2014-15 EVENTS

COMPETITION: From Student Athlete to Student Mathlete

When: Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4-5:30 pm.
Where: Homer Babbidge Class of 1947 Room

What do theatre, sports, and spelling have in common? As we prepare to stage The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, we invite you to join us for a conversation about competition from the athletic field, to the class room, to the stage. Whether it’s a football game, the National Spelling Bee, or American Idol, competition keeps us on the edge of our seats. What is it about competition that drives us and draws us in? What do athletics and academics have in common? And what does it all have to do with entertainment? CRT brings together a diverse panel to explore these issues from a range of perspectives.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Adrienne Macki-Braconi
Assistant Professor, Department of Dramatic Arts
Faculty Affiliate, Africana Studies Institute and American Studies Program

Dr. Scott W. Brown
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology
NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative
Co-Director, The GlobalEd 2 Project
Coordinator, The Cognition, Instruction and Learning Technology Program

Dr. Justin Evanovich
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Educational Leadership
Managing Director, Husky Sport

Joseph S. Renzulli, Director
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
Raymond and Lynn Neag Professor of Gifted Education and Talent Development
Winner of the 2009 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

CLOUD 9
Conversation with the Cast and Creative Team
Oct. 30, after the 7:30 performance

Please join us after the show for a conversation with the cast and other members of the creative team.

Beyond Binaries: Identity in Cloud 9
Nov. 1, after the 2pm matinee

Famed for its cross-gender and cross-race casting, Cloud 9 poses provocative questions about how we form identities and how those identities interact with, support, or challenge systems of power. These questions are as pressing today as they were in 1979, when the play was first produced. For this discussion, cast members will be joined by Fleurette King, Director of UConn’s Rainbow Center, A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Center.

 OLIVES AND BLOOD

Conversation with the Cast and Creative Team
Oct. 9^th after the 7:30 performance
Please join us after the show for a conversation with the cast and other members of the creative team.

Lorca’s Legacy
Oct. 11^th after the 2pm matinee
We are pleased to have Christopher Maurer, a scholar and Lorca translator from Boston University, join playwright Michael Bradford and members of the cast for a conversation about Federico García Lorca—his art, his impact, and his role in history.

 

 

2013 – 2014 EVENTS

D-SERIES: IPHIGENIA AND OTHER DAUGHTERS
by Ellen McLaughlin

Running Time: 90 minutes; No IntermissionWhen: Wednesday April 30th, Thursday May 1st, Friday May 2nd
(Special performance for the drama department Tuesday April 29th)
Time: ALL performances begin at 7:30 pm.
Where: The Mobius Theatre, DRAMA/MUSIC building.

There will be a talkback after the show on Thursday May 1st with directors, designers, and members of the cast. Talkback will run less than 30 minutes, all are invited to stay and ask questions.

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL

Cast and Creative Team Talkback
April 26, after the 2pm matinee

Join us for a discussion with the cast and other members of the creative team.

Women and Law: A Conversation with Elizabeth Conklin
May 1, after the 7:30 performance

May 1, after the 7:30 performance

While the character Elle Woods shows us that blonde hair and a preference for pink have no bearing on a person’s intelligence, it nevertheless remains the case that women can face discrimination based on their physical appearance. To talk about these issues, we will be joined by Elizabeth Conklin, Associate Vice President of the Office of Diversity and Equity, and UConn’s Title IX Coordinator; Nicole Rothgeb, a specialist in discrimination and harassment cases; and cast member Courtney Hammond who plays Elle Woods.

PANEL DISCUSSION - 
From Power Suits to Power Pink:
Professional Women in Pop Culture

Featuring:
Nancy Bilmes, Director, Center for Career Development
Lucy Gilson, Associate Professor, Academic Director: Geno Auriemma Leadership Conference, School of Business
Courtney Hammond, Actress, “Elle Woods” in Legally Blonde: The Musical
Susan Schmieser, Professor, School of Law

In connection with the Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production of Legally Blonde: The Musical, this panel discussion will explore how professional women are expected to look and dress, and what judgments are still being made about women based on their physical appearance. While the character Elle Woods showed us that blonde hair and a preference for pink have no bearing on a person’s intelligence, it nevertheless remains the case that women can face discrimination both in hiring and pay scale based on their physical appearance. Speakers will discuss everything from what women should expect in hiring situations, to legal cases in involving discrimination based on a woman’s appearance, to the tension between images of professional women in popular culture and expectations in the board room.

Where: UConn Women’s Center
Open to the Public – No Admission Charge

UCONN Humanities Institute presents A WEEK IN THE HUMANITIES

DRAMATIC READING: Ahmed Hasan Al-Banna’s “In Search of Said Abu Al-Naga,” 
based on a translation by Dr. Mohammed Albakry, UCHI External Fellow.
Directed by Associate Professor Michael Bradford
Thursday, April 24 at 2:30pm
Student Union, Rm 304 B&C

SOLO DELL’ARTE
Created and Performed by Carlos Garcia
Studio Theatre, DRMU Building
Sunday, 30 March, at 8PM

Solo dell’ Arte is an introduction to the audience of one of the most ancient types of theatre, the Commedia dell’ Arte, and the presence of this art into our days. In this show there is an empty space, masks, an actor and the audience. And three stories: The moon of Santiago, Lola ‘La nuit’ and Tito’s dream. Carlos Garcia, who is in residence in the School of Fine Arts as a UConn Guest Professor, will be performing his acclaimed one-man show for one night only. The performance is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested.  

RSVP w/ CRT Box Office at (860) 486-2113 

 

Objects, Environments, and Actants:
Intersections in Material Performance Symposium,
March 29-30, 2014
Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry

UConn’s Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and Theatre Studies Program will host a symposium titled “Objects, Environments, and Actants: Intersections in Material Performance.” Scholars, puppeteers, and theatre artists will discuss how objects and spaces perform, as well as the role of the material world in performance.

Drawing on recent scholarship in thing theory, material culture studies, puppetry studies, and object-oriented ontology, presenters will consider how puppets, props, costumes, masks, physical environments, and human actors intersect in performance.

For a complete schedule of events and list of presenters, or to register for the symposium, visit bimp.uconn.edu.

For more information, contact Emily Wicks, Program Assistant for the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at (860) 486-8585 or bimp@uconn.edu.

 

GOBLIN MARKET

What does it take to bring a poem to life on stage, to integrate puppeteers with actors, to tell a timeless story of magic, enchantment, and human connection?

Because of the wide range of student work highlighted by this production – writing, acting, designing, and puppeteering – we are offering an expanded schedule of post-show discussions!

Join us after the following performances for a conversation with performers and members of the creative team:

Sat., March 29, 8pm
Thurs., April 3, 7:30 pm
Fri., April 4, 8pm
Sat., April 5, 2pm
Sat., April 5, 8pm

 

 

REVERSE CASCADE
at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
Downtown Storrs
A new University of Connecticut Puppet Arts Production
by MFA candidate Anna Fitzgerald.

Based on the life of Judy Finelli, Reverse Cascade tells the story of a remarkable circus performer who loses control of her body and the ability to perform. Eventually she receives a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis that is incurable and progressive. Her work and identity begin to slip away with her body, but the circus calls back to her…

This story is told through object puppetry with circus and juggling objects playing the characters, and musicians playing original music.
Performed by puppeteers and musicians from the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program and Music Program.

The show is completely non-verbal, 50 minutes long and geared towards adult audiences, or ages  12+.

March 1 – 1pm & 3:30pm
March 2 – 8pm
March 4 – 8pm
March 7 – 8pm
March 8 – 2pm & 8pm
March 9 – 2pm & 8pm

GET TICKETS

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING 
By William Shakespeare
Much Ado about Love and Laughter
March 1, after the 2pm matinee

Much Ado about Nothing is famous for the “merry war” of wits between its reluctant lovers, Beatrice and Benedick. Join English department scholars Elizabeth Hart and Mary Gallucci and members of the cast to discuss Shakespeare’s classic battle of the sexes comedy, and to consider why love’s war provokes so much laughter.

Cast and Creative Team Talkback
March 6, after the 7:30 performance

Join us for a discussion with the cast and other members of the creative team.

“Much Ado About Dinner”  

Join professional chef and professional actor David McCann (Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing) for a Bard-inspired menu. David will guide guests through 5 courses, while sharing humorous and insightful stories about his work bringing to life many of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, and the fascinating intersection of food, art and performance.

Nathan Hale Inn & Conference Center
Sunday February 16, 2014 – 4pm
$35 per person, includes one paired wine & non-alcoholic beverages

Reservations required. Limited Space Available.

Reserve your seat by February 10.

Please order by calling the CRT Box Office at 860-486-2113 or online here

Check out David’s blog This Old Chef

 

 

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Sat., Nov. 23, after the 2pm Matinee

Join us for a conversation with the cast and creative team about the themes of the play and their relevance today.

Thurs., Dec 5, after the 7:30pm performance

Join us for a conversation with Associate Professor of History Judith Meyer and cast member Rocco Sisto (Cardinal Richelieu) to discuss the socio-political aspects of the history of the play and how Dumas’ novel has influenced popular impressions of this period of history.

TAFFETA PUNK: SHAKESPEARE IN AND OUT OF LOVE

Love is poetic, painful, romantic, reckless, and generally all sorts of trouble. It’s difficult enough to put into words today, but Shakespeare described it best in two: taffeta punk. Join us for a series of scenes from Shakespeare that question what that “love” thing is anyway.  After all, love is taffeta: well-dressed, elegant, and beautiful.  And love is punk: sexy, vulgar, and rule-breaking.  And Shakespeare is all of the above.

PERFORMANCES

Wednesday, Dec. 4th – 7:30 pm

Thursday, Dec. 5th – 7:30 pm (post-show talkback with creative team)

Friday, Dec. 6th – 8 pm

Free Admission. Seating is limited. You can reserve tickets by email through cglennl@yahoo.com (include “Taffeta Punk” in the subject line).

 

PAST EVENTS

THE PUPPETMASTER OF ŁÓDŹ          

Written by Gilles Sẻgal

Directed by Harrison H. Haney

The year is 1950. The war has been over for five years…or “so they say.” Yet, in a secluded basement apartment in Berlin, Germany, tucked away in hiding from the Nazi Party is a Jewish Holocaust survivor, Samuel Finkelbaum. What happens when denial becomes obsession, obsession becomes delusion and delusion evolves into reality?

Witness the exploration of one man’s journey from madness to acceptance.

Cost of attendance for THE PUPPETMASTER OF ŁÓDŹ is FREE

PERFORMANCES                       

Thursday November 14th 8 PM

Friday November 15th 8pm

Saturday 16th 8 PM

Sunday November 17th 2 PM

SEATING AT THE DOOR

or

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR FREE SEATS

LOCATION

THE PUPPETMASTER OF ŁÓDŹ will be performed in the Mobius Studio Theatre in the Drama Music Building

802 Bolton Rd, Storrs, CT 06269

DEAD HEAVY FANTASTIC
Thurs., Oct. 31st, after the 7:30pm performance
Join us for a conversation with the cast! Facilitated by CRT Dramaturg Lindsay Cummings.

Sat., Nov. 2, after the 2pm performance
Join us for a dialogue on design, focusing on the unique and sometimes challenging aspects of Dead Heavy Fantastic’s style, including the use of projections and the need to represent no less than seventeen locations in one set! Facilitated by student dramaturg Emily Borne.

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Oct. 5, after the 2 pm performance of Big Love: Conversation with the Creative Team

Please join us after the show for a discussion with members of the cast, crew, and creative team. Facilitated by dramaturg Anna Woodruff.

Oct. 10, after the 7:30 pm performance of Big Love:
Big Ideas in Big Love

Join us for a discussion with Eleni Coundouriotis, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Research Program on Humanitarianism at the Human Rights Institute. Professor Coundouriotis will be joined by Big Love director Helene Kvale, Theatre Studies Professor Thomas Meacham, and performers Briana Maia and Olivia Saccomanno. We will discuss some of the many “big ideas”—from gender conflict to the plight of refugees to the foundations of democracy—found in Big Love. Facilitated by Lindsay Cummings, Assistant Professor Dramatic Arts.

The Jenin Freedom Theatre’s adaptation of The Island by Athol Fugard
September 6 at 7 pm, September 7 at 2 pm and 7 pm. • Nafe Katter Theatre

Buy Tickets Online

Directed and Designed by Gary M. English; Artistic Consultant, Nabil Al-Raee. This South African apartheid-era drama, inspired by a true story, is set in a prison and revolves around two cellmates: one who is soon to be released while the other is serving a life sentence. They spend their days at mind-numbing physical labour and at night rehearse for a performance of Sophocles’ Antigone. Antigone, who defies the laws of the state to follow her conscience, and her uncle who sentences her to die for her crime. Is Antigone guilty? Who decides?