Alan Kreizenbeck, Theatre, On The Freeman Institute Workshop in Japan Studies

Associate professor Alan Kreizenbeck, theatre, attended the 2012 Summer Freeman Institute Workshop in Japan Studies, which was held at Tokai International College in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 20 to June 10.

The workshop was sponsored by the Japan Studies Association, and involved Kreizenbeck and thirteen other scholars from across the United States. The scholars attended lectures covering a breadth of material, covering Japanese history, religion, literature, visual arts, music, theatre, social policy and international relations. The workshops also afforded Kreizenbeck and his colleagues an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of the Japanese language through interactions with young native Japanese speakers.

“I would recommend applying to this workshop to anyone interested in learning about Japan,” Kreizenbeck says. “The information I gathered during the three weeks will be of immense help in planning a course in Japanese cultural performance that I plan to offer for the Asian Studies Program in the spring of 2013.”

New Play From Alumna Erica Smith ’03, Theater, Debuts

The Mobtown Players are producing the latest play by Laurel resident and alumna Erica Smith ’03, theater. The play is entitled Come Out and Say It, and was chosen from among three by local playwrights which were given staged readings last fall by the Mobtown Playwrights Group (MPG), according to theater website BroadwayWorld Baltimore.

The synopsis given on The Mobtown Players’ website goes as follows:

“Five people. Four pros. Three murderers. Two lovers. One miscalculation. As Vale deals with the aftermath of a heist gone wrong, he sees his plans—and his life—fall apart before his eyes.  In Come Out and Say It, forgiveness is not quite as simple as it seems.”

The play’s run begins July 13th, and ends two weeks later on July 28th. Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets here.

Department of Theatre’s “Incorruptible” Reviewed by the Baltimore Sun

UMBC Theatre students Brad Widener (left) and David Brasington (right) in Incorruptible. Photo by Rich Riggins.

Arts critic Mike Giuliano, writing for the Patuxent Papers and The Baltimore Sun, gave high marks to the Department of Theatre’s current production, Incorruptible, in a review published today. “Director Colette Searls ensures that the plot’s zany complications keep coming our way,” he remarked, while also mentioning set and costume design by Elena Zlotescu, associate professor of Theatre; and students Brad Widener, Daniel Friedman, Anderson Wells, Christopher Dews, Samantha Van Sant, Sydney Kleinberg, David Brasington and Jessica Ruth Baker. Read the full review here.

Department of Theatre’s “Incorruptible” Reviewed in BroadwayWorld (4/19)

The Department of Theatre’s current production, Incorruptible, which runs through April 28, received praise from critic Jack L. B. Gohn of BroadwayWorld.com in a review published on April 19 (click here to read). In conclusion he remarked, “Incorruptible is a hoot. You should go.” Theatre students Sydney Kleinberg, Christopher Dews and Jessica Ruth Baker all received mentions. For more information about the production, which is directed by Colette Searls, associate professor Theatre, visit the Arts & Culture Calendar.

Incorruptible at the UMBC Theatre (4/18 – 4/28)

From April 18 through 28, the Department of Theatre presents Incorruptible (“A Dark Comedy About the Dark Ages”) by Michael Hollinger, directed by Colette Searls, associate professor of Theatre.

Part farce, part grotesque sitcom, Incorruptible takes us to Medieval times Monty Python-style.

Welcome to Priseaux, France, c. 1250 A.D., where the dark ages are looking pretty dark. The river flooded again last week, the chandler’s shop just burned to the ground, and the skeletal relics of Saint Foy–patron of the local monastery–hasn’t produced a miracle in thirteen years. All eyes turn to the Pope, whose promised visit will surely lure more pilgrims, and restore the abbey to its former glory. That is, until a rival church claims to possess the relics of Saint Foy–and “their” bones are working miracles. All seems lost until the destitute monks take a lesson from a larcenous one-eyed minstrel, who teaches them an outrageous new way to pay old debts.

Performances:
Wednesday, April 18th, 8 pm (preview)
Thursday, April 19th, 4 pm (free performance for UMBC students, faculty and staff)
Friday, April 20th, 8 pm (opening night)
Sunday, April 22nd, 2 pm
Thursday, April 26th, 8 pm
Friday, April 27th, 8 pm
Saturday, April 28th, 2 pm

All performances in the UMBC Theatre. $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors, and $3 for the preview.

To order tickets in advance using a credit card, order online through MissionTix or call 410-752-8950. Patrons who would prefer to pay by cash or check at will call may make a reservation through the online Theatre Box Office or by calling 410-455-2476.

Susan McCully, Theatre, Interviewed on WYPR

Susan McCully, senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre and artistic director of the Grrl Parts theatre festival, was interviewed by Tom Hall on WYPR’s Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast. The interview, which aired on Tuesday, March 6, focused on the Grrl Parts performances at UMBC March 7 through 11 and at CENTERSTAGE in downtown Baltimore on March 17.

An audio file of the interview is available on WYPR’s website here.

Alan Kreizenbeck, Theater, to Participate in Freeman Summer Institute on Japan

Alan Kreizenbeck, chair of theater, has been selected by the Japan Studies Association to be a participant in the 2012 Freeman Summer Institute on Japan. The Institute will operate at Hawaii Tokai International College in Honolulu from Sunday, May 20 thru Friday, June 8, 2012.

The workshop aims to provide knowledge about Japan that faculty can use for curriculum development at their home institution. Kreizenbeck will be developing a course that focuses on various forms of Japanese theatre such as Noh, Kabuki, Kyogen and Bunraku.  Most expenses are covered by the Freeman Institute, and additional fees are covered by the Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Asian Studies Program.

Department of Theatre’s “The Laramie Project” in The Baltimore Sun

The Department of Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project, directed by Nyalls Hartman (associate professor), received a review in The Baltimore Sun and Howard County Times by critic Mike Giuliano on December 7, and received a review in Maryland Theatre Guide by UMBC alumna Amanda Gunther on December 9. The production concludes its run at the UMBC Theatre on Sunday, December 11.

Department of Theatre presents “The Laramie Project” (11/30-12/11)

The Laramie Project - left to right students Anderson Wells, Jessica Poole and Josh Holober-Ward (photo by Rich Riggins)

From November 30 through December 11, the Department of Theatre presents The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project, directed by associate professor Nyalls Hartman, with scene and costume design by associate professor Elena Zlotescu, lighting and projection by Daniel Covey, and sound by Jeffrey Dorfman.

On October 6th of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His torture and murder became a national news event that highlighted a deep-seated cultural bias against homosexuality. A month after the murder, members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews came the play The Laramie Project. Poignant, moving, and theatrically enticing, it is one of the most celebrated plays of the last decade.

Performances:
Wednesday, November 30 at 8 pm (preview)
Thursday, December 1 at 4pm (free for the UMBC community, with a talkback session following the performance)
Friday, December 2 at 8 pm (opening night)
Saturday, December 3 at 8 pm
Sunday, December 4 at 2 pm
Thursday, December 8 at 8 pm
Friday, December 9 at 8 pm
Saturday, December 10 at 8 pm
Sunday, December 11 at 2 pm

All performances in the UMBC Theatre. $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors, and $3 for the preview.

To order tickets in advance using a credit card, order online through MissionTix or call 410-752-8950. Patrons who would prefer to pay by cash or check at will call may make a reservation through the online Theatre Box Office or by calling 410-455-2476. Tickets will also be available at the Information Desk at The Commons.