Welcome to the Spring 2022 semester! |
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Monday, January 24, 2022
Happy New Year! We hope you were able to have a restful winter break.
As we gear up for the semester, make sure to mark your calendars for our spring productions, including our Main Season and Experimental Performance Series. We also have a couple of job/career events coming up this week and next, as well as lots of new employment and internship opportunities. Find all the information below!
Good luck with the start of the semester!
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Fefu and Her Friends
March 4-6
By María Irene Fornés
Kelsey Mesa, director
This play by Cuban-American writer María Irene Fornés explores the personal struggles of women against gendered stereotypes and societal expectations in a male-dominated world. Set in New England in 1935, Fefu and Her Friends is the story of a group of friends brought together by their loneliness, fears and secrets.
More info and tickets here. |
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Spring M.F.A. Dance Thesis Concert
March 11-13
Rebecca Hill, choreographer
Tristan Koepke, choreographer
Driven by curiosity, ongoingness and experimentation, Hill’s Lost Patterns creates sonic landscapes that break the boundaries between music and dance. Koepke’s The Poisoned Solos weaves through a maze of formalist dance compositions and improvised hauntological inquiries using robotics technology and Vaporwave aesthetics.
More info and tickets here. |
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Stick Fly
April 15-24
By Lydia R. Diamond
KenYatta Rogers, director
This comedy drama by Lydia R. Diamond explores issues of race and class privilege through the story of the LeVays, a wealthy African American family vacationing at their home in Martha’s Vineyard.
More info and tickets here. |
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TDPS Spring Dance Concert
April 29 - May 1
Sara Pearson, director
In this varied, vibrant and celebratory dance presentation, the TDPS offers new works of art in motion.
This year's choreographers include: Mary Kate Ford (M.F.A. Dance '24), Javi Padilla (M.F.A. Dance '24), Olivia Perkins (B.A. Dance '23), Stephen Lyons II (B.A. Dance '23), Gaya Schechter (B.A. Dance '24), Charlotte Macko (B.A. Dance '25) and Debanshi Chowdhury (B.A. Dance '25).
More info and tickets here. |
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Spring 2022 Experimental Performance Series |
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February 11 & 12
Title TBD by Greta Cover, B.A. Dance '23
Cover stages a maze of mirrors to explore how we navigate the discovery of multiple versions of our personalities throughout our lives and who we choose to identify with to construct our truest self. This work prompts audiences to ask how one’s identity impacts others and how all of our lives are interconnected.
Untitled (Duet on Four Frames) choreographed by Carlo Antonio Villanueva, M.F.A. Dance '23
In this piece for five dancers, Carlo Antonio Villanueva activates a rich postmodern dance landscape that engages various methods of form, improvisation, intuition, unison, chance and performance. Training for this work includes “Authentic Movement,” an approach that aims to bridge the conscious and the unconscious, as well as the study of scored improvisations, Cunningham-esque event structures and traditional movement phrase choreography.
200 phrasal verbs choreographed by Christina Robson, M.F.A. Dance '22
This work for five dancers focuses on contact. Robson’s process plunges into the mechanics of weight sharing, harnessing momentum and experiencing reconnection. This work prioritizes contact as a form of communication between individuals, prompting physical negotiations in process and performance.
More info and tickets here. |
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April 1 & 2
Shared Graduate Dance Concert
Featuring provocative choreography by M.F.A. Dance students, this concert is a collection of eclectic new works, serving as an unguarded exploration of these diverse artists' talents and interests.
More info and tickets here. |
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May 6 & 7
Title TBD written and directed by Jordan Resnick, B.A. Theatre '22
This live theater piece prompts audiences to reflect on our contemporary relationship with technology and mass media. It asks: How will a generation raised on computer screens and divided by algorithms turn out? How can we break down these barriers to have more open conversations about how our opinions are formed? Resnick presents theater as a medium for social change, urging audiences to action.
Title TBD produced by Alie Karambach (B.A. Theatre '21), Natalia Corvoisier (B.A. Theatre '22) and Layali Aljirafi (B.A. Theatre '23)
This work is a devised theatrical celebration of, for and by students of color and queer students. This work follows the structure of the Neo-Futurists’ Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, with 15 two-minute plays, in an order chosen by the audience. The production arises from an inclusive and collaborative devising process that invites marginalized groups who are often forgotten or silenced in traditional white American theater to express themselves.
More info and tickets here. |
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Performing Arts Career and Internship Fair |
Tuesday, February 1
All day, online
Looking for an internship or job related to the performing arts? UTAS has teamed up with TDPS, ARHU and the University Career Center to bring you a long list of virtual information sessions/group chats with employers looking to hire YOU! Keep an eye on this event calendar for the full list of employers. Can't make a session of interest? Many of these will be recorded.
The fair also includes a resume drop! Feel free to drop your resume here and your resume will be shared with all of the employers you select.
See the list of employers and register here. |
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Technology, Social Justice, and the Changing Workplace: Lessons from the Arts |
Wednesday, January 26
4-5PM, online
Arts organizations are on the cutting edge of technology and social justice issues and the lessons from these organizations can inform all workplaces. Arts for All is a new Presidential initiative connecting the arts with the sciences, technology and other disciplines. This Arts For All sponsored session will address how technology and social justice are changing organizations and industries featuring alumni in the Arts. Moderated by Patrick Warfield, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Humanities.
Panelists:
- Kelly Colburn '18 M.F.A. Theatre | Artistic Lead, Flying V Theater
- Tuliza Fleming '97 M.A., '07 Ph.D. Art History | Interim Chief Curator of Visual Arts, National Museum of African American History & Culture
- Ceylon Mitchell '16 M.M. Music | Flutist and Co-Owner, M3 | Mitchell Media & Marketing
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Learn more about the panel and register here. |
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Have an event you want to share?
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- Check out this great article on staff favorites from DC Metro Theater Arts from 2021 productions! A number of TDPS faculty and alumni were named, including: Professor Helen Huang (costume and puppet design), multimedia technologist Andrew Cissna (M.F.A. Design '14, lighting design), Max Doolittle (M.F.A. Design '16, lighting design), Milagros Ponce de León (M.F.A. Design '02, set design), Paige Hathaway (M.F.A. Design '14, set design), Debra Kim Sivigny (M.F.A. Design '04, costume designer) and Ivania Stack (M.F.A. Design '13, costume design), as well as Victor Simonson, who has worked with TDPS as our musical theater accompanist. Congrats everyone!
- Congratulations to recent M.F.A. dance alum Krissy Harris '21 on her current appointment as professorial lecturer at George Mason University's dance department. She is teaching intermediate and advanced postmodern technique for dance majors and minors.
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Have news you want to share?
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TDPS Awards—Applications deadlines extended! |
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- The Annual Jim Henson Award for Puppetry applications deadlines have been extended to Friday, January 28 by 5PM via email to Susan Miller at smille13@umd.edu. The Jim Henson Fund for Puppetry was established by the Jane Henson family to honor the memory of Jim Henson '60, creator of the world famous Muppets. Up to 4 awards in the amount of $1,500 will be offered to undergraduate or graduate students in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies for the creation of a puppet project or performance. Find out how to apply here.
- Deadlines for applications for the Board of Visitors Student Award have been extended to Monday, January 24 by 5PM via email to Susan Miller at smille13@umd.edu. This prestigious merit award is available for undergraduate and graduate Dance and Theatre majors and may be used to fund projects supporting career training, study abroad, research projects, unpaid internships, etc. during Summer 2022. Find out how to apply here.
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- DC opera-theater company IN Series is seeking dancers for their upcoming series, THE MONTEVERDI TRILOGY, which is a month-long festival of Asian art and culture, structured around productions of three operas by Claudio Monteverdi: The Coronation of Poppea, The Return of Ulysses, and The Night Song of Orpheus. The performances would take place in August/September 2022. See the full casting notice here.
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The Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio has an application open for U.S. based writers, scholars and researchers that identify as African American. It is a $15,000 award and a 90-day stay at the home of artist and MacArthur Fellow Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. Learn more here.
- The Baltimore School for the Arts is seeking a Theater Educational Associate to begin in August 2022. The Theater Educational Associate will serve as the artistic and educational leader of a distinguished staff of theater professionals. In this role, the Theater Educational Associate guides artistic programming within the Theater Department while managing the educational work that prepares students for study at the nation’s finest colleges and universities. Learn more here.
- The University of Maryland is seeking a Visit Experience Student Representative to support Enrollment Management in welcoming prospective students and their families to campus. This position requires in-person and virtual work. Student representatives will assist with our visit offerings including presenting undergraduate admissions information and working on projects and new initiatives. This is a paid position at $12.00 per hour. Find out more and apply here.
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Bard DC is interviewing for a Performing Arts short-term leave replacement position from January 3rd to June 25. The position comes with a full-time salary based on education and years of teaching experience, and a complete insurance package. Bachelor's degree required. Learn more here.
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NEW Traveling Players is looking for an assistant director for their elementary aged play (grades 4-7) this winter. This position could continue into the summer at their residential camp. Learn more here.
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NEW Joe's Movement Emporium is looking for teaching artists and substitute teachers on a part-time basis with opportunities for full-time employment. They are seeking artists with a passion for teaching in the mediums of dance, theatre, visual art, spoken word, music and more. They offer on-site and online training for those who do not hold teaching certifications. Learn more here and contact latanya@joesmovement.org if you are interested.
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NEW Flying V is in search of an associate producer and a marketing manager. Best consideration date was January 21, but applications will also be accepted after this date.
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NEW UMD's Office of International Affairs is looking to hire a couple of students to assist the communications team as social media design assistant and graphic design/digital content assistant. Students should apply on Careers4Terps; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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NEW Join Round House Theatre on Monday, January 31 at 7:00PM ET for a free public discussion exclusively for local theatre artists regarding their Casting and Artistic Hiring processes—how it works, what they look for, where opportunities are shared, and how their internal hiring commitments and union relationships play a role in their decision-making process. The goal is to demystify the hiring process for both performers and creative teams and connect with the DMV area theatre community more successfully moving forward. All artists (including actors, directors, and designers) are invited to attend, regardless of union affiliation. To attend the virtual discussion, please fill out this form and the Zoom link will be emailed to you on January 31.
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Have an opportunity you want to share?
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Do you have something you want to share with the TDPS community?
The School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
advances and transforms the research and practice of the performing arts
through a commitment to excellence and innovative education.
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Kate Spanos, Coordinator of Marketing & Communications
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