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Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Education Professor Jason Goulah fosters hope, happiness and global citizenship through DePaul’s Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education. Associate Journalism Professor Jill Hopke shares how to talk about climate change. News briefs from DePaul’s 10 colleges and schools: Occupational Therapy Standardized Patient Program, Financial Planning Certificate program, Business Education in Technology and Analytics Hub, Racial Justice Initiative, Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Intimate Partner Violence and Brain Injury collaboration, School of Music Career Closet, Sports Photojournalism course, DePaul Migration Collaborative’s Solutions Lab, Inclusive Screenwriting courses. New appointments: School of Music Dean John Milbauer, College of Education Dean Jennifer …

Donor Profile - Setting The Stage

DePaul Magazine

DePaul alumna Tammy Meyer (MST ’90), a veteran legal and business leader, litigator and accountant, was a first-generation college student who is now supporting first-generation theatre students at DePaul.

Tech Time

DePaul Magazine

DePaul is embracing tech more than ever, incorporating innovative devices and approaches into education in all corners of the university. Here are seven ways DePaul provides hands-on experiences with cutting-edge tools that position students and faculty in the forefront of their industries and disciplines.

An Ongoing Legacy

DePaul Magazine

Theatre producer Dennis Grimaldi, who attended Chicago's Goodman School of Drama--now The Theatre School at DePaul--recounts the people who helped lay the groundwork for his career success and his desire to ensure the Goodman legacy continues by establishing the Dennis Grimaldi Endowed Scholarship for theatre students.

Depaul Digest - Moments

DePaul Magazine

Image of the 2019 production of "Jane of the Jungle," directed by faculty member Michelle Lopez-Rios, at DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre.

The Lighting Programmer As Creative Collaborator, Kelli Zezulka

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

The lighting programmer as a discrete profession is a relatively recent development in UK theatre production and one whose job description and responsibilities vary widely. Being an excellent programmer is not merely a case of manual dexterity and syntactical knowhow; it encompasses a range of interpersonal skills and empathetic awareness. Using two examples from recent fieldwork, and through an analysis of the language-in-use of lighting programmers, this article positions the theatre lighting programmer as an important member of both the creative and production teams and argues for greater awareness and promotion of their influence on theatre-making.

Ada Cheng Interview, Zishuo Wang

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Ada Cheng is the host of the storytelling show Pour One Out, a monthly storytelling series at Volumes Bookcafe. She is also the producer and host of the show Am I Man Enough? a storytelling/podcasting show, where people tell personal stories to critically examine the culture of toxic masculinity and the construction of masculinity and manhood. In addition, she is the co-producer and co-host of Talk Stories, an Asian American/Asian diaspora storytelling show, along with Randy Kim, a show where they showcase Asian/Asian American storytellers and performing artists.

Dwight Sora Interview, Jay Lee

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Artist Bio: Dwight Sora is half-Japanese (father) and half-Korean (mother) actor who grew up in the Chicago suburb of River Forest. He has studied the Japanese martial art of aikido since 1993, when he was an exchange student attending Waseda University in Tokyo. He holds a rank of sandan (third degree black belt).

Born To Direct

DePaul Magazine

DePaul Theatre School alumnus Scott Ellis, back in Chicago to direct the new Broadway-bound musical "Tootsie," reflects on his time at DePaul and the trajectory of his career as a Broadway theatre and television director.

Giau Minh Truong Interview, Gin To

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Giau Minh Truong is a company member of A-Squared Theatre Workshop and an at- large artist for various performing arts companies in the Chicago area. For A-Squared, he directed Ching Chong Chinaman, The Other Shore, and short plays for My Asian Mom, acted in Trial By Water, and designed lights for The Wind Cries Mary. Giau’s other directorial credits include Downward Facing, Lights Out, Everybody, and Theatre of Women for Dream Theatre Company. He directed Sister Outlaw, Mr. and Mrs. LaQuesta Go Dancing, My Name is Flor Contemplacion, and I Dream Electric for CIRCA-Pintig, Chicago’s …

Mia Park Interview, Justin Fernandez

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Mia Park is a multidisciplinary artist acting, writing, playing music, producing events, teaching yoga, and volunteering in Chicago, IL. She shares her passion for discovery and self-inquiry with hope and optimism. Mia began professionally acting in 1997 hosting the cult favorite cable access dance show Chic-A-Go-Go. Her acting career has brought her on stage, in film, on television and on the radio. Mia currently plays the recurring character Nurse Beth Cole on NBC's Chicago Med. She has advocated for Asian American representation in acting since 2006 when she co-founded A-Squared Theatre and hosted educational theater workshops for the Chicago …

From London With Love

DePaul Magazine

No abstract provided.

Breaking Curtain, Susan Fenty Studham, Renée Newman, Helen Rusak

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

No abstract provided.

Shopping Their Wardrobe: Changing Costume Practices In Australian Theatre, Madeline Taylor

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

Over the past thirty years the primary method of generating theatrical

costumes in Brisbane has changed significantly. Traditionally costumes were hand

sewn in dedicated workshops from original designs, with a few bought items to

supplement these costume ‘makes’. Now designers and costumers have become

shoppers, styling costumes from new and second-hand retail fashions, or finding

items from existing wardrobe stock.

This research examines why the primary method of costume generation in Brisbane

theatre has changed, and the impact this is having on the costuming industry. The

examination focuses on changes in the Australian labour market and the Australian

fashion industry. …

“You Are No Longer Creative When You Give Up”: Technical Theatre’S Creative Sleight Of Hand, Maggi Phillips, Renée Newman

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University

contains vocational education training programmes including technical design

courses with broad reach covering arts administration, stage management, stage

lighting, sound design, set and costume design. In an unsettling problematic,

teachers and students in the broadly themed Production and Design courses often

find themselves isolated from the other creative disciplines or battle with the

perception that their work is in fact not creative but entirely the technical

implementation of ‘someone’s else’s vision’. This approach seems to dismiss the

creative thinking required in the development and orchestration of the design and …

Stage Managing Bali Agung: The Possibility Of Hybridity In An Intercultural Production, Susan Fenty Studham

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

This paper explores notions of hybridity within an intercultural large-scale

show in Bali, including levels of innovation, synthesized processes, scenery and

safety considerations. As the original stage manager, I will discuss the mounting of

the show from a technical production perspective, giving attention to the use and

management of the stage space and its supporting environments. The focus is on

hybridity in the context of the term ‘syncretic theatre’, which “integrates performance

elements of different cultures into a form that aims to retain the cultural integrity of

the specific materials used while forging new texts and theatre practices” (Lo & …

Sustainability In Production: Exploring Eco-Creativity Within The Parameters Of Conventional Theatre, Tanja Beer, Dominique Hes

Behind the Scenes: Journal of Theatre Production Practice

Contemporary ecological concerns bring with them an opportunity for innovation; to

rethink traditional practices and forge new approaches that not only strive for

sustainability, but also push intellectual and creative boundaries. Despite this, current

notions of sustainability are still dominated by suppositions of creative limitations; the

perception that sustainability and theatre do not mix is a common assumption. This

paper explores the possibilities of sustainable production practices within the

parameters of conventional theatre. Using a practice-led research project, Helicopter

(Melbourne Theatre Company, 2012), the investigation examines the designer’s

journey of integrating creative processes with eco-efficiency, aesthetics,

organisational considerations and director’s …

The Right Way To Direct A Play, Erin Kraft

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

A director needs more than inspiration to guide their work. During grad school, I learned, abandoned, modified and re-embraced many tools for directing in order to develop my own process. In this paper, I examine the revelations and challenges that arose from my coursework and the plays I directed at The Theatre School: Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, The Lady From the Sea by Henrik Ibsen, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, Tender by Nikki Bloom, We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as South West Africa, from the German Sudwestafrika, …

Theatre Of Trauma, Nathan Devanand Singh

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

In his thesis paper, entitled: Theatre of Trauma , MFA Directing candidate Nathan Singh uses his three years of graduate school to further develop his theories of a theatre of trauma. He uses class-work, productions and the philosophies/works of other theatre-makers to articulate how theatre is a powerful outlet to show survivors processing different types of trauma. In doing this, he has expands his vision and aesthetic on directing (or generating) works about trauma and human suffering. He also investigates how theatre can help heal and/or reclaim trauma. In the first part, he shares his background on how to got …

Sameena Mustafa Interview, Uyanga Chinzorig

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Sameena Mustafa is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer named in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2016 issue. She has been featured in videos by The Onion and performed on world-famous stages like the Laugh Factory and Biograph Theater. A Northwestern University graduate, Sameena is a sought-after speaker and host, praised for founding Simmer Brown, a comedy showcase featured in the Chicago Sun-Times and Redeye Chicago.

Jamil Khoury Interview, Dasha Lubitov

Asian American Art Oral History Project

This interview focusses on Silk Road Rising's video play Not Quite White: Arabs, Slavs, and the Contours of Contested Whiteness.

Bio: Jamil Khoury is the Founding Artistic Director of Silk Road Rising. Promoting playwrights of Silk Road backgrounds (Asian and Middle Eastern) is a passion that dovetails well with his experiences living in the Middle East and his eleven years as a cross-cultural trainer and international relocations consultant. A theatre producer, essayist, playwright, and film maker, Khoury’s work focuses on Middle Eastern themes and questions of Diaspora. He is particularly interested in the intersections of culture, national identity, and citizenship, …

Breaking Surface: Unearthing Meaning In Jenny Schwartz's "God's Ear", Andrew Peters

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

I struggle with language. I don’t trust definitions or labels. Words elude me – articulating a thought becomes a painful exercise for my brain. I often adhere too strictly to meaning, and can pinpoint when an idea I’m mulling over doesn’t quite fit the word I’m using to describe it. My workaround habit is tacking on less definite, open-ended phrases (“This is kind of…” “This might be…”) – the enemies of someone training to be a clearer, well-spoken leader.I am intrigued by messy human stories that can’t be told through realism alone. I seek truth through a more imaginative theatrical …

How I Screwed Up My Thesis Production And Forgot Everything I Knew About Directing, Brian Balcom

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

This was supposed to be my best work; a complete display of not only three years of graduate instruction, but a life’s worth of education and experience. It was supposed to be my introduction to the city of Chicago: a calling card, a conversation starter, a means of validation that would get my foot in the door of any storefront I chose. Instead, it was possibly the most disappointing production I’ve ever directed.

“Cold Coach = Victory” And Other Guidelines To The Director’S Playbook, Lavina Jadhwani

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook argues that "cold coaches," ones who expose themselves to the same elements their players are facing by wearing light jackets instead of warm parkas, are more likely to lead their teams to victory. The same is true for great stage directors; if we, as artistic leaders, expect our colleagues to open themselves up and be vulnerable in process, we must lead by example.

This essay includes other insights into the director's process, including working with actors, designers, and assistant directors, as well as working on specific types of plays (Shakespeare, Chekhov, musicals, American realism, etc.); it …

Theatre Directing Without An Mfa: A Practical And Systematic Approach For Directors In Kuala Lumpur, Kelvin Wong

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

This paper investigates a practical and systematic directing approach for up-and-coming directors in Kuala Lumpur who may not have the time and resources to attend graduate school. This approach was constructed from production practice and multiple hours of classroom sessions over three years. The author hopes to elevate standards of local production practice in Kuala Lumpur; create a more vibrant, competitive and eclectic theatre scene; and inspire new directors in the city to discover their own directorial approaches.

Made In Chicago: Depaul Theatre And School Of Music Alumni Add To The City's Cultural Richness

DePaul Magazine

DePaul's Theatre School and School of Music alumni are making an enormous impact on the cultural landscape of Chicago. They are developing not only as working professionals and colleagues, but as people who are enriching their communities. Profiles of select alumni are included.

Play From The Heart: On Crafting A Community Of Empathy In The Theatre, Kevin Kingston

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

The power of story goes beyond mere escapist entertainment. Yes it should entertain, but that is not the ultimate goal. It may even offer a bit of escape, but again this is not the holy grail. When we experience a well-crafted narrative, we are called to cross a threshold. We pass through the door of our own life and enter into the experience of another. This is what we mean when we say we "got lost" in the story. We take on the experience of another as our own. When a group of people experience a narrative they cross this …

A Method To The Madness: My Quest For A New System Of Acting, Michael Osinski

The Theatre School MFA in Directing Theses

How does one get actors to embrace work and imbue it with the same truth they bring to realistic theatre and how does one prevent them from turning into robots performing meaningless gestures? How does one work in experimental ways while still giving actors something human to hang onto? This thesis will examine a new system of acting to embrace the demands of the work and explore how to articulate and collaborate with actors to create the work.

Depaul Alumnus Tarell Mccraney Awarded Macarthur Fellowship

DePaul Magazine

In fall 2013, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (THE ’03) was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship—the so-called genius grant. At only 33, McCraney has already made a substantial mark. He is an ensemble member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a resident playwright at New Dramatists in New York, and a member of Teo Castellanos D-Projects in his native Miami. Formerly an International Writer in Residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), he is now an associate artist working on “Antony and Cleopatra,” an RSC coproduction with New York’s Public Theatre and Miami’s Gable Stage.

Willi Red Buhay Interview, Lauren Todd

Asian American Art Oral History Project

Bio: Willi Red Buhay was a graduate of San Beda College and the University of Sto. Tomas. He was the first artistic director for design of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Folk Arts Theater, a position he held for fifteen years. He also held a teaching post at the University of the Philippines and his alma mater.

One of Manila’s celebrated design-artist-painters, Willi had staged over 300 productions from theater and cinema to gallery exhibitions. In 1970, he won the prestigious design competition for the Philippine Center in New York. It was the start of numerous design …