Trends In Contemporary Theatre Subject Of Tea & Talk, Feb. 16

Chestertown, MD, February 6, 2004 — The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series presents “Contemporary Theatre: New Voices, New Trends,” a talk by professional dramaturg and Washington College alumna Michele Volansky, Monday, February 16, at the O'Neill Literary House. Volansky will discuss emerging playwrights and directors, trends in contemporary American drama, and the challenges and rewards of working in professional theatre. The event is free and all are welcomed to enjoy tea, conviviality and discussion. Tea served at 4 p.m., talk begins at 4:30.

A 1990 graduate of the College, Volansky is now in her fourth season as dramaturg for the Philadelphia Theatre Company. She has worked on over 100 new and established plays in her 12-year career, developing new works by writers such as Sam Shepard, Daniel Stern, Warren Leight, Jeffrey Hatcher, Bruce Graham, and Tina Landau. Her work on Shepard's rewrite of Buried Child (directed by Gary Sinise) and Dale Wasserman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (directed by Terry Kinney and starring Gary Sinise) earned her two Broadway credits and participation in the Tony Award for Best Revival of Cuckoo's Nest. She also has served as a guest dramaturg at South Coast Rep, the Atlantic Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, and Next Theatre, in addition to her staff time at Actors Theatre of Louisville (1992-95) and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (1995-2000). Her own play, titled Whispering City, was produced as part of the Steppenwolf Arts Exchange Program in Fall 1999. She is the 1999 inaugural recipient of the Elliot Hayes Award for Dramaturgy and is the president of LMDA, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. In addition, Volansky is a member of the Advisory Board for Theatre Forum magazine and an artistic advisor for the Chicago-based Serendipity Theatre Company and Chicago Dramatists. She has served as an artistic consultant for the TCG playwright residency program, a reader for the Eugene O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference, and grants review panelist for the Five-County Arts Council.

Volansky earned her B.A. in English from Washington College—where she works as a lecturer in drama—and her M.A. in theatre from Villanova University.

The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series showcases the research, writing and talent of Washington College's faculty and is held in the College's O'Neill Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, in memory of his mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now approaching its 20th anniversary, the O'Neill Literary House is a large, eclectic Victorian home that reflects the spirit of Washington College's creative writing culture.

Performance Artist and Professor Holly Hughes to Appear at WC

Chestertown, April 14—Holly Hughes, whose National Endowment for the Arts grant was denied because of the content of her work, will perform selections from her work at 7 p.m., Friday, April 21 in the Tawes Theatre on the campus of Washington College. Admission is free.

Critics consistently praise Hughes's work. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner writes, "She's phenomenal. When you encounter a mind like Holly Hughes, it wakes you up." The Chicago Tribune calls Hughes "One of the most insightful, funny and entertaining storytellers around."

The Raleigh-Durham Spectator called Hughes "part pundit, part comedian, and part exhibitionist. A gifted comedian, she has a fresh and very funny point of view, and her wry observations on contemporary society appeal to a wider audience than she might imagine."

Hughes is an Obie-winning writer, performer and teacher and is considered a central figure in America's culture wars.In 1990 Hughes became what some have called "a notorious poster girl of the free speech movement" when she and three other artists were denied funding by the National Endowment for the Arts. After recommending Hughes for a grant, the NEA reversed its decision on the grounds that Hughes's work was too "controversial." The artists sued and settled successfully out of court.

Hughes's performance is sponsored by the Drama Department of Washington College and the Robert Julian Emory Memorial Fund.

Washington College Offers "Theatre in the Classroom" Summer Grad Course

Chestertown, April 7—Washington College will offer "Theatre in the Classroom," a graduate course in education this summer, taught by drama professor Timothy Maloney. The course will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m., Tues. and Thurs., from June 5 to July 24.

Theatre in the Classroom will focus on developing methods of integrating performance techniques into the regular curriculum in any content area and exploring interdisciplinary planning and teaching strategies. "Theatre can be used in any discipline—from biology to physics to history to literature," Maloney says. Students will work on developing techniques of both scripted and non-scripted performance as a means of presenting content material and of engaging their own students in active, creative encounters with that material. Maryland is among the states that have drafted or completed arts education standards. Professional development such as that offered by Theatre in the Classroom is key to the success of those standards.

The class is grounded in Harvard professor Howard Gardner's work on the variety of forms of intelligence, which has helped legitimate arts as integral to learning. "In his study of the many forms in which intelligence can be expressed and developed, Gardner points to the practical utility of using the arts in enhancing individual performance," says Maloney.

Using theatre in the classroom can increase students' ability to understand material by engaging their imaginations. "Reading alone might distance students from the material," Maloney says. "Theatre is particularly apt for classroom use because it is an innate human activity—it's intrinsic in humans to make theatre , to make language that expresses the human condition in the present."

Washington College offers courses leading to masters degrees in English, history, and psychology. Those who are pursuing a graduate degree in education elsewhere should contact their schools to determine whether Theatre in the Classroom fulfills degree requirements. Graduate tuition and fees at Washington College are $770 per course. For more information about Theatre in the Classroom or other graduate courses being offered this summer, call the Washington College Office of the Registrar, 410-778-7299.

Chicago's Kuumba Theatre Founder Performs at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — In celebration of African American History Month, Washington College presents "My Soul Is A Witness," a one-woman show chronicling the African American experience. Performed by Val Gray-Ward, actor, director, producer, and founder of Kuumba Theatre in Chicago, the show takes place at 8 p.m., Wednesday Feb. 16 in the Norman James Theatre in William Smith Hall on the College campus.

In this dramatic production in three acts, Gray-Ward uses popular songs, blues, traditional spirituals and spirituals born of the civil-rights movement, poetry, prose, and original compositions to bring African American experience to life.

Gray-Ward, an accomplished actor, portrays 17 different characters, dramatizing the work of such writers as Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard, Wright, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and James Weldon Johnson, and composers such as W. C. Handy and Leadbelly, as well as works less well known but deserving of wider recognition.

Gray-Ward was born and reared in Mound Bayou, Miss., the oldest all-black town in America. Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, the area is rich in black history and culture.

"My Soul Is A Witness" and the reception in 110 William Smith Hall following the show are free and open to the public.

"The Fantasticks" at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — The Riverside Players will present three performances of "The Fantasticks," Jan. 27, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. in the Norman James Theater on the campus of Washington College. This musical features accompaniment by Dick Durham, well-known Shore jazz pianist.

The story is simple. A boy and a girl are in love. They think their fathers are against the romance, but in truth the wily dads have set out to engineer the whole affair. The fathers hire El Gallo, a roving bandit, to abduct the girl and be defeated by the boy, thus securing the union. But all doesn't go as planned. El Gallo's assistant in the abduction, an old actor, turns out to be an invaluable character, reminding everyone of the importance of make-believe in a harsh world.

The show, "pure theatrical magic," began its off-Broadway run in 1960 and continues in the Sullivan Theatre in New York today. Eight actors who sing accompanied by piano, harp, bass and drum; some simple props and costumes; and a theaterful of imagination add up to an unforgettable experience for everyone.

Admission to "The Fantasticks" is $5.00. Washington College students pay $2.00. Group rates are also available. Call Lindsay Krieg, 410-778-8773, for more information.