Greetings – all of us in the Department of Drama are enthusiastic about this premiere edition of our online newsletter and our aim is to publish another edition spring '06.  Also watch for announcements of some upcoming Alumni events that are being planned for early and late spring term '06.  I'm looking forward to meeting many of you who preceded my September '95 arrival in the Department and renewing acquaintance with those of you who were enrolled in my courses or passed by my office door from '95 through '06.  Many in the cast of characters inhabiting the second floor of the Culbreth are familiar to many of you: LaVahn Hoh, John Frick, Richard Warner, and "T" – to name a few.  There are some new faces as well – Marcy Linton (costume technology), Michael Rasbury(sound design), Marianne Kubik(movement), and Trish Gooley(Dance) have joined us in the last few years.

November was a very active time in the Culbreth Theatre building where we produced a 3-show repertory festival. Call of the Wild, a new musical based on Jack London stories, played in repertory with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf. We were very fortunate to engage Theresa M. Davis, Associate Professor, West Virginia University, to direct a spirited production of For Colored Girls....  The cast of Call of the Wild was joined on two occasions by John Lipsky (book and lyrics) and Bill Barclay (composer). Cloud 9, making its second appearance in a UVa Drama season, rounded out the festival in the Helms.  All total, the festival drew upon the resources of a company numbering over 100 actors, designers, technicians, and front-of-house staff.

We return to rep in April '06 with a one-act festival of four works in the Culbreth – two performed each evening in rotating rep.  These projects are all student directed, including a suite of dances choreographed by dance students.  The Culbreth spring season kicks off with Ping Chong's Truth and Beauty directed by Richard Warner (February 16 – 18, 22 – 25) and then shifts to the Helms for a production of Luminosity directed by Betsy Tucker (March 23 – 25, 29 – 31). All of our selections this year have been guided by the season's theme – A Regard for Process – featuring the diverse ways in which theatre artists give expression to their ideas.

It looks as if the long awaited renovation to the Drama building is coming into focus. The first phase of the arts grounds will begin to sprout from the Culbreth parking lot early spring term '06 with the emergence of the Studio Art building, along with an addition to the A-School situated on the hillside above the Culbreth lot.  Hopefully Drama soon will follow with a renovation that includes additional performance spaces, expanded shops, and a dance studio.  Recently the college approved a minor in Dance and that emerging program is now a part of the Drama Department.

If you haven't heard, after guiding the department for 15 years Bob Chapel is no longer the department chair.  He currently is on sesqui for the entire academic year but will return spring '06 to continue as Producing Artistic Director of Heritage Repertory Theatre. Once back in the department, fall '06, Bob will resume teaching his popular musical theatre workshop.  In the midst of a hectic fall schedule Bob writes: 

After 15 years as chair of UVA's Department of Drama, I'm enjoying my year-long leave immensely.  Maria and I spent three weeks in Russia this past September where I taught amazing university age Russian actor/singers to perform songs from the American musical theatre canon (with a translator's help) at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) and the Russian Institute of Cinematography (VGIK).  With 10 students at GITIS and 20 students at VGIK, each class performed 20 songs in English for their professors at the end of two weeks.   I've been invited back to GITIS to direct an American musical (with the students singing in English and speaking dialogue in Russian) and I hope to be able to do this in the not too distant future.  I recently returned from Ann Arbor, Michigan where I directed "The Laramie Project" for the University of Michigan's Department of Theatre and Drama. Next February, Maria and I will be going to Tasmania where I will be directing "She Stoops To Conquer" at the University of Tasmania Arts Academy in Launceston.  I will return next summer as Producing Artistic Director for the Heritage Repertory Theatre where I will be directing for my 20th summer in Charlottesville and at HRT.  Next fall I look forward to returning as Professor of Drama with UVA.  I'm extremely pleased that Tom Bloom has become our new chair and I look forward to many productive and successful years under his leadership.  As I daily read Tom's e-mails to the faculty while toiling away at his new job, I become more and more pleased that it is Tom who is writing them."

Thanks Bob – now go spend some time walking those long green avenues chasing that little white ball – you've earned it! 

As I toil away I invite alums to lighten my load by volunteering to assist us in the publication of this newsletter.  I encourage all of you to submit stories or to send us current bio information to update your information on the Department's website.  Check out the new design for the Department's website that went online last spring - http://www.virginia.edu/drama/index.htm

I wish to thank several people who have worked closely with me to get this online site up:

Hope to hear from many of you or to see some of you at the spring Drama alumni events that we'll be announcing.

Regards,

Tom Bloom

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