar face to anyone working in a Theater and Dance Production. A Teaching Assistant to Heath Hansum and a Student Technology Assistant/Stage Technician, Joe Dox fulfills a myriad of responsibilities during his workday. Whether it’s working on lighting design for the Dance Showcase, sound design and A1 for the musical, or just eating lunch with Er-Dong, Joe Dox fondly considers the theater department his home.

Given his extensive involvement with the department, Dox enjoys Arts Merit Weekend because it’s a chance for him to reflect on his time with Theater and Dance at Bucknell. Getting the chance to interact with prospective first years allows him to share his own experiences and potentially guide them to a community that provides the same feeling of home. Dox touched on Merit Weekend day one in which the meritees gathered in Holmes Hall for first introductions with the department. The meritees then engaged in an admissions information session and ate appetizers while conversing with current students and faculty. Day two began bright and early at 8 a.m. in Tustin, where the volunteers prepared the meritees for their auditions in the Tustin black box. When reflecting on his time with the meritees, Dox described the joy he felt from getting to see the future of our department in action, mentioning the gratitude he felt when students would reach out and thank him for spending time with them. “That’s why I do it.”

A phrase that Dox commonly invokes when addressing future first years is one that Theater and Dance Professor Dustyn Martincich used to commonly repeat, and that is, “What can the Theater Department provide for you?” Whether it be a space to show your art in Harvey Powers, a place to store your food in the Green Room, or simply a comforting spot to share lunch with friends, Dox notes that there’s a place in the department for anyone; “It’s just a matter of finding your place.”

When thinking about the college admissions process, Dox principally stresses the importance of finding a space that’s “uniquely yours.” When advising the meritees, Dox encourages them to just sit in a space within a prospective college and truly consider whether or not they can see themselves there. For Bucknell, Dox describes how those spaces might be the quad, the library, or, for him, the lighting booth. A particular aspect of Bucknell Theater and Dance that Dox appreciates is that it acts primarily as an entity for performance, rather than just merely a vessel for music. That being said, Dox notes that despite chiefly housing performance, Bucknell Theater and Dance can provide a purpose for any creative mind. Moreover, Arts Merit Scholarships provide more than recognition and encouragement to pursue one’s art. Rather, Arts Merit allows students to explore the opportunities that Theater and Dance at Bucknell (as well as other art modalities) may provide so that they may be able to discover their safe haven. After all, we must “Take care of [Ourselves], Take Care of Each Other, and Take Care of the Art.”

Those Who Teach, Inspire

By Katie Schadler

Senior theatre major Maddie Buckley has been wrapping up her final year at Bucknell as director for the Lewisburg Middle School’s performance of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Back in the Spring of 2023, she and Bucknell Theatre’s Professor and Director Anjalee Hutchinson had a conversation about directing a show and potentially working with middle school kids. Maddie used to assistant direct at community theatre junior shows and had some experience helping with the Lewisburg Middle School fall show, but this was her first time directing a production of this magnitude on her own.

Maddie began this process asking the students what kind of show they wanted to perform. After conducting some research and narrowing down her options, she ended up selecting The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe because of its potential to have multiple lead characters. In prior years, the students would perform parody shows with usually only one lead that would be casted by seniority. In the show that Maddie would direct, she wanted all students to have their chance in the spotlight regardless of what grade they were in.

Because the students were previously used to watching the one lead perform while they would wait on the side of the stage, the students come to rehearsals now with a heightened sense of purpose knowing they will be in the majority of the scenes. She has found that the students are diving into their craft and enjoying the responsibility and sense of maturity that comes with the depth of the show’s content.

Despite originally wanting only thirty students between the cast and the crew, Maddie ended up casting around fifty students. Given that it has been just her and an eighth-grade student director running the show, it has been difficult costume designing and set designing all while wearing the director’s hat amid fifty middle schoolers. Yet, Maddie will be the first one to admit that she enjoys wearing all of the hats. Watching the students gradually memorize their lines and gain more confidence as artists has made the hard work worth it. All they needed was someone to tell them they could do it and believe they were up for the challenge.

Maddie first took the stage as a dancer at the age of two. Once in high school, she began auditioning for every play and musical performance there was. After some health complications later in her high school career, Maddie went to community college to study theatre, but her theatre journey did not end there. Transferring to Bucknell as a junior, Maddie has performed lead roles in Bucknell productions such as Gross Indecency and Men on Boats. “In an unaccepting professional world that makes you feel like you need to hide yourself,” Maddie says, “theatre provides an outlet to learn how to be someone else without having to lose yourself.” Yet despite the seemingly independent nature of performance, Maddie feels that Bucknell Theatre has taught her how to be part of a team too, knowing that when life inevitably gets hard, an entire cast will be standing behind her.

As The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe wraps up along with her final year at Bucknell, Maddie is sad to see the show end but feels grateful for the mutually beneficial opportunity to grow and broaden her horizons beside the students. Maddie has worked to create a pre-professional experience for the students that most community theaters may not offer. It has been so rewarding to recognize the impact theatre has had on them, and she is excited by the prospects of where these students will end up.

After going to graduate school, Maddie wants to pursue acting to inform her ability to teach it. Recognizing the importance of education, she wants to dispel her pet-peeved stigma that “those who can’t do, teach” by opening up a theater and arts school in her hometown to make the arts more accessible to young people. Oftentimes, when kids are not exposed to art, they will not keep working at it. Therefore, she wants to dedicate her future to encouraging students to be the artists they want to be, even if it means being someone else for a few hours a week in order to truly find yourself.

Maddie’s show will be premiering at 7:30 pm on Friday March 8 and Saturday March 9 at the Lewisburg Middle School. Go Maddie!!

Season Advisory Dinner 2024

by Paige Gilmartin

Last Friday, the professors and students of the Theater Department met in Hildreth-Mirza for a night of good food and even better scripts. In past years, a small group of students met once a week with different directors to read and give feedback on proposals for the next year's season. However, this year the department decided to have a one-night-only Season Advisory Dinner, where everyone could give feedback on all scripts proposed for the next two years.

Catered by Bucknell Dining, a group of about twenty-five students and the professors chatted over dinner before diving into the scripts. Everyone was asked to read a few scripts before they arrived in order to maximize our time at the dinner. I read the scripts for the Fall 2024 Mainstage, directed by Anjalee

Hutchinson, which included the titles of The Living by Anthony Clarvoe, Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really by Kate Hamill, and The Sweet Science of Bruising by Joy Wilkinson. A small group of us sat with Anjalee and other members of the design team, talking about what we liked and didn’t like about each proposal and whether or not each script worked for our department.

We then moved on to different tables, such as Bryan and Dustyn’s proposals for the 2026 Spring Musical (Into The Woods was my first choice vote) and senior directors Alice, Grace, and Ariel’s proposals for upcoming Showcase productions. After we chatted with each of the directors, who took notes on our feedback, each student put up a sticker underneath their first choice for each of the slots. Red stickers meant first choice, green stickers meant second choice, and orange meant there was a concern about the proposal. This ensured that everyone had a say in the selection, which meant a lot to the students who took the time to read the proposals and attend the dinner. I really appreciated getting to hear everyone’s opinions on each piece. Scripts that some people loved; others didn’t feel right for our talent pool or for Bucknell in general. Overall, the SAC dinner was a success, and I look forward to seeing how the Committee is shaped in the future.

Jaela Rivera on T. Oliver Reid

By Jaela Rivera

On February 28th, I attended the T. Oliver Reid Talk with my fellow 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee cast and crew members. We were ecstatic to attend, as a lot of us were fans of Hadestown and the hundreds of other productions he has been a part of. While we were expecting to hear lots of stories (and possibly some songs) straight from Broadway, we were not expecting to get a heartfelt lesson in understanding true joy and fulfillment.

In this discussion of joy, he started by addressing the audience, asking us to look around the room and look at the people near us. “This might be the first time someone feels seen today,” Reid said. This sentence alone caused me to feel emotional. During this week, I felt a lot of isolation within myself. Sure, I always had people to hang out with, but I wasn’t feeling in true community with everyone. In Reid’s words, I felt like I wasn't being seen. I made eye contact with this lady, who gave me a short wave and a little smile. That one small but very personal connection was very uplifting during this mid-week slump. From that point, I felt very engaged in what T. Oliver Reid had to say, as I knew that this was something that I, and other students, may have needed to hear.

Joy is not something we think much of, but yet is a constant part of our dictionary. While many may consider them in the same boat, happiness and joy are very different and can mean different things to different people. In our conversation, we described what happiness is and what true joy comes from. Happiness is what we strive for daily, but joy is a long-lasting feeling that comes in tandem with contentment and fulfillment. What really stood out to me in this conversation of joy was Reid’s understanding of “Black Joy” and what it means to find comfortability and resilience in your own identity. That itself, Reid says, is what joy truly is. That idea of being comfortable and fulfilled in what we have and what we were blessed with. As a Latinx woman in a predominantly white institution (PWI), that isolation and misunderstanding can surface very easily. However, my identity is something I am proud of and it does not hold me back from doing what I love and what fulfills me personally. With this in mind, I felt I can easily connect to what T. Oliver Reid discussed in terms of embracing identity and joy, especially in his spiritual connection to music and performance.

I believe even the small discussion of joy can bring about lots of self-reflection on how we are feeling and where we are headed as young adults in college. And while aimed at us, this talk was attended by many different age groups who all got something out of it. Joy, for me, is enjoying life to its fullest and feeling content in my journey here. It is easy to get sidetracked and feel like your life is heading in the wrong direction, but by understanding that my journey is going to take me where I need to go, I can feel peace and joy in my life and what I accomplish here, even if it's small.

My Journey from Doubt to Delight on the Bucknell Stage

By Defne Gumus

Do I audition? Do I audition? Do I audition? Do I audition? Do I audition? Do I audition?

This constant thought swirls in my mind as a relentless cycle similar to the banter of good cop and bad cop, except in this interrogation, I am both the interrogator and the accused. Is it going to be worth all the long hours and memorization? Will it be similar to my hierarchal, toxic high school theater experience? Will I even be able to balance my life?

This is when my YOLO mindset kicked in. I realized that life is about embracing opportunities. So, with a deep breath and a leap of faith, I decided to audition for my first Bucknell Mainstage Musical: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Because, after all, isn't that what life is all about? (Also, shoutout to T. Patrick Halley for giving me the words I needed to hear before auditions!)

Now, a little more than a month away from opening night, I can confidently say that this decision stands as one of the best my 18-year-old self made. My Spelling Bee family is composed of the most talented, hard-working, and most supportive individuals I have ever met. Our director and choreographer, Dustyn Martincich, and music director, Jaime Namminga, continually inspire me with their fresh perspectives on crafting ensemble and play. It is undoubtedly impressive to witness them transform such a popular production into something so fresh and distinct. I wish I could go into detail about all the amazing people who are working together to bring this show together, but it would go on infinitely- just know that the collaboration and effort it takes is tremendous. The bond we have made and continue to create in our community is something that will stick with me forever, however I should have expected nothing less of this exceptional group of people.

Throughout my first semester at Bucknell University, I had the unbelievable opportunity to be part of multiple theater productions, such as the first year showcase University: A New Generation (Pepper, Woman R, Activist #6), the fall mainstage Men on Boats (Understudy and Ashley Crew), and cocktail theater production 531 Shootings and Counting (Nina). Every single show has only made my heart grow fuller with love for the people and performance involved. The Theatre Department allows every student to thrive to their full artistic capacities and beyond, even for first-year Biology majors such as myself. It nurtures you and allows you to find yourself when you feel lost- at least for me anyway.

Reflecting on my journey thus far with the Bucknell University Theater Department, I can not help but echo one phrase through my mind: “Life is PANDEMONIUM!”

From the delightful chaos that is the Spelling Bee, it perfectly encapsulates my whirlwind of anexperience, and I can only hope to see you at our performances April 12-15th where I will be playing ensemble members Arya Bennett and Marigold Coneybear!

Now I must “simply say gooodbyeeee…!”

Have a restful Spring Break!

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, take care of each other, & take care of art:)

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backstage-bucknell · 3 months

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Come See Bucknell Theatre’s Next Mainstage Production!

By: Katie Schadler and Abby Campion

God of Carnage

By Yasmina Reza

Translated by Christopher Hampton

Friday, Saturday & Monday

Feb. 23, 24 & 26, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25, 2:00 p.m.

Tustin Studio Theatre

$7/$12 general admission

Content Advisory: God of Carnage features language related to race, sexuality, and ability that is commonly identified as violent or pejorative. The play is recommended for mature audiences.

Buy your tickets here!

On Gbenga Akinnagbe’s Luncheon Talk

By Sophia Spears

On Monday January 22nd, I joined a handful of students to have a conversation with actor, writer, and producer, Gbenga Akinnagbe. The room was lightly humming with conversation before Dustyn Martincich, from the Theatre Department, prompted Gbenga with the question: “Tell us about your undergraduate experience at Bucknell.” His face lit up, and he smiled from ear to ear. “I was not supposed to be here,” was how he began.

Gbenga started wrestling during his junior year of high school, and thought it was a fluke that Bucknell offered him a position on their varsity wrestling team. No one at home had expected him to stay at Bucknell, but he eventually graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. Shockingly, Gbenga was not involved in theater before or during his time in college. He did not take an acting class or participate in any school production. In fact, his first job outside of college was working for the Federal government!

So how did he get into acting? Well, one day a colleague invited him to go see a play. Gbenga asked, out of curiosity, “how does a person become an actor?” To which his colleague replied with a scoff, saying that Gbenga was not capable of doing such a career. This ignited his competitive nature. Taking it as a challenge, he auditioned for a community theater in DC. After landing a role, and performing in front of an audience for the first time, he was hooked.

He did not use his lack of acting experience as an excuse not to try. Instead, he overcame adversity by asking questions, seeking help, and following the advice of fellow actors. This included constantly reading plays, taking every opportunity to see live theater, and enrolling himself in acting classes. Everyday he “put himself out there,” by auditioning for everything that came his way. Little did he know that he was arming himself with the tools he needed to succeed in the industry.

Today, Gbenga’s career spans over 20 years. He has been cast in two HBO series, The Wire and The Deuce and continues to perform in and write for various theater productions. When he ended his story and as students asked him a million questions, my key takeaway was this: What you study as an undergraduate does not determine your occupational fate. The world is open, so long as you are brave enough to be curious and say yes to opportunities. Additionally, despite his accolades, Gbenga was never chasing awards and fame. Instead, he strived for his own definition of success, which is to always do good work. First, work with integrity and do your best; then, the rest will follow.

As a senior in the class of ’24, I often worry about my future outside of Bucknell. I sometimes ask myself: “Did I choose the right major? Did I do enough with my time here? Am I prepared for the ‘real’ world?” Gbenga’s story is about a student who was simply figuring it out, one day at a time. There was no way he could have predicted where his life would go. And now, he feels he is successful and in a good place. Overall, I was inspired, uplifted and comforted. I am so grateful to have heard his story, and I am so excited to see what comes next.

T. Patrick Halley: “Make A Big Choice.”

By: Abby Campion

T. Patrick Halley, or T. Pat to his friends at Bucknell, is a New-York based actor and Bucknell grad. Having been apart of two professional productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Patrick was thrilled to hear of Bucknell Theatre’s upcoming Spelling Bee auditions, growing eager to offer advice to the theatre students at his alma mater. In addition to Spelling Bee, Patrick has also been seen in several other Off-Broadway productions including In Love and Warcraft, Good People, The Taming of The Shrew, and The Bomb-Itty of Errors.

On Saturday, January 20th, Bucknell students had the privilege of zooming in with Patrick as he shared his best tips on auditioning in the industry, with an added emphasis on auditioning for Spelling Bee. Patrick’s vast knowledge of the realm of musical theatre and beyond shone through during his deep-dive into “unpacking the text.” He placed an added importance on knowing “who you’re talking to,” and fully understanding that “you belong in the room.” When discussing how to approach Spelling Bee, our biggest takeaway from Patrick was to “make a big choice.” When it comes to Spelling Bee, a whacky musical comedy featuring an eclectic group of sixth-graders, everything goes. There are no structural barriers for portraying zany ten-year-olds, and Patrick made sure to strongly convey this.

Patrick’s kindness and wisdom was further exemplified in the 20-minute individualized sessions that he offered to students as a chance to hone their craft. Whether students went in with their chosen monologue/song for their Spelling Bee audition or simply to receive general feedback, there was a sweeping consensus about Patrick. He was attentive, patient, kind, and tremendously helpful. First-year student Gabriella Cappelloni raved about Patrick, saying that he truly made her feel comfortable about her craft. “He gave me great constructive criticism . . . I truly saw my pieces grow in the thirty minutes that I spent with him.” Further commenting on Patrick’s teachings, Gabriella emphasized how Patrick had a “great balance of relating to students as he was a student himself, while also giving his professional experience working in the industry.” Gabriella will be performing as Logainne “Schwartzy” in Spelling Bee.

I, myself, was able to secure a slot, and I went in with my monologue. After asking me to perform it an initial time, Patrick and I had a conversation about who it was I was talking to. He also directed me to more opportunities within the monologue for physical comedy, and recommended that I expand on my characterization. He challenged me to look beyond the scope of what I had practiced, and, of course, “make a big choice.” I learned from Patrick that there’s an infinite amount of space for creativity, and so, we should use it.

Patrick’s guidance and genuine desire to see us succeed was evident in his Audition Workshop. We hope Patrick will return to Bucknell for a day and watch our production of Spelling Bee. Amidst his workshop, Patrick spoke fondly of his Bucknell theatre days, reminiscing about learning monologue tips from Bob Gainer and recalling his memories in Harvey. See The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee April 12-15 in the Harvey Powers Theatre.

KCACTF Finalist Kieran Calderwood:

More Than a Contest

By Kieran Calderwood

At noon last Wednesday, I arrived in Pittsburgh with members of the Bucknell theater department for the KCAC theater festival. That night we all watched a festival play, at the end of which the semifinalists for the Irene Ryan acting competition would be announced.

Applause rang out through the auditorium for the play’s cast. Then a theater professor named Matt Rifa, who had a luxuriant beard, walked onstage. First he told us that one hundred and ninety-eight students had submitted monologues to the first round, and that only thirty-two of them would make it to the next round. (I competed last year and hadn’t made it to the next round, so I wasn't expecting anything.) He then read the semi finalists' names aloud to the anxious theater. When each name was called, a small explosion of excitement went off around the theater full of competitors and their friends. It was sweet. I thought to myself, Man, I wish my name was called. That would be wild. Then, to my shock, after about twenty-five names, Professor Rifa said “Kieran Calderwood.” Almost immediately my classmates were yelling and slapping my back—I was experiencing one of those explosions first-hand, and it was awesome. I was frozen in shock and excitement and soon, for another reason. As the last few names were announced, I realized that I would have a lot of work to do the next day. Rather than attend workshops with my friends, I was going to have to compete. The next day, the semifinalists had to present a monologue and a scene with a partner from their school.

When I got back to our hotel that night, my scene partner Paige and I ran our scene over and over while our wonderful professor, Anjalee Hutchinson, gave us feedback. After about an hour, around midnight, we decided that the scene was ready to present.

Nevertheless, before the competition the next day, I was very nervous. My armpits were sweating, and there was a lump in my throat. I’m not a theatre major. I hadn’t acted in front of an audience in seven months. Now I was supposed to compete in front of judges and a room full of great actors? Doubt was creeping in, and as I went onstage to introduce myself before performing, I fell apart. “Hi, my name is Kieran Calderwood and this is my wonderful scene partner, Paige Gilmartin. Today I’ll be performing a monologue from…” What was the name? “Uhh…” You look stupid. Say the name! “...from, frickin’...I’m sorry. I’m really nervous.” Then Paige, standing next to me, whispered “Fat Pig.” Fortunately that wasn’t an insult, but rather the name of the Neil LaBute play that my monologue was from. Paige’s help snapped me back into focus. I finished the introduction, took a breath, and began the monologue I had read hundreds of times.

Three minutes later, Paige and I had finished our scene, and we were walking out of the theater to the sound of applause. We did it. Kind of. The slate was bad, but they weren’t supposed to judge the slate. It was a toss-up, but I felt good about my performance, really good.

Fast-forward to that night: I was sitting in a room with the other competitors. Anjalee and a few students from Bucknell were with me, waiting to hear the finalists’ names announced. As names were read, I slowly accepted that there were a lot of very good actors here and—“Kieran Calderwood.” HUH? I turned to Anjalee and saw that she had a smile that matched mine. All of a sudden, I was getting hugs from my friends and laughing semi-hysterically. Paige came over to me and said, “Looks like we’ve gotta do that again. Go practice your slate.”

Looks like I’ve got another two busy days. The finals were on Saturday, which gave me and Paige Friday to work on our scene. The finals had the addition of another monologue. I would have to present a monologue from Electra, a monologue from Fat Pig, and a scene with Paige from As You Like It. I would have six minutes to perform all three back-to-back.

I workshopped the Electra monologue for hours on Friday, aiming to give vulnerability to Orestes, the Greek hero. I found beats within the scene, as many beats as I could. I changed the blocking from static kneeling the entire time to continuous movement. Once it was ready, I went to bed.

I went to the gym before my Saturday performance to help calm my nerves and blow off some energy. It helped. I was barely able to eat afterward—my stomach felt sick. The nerves were coming back. As I sat in a stairwell backstage alongside Paige and the other waiting competitors, I felt the lump in my throat return. But then, finally, I was hit by a bigger perspective. This is theatre, man. You’re performing a PLAY. You should be excited. You’ve got nothing to lose. You’re ready. Have fun with it!

These thoughts, along with encouragement from Paige, brought me out of my head. I loosened up a bit. I woke up. As I was about to go onstage, I realized my shoe was untied. Normally I don’t put effort into the tying of my shoes. But in that moment, I got on one knee and tied my shoe well, confidently. I switched knees and re-tied the other shoe, which had also been poorly tied. I walked out onstage with my well-tied shoes and with purpose.

The slate went well. The monologues flowed. The scene was great. I walked off to more applause than in the semifinals. I gave Paige a big hug offstage and sat down with a realization that meant more than any contest or judge could mean: That was the best acting I’ve ever done.

Awards, Events, & Bucknell Rep at KCACTF

By: Joselyn Busato

This past week, several students in the Bucknell Theatre Department attended the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here, the students competed in acting, playwriting, and directing competitions; attended workshops led by professionals; performed in staged one-act and ten-minute plays; and were given the opportunity to watch performances by neighboring colleges. Several Bucknellians had notable achievements at this year’s festival, with two bringing home awards.

Four students were nominated by Kennedy Center respondents to compete in the Irene Ryans Acting Competition (Reid Fournier ’24, Kieran Calderwood ’24, Tseday Robinson ’24, and Madison Buckley ’24), and Zoe Kemp ’24 self-nominated with the support of acting program faculty advisor Anjalee Hutchinson. Students had to prepare two monologues and a scene with a partner to showcase their skills for judges. Of these five, Kieran Calderwood advanced to the semifinal and final rounds, alongside his scene partner Paige Gilmartin (’26). Kieran is the first to have advanced to the final round from Bucknell in many years. Two students participated in the Musical Theatre Intensive Competition, in which they sent self-tapes performing an excerpt of a musical theatre song. These students were Harper Dick (’25) and Jaela Rivera (’27). Two other students participated in the directing competition (Ariel Urich ’25 and Caroline Pritchard ’26). These students were given the challenge of casting and directing 10-minute or one-act plays written by students. These plays were performed as staged readings at a showcase. Two Bucknell students, Maya Gurung (’26) and Tseday Robinson (’24) were cast and performed in these staged readings. Maya Gurung went on to receive an award for her performance in a one-act play, highlighting her chemistry with her fellow cast members. One of the plays performed was submitted by a Bucknell student, Joselyn Busato (’24). Her 10-minute play “Cytokinesis” was selected to be performed at the festival and then was chosen as one of two regional finalists for the Region 2 festival. Joselyn’s play has the chance to be selected among other finalists across the country to move on to the national competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The first and second place recipients moving on to the national conference will be announced in March.

While the students representing Bucknell were involved in many different facets of the conference, they all could agree on how enjoyable it was immersing themselves in the world of theatre, as well as cheering on their peers in their accomplishments.

The Joy of Arts Merit Weekend

By: Zoe Fleury

Arts Merit Weekend is the reason I’m at Bucknell. It was February of last year and I had no idea where I was going to go to college. I had just gotten rejected from my early decision and stupidly didn’t have a plan after that. I came to Bucknell for a tour in January and loved it but wasn’t completely sure. Luckily, my tour guide was Alice Jackins, who is extremely involved in theatre at Bucknell. She told me I should sign up for Arts Merit Weekend and after a few emails, I was on the list.

Arts Merit Weekend consists of a welcome ceremony, an audition, and a closing. The purpose of it is to audition for the opportunity to be an Arts Merit Scholar here at Bucknell. What I didn’t know was that it would be so much more than an audition. I was so nervous going into it, but looking back, all my fears were unfounded. I arrived and instantly, a bunch of people greeted me and started talking to me, they all seemed so happy to be there. My group (the theatre and dance auditionees) went to Harvey Powers Theater for pizza. There was this crazy man in a kilt named Hutch serving everyone and trying to learn everyone’s names while the current Merit Scholars mingled with us high-schoolers. I went up to get some pizza and Hutch asked for my name. I told him it was Zoe and he yelled “FLEURY!!!” I couldn’t believe he remembered my last name from our emails, and I felt really special and disarmed at that moment.

I learned so much in that short hour and a half, both about Bucknell and about what I wanted. The people I met were so warm and kind to me. They really seemed like they wanted me there. The next day was audition day, and I was scared shitless. To be completely frank, I don’t remember much about the audition itself but rather waiting in the Black Box Theater in Tustin for my turn. There were two auditionees other than myself and some current merits waited with us while the others went.

I had never had so much fun right before an audition. Just chatting with these amazing people, exchanging stories and laughs, is how I knew this was the place for me. Looking back, it’s crazy to me that those people waiting with me would become my friends, and the crazy man in the kilt one of my greatest mentors. Being a merit at Bucknell, I’ve been in two shows, both the quintessential First Year Show and the fall mainstage Men on Boats. I’ve also had the opportunity to do an audition workshop with Bucknell alum, Patrick Henry, who taught me incredible strategies. Arts Merit Weekend shaped my entire college application experience, and being a merit at Bucknell is the best outcome I could’ve asked for.

Congratulations to Bucknell Theatre’s Professor Bryan Vandevender for receiving tenure!

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backstage-bucknell · 4 months

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Theatre Lightning Round

By: Katie Schadler & Abby Campion

“Boundaries, Safety, and Consent Spring Workshop”

Let’s take care of ourselves and each other.

When: Friday, January 19 from 4-6 pm

Where: Tustin Studio Theatre

Musical Theatre Audition Workshop

When: Saturday, January 20 from 10-4 pm

Where: Harvey Powers Theatre

Season Advisory Family Dinner

Save the Date: March 1

Where: Hildreth Mirza Great Room

This year, the theatre program's Season Advisory Committee will be doing things a little different. Instead of a group of students and faculty meeting once every two weeks to advise next year's season, we will be having one family dinner for anyone interested in sharing their thoughts. More information to come, but please save the night of March 1st for this exciting event!

Sweepstake Winners!

Thanks so much to all the members of our community who filled out the Department of Theatre and Dance Equity and Inclusion Committee's Surveys from last semester. All survey participants were entered into a raffle for exciting prizes! Congratulations to our winners Maya Gurung, Cassie Smith, Jaela Rivera and Tseday Robinson! Prizes included spring semester gift baskets, vintage show swag and the always coveted loaves of Hutch Bread. Look out for more surveys and sweepstakes at the end of this semester!

Spring Show AUDITIONS

Look out for more emails & stay tuned for more newsletters in 2024!

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backstage-bucknell · 6 months

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Bucknell Theatre Counts Down to Break

By Katie Schadler and Abby Campion

Bucknell at KCACTF

By Joseyln Busato

This January, I and a group of other Bucknell students will be attending the Region 2 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event will take place in downtown Pittsburgh and on the Point Park University campus. At this festival, students with a passion for theater will have the opportunity to participate in competitions, attend workshops led by Point Park faculty and professionals, watch invited productions from other universities, and make connections with like-minded students and professors.

This will be my second year participating in the festival, along with many of the other students planning on going again this spring. The group attending is spread over class year and discipline, majoring from sociology to Italian, political science to biology. Accompanied by the students will be two Bucknell Theatre professors, Anjalee Hutchinson and Bryan Vandevender. At the conference, we have the option to participate in as many or as few activities as we choose. Last year, some of the students chose to audition for as many opportunities as possible, many of them eventually getting to perform for audiences. For others, just being in a new place surrounded by friends and good art was an amazing experience itself. I loved getting to attend some of the many workshops and classes last year; my favorite was probably the British dialect workshop, in which we all practiced speaking in an accent and learned about the pronunciations of certain words and phrases. Some other standouts were the stage combat class, where I got to fake-punch my friends in the face, a class examining Chekhov techniques and how to embody different levels of emotion, and a musical theater dance course with a Broadway choreographer.

Some of the students attending the conference will be competing at the regional level in acting, dramaturgy, musical theater performance and directing competitions. Last year, Bucknell brought home gold in two of these divisions; the school was represented by Nabeel Jan, who won first place in the directing competition, and Zoe Wilson, who won first place in dramaturgy. Both students moved on to compete at the national level in Washington D.C. Several others were nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan’s Acting Competition for their performances in previous Bucknell productions. This year, the Irene Ryan’s nominees include Reid Fournier, Tseday Robinson, Kieran Calderwood, and Madison Buckley. These students will prepare two monologues and a scene with a partner to perform for the competition.

I’m so excited to say that I will be participating as a scene partner with one of the nominees in the competition, as well as just being in attendance at the festival again this year. I have so many good memories from the conference last year and so many people that I love coming with me. It was a fantastic experience getting to work with professionals and learn in such a laid back environment surrounded by friends. We did everything together, from getting dinner to watching and critiquing performances to being totally vulnerable (and probably looking a little silly) in some of the classes. I loved getting closer to the Bucknell students and staff on the trip, but also some other students from different schools as well! There was one night where we invited some fellow attendees from Wooster over to our hotel room to play board games and talk; some of the Bucknell students on that trip still keep in touch with them to this day. They even made it out to see Gross Indecency and The One Act Play that Goes Wrong last year. I’m looking forward to potentially seeing them again at this conference!

As my final year at Bucknell is slowly nearing its end, I’m grateful that I am able to attend this trip and spend time with people that share my love for theater, in a place that celebrates the art form in all of its facets. I can’t wait to make more memories and enjoy all of the many different workshops and opportunities the festival offers. I know that those few days will be a blast. I am so excited to see what this year’s festival has in store, and so thankful to the Bucknell Theatre Department for allowing students to take advantage of opportunities like these.

Directing Cocktails with Maya Gurung

Maya Gurung, sophomore double major in economics and theatre, will be directing her first show this December. Her initial love of theatre began as a shy third grader after she watched the production “the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” and immediately became obsessed. She took a few acting classes, having her debut on the stage in her junior year of high school in “Mamma Mia.” While at Bucknell, she has acted in the first-year show, Cocktail Theatre, Forum Theatre, and landed a lead role in the recent MainStage Men on Boats. This was not only Maya’s first major show but her favorite one yet, as she appreciated the physical quality of the show and loved working alongside such a supportive cast and passionate director, Anjalee Hutchinson.

Maya claims that her love of acting, whether that be theatre or film, originated from her love of watching it. As a quiet person, many of Maya’s family members and friends would not expect her to be involved with theatre in her free time. Nevertheless, Maya sees the stage as a place to break out from her shell. She enjoys the excitement of assuming a different character and overall, describes the experience to be quite freeing.

At the end of the fall semester, Maya will be directing her first Cocktail Theatre performance. For students unfamiliar with the concept, Cocktail Theatre is a ten-minute, 2-3 actor play that acts as the “final exam” for students taking a Bucknell directing class. The class is a semester-long, project-based course where students select a play, research that play, and eventually individually direct that play. While still having class time to collaborate with fellow students taking the class, this means having the solo opportunity to plan a set, select actors, and design all of the blocking for the show. In essence, the student director is given the creative liberty over all of the little details and decisions.

For Maya’s final project, she is directing a Cocktail play called “Birthday Beer.” Not wanting to spoil too much, Maya says that she selected this play because of its light-hearted rom-com nature, filled with energetic, action-packed scenes. Ultimately, Maya wanted to choose a show that would be fun for her audience to watch.

Already in the rehearsal stage, Maya and the cast have already begun blocking the scenes and navigating the nuances that come with putting on a movement-heavy, prop-heavy show. Given how much the Bucknell theatre department emphasizes boundaries and consent while they work, Maya has implemented this practice into her own directing through check-ins before each rehearsal to gauge the other actor’s comfort levels with where they are willing to be touched that day. This element of comfort on stage is especially important in a two-person play, as sharing the stage with only one other person can become much more intimate work.

Being her first time directing, the greatest challenge is watching her ideas come out in ways she would expect or want but remaining flexible to prioritize what’s best for the show, even if she feared annoying her actors from the number of changes she would enforce. Additionally, she found that her role required her to make challenging decisions, such as selecting actors, even when she could envision so many auditioners fitting the role.

Even just a few years ago, Maya would have never seen herself directing anything but looking back, she realizes how much she has been directing in her head as a viewer this whole time. It has been so rewarding to watch all of the pieces gradually take shape and come to life. Even while dedicating around eight hours per week to Cocktail Theatre–whether that be the in-class time, rehearsals, and the outside planning as a director–Maya says it never feels like work. Outside of Bucknell Theatre, Maya is a member of the Offbeats Acapella Group, an usher for the Weis Center, and a TEAM mentor. Look out for more details on Maya’s along with other Cocktail Theatre plays that will be debuting this December!

Upcoming God of Carnage Auditions

Bucknell Theatre’s next mainstage production is Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage. The production will be presented in the Tustin Studio Theatre February 23-26.

Preliminary Auditions: Tuesday, November 14 starting at 6:00pm in Room 54 or Coleman Hall

Callbacks: Wednesday, November 15 in Room 23 of Coleman Hall

Auditions are open to the entire Bucknell community. We are looking to audition Arab, Asian, Black, Latinx, Multi-Racial, Native, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and White performers of all abilities.

Audition Sign-Up and additional information about auditions can be found here.

An online audition form should be completed prior to auditions. The form can be accessed here.

Auditioners are strongly encouraged to read the play prior to auditions. You can access the full text here.

If you have any questions about the auditions, production, or rehearsal process, please contact director, Dr. Bryan M. Vandevender ([email protected]).

We look forward to seeing you at the auditions!

Bucknell Departments of Theatre, Dance, Film and Media Studies co-host New York City Student & Alumni Brunch

November 19th, 2023 from 10am - Noon

Students, Faculty and Alumni from Bucknell's departments of Theatre, Dance, Film and Media Studies are cordially invited to a Networking and Social Brunch in the heart of New York City during the weekend before Thanksgiving! Join us for a wonderful opportunity to meet up with fellow Bucknellian artists from across the years, many of which are working in the business! This year's event will be held at the elegant Elsie Rooftop in Manhattan to accommodate the growing number of attendees this event has attracted over the years. Let's celebrate together and kick off the season! 'Ray Bucknell Theatre & Dance! 'Ray Bucknell Film & Media Studies!

For more details and/or to register please go this link: https://cvent.me/eYMxWZ

Recollections & Reflections by Bob Gainer, Professor Emeritus (1985 to 2009)

I was hired was hired in Fall 1985, when there was no Department of Theatre, only a very vibrant Theatre Program headed by English Department Prof. Harvey Powers for over 35 years. Elaine Williams, Assistant Professor of Scenography, was also on the hiring committee.

Then a momentous change occurred in 1986: Harvey, Elaine and I proposed and got approval from Bucknell to launch a new Department of Theater. This was swiftly followed in 1987, by the University’s blessing to initiate a new Dance Program, which was integrated into the newly formed Department of Theatre and Dance.

So, from 1987 onwards you can look back to see how new theater & dance faculty and professional staff were hired that dramatically impacted the development of our department over 36 years, both in terms of curriculum and theater and dance productions.

I was hired to teach several levels of acting, a directing course and to tutor advanced-level projects for senior directing/acting students. My position also included the direction of plays for the Mainstage Theater season, initially, two play productions each year. This changed when other faculty directors were hired, as well as when more dance performances were added to our department’s artistic season.

I have been asked to pinpoint some of my favorite aspects of teaching over my 24 years at Bucknell. I most relished how young people’s potential creativity could be released and given a platform for developing their psycho-physical instruments and imaginations in service to sharing playwright’s stories with our community – dramas with universal themes written over centuries of human history. I would like to think that this somewhat romantic pedagogical mission to both stimulate and encourage young actors and directors as both interpreters and potent agents of dramatic action, was realized both through my courses and well as in the process of directing 27 mainstage play productions, performed in either the Powers or Tustin Theater spaces. Let me also add that my own creative development as a director was informed by my fruitful & exciting collaborations with my professional colleagues in the areas of design and dramaturgy. Yes, I’m certain that the one reality that hasn’t changed in the department since I retired: the making of theater as a collaborative process.

I must also add that my years of service in the roles of both Chair of the department or Director of the theater program were also particularly gratifying and rewarding. I experienced how these administrative roles could really create an environment in the department that fostered respect and enthusiastic support for one’s colleagues’ individual teaching, creative scholarly projects, work environments and collective endeavors.

I have been also asked whether I might have any perceptions about how the department has changed since I left in January 2009. The most meaningful response that I can offer here is look at what has uniquely occurred over these past 15 years: The Women’s March; the Pandemic; the growing dangers of Climate Change, the African-American community and other minorities being targeted by both law enforcement and systematic bias across our nation, Women’s rights and LGBTQ rights continually under attack, the rise of White Nationalist and other Hate Groups, our U.S. Constitution and related democratic institutions and Rule of Law under serious threat, Voting Restrictions becoming more prevalent, Books being banned, etc. How can there be any way that the current Department of Theater and Dance can be the same as it was during my earlier years? I will always look forward to being a witness as to how the department of theatre and dance’s curriculum and performance work strives to reflect the challenges of living an ever changing & difficult world. Only Bucknell’s current department of theater and dance faculty, staff and students can choose to reflect whether and how the arts might address these exigent realities – year by year!

Facebook: Bucknell University Department of Theatre and Dance

Instagram: @bucknell.theatre

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, take care of each other, & take care of art:)

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backstage-bucknell · 7 months

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A Men On Boats Takeover

By: Katie Schadler

Come See The M.O.B.

“Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. MEN ON BOATS is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River.”

P.S. : The amazing Clea Ramos made this poster.

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Men on Boats

LOCATION: Harvey Powers Theatre Oct. 20, 7:30pm Oct. 21, 7:30pm Oct. 22, 2pm Oct. 23, 7:30pm

TICKET PRICES (General Admission):

Adults: $12 Students, Senior Citizens, & Children: $7

Buy your tickets here !

If you bring ten friends to the show, you can get tickets at the box office for $5 each!

More on the show:

As per the playwright’s request, these historically white male characters are all given voice and movement by actors who are anything and everything but white and male identifying - offering an entertaining and critical lens on the determination, foolishness and humanity of this group of frontiersmen in an historic moment in America’s adolescence.

A Message From Tseday: Senior in Men on Boats

By: Tseday Robinson

Hi, my name is Tseday Robinson. I am a senior here at Bucknell, double major in Animal Behavior and Creative Writing, and I play Hawkins in the play Men on Boats. As a student who is a double major on campus, it is hard for me to get into other things outside of my majors. Because I do research, dance as an extracurricular, and also work multiple jobs on campus, my time is very limited. But I always loved the arts and theatre in general.

In high school, I had an acting class and performed a piece of a play in front of my whole school. In my first year at Bucknell, I watched a friend in a play and admired her hard work and clean performance. My second year, I wanted to get into theater here, and I auditioned for a cocktail, a ten-minute play directed by students. I had such a great time, which made me want to continue with theatre. I did a cocktail my junior year, yet this year, I wanted to take a little leap of faith and do a MainStage. So when Hutch and Anjalee asked me to audition for this, I was all in.

I was a little nervous auditioning, and heck, in a way, I am nervous now. But I love the cast, and I love the set and costumes. I am enjoying this whole experience. It is a little hard during midterms and being a senior and all. Yet I never notice the time flying by during rehearsals because I am having so much fun. I hope the audience enjoys our hard work and sees how much love we put into Men on Boats.

Bucknell Departments of Theatre, Dance, Film and Media Studies co-host New York City Student & Alumni Brunch

October 19th, 2023 from 10am - Noon

For more details and/or to register please go this link: https://cvent.me/eYMxWZ

Wonderstudies

By Zoe Fleury

As a first year student, being a “Wonderstudy” for the fall mainstage, Men on Boats, was an incredible opportunity. It was amazing to be a part of the process, to witness how rehearsals and notes work, and to be a part of the community a show creates. Understudying is an important job, as theater is such a physical artform. Bodies in space are a necessity–both to get the feeling of a show and for other actors to be present in a scene. In the rehearsal process, leaving an empty space in a scene with someone shouting out lines from the audience can halt almost all progress that could be made. It just doesn’t work. Not to mention if there’s no understudy, there's no solution if an actor can’t be in a live performance.

Going into a scene without practice or knowing the blocking can be uncomfortable. A lot of times you’re in the way, or you feel like a fool because you don’t really know what you’re doing. While filling in during rehearsals started off this way, the entire team of Men on Boats could not have been more welcoming. The cast was extremely helpful both in and out of runs, and they never got frustrated when I’d make a mistake or be in the wrong place. In fact, the only thing I ever received from the cast and the director, Anjalee Hutchinson, was gratitude and respect. After the runs, I always got a “thanks so much for filling in” and “thank you for being my scene partner today”. It felt so good, not only to be appreciated but to be a part of the group.

The other understudies and I joined the process of this production very late to the game. It was about 3 weeks out from show time when I filled in my first rehearsal. I thought that it would be weird and I would feel like an outsider, like I was just a random person thrown on to the stage. While I’ll admit this was true in the very beginning, it was immediately undercut by the inclusivity of the team. Coming into a production as an understudy is scary, but none of those fears are founded, especially at Bucknell.

Redefining Disability on Stage with Penn State’s Samuel Yates

By Abby Campion

A theater artist and dramaturg working as a researcher in the realm of musical theater primarily at Penn State, Disability Consultant Samuel Yates was thrilled to be a part of Bucknell Theater’s production of Men on Boats. With a background in theater, Sam realized that as they began aging into different roles, they encountered disability-specific limitations on stage. A cochlear user with a neuromuscular disability, Sam refers to this realization as that of being “in the right rooms, but in the wrong roles.” Having started out working as a dramaturg primarily for new plays, Sam’s immediate priority was that of reorienting perspective for audience and performers alike; painting an accessible world so that it may help in vanquishing our own inaccessible one.

As a Disability Consultant, Sam is tasked with ensuring that shows are well-researched; uniformly ethical; and approached with a disability perspective, especially when it comes to disabled roles for nondisabled actors. It’s crucial that this is done in an informed manner so as to not further perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and instead positively influence the conversation. When working to create an ethical and safe space for the character of John Wesley Powell in Men on Boats, Sam maintains the responsibilities of a Disability Consultant; one of which is encouraging the use of disability-specific language when referring to the character’s disability. For instance, in Powell’s case, he is a “limb-different” individual who lost an appendage during the civil war. Powell’s experience is a complex one, as he is a disabled explorer captaining a boat in 1869—a feat that obviously had been traditionally fulfilled by able-bodied individuals.

In addition to focusing on the informed use of language in his work on Men on Boats, Sam had a lot of long conversations with the designers regarding what clothing would be appropriate for Powell, and really what clothing means for him in terms of his disability. They underwent discussions regarding what the character would use that falls under the guidelines of what’s respectful and accurate, Sam inevitably aiming to give the Men on Boats team the tools to discuss and engage with disability respectfully in their design process.

Sam reflects upon their favorite part of the Men on Boats process, which has been getting to witness the rare occurrence of a comedy featuring a disabled character where disability isn’t the butt of every joke. Sam emphasizes how Powell’s disability is an integral part of his character and is interlaced throughout the show, yet the comedy isn’t at Powell’s expense. And this, they later continue, is the very part of what makes access dramaturgy worthwhile–“shifting perspective about practices we have ingrained in us that we aren’t always aware existed.” Rather than gaining a cheap laugh with a joke about Powell’s disability, Men on Boats instead works against the harmful ableism perpetuated in the entertainment industry. Bucknell Theater’s Men on Boats rejects the position of assuming non-disabled spectators and non-disabled performers are in the room, and instead is conscious of ¼ of the population being disabled; meaning that a disabled individual is most likely seated in the audience. “We’re often not aware of the barriers we’ve generated,” asserts Sam. With these practices comes redefining what the world of production is so that all may join: creatives and audiences alike.

Of course, the matter of disability on stage goes beyond Men on Boats, especially when it comes to non-disabled actors portraying disabled characters. Sam touches on how when a non-disabled actor is portraying a character with disability, it’s essentially a “disability simulation,” which is a conscious curated version of what the said nondisabled person thinks a disabled person looks like. Sam stresses that there’s a vast difference between disability as a fabrication, which is the “disability simulation” in an uninformed context, versus transitioning it into a real-world embodied experience, which comes with the “disability simulation” in a context of knowledge and care. In the case of the uninformed context, the audience experiences a disability loss when they could be experiencing a disability gain. Sam goes on to say that if someone is simulating, how do they do it ethically? And if they’re disabled, how can the team create more accessibility?

“Good accessibility practices invite everyone into the theater,” affirms Sam Yates. More of their ideas and teachings can soon be found in their upcoming book Cripping Broadway: Producing Disability in the American Musical. Sam’s book is essentially a research project that uses musicals to understand how disabilities are used in American culture production. They use “Crip Theory” to demonstrate how disability is central to theatrical production in industry and how it works differently than race or gender, contending the long-assumed belief by theater academics and artists that disability is primarily associated with other identifying practices. Sam’s work helps to integrate new enactments regarding disability into institutions that weren’t there before, further urging us to stop considering our assumptions of what disability is, and instead look at what it can be.

Reclaiming Native Narratives on Stage with Bucknell’s Sierra Pete

By Katie Schadler

As costume designer and Native American cultural consultant for this year’s MainStage production Men on Boats, Costume Studio Manager Sierra Pete is one of the main forces behind transforming a show into a conversation beyond the stage. With a background in commissioned costume and set designing for dance performances and movies, Sierra Pete began working in the design shop two years ago, Bucknell being her first exposure to theatre. Before Sierra ever picked up the sewing needle, she was a dancer. Being an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Sierra grew up dancing at Native American community gatherings known as pow-wows, catalyzing her love for designing her own performance outfits and gaining inspiration from Native clothing pieces.

When designing the costumes for Ute Native American characters in Men on Boats, she not only consciously considers historical details like geography of tribes; trading between Natives and non-Natives; and US policies that were affecting tribes during that time period, but she also consults members of the Ute community regarding the attire indicative of the historical era and their cultural customs. While she may identify as Native, Sierra emphasizes the wildly different customs between Navajo and Ute communities and thus, acknowledges her limitations to accurately speak for the entire Native population beyond her own experiences.

Doubling as a Native American cultural consultant for the show, Sierra’s job is to implement a combination of research and her personal experiences as a Native woman into a curriculum used to educate the cast, directors, dramaturgs, and tech and design team on the historical context of the show in order to portray Ute Native Americans as accurately and ethically as possible. Through facilitating well-researched workshops designated for different members of the show or juxtaposing staged Native American photographs with the “surprisingly” casual day-to-day Native attire of the 1800’s, Sierra aims to break the inaccurate, stereotypical image of the stoic Native American chief sitting in a feather headdress.

While the Bucknell show was still in its early stages of bringing in a cultural consultant, department faculty reached out to other theatre community members who adapted Men on Boats only to find that alternate versions of the show completely omitted the scene involving the interaction between two Ute characters, due to fear of inaccurately broaching topics of culture or potentially inciting controversy. As a cultural consultant, Sierra is interested in not only equipping actors with the accurate background knowledge and confidence to approach potentially uncomfortable scenes but explaining the broader importance of keeping these scenes in the first place: With the willingness to revel in the discomfort and give voices to Ute characters while accepting the inevitable inability to please everyone, members of the show avoid erasing entire communities.

Despite not having direct work experience in theatre prior to Bucknell or an academic background in Indigenous scholarship, Sierra brings her invaluable, lived experience and perspective to the role of a cultural consultant. Having formerly spent so much time trying to fit into roles that felt unnatural, Sierra feels that cultural consultancy allows her to be herself and proudly represent her community. With a versatile academic background in biology and ceramics, along with a passion for dancing and outdoor sports like mountain biking and rock climbing, she can appreciate the freedom of working at a liberal arts college among young costume designers all looking to bring in a new point of view and other faculty members like director of Men on Boats, Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson, who is not afraid to take artistic risks that show a commitment to DEI.

Ultimately, this conversation is bigger than the production itself but speaks to a broader social tendency to let cultural ignorance breed inaccuracy and fanaticism. Sierra aims to dismantle this dangerous societal narrative that Native Americans are these “hippie-like stewards of the land or alcoholics living on desolate reservations; we are lawyers, athletes, artists, and students who are infiltrating modern spaces, and many of us come from culturally-rich reservations!” she asserts. Given our tendency to remain in our own limited world views, Sierra encourages us to learn about culture not through the invasion and interrogation of other communities but through the creation of diverse roles within contemporary settings and institutions that will provide us with the opportunity to engage with people and cultures different from our own. Advocates like Sierra working within and outside of their communities know there is so much injustice to tackle, but in times of hopelessness, it’s up to us to infiltrate these modern spaces and reclaim the narrative.

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backstage-bucknell · 7 months

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Bucknell Theatre Newsletter: Fall Break Edition

By: Katie Schadler

One Hen, Two Ducks: My Experience in the First Year Show

By: Abby Campion

At the start of each rehearsal for the first-year show University: A New Generation, our fearless student director Alice Jackins (‘25) would have us cast members recite vocal exercises for the purpose of promoting pronunciation, diction, and projection. “One hen, two ducks…” the first would start. Between this exercise and the “All I want is a proper cup of coffee” tongue twister, the cast grew increasingly hyped for warm-ups, making each time we did the exercise more performative than the last. We eventually memorized both “One hen” and “Coffee,” so the whole ordeal quickly became a silly ritual that brought the whole cast together, excitedly watching dramatic renditions of the phrase “eight brass monkeys from the ancient sacred crypts of Egypt” in “One hen.” This ritual combined with that of going around in a circle and saying the best part of our day facilitated a warm and welcoming environment. An environment where we were able to be comfortable making art.

Other than a handful of full cast rehearsals for the show’s prebeat, rehearsals for University were quite individualized. They were limited to us and our scene partner(s), so making art with exclusively one other person and Alice felt intimate, yet freeing. This took some getting used to, as myself and other cast members have typically participated in ensemble-heavy shows in previous theatre experience. However, venturing outside of our comfort zones in this manner allowed us to form genuine connections with our scene partners and set the stage for authenticity. In addition to a scene opposite a scene partner, I was assigned a monologue in the show: another first for me. I had never been on stage alone before and I was nervous to traverse the world of acting without reacting; acting by creating a scene for the audience with my words alone.

This was a process that proved difficult for me, but endlessly gratifying. Alice in her infinite grace and wisdom went through the piece with me countless times until I reached a place of ease with the lines and the scene itself. She exhibited great patience as I took breaks as needed, working to gradually get out of my own self-effacing mind and into the mind of my character. Moreover, once opening night finally arrived, I felt confident in my ability to make the scene my own, and have some fun with the choices I could make. I couldn’t have reached that point without Alice’s guidance and assurance, and I can’t wait to see what she does at Bucknell and beyond.

Getting to see the growth of my fellow cast members in the span of a mere three weeks was both impressive and rewarding. The show itself was a roller coaster of emotions. University is a complex, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes just flat-out confusing but always endearing journey into what it’s like to be a college-age adult. Many actors explored vulnerability when performing intimacy with each other, myself and my scene partner Cheatra Cheeang included. Cheatra and I, playing characters that are unlikely friends, had to perform a tango while cross-dressing and being visibly gender-ambiguous. This was another rewarding challenge for me as an artist. Other cast members who had to engage in intimacy did so with great care, and between them I saw numerous connections being made in such a short time frame. The cast itself started out the process being almost silent at the first rehearsal, and closed the last rehearsal screaming “whoosh” at the top of our lungs during a game of “Whoosh, Whoa, Zap.” I’ve been told that the first-year show, more than anything, is community-building, and this could not be more true. Establishing a support system among our immediate peers amidst the scary new college setting has already been beneficial, and we’re only a few weeks into the semester.

The actual performances on parents’ weekend were loads of fun. I got to do my favorite thing with many of my favorite people. Two evenings before opening night, we discovered that a cast member had come down with COVID, so Tessa Brizhik stepped in at the last minute for the roles of “Pink” and “Woman C.” Tessa did fabulously, especially given such little time for preparation. Her attitude brought a warm presence complete with fun pre-show games and much appreciated words of affirmation. The performances went relatively smoothly, and were positively received. Parents loved seeing their children showcased; my own parents were impressed that “their baby” was featured in a role with more than two lines. The reception in the ELC that followed the Saturday evening show hosted by Bucknell University was a nice air of closure that allowed us to debrief and socialize with friends and family. I’m sure I can speak for the cast of University: A New Generation when I express how grateful I am to have had such a positive experience with Bucknell Theatre right off the bat, and how excited I am to hopefully pursue other theatre opportunities in my time here.

ATTENTION: LOOKING FOR USHERS!

Do you love Bucknell Theatre?

Do you want to support upcoming productions even if you’re not an actor or crew member?

Do you want free tickets to the shows?

BECOME A BUCKNELL THEATRE USHER AND GET YOUR FREE TICKETS:)

Write to [email protected] if you are interested!

Practicing Natural: Intimacy On Stage

By: Katie Schadler and Abby Campion

As intimacy choreographer for recently-premiered show University: A New Generation, Theatre and Dance professor Dustyn Martincich taught first-year students how to practice consent on stage in a way that prioritized efficiency, clarity, and self-advocacy. One of these practices involved the way in which intimacy scenes were taught in the first place, using desexualized language to instruct movement and focus on the mechanics of intimate scenes so that they were repeatable and thus expected. The consistency not only added structure to the story itself but built trust between the actors.

Another aspect of this training was establishing boundaries through a shared, non-judgmental language that was based on the vocabulary and practice of the organization Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE). Offering “TIE’s” terms like “fences and gates” to suggest the degree of an actor’s bodily boundary and “button” to indicate when something in rehearsal was activating for someone fostered a space of open-communication and limited personal tensions and feelings of resentment. Because a person’s boundaries can be ever-changing, check-ins with scene partners prior to taking the stage were essential to know where or if the actor felt comfortable being touched that day, regardless of whether they voiced consent the previous day. While feelings of safety could not be guaranteed for everyone, Dustyn instead aimed to create “a brave space” in which college students were encouraged to stand in their own bodily autonomy and advocate for themselves freely without the fear of disappointing the group.

Students were instructed to use the phrase “no, but…” in contrast to the typical theatre rule of “yes, and…” to urge the refusal of an actor’s consent but their willingness to try an alternative approach. The goal was to find the balance between satisfying the dramaturgical elements of the story while also ensuring that students’ boundaries were not accidentally violated. Through leading with the motto “Better is better,” Dustyn emphasized the reality that not everyone would ever be fully content or comfortable with the scene, but rather than striving for a perfect solution, to look for an improved one.

Finally, students learned the importance of being able to “clap out” of a scene, allowing actors to immediately come out of their characters. As actors, it can be easy to “get lost in a scene” or assume that fully immersing themselves into their craft equates to intimacy without limits. Taking measures such as high fiving with an acting partner before the scene began or running lines for intimate scenes in the presence of a stage manager or other third party ensured that the intimacy stayed in the scene, creating a clear distinction between the performance and real life as well as the character and the actor.

While intimacy tends to be associated with notions of “chemistry between actors” or scenes appearing “effortless,” Dustyn challenged this falsehood of intimacy on stage by admitting that what looks “natural” takes practice. Having the opportunity to choreograph intimacy in the first-year show, Dustyn believes that such consent practices within theatre set actors up for success and increased their confidence in working with each other.

We asked students in the first-year show to speak on their experience, learning the importance of having a framework when approaching intimacy on stage. Students Quincy Saadeh, Alexandra Schajer, and Julia Piccolino–all participants of intimacy training in University: A New Generation–approached this framework with open-mindedness and care. Quincy referred to the training as “awkward but necessary.”

Brand new to Bucknell Theater’s consent measures, the University actors had a lot to say regarding their first go at this approach. All three students touched on previous experiences compared to those of Bucknell, Alex expressing the discomfort she felt with the violating and borderline damaging practices of her high school theater department. Emphasizing how theater should be a welcoming space where all can creatively thrive, Alex spoke of the contrast that Bucknell has presented, one that has made her feel grounded in her path to continue theater. All three sustained how these practices should be the norm in the theater-realm. “Always ask,” says Julia.

When asked about looking “natural” while also practicing consent, Quincy reaffirmed Dustyn’s claims about intimacy on stage, asserting that communicating boundaries “makes scenes more powerful and intimate.” The three students conveyed that it’s important to make choices in the moment, but that these choices should be within the realm of what everyone on stage was comfortable with. This ensured trust between all parties, furthering the scene’s spontaneity that bloomed when all actors felt at ease.

The intimacy training in University also explored nuances with matters like sexuality and individuality. Speaking as scene partners, Alex and Quincy both touched on University being their first experience with same gender-identifying intimacy. Both female-identifying, the two actors expressed how the work was challenging but “a good challenge.” Both mentioned being glad to have the experience, communicating how it’s expanded their scope of partner acting, making them better artists. A complex process but a worthwhile one, rehearsing the intimacy in their scene has made Quincy inclined to further delve into the values and desires of her character. Following the intricacies between one’s self and one’s character, Julia briefly spoke of the individual challenges she faced with her own scene. This further exemplified the importance of the attention and check-ins that both Dustyn and director Alice Jackins facilitated when teaching these practices. The intimacy training inspired by “TIE” that Bucknell Theater enacted was crucial to ensuring consent and success on stage. It made students comfortable with showing up to rehearsal the next day and enhanced the audience’s experience once the actors took the stage.

Meet the Publicity Team

Clea Ramos ’25

Role: Design posters, stickers, props, promotional media for upcoming events

Pronouns: she/her

Major: Computer Engineering, Minor: Studio Art

Extracurriculars: Founder/Secretary of PSA, Garman Guide for Engineering School, IEEE, APIDA

Favorite part of being on team: Working alongside people with various skill sets and creating a collective product

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Work on more art/coding passion projects, spend more time with friends and family

Libby Hoffman ’24

Role: Post content on Theatre Instagram/other social media platforms, create cast posters for upcoming shows

Pronouns: she/her

Major: Anthropology Studies and Italian Studies

Extracurriculars: Acting in showcases, mainstages, cocktails; Executive Internship Program; Orientation Assistant; 7th St. Cafe barista; Kappa Alpha Theta

Favorite part of being on team: Brainstorming how to make BU Theatre more visible with students across years

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Thrifting/antiquing around world & finding cultural pieces

Aisling McGrath ’26

Role: Designs programs for upcoming shows, edits and selects theatre photos

Pronouns: she/they

Major: Accounting and Literary Studies

Extracurriculars: Freeman DEI Alliance, GSA, orchestra, jazz band, “Bison Band”, philosophy club

Favorite part of being on team: Heightened appreciation for people backstage and excitement for upcoming performances

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Focusing more on self-care and being themself as much as possible

Katie Schadler ’26

Role: Compiles and writes articles for the newsletter

Pronouns: she/her

Major: Literary Studies

Extracurriculars: Presidential Fellows, “Bisonettes Dance Team,” Club Volleyball, SAAB, Philosophy Club

Favorite part of being on team: The Hutchinsons, Joe’s chips, Mark’s bread (that he seldom brings)

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Write more poems, read for pleasure, play volleyball every day, fearlessly make art

Jennaye Pointer ’26

Role: Running Theatre Facebook page

Pronouns: she/her

Major: Psychology and Film & Media Studies, Minor: Theatre

Extracurriculars: Backstage Tech Crew, Stage Managing, Animal Rescue Club, Film Club, GSA, Chi Omega

Favorite part of being on team: Thinking up new post ideas and the collaborative environment

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Practicing ukulele and guitar, devoting more time to content creating

Abby Campion ’27

Role: Our newest member, writing pieces for newsletter, future work in social media

Pronouns: she/her

Major: Political Science

Extracurriculars: “Offbeats” Acapella, Mock Trial, Pre-law, acting in First-Year Show

Favorite part of being on team: Loves sharing a space with theatre people and utilizing the newsletter as a creative outlet

What would you do if you had infinite time?

Take on 27 majors at Bucknell, travel with loved ones, learn how to teleport (she is chronically late to everything)

Facebook: Bucknell University Department of Theatre and Dance

Instagram: @bucknell.theatre

Happy Fall Break!!

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, take care of each other, & take care of art:)

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backstage-bucknell · 8 months

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AND WE’RE BACK!

By: Katie Schadler

Fall Mainstage Show: Men on Boats

(except without men on boats)

Based on Jacklyn Backhaus’ play Men on Boats, the actors who play these ten valiant explorers are “anything and everything but white and male” and “the historical moment of their journey is viewed with a critical lens.”

Find the longer synopsis of the play here.

Director of Bucknell’s Men On Boats Professor Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson shares an important note to the actors, stage crew, and audience:

One of the most interesting elements of this text is the playwright's explicit guidelines for all productions that all of the white male characters in the play be portrayed through actors who identify as anything but heteronormative white men. This interesting juxtaposition offers unique insight into the story and asks a poignant question - who gets to tell our stories moving forward? How does the telling change our understanding of what happened? The play also examines what the cartography of the American West meant for Native Americans. Towards this end we have hired cultural consultant Sierra Pete, who will help the cast and crew understand the significance of the work in relation to the lived experiences of Native Americans. Ms. Pete, an artist who is deeply influenced by her Native American background, culture and identity, is also the Costume Shop Manager in the costume studio at Bucknell. Ms. Pete will be co-designing the costumes for our production as well. In this way we hope to create a culturally sensitive portrayal of what these Men on Boats actually did and who they disadvantaged along the way.

Support your students/peers in the upcoming production:

Men On Boats Cast List:

John Wesley Powell - Paige Gilmartin

William Dunn - Katheryn Brown

John Colton Sumner - Joselyne Busato

Oramel 'OG 'Howland/Chief Tsauwait - Maya Gurung

Seneca Howland/The Bishop - Harper Dick

Frank Goodman/Mr. Asa - Caroline Pritchard

George Young Bradley - Yasmine Adam

William Robert Hawkins - Tseday Robinson

Andrew Hall - Libby Hoffman

Old Shady - Madison Buckley

First Year & Transfer Student Show: University: A New Generation

“University: A New Generation is a series of short plays that follows students from orientation to graduation day as they discover the joys and uncertainties of college life. From the pressures of academic excellence to the quest for self-discovery, the characters grapple with identity, relationships, and the forever-changing landscape of the modern world. Each student brings a unique point of view and set of goals, fueling the rich assemblage of the university experience. With compelling dialogue and charged storytelling, the play takes on pertinent social issues such as mental health, gender stereotypes, and the clash between tradition and progress. Through its relatable characters, thought-provoking themes, and vibrant energy, this play invites audiences to reflect on their own personal journeys through/with higher education and challenges them to envision a future where education becomes a catalyst for change and growth.”

I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honored to be directing University: A New Generation. I am super excited to work with this talented group of First-Year students in their first production on the Bucknell stage. What makes this project even more special is that it's centered around the college experience itself. The opportunity to explore and celebrate the very essence of what it means to be a college student, while watching the first-year actors cultivate their own college journeys is very fulfilling.

Bucknell junior and director Alice Jackins shares her thoughts on the upcoming show:

As a director, I'm particularly excited about the creative possibilities we have in store. From scene work that dives deep into the nuances of college life, superpowers, abstract composition, and dance, we're aiming to infuse the production with moments of pure magic and heart.

This project is not just about putting on a show; it's about creating a memorable and transformative experience for our young actors and the audience alike. My goal is to create a tight-knit community among the actors, while also helping them find their place within the broader arts space at Bucknell.

Support your students/peers in the upcoming production:

University: A New Generation Cast List:

Abby Campion – Activist 5, Joey, Wags

Addyson Powell - Activist 4, Josie

Alexandra Schajer - Jean, Her

Antek Nowacki - Professor, Bogie

Bryson Fuhrer - Teacher, Jackson

Cassandra Smith - Girl #2, Keely

Cheatra Chheang - Activist 3, Kenna, Pish

Clara Henry - Angel, Donella

Defne Gumus - Activist 6, Woman R, Pepper

Gabriella Cappelloni - Girl #1, Madeline

Giselle Mayer - Girl #3, Tina

Jaela Rivera - Placard Lady, Chloe

Julia Piccolino - Activist 1, Lo-Lo

Lizzie Hopper - Activist 2, Shi

Quincy Saadeh - Pink, Woman C

Trevor Seymour- Football Player, Curtis, Gordo

Tyler McMasters - Guy, Carl, Him

William Sullivan - Klon, Mock

Zoe Fleury - Girl, Ellen, Woman L

Finding Home in University with Anjalee

By: Katie Schadler

For theatre professor and director Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson, this is a monumental year for several reasons: Not only is Anjalee celebrating her twentieth year as an educator and her fifteenth year at Bucknell, but this fall, Bucknell Theatre will be putting on the production University: A New Generation, an updated version of the first play she ever directed.

Before Anjalee ever put on the director hat, she was an actor. She acted all throughout middle school and high school until she received an undergraduate arts scholarship where she would major in theatre. Anjalee originally never wanted to be a director. Like many of us who think we are set on what we do and don’t like at the beginning of our undergraduate academic journeys, it wasn’t until she took a directing class as a requirement for her major did she end up falling in love with it.

(First: A photo of Anjalee's original cast from her college production of University. Second: A picture of Anjalee and Jenn Rae Moore, her stage manager from that 1991 production. Ms. Moore is now an Equity stage manager who mostly works on Broadway.)

During her final year in college, Anjalee landed her first directing project for a play called University, which she describes as a collection of vignettes about transitioning into adulthood and finding the new family we choose while at university. The concept is intriguing in the sense that college students are played by actors who are also college students and yet might vastly differ from their characters. Because her college had an arena theater, Anjalee enjoyed opening up her cast to different angles on stage to make the storyline understandable and entertaining for the audience regardless of where someone was sitting. This show became responsible for forging many long lasting friendships she continues to maintain today.

After she graduated both physically and artistically from university, Anjalee went on to pursue freelanced acting and directing. After receiving some attention for her performance in a film that was chosen for the Sundance film festival, Anjalee secured an agent and management team. However, despite living in New York, what we perceive as being a fairly open-minded place to be, Anjalee faced many obstacles as a South Asian American woman trying to “make it” in the industry. Not only was she constantly confined to being cast in stereotypical Indian roles, but her managers even made her change her name to "Anjalee Desh" to make it easier to pronounce and thus, get hired in a white-washed, white-dominated industry.

Right before she was eligible to get her equity card, which would have potentially opened doors to “Broadway big” opportunities, Anjalee made the life-altering decision to transition away from acting and immerse herself into directing. She noted here how difficult it was to land sustainable or authentic role roles as an actor of color at that time. But in her new directing position, it was not about the money: She was working with Asian-American writers, blending forms of poetry and dance, and creating in a workshop atmosphere with a community of artists. No longer performing, Anjalee had the opportunity to take control of the story in a different way. To her, this was home.

After getting her MFA at Northwestern, Anjalee has worked on numerous projects outside of Bucknell that include acting, directing, and writing two books on acting technique. Since she has been at Bucknell, she has also directed outside productions such as Harvest, a play by Manjula Padmanabhanat about a play about harvesting human organs from people in developing nations and The Night Diary, adapted by Alumna Mukta Phatak, class of 2018 from the middle school book on the Indian/Pakistani Partition by Veera Hiranandani. Her outside work often focuses on South Asian stories.

While she has enjoyed working with professional actors, Anjalee has found there to be a lot of pressure for many of these actors to succeed commercially which can inhibit the ability to take creative risks. Thus, she has mostly loved working with undergrads whose “imaginations have yet to develop ceilings.” At Bucknell, she has enjoyed watching her students evolve between Acting 1, 2 and 3 learning to make their own authentic artistic choices. She also mentions her love-hate relationship with her devising classes and productions: the amazing work that is produced and yet the intense intimacy of the process as they navigate interpersonal conflict within creative, shared spaces. As a professor at Bucknell, Anjalee is not only seeking to foster opportunities for student growth, but also, always striving to learn from her students as well.

In this full-circle year for Anjalee, she could not be more excited to be passing on the director’s hat to junior Bucknell student and “community builder” Alice Jackins who will be directing the playwright's updated version of Anjalee’s first ever directing project: University, by Jon Jory.

“One of the best parts of Bucknell Theatre is working with a community of intelligent young artists, like Alice, who are passionate about the craft and aim to approach it through expanded mindsets.” Because for Anjalee, and hopefully for many other young, passionate artists at Bucknell, this is the time to fall in love with University.

Bucknell Theatre Says ’Ray Consent!

By Grace Woodhouse

On the first Friday of the year, student and faculty directors, choreographers, and technical artists in the Department of Theatre & Dance gathered for a workshop focused on learning about and honing techniques for promoting safety, consent, and boundaries as we work creatively this semester.

I feel grateful to have attended the workshop and already find myself implementing some of the skills we practiced in rehearsals. The training began with a lesson on how to safely exist in the T & D spaces, understanding that humans fall down, run into things, and generally experience pain every now and then. Heath Hansum, Theatre Co-director, gave us the rundown on where to find the first aid station and how to help in more severe situations. We also learned about lighting and temperature control in Tustin (which was much appreciated because up until now, I’ve always guessed and been wrong!).

Next, Department Head Dustyn Martincich took over and led us through a set of exercises on Boundary Practice and Consent work, an area that has been tested over the past few years and improved upon in response to trial-and-error. A sentiment of Dustyn’s that stuck out to me is that as a leader, one can never entirely ensure that the people with whom we are working feel comfortable or safe. Thus, the term “safe space” that has been so readily used in recent years is actively being rejected in favor of “brave space.” The idea behind this new phrase is that no matter personal variations in comfort, we can always work to create an environment in which people are encouraged to make brave choices and supported by their community for doing so.

To that end, a significant portion of the workshop was centered around experientially testing how to best integrate boundary setting and respecting into our everyday rehearsal and performance practices in a non-awkward way. Soon, we were bumping knees, shaking elbows, and using a shared consent-based vocabulary composed of “buttons,” “fences,” and “gates.”

If a certain physical interaction felt uncomfortable for one or more parties, Dustyn emphasized the importance of alternatives. Using the phrase “No, but…” as opposed to the typical “Yes, and…” of improvisation is a powerful tool in nurturing a consent-based zone. I left Friday’s workshop feeling informed, excited, and more confident in my ability to prioritize physical and mental safety while continuing to grow artistically.

Arts First: Take Care

By: Abby Campion (’27) and Zoe Fleury (’27)

I’m not sure I’ll ever forget walking into Holmes Hall and feeling the cool air conditioning after the longest morning of my life. I spent hours with my family, my mom refolding my clothes and my dad building all kinds of under-the-bed storage in order to make my room as comfortable as possible. Coming into college, there’s nothing scarier than knowing you’re alone. It was overwhelming, walking into that unknown space. There were so many first-years, faculty members, and mentors. Surely there was no way I could get to know all of these people in only five days, right? Wrong.

For most first-year Bucknellians, being jump started into orientation and then classes right away is nothing short of terrifying. But after going through Arts First, I can confidently say I have made personal connections with every person in the program, giving me the perfect community going into classes and college life. Arts First was truly my first home away from home.

The theme of Arts First 2023 was “Joy and Transformation.” It was all about moments of bliss and growth as we moved into college and then beyond. When I think back on my experience at Arts First, the first word I think of is joy. Joy stretching my chin to the sky during Kelly’s morning warm ups. Joy uplifting my fellow first-years and mentors as they showed their passions and eventually showing mine as well. Joy clutching my teammates’ hands during Hutch’s challenge course. Joy “fire burning on the dance floor” at wacky zumba.

Getting thrown into adulthood within the walls of a new space around entirely new people will inevitably bring about transformation. Being in Arts First is the feeling of vulnerability and security all at once. A quintessential moment of vulnerability, the Mentee Showcase, made me proud to be in the presence of such unique and talented artists, and even more so, that I was one of them. The same feeling of pride for the community I had walked into came while I watched mentors and mentees alike work together on the seemingly impossible “Hutch Challenge Course,” which was quite possibly one of my favorite activities of the entire week. I gained a strong level of trust with my group, as well as a new self-perspective that came with Hutch’s observations and instructions.

Our (and many others’) biggest fear coming into college was not finding people that we clicked with, feeling lonely even in a crowd of many. Connecting with others doesn’t come easily to everyone, but the workshops in Arts First make it impossible not to make relationships with the people around you. It’s possible to connect with people both in activities and even on the way to the next one. When I think about when I made my closest friends, I think of everyone eating ice cream together in a circle on the first night or clearing up the wood after the challenge course. These aren’t complicated activities–rather moments inside or in between that mean a lot to me looking back.

I also think about improvising a frog with an attitude in Anjalee’s devising workshop or playing Kelly’s version of “ship to shore.” In Arts First, connection is a constant. It doesn’t stop when the activities do or even when the day is done. It doesn’t even stop at the students. Now, in both the classroom and the arts department, it is such a comfort to have relationships that we’ve already forged with faculty members. Having professors that we truly trust has made this place feel even more like home. Now, when we see Kelly, Hutch, Anjalee, Joe Scapellato, Dan Temkin, Robert Rosenburg, Rebecca Meyers, and Anna Kell, we say “hello” and know we’ve already lucked out in faculty relationships.

Now, three weeks later, we sit writing this reflecting about that first day in the seats of the Harvey Powers Theater. Zoe compliments Abby’s “alien socks,” which Abby corrects to be “baby Yoda socks.” We might’ve never crossed paths at Bucknell had it not been for Arts First, and now we can’t imagine college life without each other. We both met our very best friends in the program, and not only do we eat lunch and dinner together every day, but mentors frequently join us as well. Even though they’re called “mentors,” they’re genuinely our friends. These friendships are what have reminded us to take care of ourselves, take care of each other, and take care of art. Arts First influenced every aspect of our new lives, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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backstage-bucknell · 1 year

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Curtain Call: Farewell Seniors

By: Katie Schadler

As the school year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to honor the seniors who will be ending their time at Bucknell and moving onto their own new and exciting creative endeavors. Seniors, you have all contributed so much talent, hard work, and passion to Bucknell Theatre, and know that you will always have a community to call home. Best of luck.

Allure Cooper:

Major: Arabic & Arab World Studies

Future plans: Return to Baltimore, hopefully find a job in the non-profit or public sector doing community engagement and support/providing resources and support to refugees.

Something I'll miss about BU Theatre: The moment right after a show when we realize everything managed to come together amazingly.Allure Cooper Major: Arabic & Arab World StudiesFuture plans: Return to Baltimore, hopefully find a job in the non-profit or public sector doing community engagement and support/providing resources and support to refugees.

Nabeel Jan:

Major: Film Studies and International Relations

Future plans: Freelance Work in Film and Theatre, WildWind Summer Fellowship at Texas Tech

Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: Randomly catching up with Hutch in his office. Thank you for everything, this department is awesome!Nabeel JanMajor: Film Studies and International RelationsFuture plans: Freelance Work in Film and Theatre, WildWind Summer Fellowship at Texas Tech

Katherine Leschner:

Major: Theatre, Minor: Management

Future plans: Pursuing marketing in NYC

Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: Being on headset with Haley and Gabe, telling Hutch about working on the theatre archive with Elaine, my theatre little Yasmine

Advice: My advice to underclassmen is to enjoy all the time you have! Feel free to reach out if you need any advice or tips (classes, theatre, etc.)

Griffin Miller:

Major: Music with emphasis in contemporary composition

Future plans: I plan to release my debut album of original songs in the summer after graduation, and continue recording and performing for a long time after that.

Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: The wide variety of projects available for students to get involved with in Bucknell Theatre, from modern musicals to classic plays to original works. Sometimes you'll be able to do all three in a single year!

Isabel Steinberg:

Major: Biology, Minor: Acting and Directing

Future plans: Research Assistant in Mark Connor’s lab at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD (and then grad school!)

Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: the amazing people!!! The professors of the department and my incredibly talented peers. Everyone is so kind and always has my back :)

Gabe Gross:

Major: Markets, Innovation, & Design, Minor: Theatre Design & Technology

Future Plans: Working this summer as the Commissioner’s Intern for the Cape Cod Baseball League, then working for the Little League World Series in August, and then pursuing work in Sports Management. Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: Coming into Harvey at any time on any day, knowing that there’s someone there who will make me smile, and of course, tech lunch corn hole and the Green Room couch naps. I’ll also always be grateful for getting slotted into my last-choice elective: Bucknell Backstage. I almost transferred out, and I’m so glad I didn’t.

Azhani Duncan-Reese:

Major: Theatre and Political Science

Future plans: Sleeping and securing a job

Something I'll miss about BU Theatre: The people, the ghosts that haunt Tustin, and performing for Bucknell

Bethany Fitch:

Major: Theatre and Environmental Studies

Future plans: Starting in June, I’m working at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, NY as Company Manager. I am also in the process of applying for a Fulbright Scholarship to hopefully get my MFA in Acting in Fall of 2024.Something funny: The Green Room white board, Hutch yelling, the testosterone competition that is strike, dressing room shenanigans Something I'll miss about BU Theatre: All the people that have literally become my family and the feeling of place and belonging and love that this department has given me. I always leave Harvey Powers feeling better than when I came in.

C.F. Gould:

Major: English Literary Studies

Future plans: Plan to work as a High School English teacher for the foreseeable future. Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: The opportunity to work with such a diverse range of directors, all of whom have their own unique style and approach.

Isaiah Mays:

Major: Theater and International Relations

Future plans: Getting an MBA at Northeastern University

Something I’ll miss about BU Theatre: Hanging out with everyone in the Green Room

Zoe Wilson:

Major: Sociology and English Literary Studies

Future plans: I’ve applied for an internship with the Kennedy Center’s Archives Department this summer (have yet to hear back), but next year I will be in my home town of Altoona, PA substitute teaching. During that time, I’ll be applying to Journalism school and honing my writing for the local paper. Funny thing/thing I’ll miss/want to share: I always thought it was too late to be active in the theatre department after doing Cocktails my first year and then not auditioning for over two years. Bryan Vandevender’s dramaturgy class brought me back into the fold, though. I couldn’t be more proud of the folks involved in Gross Indecency this spring. I’ll miss you guys and the folks who I went to KCACTF with most of all. We rocked it.

Bucknell Fulbright Winners!

Bucknell graduates Julia Tokish ‘22 and Kate Cognard-Black ‘21(0.5) were recently awarded Fulbright Scholarships for master’s programs of their choice based in the United Kingdom. Each university selects only one Fulbright applicant where the winner is funded to travel, take classes, conduct research, and fulfill their master’s degree. The Fulbright Program is highly selective, and given that two of the winners are Bucknell graduates, let alone Bucknell Theatre students whose journeys began on the Harvey Powers Stage, makes the department immensely proud of their tremendous accomplishments. Read more about these amazing winners below:

Julia Tokish

Julia Tokish was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship within a master’s study program at the University of Leicester in the UK where she will be studying Human Rights and Global Ethics. One of the main reasons she chose Leicester was for the city’s artistic atmosphere. She enjoys the large presence of amateur-scale theaters that feel less commercialized and more intimate. While acting in high school, it was not until she arrived at Bucknell that she discovered her true calling was behind the curtain. She found a passion in stage managing with a love for tech theatre and dramaturgy research. As an International Relations, Arabic and Arab World Studies, and Theatre triple major, Julia developed a passion for the intersection of theatre, history, and social justice. After graduating from Bucknell in 2022, she felt that Bucknell Theatre brought her out of her shell and equipped her with the necessary communication, organization, and confidence skills to conquer her professional endeavors. While intending to work in international law, Julia continues to find theatre all around her, interested in the research a Leicester professor is conducting on how refugees are problematically portrayed on stage, once again melding Julia’s interests of the show itself and the historical context behind it. Julia continues to feel grateful for the lessons and connections Bucknell theatre gave her, teaching her not just how to be a better actor or stage manager but how to be a better person. She urges theatre students and graduating seniors to not be afraid to keep trying and putting themselves out there in a variety of ways. From failed auditions to not making it past the first round of her former Fulbright application, Julia whole-heartedly believes that you will find your place and your purpose as long as you keep trying.

Kate Cognard-Black (KCB)

KCB will be taking her Fulbright Scholarship to the University of Birmingham in the UK where she will be pursuing a master’s degree at the “Shakespeare Institute” that focuses on Shakespeare in literature, theatre, and adaptations within the modern moment. Her program directly involves bringing aspiring actors, playwrights, producers, and practitioners together in an interdisciplinary space. While trying out a variety of roles in Bucknell theatre from acting to dramaturging, she discovered her main passion was directing. It was at Bucknell Theatre where she enjoyed assistant directing alongside Anjalee and even creating an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” that was eventually picked up by a prison performing arts program in Missouri. Graduating from Bucknell with a Theatre and Creative Writing degree in December 2021, KCB entered the directing world with the knowledge that an effective leader means being a strong collaborator who is constantly open to new ideas. Grateful for the life-long connections she has made with Bucknell students and professors, KCB looks forward to the future opportunity to create art with these talented people again. To the upcoming theatre students and graduating seniors, KCB advises you to drag yourself out of bed and show up to that thing you don’t know if you should show up to, go to the thing you don’t think you belong at. Because when you open yourself up to new connections, you will be overwhelmed by the amount of people there to support you. As Hutch always says, “the people who get the opportunities are the people in the room.”

“The Best Week of College”: Arts First

If you ask any of the Arts First kids, they will tell you that the “Arts First” pre-orientation is their favorite part of their college experience. The program is packed with hands-on sessions oriented around different art forms from ink blocking to gamelan playing. Whether you are making sashes or swords out of scarfs in the woods with Bryan or learning the art of sound and movement with Dustyn, Arts First is constantly giving you the vital opportunity to exist both in and outside of your comfort zone.

The week is long and exhausting, but nothing brings you closer to the fellow artist beside you like literally holding up each other’s weight during the “Hutch Challenge” obstacle course or making loud animal noises and crawling around on stage Day 1. After exploring various art forms, the week culminates in a final show in which the entire group creates a theme, break-out groups, programs, and performances all in less than twenty-four hours. Something about creating art with a bunch of people formerly known as strangers and artistically putting yourself out there in a way you never would have imagined is truly a magical experience.

As cliche as it sounds, when you are actually participating in the program, you don’t realize how special it is until it’s over. Until you are at the end of your first year at Bucknell, wondering where the time went, and you forget about the exhaustion, the imposter-syndrome, the first-day jitters. Because when you reflect on that week, all you can think about is pure happiness. One minute you are walking on the Harvey Powers Stage for the first time, forced to make eye contact with all of these random people, and the next minute you are sharing a beautiful sunrise with a group of passionate, diversely talented humans who make you feel like for the first time, you have a place to belong.

When you are sitting in that pre-orientation meeting with your family on Day 1, you would never think that your two best friends are sitting in that room. That the wildly enthusiastic man in the kilt would become a life-long mentor. That you were blessed to have met your people on the first day of college, and you didn’t even know it yet.

You had no idea that the cool camera guy who owns skateboard shoes and can walk on his hands would inspire the art tattoo you get in six months. That reluctantly agreeing to Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” as your Karaoke song would catalyze your first formative months of college. That introducing yourself to the quiet Arts First kid with the dope nails three doors down from you would forever be one of the best decisions you ever made.

Because Arts First was not just a great first impression of what my college experience could be like; It was the experience that influenced every subsequent experience I would end up having at Bucknell. I will be returning as a mentor at the end of the summer in hopes of giving the first-year class the type of experience I was lucky enough to have. To be their first introduction to all of the growing and loving and learning they are about to do. And so it begins. And so it goes.

Hutch is Leaving!

I got you! That sounded a lot more dramatic than it is. No but really, it is with a combination of great sadness and pleasure to inform you that Hutch will be leaving the Publicity Team to become a Posse Mentor! This news is rather bittersweet to all of us, considering that he is taking on another impactful position at Bucknell, becoming a leader for dozens of other students; nevertheless, we are sad to see him go.

Who will bring donuts and heckle us to hang more posters? Who will be unwaveringly difficult about Clea’s sticker design and ask about Libby’s day every meeting across the zoom call all the way in Italy? Who will bestow us with endless amounts of fatherly wisdom and recruit all of his “Arts First” kids to join the team–even the ones who never stepped foot into the Bucknell Theatre up to this point and now have to write about it?

We are excited to be joined next year by the brilliant Anjalee Hutchinson who will make an excellent coordinator and will likely be able to send more coherent emails than the current one:)

Hutch, I will forever miss when you share your Ritz Crackers with me and when the bullet point beneath the newsletter agenda is “ideas.” Thank you for your wit, your hard work, your genuine care for the wellbeing of your students. From all of us, we could not be more grateful for all that you do for this department and all of the lives you have touched just by being undeniably you. The team will miss you.

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backstage-bucknell · 1 year

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Come to the Show!

By: Katie Schadler

Gross Indecency:

The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde

By Moises Kaufman

Directed by Bryan M. Vandevender

Friday, Saturday, Monday March 31, April 1, 3 at 7:30pm

Sunday, April 2 at 2pm

Harvey M. Powers Theatre

$7 / $12 general admission ( Tickets )

“Over the course of three months in 1895, Oscar Wilde, Victorian England’s most celebrated author, lost his standing in British society as a result of three public court trials. The first was a libel suit that Wilde brought against the father of Lord Alfred Douglas, his lover, for labeling the author a “posing somdomite.” While the proceedings concluded with Wilde withdrawing his suit, the Crown proceeded to indict him for acts of “gross indecency with male persons.” The subsequent trials sought to brand Wilde’s sexuality as criminal. Compiled from court transcripts, newspaper articles, and other primary sources, Gross Indecency documents the public scandal born of the trials and demonstrates how acts of persecution, over one-hundred years old, continue to resonate today.”

Content warning: This play is based on a true story and includes strong language and mature content that some may find upsetting, including references to homophobia and sexuality.

If you want to be an usher for the show and get FREE tickets, you can show up 40 minutes before the performance time and help scan tickets. Sign up here

Bucknell Takes on Annual USITT Conference

During spring break, students from Bucknell’s technical theatre department Alice Jackins, Joe Dox, and Evelyn Pierce attended the annual United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) conference in St. Louis, Missouri. At the conference, various theatre students, professionals, companies, and organizations had the opportunity to network with each other in the realm of theatre design and production, bringing together all of the hidden faces who are responsible for the magic we witness on stage.

On USITT’s expo-floor, attendees could walk around to different tables and listen to companies advertise their products or promote graduate school, internships, and job opportunities. The other floor of the conference was designated for workshops run by professors and other professionals along with various informative panels hosted by collegiate theatre departments like Yale University or companies like Disney and Cirque du Soleil. Hands-on workshops ranged from learning to craft fake facial hair to incorporating artificial intelligence into sound design. Throughout the conference, professionals were not just strictly manning their own stations but also had the chance to embody the role of the learner and engage in a form of communal education.

Learning to run the lighting board from her dad at the early age of eight, Theatre and Women and Gender Studies major Alice Jackins’ happy place has always been backstage. During the conference, Alice enjoyed exploring the city with her peers and meeting other artists at the social events. After meeting people of various backgrounds and lifestyles, she learned that there is not just one singular path to success in theatre. With a particular love for stage managing, directing, and lighting design, Alice would love to work anywhere from the regional theatre scene to Broadway! While she may not be a visual artist, being able to play with color and intensity through light design has given her the artistic liberty to paint a picture of her own.

Also raised in a theatre family, Evelyn Pierce wants to continue exploring the secrets behind the magic of technical theatre. As a Theatre and Studio Art double major, Evelyn enjoys mingling these passions through hands-on projects, particularly scenic painting and construction. At the conference, she had the chance to engage in “The Paint Challenge” where she had to recreate an image in three hours with a paintbrush attached to a bamboo stick. Learning about the variety and legitimacy of possibilities within the industry, Evelyn hopes to pursue a career in scenic painting. In love with the dynamic between actors and technicians, Evelyn hopes to continue working among the space and the people she calls home.

As a Computer Engineering major, Joe Dox appreciates the technology behind the scenes that allow shows to appear seamless. Whether he is learning about the inner workings of consoles or looking toward LED lights or AI as the future of technology, Joe is intrigued by the intersection of engineering and theatre and the applicability each discipline has on the other. Through capturing the industry at its fullest, the conference showed Joe the inherent versatility of technical theatre that comes with each day. He found it particularly memorable to not just watch professionals from the outside but to be actively involved in the conversations and connect with others’ love for lighting and sound. As someone who prefers the space behind the curtain rather than in front of it, Joe finds sanctity in the anonymity of technical theatre and pride in creating something that brings people joy without the presence of direct recognition: The chance to make art in a way where a piece of it will only ever always belong to you.

Bucknell Alum Adapts Veera Hiranandani’s YA Novel The Night Diary

Back in late 2018, Bucknell theatre graduate Mukta Phatak was approached by Bucknell Theatre Department’s Prof. Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson to write the script for a potential play adaptation of Veera Hiranandani’s The Night Diary. More than five years later, directed by Hutchinson and written by Phatak, the show recently debuted at The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte in North Carolina.

The Night Diary tells the story of twelve-year-old twins who are growing up amid the Partition of 1947 that leaves the formerly British-occupied subcontinent into a predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. Because their father is Hindu, the former India and current Pakistan becomes an unsafe environment for the family, forcing their migration to India. All at once, the family must navigate the struggles of displacement and discover that homes are not so much places as they are people.

Originally a book written for ten to fifteen year olds, the script had to capture such a traumatic time period through the eyes of a kid. Having taught youth playwriting classes and having acted in children’s theater productions as an equity actress after graduation, Mukta knew what kids responded to, focusing less on the heavy historical details and more on engaging dialogue and action-driven scenes. By shedding light on a significant time period in South Asian culture, she hoped to catalyze later conversations among the family and in the classroom, specifically after young children have just witnessed the destructive qualities of the pandemic.

Primarily working as an actor after graduation, Mukta says it was difficult for her to surrender a kind of ‘direct control’ and learn to trust that her words would translate to an audience. She found it particularly rewarding to create onstage representation for South Asian students in the audience and to have the opportunity for her first professional production as a playwright to encapsulate the story of her own culture that has often been left otherwise untold. The play was ultimately a huge success, as Veera Hiranandani herself, the author of The Night Diary, not only attended the show but told Mukta afterwards that it “captured the essence of her book.”

Mukta felt that her time at Bucknell prepared her for this first project. Through Katie Hayes’ Poetry 300 Class, she learned how to effectively revise and edit, bringing this information into how she would edit each scene. Bucknell Backstage with Mark Hutchinson and Heath Hansum taught her to consider the logistics relevant to costume or lighting designers when writing the script. Finally, Mukta shouts out Creative Writing faculty Joe Scapellato to whom she would send the scenes she was working on for advice - even long after she graduated.

Working professionally alongside Anjalee, a mentor she has been close to since her holistic Devised Theatre experience during Bucknell, has allowed her to have a mutual partner in this process as well as another South Asian woman to depend on when entering predominantly white spaces. She is optimistic that this is not the last time the pair will be working together.

In the future, Mukta wants to continue to pursue theatre at the local level, traveling to different communities, uncovering that community’s story or issue, and making a show about it. In addition to submitting more of her ideas to playwright fellowships, she looks toward getting The Night Diary produced at other theaters, for every new actor, audience, and atmosphere can change the nature of the show. Mukta is drawn to theatre for the reason that the same script can be performed a million different ways.

To the graduating seniors, Mukta urges you to find your community and begin building it. Once you find the people you can creatively align with, you are able to find agency in your individual voice.

Visit the website to learn more: https://ctcharlotte.org/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=41C9EF1E-3E7D-4458-91EE-177E76F6A3C0&gclid=Cj0KCQjww4-hBhCtARIsAC9gR3bWYqlmSpkURYcMkFstz6h_4Vc5LcVgdMc9nf3_iT_mLNqXtnh6xjsaAknwEALw_wcB .

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backstage-bucknell · 1 year

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Happy Spring Break

By: Katie Schadler

“Day In the Life” for a Theatre Kid

A Typical Wednesday for Bethany Fitch

By: Bethany Fitch

Theatre and Environmental Studies double major Bethany Fitch starts off her Wednesday bright and early with an 8:30 AM “Shakespeare on Film” class with Professor Jean Peterson. While taking the class to fulfill her dramatic literature requirement, Bethany has ultimately found it rewarding to consider Shakespeare from an alternative perspective. After grabbing a quick breakfast, she heads over to her “Paving Pathways” class with Dustyn. As a senior, Bethany has been able to use the insight she has obtained from class to advance toward a career in the theatre industry. Between her academic responsibilities, Bethany is an Admissions Ambassador from 12-1:30 where she works at the desk to check families in for their tours and welcome them to Bucknell.

The other significant part of Bethany’s life at Bucknell is her passion for the environment. She not only pursues Environmental Studies through her “Capstone Community Project” class required for her major but also through conducting environmental research. After her desk shift as an Admissions Ambassador, Bethany attends her weekly meeting with her mentor to work towards publishing her research this spring! Her final class of the day is Costume Design with the wonderful Carly, which she is taking for her Technical Theatre credit.

After dedicating a portion of her night to homework, dinner, and maybe working on planning the next Cap & Dagger event, she heads to rehearsal with Bryan for the upcoming production Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. Once rehearsal ends, Bethany tries to keep her evenings wide open to decompress by watching TV and debriefing with her lovely roommates. When she can find time amid her busy schedule, Bethany is listening to music, partaking in game nights, or organizing Harry Potter movie marathons with her roommates. With more time, Bethany would love to spend more time skiing, hiking, or simply taking leisurely walks as a way to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

A Day of Devices and Designs with Joe Dox

As a Computer Engineering major with a Theatre Design and Technology minor, sophomore Joe Dox is constantly merging both the rational and creative sides of his brain. Starting off his morning with two engineering courses, Joe’s classes involve learning coding skills and uncovering the inner-workings of devices.

When he is not acting as the bridge between software and hardware engineering, Joe can be found in Harvey Powers Theatre’s design lab setting up sound systems for Heath’s sound design class or dedicating ten to twelve hours a week working for the theatre department. As a Technical Assistant/Stage Electrician, Joe’s tasks can include anything from set building for the upcoming show Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde to moving equipment between Tustin to Harvey Powers to designing lights using software systems. Whether it be working with different choreographers or preparing for the ever-changing Bucknell productions, Joe’s favorite part of the job is the constant variation.

With a particular passion for sound design and live performance, Joe has always been drawn to the creative space that takes place “behind-the-scenes” of a show. Outside of class and work, Joe is hard at work completing computer engineering projects for Renewable Energy Scholars or organizing the upcoming TEDxBucknell event at the campus theater on April 1. When he can find some free time, Joe likes to blow off some steam at the climbing wall or catch up with friends over lunch in downtown Lewisburg. If he had more time, Joe would love to be an Admissions Ambassador, for he loves the opportunity of bringing prospective first-year students together on campus and sharing the versatile passions he has found at Bucknell.

Navigating the First Year with Tessa Brizhik

For first-year Linguistics and Psychology double major Tessa Brizhik, every day is different. Tessa spends the majority of her time in a range of diverse classes. In addition to taking classes for her two majors, Tessa is also taking statistics, Russian, and a theatre course called “Paving Pathways” where the class dives into the various pathways that art can take you.

With the goal of eventually using theatre to help students with speech development disabilities, Tessa has most enjoyed her Educational Psychology course where she hopes to implement some of the applied psychology techniques she has learned in a future classroom setting. Outside of her core courses, Tessa is a presidential fellow working in the Bucknell Language Department as the Student Language Counsel Director. Her responsibilities mainly involve hosting campus events to encourage language study, attending language faculty meetings, and creating a website that showcases language double-major options for prospective students. At the moment, she is organizing a photo contest for students who were previously abroad to submit photos they took while traveling.

After a day of academic work and classes, Tessa goes to theatre rehearsal where she currently plays the narrator along with five smaller parts in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. As a show with characters from various parts of the UK, Tessa has spent the rehearsals working with a dialect director and learning to speak in different accents from high and low-class British to Irish to Scottish. After her three hour practice, Tessa loves to spend time with her friends she met through the Arts Residential College, hosting hall movie nights or decompressing on the quad. As the weather gets nicer, Tessa hopes to dedicate a portion of her day to spending more time outside playing sports or venturing downtown to explore the escape room in downtown Lewisburg.

Catching Up with Clea Ramos

Doubling as a Computer Engineering major and digital artist, sophomore Clea Ramos is always interested in exploring the creative intersections between art and code. Clea begins her day in her engineering classes where she studies the fundamentals of computer architecture, coding, and programming language. Additionally, she is taking an Introductory Photography course, learning the basics of operating a camera, applying design principles, and navigating Photoshop. Overall, Clea has most enjoyed her Discrete Math course where she is exposed to a more mathematical understanding of the logistics of coding.

As both a computer engineer and digital artist particularly interested in web design, Clea loves the applicable, interdisciplinary element of engineering, requiring an amalgamation of math, science, problem-solving, and art. In between classes, Clea meets up with her friends over mealtimes, attends her dinner seminar on food waste and sustainability, and lives in the Maker-E within Dana Engineering. This is the space where she spends time with friends, works on homework, or makes herself available to students in Introduction to Electrical Computer Engineering as “Study Group Facilitator.”

Playing an active role on campus, Clea can be found attending APIDA meetings, organizing community-directed events through the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers, and working on the Theatre Publicity Team as the department’s Creative Graphic Designer. Recruited for the team in her first year following the Arts First pre-orientation, Clea has enjoyed the community opportunities and departmental connections she has made as a result of getting involved early and having the chance to work with a variety of students on campus. Originally hesitant to pursue art as a major rather than a creative outlet, Clea has claimed her role on the publicity team as a space to exercise artistic liberty without feeling the limitations of a grade.

Outside of her academics, Clea enjoys attending extracurricular events, hosting weekend movie nights, and having spontaneous snack breaks with her roommates. In the future, Clea hopes to continue interweaving her passions for engineering and art, making time to learn new coding languages and platforms as well as experimenting with new art forms beyond the digital realm.

Gross Indecency Dramaturgy: When a Class Becomes a Job

By: Zoe Wilson

The students of Dr. Bryan Vandevender’s Theatre 265 class, titled “Introduction to Dramaturgy,” spent the Fall 2022 semester preparing for the upcoming production of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moisés Kaufman. The play centers around the three trials Oscar Wilde faced before being arrested for “Gross Indecency” in 1895— in other words, for soliciting homosexual sex. Thus, it was the students’ job in this class to research Victorian England, Wilde’s work, and the British legal system. Luckily, due to being awarded the Dalal Creativity and Innovation Grant for Student-Faculty Collaboration, the students are being compensated to continue their research and audience outreach efforts throughout Gross Indecency’s rehearsal process.

The last time the course was offered was in the Fall of 2019, in preparation for what would have been the Spring 2020 production of the musical Cabaret. There were eight individuals in the class that year who spent their semester researching the culture of cabaret theater in Weimar Germany, and, while two of them took on independent dramaturgy projects—Julia Tokish ‘22 for Fun Home (dir. Bryan Vandevender) and Catherine McKay ‘21 for Bliss (dir. Brooke Ecknat ‘21), the production of Cabaret never opened due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Interestingly, this year’s discussion-based course was composed of only one member of each class year: Paige Gilmartin ‘26, Nathaniel Samuels ‘25, Madison Buckley ‘24, and Zoe Wilson ‘23 (myself). The students had a range of experience levels in the Department of Theater and Dance (as performers, stage managers, ushers, etc.) going into the class, and the various majors they represented made for an electric classroom environment throughout last semester.

Some examples of student projects included the writing of a “dramatis personae” (or detailed report on a character’s real life, mostly for the benefit of actors and designers), the construction of a timeline of events occurring before and after the events of the play, and the curation of an image gallery (both for design inspiration and to be projected during the production, set to grace the Harvey Powers Theater). My favorite project was a report I wrote about two famous Oscar Wilde Lectures, “The English Renaissance of Art” and “The House Beautiful,” which was jointly about the content of the speeches and what we can glean from them regarding the way Wilde saw himself and the world around him.

I had the privilege of sitting in on many table rehearsals and presenting the information I found to the actors in a digestible way in the form of either “dramaturgy study hall time” or powerpoint presentations. Additionally, the director, Dr. Bryan Vandevender, invited me to join the weekly production meetings to answer any questions the designers may have regarding historical accuracy and dramaturgical vision. I am excited to continue this work and shift to public-facing dramaturg in the next few weeks. As a senior non-theatre major, I am grateful for the opportunity THEA 265 and Bryan have given me to immerse myself in the department and put my love of the theatre to good use. Go see Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde March 30-April 1!!!

Talking About It With Azhani Duncan-Reese

After taking the semester-long Theatre 390 course and spending weeks researching, rehearsing, and refining, Azhani Duncan-Reese ‘24 and the rest of the cast had the chance to showcase all of their hard work in the Forum Theatre production Can We Talk About It at the end of February. As a student in the fall-semester course Theatre 390 with a strong background in both theatre and scholarly research, Azhani played a role in both developing the script and bringing it to life on stage.

Inspired by Bucknell’s 2011 Climate Report and strengthened by the students’ personal experiences with injustice on campus, the cohort of theatre students decided to primarily focus their production on racial discrimination, financial inequity, and Greek Life problems. With authenticity existing at the heart of Forum Theatre, it was essential that the script was based on current and accurate facts. Before the stage scenarios were even decided upon, students had the opportunity to create and pitch individual character ideas, spending an extensive amount of time getting to know the backgrounds and motivations of the characters, for they would be essential elements in dictating the way the actors would portray their characters on stage.

After numerous revisions of the script, auditions were held, and casted students were assigned characters. Because she was heavily involved in creating the script and growing acquainted with these characters, Azhani was able to provide valuable insight for how new actors could potentially better understand their characters. With the objective of Forum Theatre allowing audience members or “spect-actors” to intervene throughout the play to help improve the various tension-filled scenarios related to social justice, it was up to those writing the script to incorporate guiding “breadcrumbs” or semi-complete bits of information that could evoke audience curiosity and inspire their reflection. However, unaware of the diverse and unpredictable spect-actor responses that could arise, Azhani and the rest of the cast were trained to frequently think on their feet.

Growing up as an audience member of Forum Theatre, Azhani found the role of a Forum Theatre actor to be vastly different but highly rewarding. While Azhani’s character in Can We Talk About It may have been disinterested in continuing the fight against racial injustice, the real-life Azhani enjoys being on the frontlines, protesting and raising awareness for herself and other people.

As a junior double majoring in Political Science and Theatre, Azhani has found Forum Theatre to be a fitting medium through which she can marry her two passions: researching/fighting against systemically unjust societal structures and using her platform on stage to evoke people’s emotions. When Azhani is not performing, she is a Posse Scholar along with a member of Delta Sigma Theata, Blueprint (a POC collective of artists and creators), and Bucknell’s Black Student Union through which she was the co-host of Bucknell’s recent Black Fashion Show.

Honoring James Howe: Graduating Senior

At the end of the semester, Bucknell stage manager, program designer, and vital member of our publicity team, James Howe, will be graduating. James was my “Arts First” Pre-Orientation mentor, meaning that I have known James since my first day of college, which is a strange but sentimental concept to consider. I knew James as the cool British mentor who created stickers. The incredibly skilled artist who, instead of showing us a portfolio of their work, stood up at our talent show and presented an entire slideshow on the weird stick figures they created.

And in just knowing their brilliantly niche, comedic and creative talents this year alone, I am equally aware of how much more of James I have missed in the last four years. My assignment was to write a tribute to James, honoring them for all they have contributed to the theatre department during their time at Bucknell. But if you don’t know James, (which at this point, I don’t know how you don’t), I thought to get a better understanding of who this person is, I would just copy and paste their replies to the questions I sent them because they are absolute gold, and it would feel incomplete to leave anything out. And so James, you wonderfully endearing human being, you will be missed:

What is your major?

“Computer engineering! (The hardware side of things)

Even though I'm infinitely more interested in the software side of things, I choose computer engineering since I wouldn't take time to learn these things on my own, so I chose this major in order to be forced to learn these topics.

It also has the benefit that I'm one of the best programmers in my major, which is a big ego boost since I Know if I was a compsci major I wouldn’t be Nearly as good relatively.

I chose STEM and engineering because I REALLY hate writing. It's obviously some vicious cycle of not liking it and not trying and then on and on, but y'know.

I'm sure by this point in reading this you could probably have guessed that writing is not my forte.” NOTE: Katie has done a LOT of cleaning up of this writing, so this comment certainly doesn’t hit as hard.

What extracurriculars were you involved in? Talk about SMing Can We Talk About It.

“I have tried to be involved in theater every year, and I think I have done at least something every semester. I usually ASM, but SMing was a really valuable experience. I probably have more to say, but it’s 3:20am as of me writing this.”

What was your experience like as an Arts First mentor?

“When I was a freshman, my Arts First Mentors were just the coolest people, like they had seemed to carve out a niche at Bucknell and just be doing so much, they were confident and funny. They reached out to me past arts first, made me feel welcome at Bucknell, and they continued to do so the whole time I knew them.

And that's a large weight on my shoulders, I wanted to live up to their legacy and do right by it. I hope I've been able to provide that to at least some subset of the freshman this year.

As a side note, it's very weird to think that I'm in a position of being a like ‘cool senior’ or even like a ‘sociable senior.’ Like the way I viewed myself in middle school, as this kind of introverted weirdo, hasn't really updated, and I just very suddenly had a shift of ‘oh, that's just not true anymore.’

Doing arts first my freshman year was genuinely one of the most influential choices I made during my 4 years here. It gave me multiple friendships which have lasted strongly since my freshman year. Mentoring is the least I could do to try and give back to that.”

What were your favorite college memories?

“It's the relationships I've made during my time here that I look back on most fondly, and still do right now. I've forged some really strong friendships that when I think about them, I get kinda teary. The moments I share in the company of good friends are definitely the ones that have stayed in my mind.

Arts First has been a peak every year. I always leave it with like, this immense love for everyone in it, and then schoolwork crushes me and I go back to baseline (Of some love for everyone in it, but more tempered).”

What do you do in your freetime?

“I typically stare at a wall and just do that for like 6 hours a day. Sometimes to mix things up, I'll stare at the opposite wall. That's usually the highlight of my week when I do that.”

What career plans do you have?

“eeeghhggghhhhhhh *tugs at collar while looking for the exit*”

Any art you want to share? Check out James’ art!!!

“My ‘portfolio’ https://to-show-i-can.tumblr.com/ . It's just random things to show people when they go "omg you make art????"

There's this https://editor.p5js.org/jah083/full/ZMUOa71CL which is a glorified tech demo for a friend making a game with gears in it, and he asked me ‘hey can you figure out the math of making a 'chunky' rotation, like how a clock takes discrete steps.’ Play around with the sliders.

A lot of what falls under my ‘art/creativity’ category are just glorified tech demos. See here https://imgur.com/a/l4FvRTs, Eidos not gif

and here actually, just more tech demo stuff. I was just seeing if I could recreate Queen Anne's Lace procedurally.

Not art related but here's a fun video of my family nearly burning down a forest https://youtu.be/qxixq7Rny2A

even more tech demo stuff

This is a 3d heatmap of where on my computer screen I click the most

Ball”

2023 Arts Merit Weekend Highlights

Two weekends ago, Bucknell invited prospective arts students and their families to visit the campus and experience the festivities of Arts Merit Weekend. The Bucknell Theatre & Dance Department had six theatre merits and fifteen dance merits. The weekend was a huge success, filled with memorable talent and engaging conversations. Students and faculty of the department look forward to hopefully seeing these merit students on campus next Fall!

The Theatre Department’s Spring Break Plans!

“ ‘Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya Bermuda, Bahama…’ (Jk, but I am going to the Bahamas).”

“I’m just going to hang out and catch up with friends:)”

“Bethany and Isabel are going to the Bahamas.”

“Going to Boston to visit my boyfriend!”

“Going to Charlotte NC to see Anj’s show–The Night Diary”

“Traveling to Cancun with friends”

“USITT BABYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!”

Happy Spring Break from Theatre and Dance :)

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backstage-bucknell · 1 year

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Theatre & Dance Newsletter 2/16

Katie Schadler

Can We Talk About It?

This Weekend!

Directed by Professor cfrancis blackchild

Tustin Black Box Theater:

Saturday, Feb 18 7:30 pm

Sunday, Feb 19 2:00 pm

Monday, Feb 20 7:30pm

Come see Can We Talk About It? this Saturday and Monday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm all in the Tustin Black Box Theater. Directed by Bucknell’s cfrancis blackchild, Can We Talk About It? is a “forum theater” piece–a term created by Brazilian director Augusto Boal to describe a nontraditional form also called applied theatre–that is meant to facilitate audience interaction to help explore the options for solving persisting, complex social issues. Last semester in Theatre 390, a diverse group of students developed the beginning stages of the script that examined various social and economic inequities pertinent to the campus culture inspired by the Bucknell University Climate Report of 2011.

In the forum theater performance, the play is shown twice. Prior to the first run-through, the actors introduce the technique of forum theatre and outline the direction of the night. In the first performance, the play ends in a crisis without a solution to which the audience members or “spect-actors” are encouraged to assist the actors on stage to change the direction of the situation, resolve the conflicts as they arise, and find a solution to the social problem being addressed. Entering the scene by yelling “Stop!”, the spect-actors offer ways to improve the situation by joining them on stage. The characters on stage react with improvisation, and the play continues until it is taken in a new direction with another “Stop!”. In their training, the actors learn to understand their characters’ circumstances and listen for suggestions that fulfill their characters’ needs. In the second show, the characters have the opportunity to hopefully create a different ending through a newfound understanding of one another. Whether students have acting backgrounds or are simply passionate about facilitating conversations about meaningful issues on campus, Bucknell Forum Theater is not just working through issues on stage but according to Professor blackchild, is “a rehearsal for life.”

Purchase tickets here:

Ensemble:

-Azhani Duncan-Reese ‘23

-Jazmin Ramirez ‘23

-Twity Gitonga ‘24

-Ariel Ulrich ‘25

-Kaitlyn Cardull ‘25

Brynn Withey ‘26

-Maya Gurung ‘26

Arts Merit Weekend 2023!

Friday, February 17 through Saturday, February 18 is our annual “Arts Merit Weekend.” Arts Merit Weekend invites prospective students who engage in theatre, visual arts, music, writing, film, and dance to visit the university and meet their specific department. After a weekend of assimilating to the campus and showcasing their talents, prospective students are eligible to potentially win an “Arts Merit Scholarship,” a testament to Bucknell's genuine commitment to the arts that distinguishes the university from similar liberal arts colleges. For theatre and dance merits, the weekend kicks off with a pizza gathering on the Harvey M. Powers stage for incoming merits and current students affiliated with the Theatre & Dance Department. Students are then invited to Holmes Hall for welcoming addresses and complimentary desserts where they have the chance to meet an eclectic group of current students and faculty and learn more about the unique quality of each department.

On the second day, theatre and dance merits attend a breakfast at MacDonald Commons and are then taken to Tustin for a group warm-up to get acclimated to the program and comfortable with one another. Theatre merits audition in the acting studio where they are asked to deliver two contrasting monologues, followed by conversation with the faculty. Meanwhile, prospective stage managers, set and costume designers, or tech members provide faculty with a personal portfolio consisting of photos and drawings of previous shows on which they have worked. Once theatre auditions commence, dance merits are led through a jazz, modern, and ballet warm-up with solos taking place later that afternoon. These auditions provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills that will continue to be cultivated here in their next four years at Bucknell.

Ultimately, Arts Merit Weekend provides the unique opportunity for prospective merits to form connections with current students and faculty and get a holistic feel for the campus. As a literary studies merit, I can attest to the fact that both the substantive conversations I had and immediate faculty connections I formed during Arts Merit Weekend were what brought me here. At a school that can be a difficult social climate to fit into, the Arts Merit program provides students with a pre-established community of dedicated students and faculty who give them a place to not just belong but excel.

The One Act Play That Went Right!

Last weekend, Bucknell students performed in the show The One Act Play That Goes Wrong, directed by junior Reid Fournier. If you did not get a chance to see it live, the play is a comedy meant to enact the performance of another play that “accidentally,” intentionally grows increasingly wrong throughout the night. The show is riddled with a dead guy who fails to stay dead, a butler who continuously forgets her lines, and a man who knocks out not one but both of the actors playing his wife. The show ends with a gun fight, a rivalry between the two wives who have regained consciousness, and their entire set crashing down around them.

Amid the thickening plot of this inner story, Bucknell actors create a second layer of tension not only as their characters but as the actors acting in another play, undercutting the plotline’s intended mysterious tone with brilliant mannerisms and perfectly-timed comedic relief. As many audience members would agree, The (hilarious) One Act Play That Goes Wrong is brought to life through a young student cast with a distinct presence and clear chemistry, further enhanced by a student-directed touch. Keep a look out for this blossoming young group of talented actors in future productions, for this was only one of the many plays that will go right for them.

“The Future of the Theatre Program”

When the entire theater department email list received the cryptic message about attending last Tuesday’s meeting called “The Future of the Theatre Program,” many did not know what to expect. Given the serious tone of the email and the fact that pizza was being served, over thirty students showed up and were pleased to hear that the department was in fact, not in danger. Theatre & Dance Department faculty members Hutch, Dustyn, Bryan, Elaine, and Heath facilitated the meeting, encouraging students to reflect on the success of the program and asking students to voice what they wished to see from the department moving forward. From the actors on stage to the stage managers and set designers putting the show together to the stakeholders and enthusiasts who want to support the future of the department, a diverse room of students came together on a Tuesday night to bond over their passion for Bucknell theatre and pride for this community. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, students were encouraged to make three cards: one to the department declaring the future role and commitment level they are willing to contribute, a second card from Bucknell theatre thanking students for the contributions they have made, and of course, one for their families.

While more students than expected came into the meeting feeling insecure about their role in the program or even unsure of how to join this community, they left with a lot more clarity and confidence in the unique contributions they can make in the future. So if you have ever wanted to act, stage manage a show, or are simply looking to support campus productions but are unaware of how to fit yourself into this community, the department is dedicated to highlighting the unique skills you bring to the table. By stepping outside your comfort zone and reaching out to faculty (or in my case, being roped into writing the newsletter :) ), you will truly see that Bucknell Theatre will make room for you.

We would appreciate it if you would take this quick survey. It will help us make future decisions that will impact season planning and course offerings.

Please try to take it by Monday, Feb 20.

Vote on a Sticker!

Use this Google Form and vote on this semester’s sticker design for the Bucknell Theatre Department. All designs were created by sophomore member of our Publicity Team Clea Ramos!

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backstage-bucknell · 1 year

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Bucknell Takes on KCACTF

By Katie Schadler

Come to The Show!

The One Act Play That Goes Wrong

Directed by Reid Fournier ‘24

Friday, Saturday February 3, 4 7:30pm

Harvey M. Powers Theatre

$7 general

“Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where (as the title of the show might suggest) things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. Whatever can go wrong, folks, will go wrong. This Comedic combination of Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python is a 1920s whodunit that has everything you never wanted in a show, its own show! Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians will battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call. The question is: Will the cast be awake, or physically able to stand for the final curtain?!”

Get tickets here:

https://bucknell.universitytickets.com/?cid=299

Bucknell Takes on KCACTF!

At the start of the semester, Bucknell students had the opportunity to attend the annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) which nationally recognizes both the talented theater programs and individual student works from colleges and universities. This year, the week-long program was held at West Chester University where students participated in workshops to hone their crafts and receive constructive feedback, supported fellow student actors by attending live collegiate productions, and competed in different theater programs with the chance to win in their category and be invited to the Kennedy Center to compete for a national title.

One of these KCACTF programs was the Irene Ryan acting competition. Prior to competing in the Irene Ryan competition, nominees submitted video recordings of two contrasting monologues which were then submitted for feedback given on the first day of the festival. Out of one hundred and fifty nominees in Region 2, thirty two were selected as semi-finalists. Those who were selected chose one of their monologues and prepared a scene to be considered as a finalist and be invited to the Kennedy Center. This year, nominated for their roles in varying Bucknell productions, four students were invited to compete in the Irene Ryan competition with one of them being named a semi-finalist!

KCACTF “Irene Ryan” Nominee: Kieran Calderwood

The first student nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan program was Kieran Calderwood. Kieran is a junior double majoring in Philosophy and Creative Writing with a minor in Accounting who was nominated for his sophomore-year performance as “Orestes” in Electra. Doubling as a varsity runner on the track team, Kieran found theater in his first year at Bucknell, wanting to explore a wide variety of passions and follow in the footsteps of his father who was a Theater major. At the festival, Kieran enjoyed growing closer with his Bucknell peers as well as learning and listening to the diverse perspectives of students from other universities. He also enjoyed participating in the festival’s monologue slam where he had the unique experience of writing and performing an original monologue. Kieran is currently serving as the president of the Philosophy Club, staff writer for the Bucknellian, and a member of Bucknell’s cycling team. In the future, he hopes to further hone his acting skills and use all that the theater department has taught him in whatever career path he chooses.

KCACTF “Irene Ryan” Nominee: Reid Fournier

The second student nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan program was Reid Fournier. Reid is a junior double majoring in Theater and Political Science who was nominated for his performance as “Peter” in Lost Girl. Drawn to acting since he was a young child, Reid has been involved with theater throughout high school and spent last summer at an intensive program funded through a Bucknell grant. Through this opportunity, Reid was offered a semi-private study and had the rewarding experience of receiving acting lessons from Juilliard School graduates. Reid is grateful for the time he spent with his friends at KCACTF along with the director insight he gained from watching the festival’s productions. This semester, Reid is directing Bucknell’s performance of The One Act Play That Goes Wrong along with playing “Oscar Wilde” in the MainStage Show Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. When he is not participating in theater, Reid is a music director in Bucknell’s acapella group “Beyond Unison,” a member of Bucknell’s “Chi Phi” Fraternity, and a hiking enthusiast! In the future, Reid hopes to become a professional actor.

KCACTF “Irene Ryan” Nominee: Griffin Miller

Another student nominated to compete in the Irene Ryan program was Griffin Miller. Griffin is a junior majoring in Music with an emphasis in Contemporary Composition and was nominated for his sophomore-year performance as “Paedagogous” in Electra. Having an interest in theater for as long as he can remember, Griffin’s first time acting was when he got cast as the lead role in his middle school’s production. He recalls this show being the distinct experience that made him fall in love with acting. When he is not performing in the school’s productions, Griffin is a member of the Bucknell Choir, a performer at student music festivals, and co-president of Bucknell’s improv troupe “We Brake For Nobody.” In his free time, Griffin also writes original music, including his single “Running Out of Tape” which can be found on Spotify! Graduating at the end of this semester, Griffin hopes to combine his passions for music and theater, potentially looking to write musicals in the future while continuing to follow his calling as an Indie musician.

KCACTF “Irene Ryan” Semi-Finalist: Bethany Fitch

The final student who was nominated for the Irene Ryan program was Bethany Fitch. Bethany was one of thirty-two students (out of the one hundred fifty nominees) selected as an Irene Ryan semi-finalist. She is a senior double majoring in Theater and Environmental Studies and was nominated for her senior-year performance as “Wendy” in Lost Girl. In between performances, Bethany attended the festival’s workshops where she gathered auditioning insight in a post-pandemic acting industry and performed monologues written and directed by students. Bethany most enjoyed meeting students from other schools and growing closer with the other Bucknell attendees. In her final semester at Bucknell, Bethany is Presidential Fellow’s “Research Admissions Ambassador” and president of Bucknell’s acting club “Cap & Dagger.” This summer, Bethany has accepted a position as the company manager at the theater company “Pendragon Theatre” in upstate New York. In the future, she hopes to attend graduate school for theater in London and work in theater administration, continuing to act for as long as possible.

In addition to Bucknell’s three nominees and one semi-finalist of the Irene Ryan acting competition, two Bucknell students were named the winners of KCACTF’s theater journalism program and directors program respectively:

KCACTF “ITJA” Winner: Zoe Wilson

The first winner from Bucknell was Zoe Wilson, named “The Institute for Theater Journalism and Advocacy (ITJA) Regional Winner.” Zoe is a senior double majoring in Literary Studies and Sociology. Growing up reading theater criticism in the New York Times, Zoe transformed this hobby–combined with her love for dramatic literary analysis–into a blossoming pursuit in journalism. During the ITJA program, she learned how to write reviews; interview performers; and pitch feature articles, as her original review and interview was edited and judged by the program chairs. After being declared the winner, she now moves onto the next round of judgment, competing to be one of the four selected to attend the National ITJA Conference at the Kennedy Center. Throughout this experience, Zoe was grateful for the writing experience and knowledge she gained, being welcomed with open arms by her Bucknell theater peers who she grew closer to during the festival. In her final semester at Bucknell, Zoe will continue to dive deeper into her passion of dramaturgy and develop her honors thesis inspired by theater criticism of the play Angels in America. Apart from her love for theater, Zoe is a Presidential Fellow, “Speak Up” peer for Bucknell’s sexual assault programing on campus, and co-president of Bucknell’s improv troupe “We Brake For Nobody.” Finding the quality of live theater to be “irreplaceable,” Zoe hopes to continue her role as an audience member, writing reviews and building a theater journalism portfolio of her own.

KCACTF “SDC” Winner: Nabeel Jan

The second Bucknell winner was Nabeel Jan who was awarded the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) Regional Fellowship. Nabeel is a senior double majoring in Film Studies and International Relations. Unable to choose a favorite production to direct, Nabeel has assistant directed Bucknell’s Appropriate in the fall of his junior year, Lost Girl in the fall of his senior year, and individually directed Kodachrome the fall of his senior year. He was one of seven chosen from Region 2 to compete in the SDC program. Nabeel feels honored to have competed among deserving candidates and most enjoyed getting closer with Bucknell students throughout the festival. As winner of his program, Nabeel has been invited to the Kennedy Center in April to attend a week-long intensive of master classes and compete against other regional winners with the chance to win a director’s fellowship. During his final semester at Bucknell, Nabeel is also a videographer for the Griot Institute, a member of Bucknell’s acapella group Beyond Unison, and president of the Class of 2023. In the future, Nabeel hopes to learn more as an assistant director, work on projects of his own, and further his passion of taking playwrights’ ideas and bringing them to life.

The First-Year KCACTF Experience:

Freshman Theater major Caroline Pritchard had the opportunity to attend KCACTF in her first year at Bucknell. While her debut performance was in The Jungle Book at the early age of seven, Caroline’s passion for acting truly began in her junior year of high school. As both a sophomore and senior in high school, Caroline attended her community’s day-long theater festival where she had the chance to perform in front of competing schools and grow as an actor. Thus, when she was invited to KCACTF, a week-long festival, she jumped at the opportunity. Because she did not compete in the Irene Ryan program, Caroline was able to enjoy the acting workshops, deeming one about “the physical self vs. energy self” particularly transformative. Finding her first year in Bucknell theater both a lot of fun and a lot of work, KCACTF reignited her passion for acting as she witnessed what acting invoked in fellow Bucknell students.

Caroline’s favorite part of the festival was supporting Bucknell’s upperclassmen, watching the progression of their hard work transform into award-winning pieces by the end of the week. Inspired by her peers’ and professors’ abilities to create a community of people who care about one another in such a short amount of time, she is excited to see where acting will take her in the future. According to Caroline, “When you act, you actually feel what you act. There is something about acting in the moment in which you feel things you don’t feel in your everyday life.” Caroline hopes to return to KCACTF in the years to come where she will rediscover her love for acting all over again.

KCACTF “Innovative Teaching Award”: Professor Bryan M. Vandevender

Bucknell Professor Bryan Vandevender received the “Innovative Teaching Award” for his curriculum in the course, “Theatre and Ethics.” Bryan has been drawn to the stage ever since he saw the original broadway cast performance of Into The Woods air on PBS when he was in elementary school. As a regular audience member of his community theater’s productions when he was growing up, Bryan did not begin acting until high school which continued into his college years. Attending KCACTF when he was an undergraduate, Bryan now serves on KCACTF’s leadership board and chairs the Dramaturgy Program where he spent this year’s festival mentoring student dramaturgs who participated in national playwright programs and co-hosting an affinity lunch for LGBTQIA student attendees.

In addition to these leadership positions, Bryan is in his fifth year teaching at Bucknell while also doubling as both a director and chair of Bucknell’s Season Advisory Committee. He finds the Bucknell theater department unique in that they not only want to challenge a new and diverse talent pool every year but are also dedicated to creating civically-engaged theater. Working to produce plays that evoke difficult, societally-relevant conversations within various communities on and outside of campus, Bryan strives to facilitate similar dialogue regarding the intersection of ethical dilemmas and professional theater in the classroom. The description for his “Theatre and Ethics” course can be found below:

“Theatre and Ethics is an upper-level seminar that invites students to analyze recent and persistent controversies in professional theater practice. These controversies address such topics as licensing and copyright, casting (primarily with respect to race and gender), staging sex and violence, verbatim theater, and immersive theater. The course also asks students to imagine themselves as stakeholders in the project of professional theater and consider how they might challenge the theater industry’s white supremacist and heteronormative structures. The course opens with an examination of plays that illuminate ethical theories and then introduces students to case studies (actual events in theater practice) that represent a diversity of ethical dilemmas. Students defend given ethical theories and argue on behalf of assigned stakeholders during in-class debates. Later writing prompts ask students to assume the role of an artistic director, equity deputy, or lead producer and draft open letters or policy memos in response to given case studies. A culminating research project invites students to investigate ethical debates in a narrowly defined area of theater production, often related to their intended career. To date, projects have addressed ethics with respect to accessibility, actor training, arts criticism, body representation, cultural appropriation, forum theater, green theater, production management, queer representation, and stage management. A final manifesto project asks students to articulate their values and commitments with respect to working in the profession.”

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backstage-bucknell · 2 years

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One Last Newsletter

by Jeniah Martin ‘22

Within maybe a day of my arrival at Bucknell, Hutch recruited me to work for publicity. I held him off for at least another day or two, saying that I wasn’t sure about what else I’d be committing to yet and that I’d let him know my decision soon. After I MC’ed the Arts First Showcase with Jillie Santos and Hutch realized I had an actual personality, he got a lot more creative with convincing me to come on board (and succeeded). Hutch told me he was looking for a writer to capture stories about theatre department students, events, and everyday life that could be a resource for prospective students and people outside of theatre to know more about our department. He may have said he was looking for a blog, and suggested I use Wordpress, but the rest of the details were all on me. For our first few meetings, I showed up with nothing written - maybe an idea at most - and we’d spend the hour just talking about the idea of writing. It took at least a month for me to even write anything that Hutch found worth sharing, but he still made me keep writing and posting anyway. So that was the start of “Me-Here-Now”, the Bucknell blog site. My first three horrifying articles: “Antigone”, “Bucknell’s Homecoming Weekend”, and “5 Things Any Theatre Major Can Relate To”. I remember writing those articles, feeling like they were pointless, and wondering when I was going to find that great article idea that would make this blog worth writing. I didn’t feel committed to the blog because I genuinely couldn’t see its usefulness, and my disconnect made it incredibly difficult for me to write anything meaningful or useful. The blog continued for a year as I continued to write articles that Hutch requested of me, and nothing changed until COVID hit. In the chaos of the pandemic and the constant occurrence of unexpected changes, Anj suggested the idea of a newsletter to keep everyone updated. I thought that the newsletter could be a cool extension of the blog, where everyone in the department could share things that were going on as they happened.

We were navigating the first COVID-19 lockdown, moving out of our dorms and offices and heading into quarantine, so the first newsletter was all about updates. Self Care and Food (SCAF) becoming Self Care at Home (SCAH), playwriting Thursdays with Stephanie Kyung-Sun Walters ‘16, and letters from Kiya. Then, the newsletter became a space for sharing quarantine thoughts, musings, and community.

Alumni Zoe Davidson ‘18, Emily Hass ‘16, Kiran Grewal ‘19, Lauren Scott ‘17, Rodney West ‘18, Estie Pyper ‘16, Delaney Clark ‘18, and Casey Venema ‘18 shared what they were up to in their post-undergrad lives, and inspired us to keep working.

Anjalee talked about being and feeling pregnant, connecting in uncertain times, creative imagination in theatre, devising, and facing failed expectations. Hutch talked about taking risks, finding what matters, figuring out what normal means, and taking things for granted.

Elaine shared toy theatre and visual style; Bryan talked about making theatre in a new world. Heath shared some snippets from the archery diary; Paula talked about finding community, even virtually, through dance; Katie Hanes talked about mindfulness and appreciating the little things. Karin Waidley, Nina Limongelli ‘20, and Kate Donithen ‘20, said goodbye. Dustyn talked about processing unusual times, her first year as department chair, finding connection, and embracing the potential of art in the void. Dustyn, Nina, Jillian Flynn ‘22, and Kelly all fondly, and longingly, reflected on Cabaret.

Angèle Kingué talked about raising a Black son in America. The theatre department made individual and specific vows to support Black lives. Delaney Clark ‘18 urged us to demand change at Bucknell, in the theatre industry, and nationally. I wrote a love poem to Breonna Taylor.

Millo Lazarczyk talked about lighting design, film acting, and studying abroad in Ghana and France. KCB ‘21.5 talked about taking a leave of absence. And making hard decisions. And coming up with creative solutions to tough problems, and knowing that you are never alone. She also talked about directing Taming of the Shrew(s), and remembering the rosebuds.

Isabel Steinberg ‘23 shared “My Mom is Mad at Me for Doing Theatre: A Poem”, APP ‘21 shared his love for the theatre department and Catherine MacKay ‘21 shared the important lessons she learned in college. Cat Ames shared her favorite “quarantunes”, Orli Berenstein encouraged us to make and be art through COVID, Dean Patterson ‘20 gave us a quarantine gaming guide, Jess Mount ‘21 shared her favorite work by the amazing Danez Smith, and I shared some of my quarantine poetry.

That was, I think, my first real article. It was vulnerable, and truthful, and a part of me that I was sharing in the hopes of inspiring someone. April 29 2020. It took almost two years, but quarantine, and the inspiration I got from all of you sharing yourselves with me in this newsletter, brought it out of me. I’m thankful for everyone who chose to be vulnerable, or brave, or just silly, especially in the past year. I’m grateful for the community that the newsletter was able to create when we needed it most, and of course, for Hutch forcing me to write until I was shooting out newsletters every other week because I wanted to. Now that we’re approaching the old “normal” again (sorta), the newsletter starts to seem less important to me. Or maybe its function has just shifted, again. I don’t know what the future holds for the newsletter, but I hope that the publicity team will continue to capture the beauty of art, and the theatre department, and all the work that we do and community we share - somehow.

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backstage-bucknell · 2 years

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Theatre Season 2022 - 2023 Announcement

by Anjalee Hutchinson

Next year, the Department of Theatre and Dance, alongside the Griot Institute, The Humanities Center and many other Arts and Humanities organizations across campus will be exploring a common theme: Legacies. Here is more on the theme from the Bucknell Arts Council leader, our own Kelly Knox:

The notion of Legacy – from acknowledging what came before, to what gets passed to the next generation, to the trajectory of the future–provides an opportunity to investigate the current issues we face as a planet, a species, and an interconnected global community in relation to understanding the inherited values, actions, definitions, approaches, disciplines, and systems that have brought us to the current state of the world. At once full of privilege, possibility, and challenge, as well the weight and momentum of the past, legacies are carried by each individual and shape how we experience the world.

Towards that end, the Department of Theatre and Dance has settled on an exciting season exploring our own cultural and societal legacies from the past, from current day and into the future. In addition, we will also explore our own theatrical legacies with projects spanning multiple styles: realism, heightened realism, devised and verbatim theatre, forum theatre and of course comedy! Here is the official list of plays and productions we will be producing in next year's season:

First Year Show

Kodachrome by Adam Szymkowicz

Welcome to Colchester, a town of dashed dreams and fervent hope, history and longing. Our tour guide is a photographer named Suzanne, who walks with us as we explore romance, loss, and nostalgia among her neighbors. And there's a hardware store too.

Directed by: Nabeel Jan '23

Roles: 5-16 (as few as 3F 2M with doubling or as many as 8F 6M 2 any gender without doubling)

Genre: Dark Comedy

Of note: Script Centers Women

Run Time: 60-90 mins no intermission

More on this play: https://newplayexchange.org/plays/35174/kodachrome

Fall Mainstage

Men on Boats by Jacklyn Backhaus

Ten explorers. Four boats. One Grand Canyon. Men on Boats is the true(ish) history of an 1869 expedition, when a one-armed captain and a crew of insane yet loyal volunteers set out to chart the course of the Colorado River.

Directed by: Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson

Roles: 10 actors who are primarily female identifying, trans identifying, gender fluid, non-gender conforming and ideally racially diverse.

Cast contains two characters of Native Identity - playwright preference (which we would like to follow) is that these are cast with Native actors or if Native actors are not available, with non-white actors.

Genre: Comedy, Historical/Biographical

Of Note: Play involves a good deal of white water rafting imagery, so we hope to organize an early in the semester local white water rafting field trip for cast and crew.

Run Time: 90 mins, no intermission

More on this play: https://stageagent.com/shows/play/9473/men-on-boats

Fall/Winter Showcase

The Play that Goes Wrong (One Act Version) by Theatre Mischief

Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show, nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!

Directed by: Reid Fournier '24

Roles: 6 men 2 Women

Genre: Comedy, Farce

Of Note: This play may be produced in Nov/Dec '22 or Jan/Feb '23 - TBA

Run Time: 75 mins no intermission

More on this play: https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=5523

Winter Mainstage Project

Forum Theatre Devised Project

Forum Theatre is one of several techniques pioneered by Brazilian Augusto Boal that falls within the category Theatre of the Oppressed. In Forum Theatre a play or scene, usually indicating some kind of oppression, is shown twice. During the replay, any member of the audience (‘spect-actor’) has the agency to shout ‘Stop!’, step forward and join the interaction OR take the place of one of the oppressed characters, showing how they could change the situation to enable a different outcome. Several alternatives may be explored by different spect-actors.

Directed by: cfrancis blackchild

Roles: TBA

Genre: Drama

Of Note: This production will tour! An ensemble of actors will be cast and trained to perform in Forum theatre productions. The script exploring “community and responsibility” will be conceived and constructed in the fall Applied and Interactive Theatre course THEA 390 - this show will be open to all students to audition for and perform in. The production will specifically address issues of social justice in our community at Bucknell, in central PA and/or in the US. Although the script will be set, there will be some opportunities for exploration of content during rehearsal. Most roles will be open to all actors across a spectrum of identities and members of the performing ensemble will be “trained” to play multiple roles. “Mini” productions will be cast from the ensemble, based on student availability, to tour on campus and to the surrounding areas.

Run Time: Typically 45 - 75 mins

More on this Forum Theatre: https://participedia.net/method/149

Spring Mainstage

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman

In early 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Wilde’s young lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, left a card at Wilde’s club bearing the phrase “posing somdomite.” Wilde sued the Marquess for criminal libel. The defense denounced Wilde’s art and literature as immoral, leading the prosecuting attorney to declare, “It would appear that what is on trial is not Lord Queensberry but Mr. Wilde’s art!” In the end Queensberry was acquitted, and evidence that had been gathered against Wilde compelled the Crown to prosecute him for “gross indecency with male persons.” With Wilde’s arrest, his hit plays running in London’s West End were forced to close, and Wilde was reduced to penury. A second trial ended in a hung jury with Wilde’s impassioned defense of “the love that dare not speak its name,” prompting a third trial. In the third and decisive trial, Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment at hard labor. He was separated forever from his wife and children, and wrote very little for the rest of his life. In addition to Wilde, Douglas and Queensberry, characters ranging from Queen Victoria to London’s rent boys, to a present-day academic are assembled to explore how history is made and how it can be so timely revisited in the theatre.

Directed by: Bryan M. Vandevender

Roles: 9 Actors (Flexible Casting)

Genre: Drama

Of Note: Students enrolled in THEA 265-02 (Introduction to Dramaturgy) for Fall 2022 will conduct dramaturgical research for this production! We will research Oscar Wilde and the historical context for the play. We will also read the other plays and novels mentioned in Gross Indecency. The course will culminate in the creation of resources for the producton’s actors and audiences. If you would like to become an expert on Gross Indecency before auditions, consider taking this course!

Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

More on this Play: https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=2758

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