It’s spring and the end of another academic year is upon us.  Spring in Charlottesville!  Remember the beauty of it all?  What a special time – and even more so this spring because of a blossoming gift that has come our way.  Mortimer and Ruth Sacks Caplin have contributed a $4 million gift that will fund construction of a 300-seat thrust theatre adjacent to our building.  Pending approval of the Board of Visitors the theatre will be named in honor of Ruth Sacks Caplin.  The thrust theatre is part of a $26 million plan for expansion and renovation of the Drama Building that will provide the department with more performance, studio, and instructional space, as well as additional offices for faculty and graduate students.  The Caplins have long been strong supporters of the Drama Department and the Heritage Repertory Theatre, and their gift is a big boost toward getting the Culbreth Drama building renovation underway.

Thanks to a very hard working department, we’ve accomplished a lot this year!  Last spring our Associate Dean for the Humanities and Social Science, Karen Ryan, asked us to create a 6-Year Plan consisting of goals and objectives for our program.  Our plan envisioned the addition of four new faculty in the following areas -- Directing, Dance, Technical Direction and Voice/Movement.  Dean Ed Ayers and Associate Dean Ryan approved searches for three of these four positions. At present the searches for faculty in Dance, Technical Direction, and Directing – renamed “Cross-Cultural Performance” – are drawing to a close.  The presence of three new faculty persons in our ranks will have significant impact on our program, and we look forward with great enthusiasm to the changes and challenges that three new colleagues will bring into our building.

Our 6-year plan also identified several initiatives we wish to pursue, including student placement in professional theatre settings.  During fall ’05 and spring ‘06 two of R. Lee Kennedy’s lighting design students accompanied him to New York City and received invaluable training by assisting him on two productions produced by the Transport Theatre Group (see newsletter article on Transport Group). 

Another initiative in development is a possible affiliation with the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts.  Last December Bob Chapel was in residence at the Academy, holding musical theatre master classes with Russian students.  Bob will be returning to Moscow in late fall to direct an American Musical, sung in English and spoken in Russian.

Cooperative programs also were identified in our 6-Year Plan as agents of important cross-disciplinary relationships with other programs and schools.  Please read this issue’s article on one such cooperative program – the “Inside the Box” project with the School of Engineering. 

Well, I’m off to the One Acts, our closing production of the ’05/’06 season.  One of the four works featured in the One Act Festival was undergraduate playwright Walt McGough’s new play Baggage, directed by undergraduate director Brin Lukens.  On the same bill with Baggage was Defying Gravity, directed by undergraduate Suzy Quinn.  The closing evening featured Mud, directed by undergraduate Jonathan Green.  Preceding Mud was the premiere of the first Dance offering in the Department of Drama.  Trish Gooley (Department dance instructor) produced Multiplicity of Movement, consisting of six dance settings choreographed by students, guest faculty choreographers, and Trish herself.

Just a final note about next fall’s season – join us in the building for Waiting for the Parade, Scapin, and Arms and the Man.

Regards,
Tom   

P.S. Look for news next fall on future alumni events we hope to host, because we all had such a great time last January at two such events held in New York. ...and quick closing credits for guests appearing in our building this year: Ntare Mwine (Biro), Adam Rapp (filmmaker, writer), Ping Chong (Truth and Beauty), David Ives (playwright), Vanessa Redgrave (Film Festival), Andrew Wade (formerly Head of Voice, RSC).

 

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