The Nineteen Nineties
1998-99
The big talk of fall 1998 on the West Bank of the campus was the building and pending celebration of the new Barbara Barker Center for Dance, scheduled to open in spring of 1999. Pam Knourek joined us as Costume Shop Supervisor. Professor Sonja Kuftinec joined the History/Lit faculty. Ananya Chatterjea joined the dance faculty. Steve Coleman was Scene Shop Supervisor for the year. In October the University Theatre, in conjunction with Penumbra 
Theatre, presented The Day the Bronx Died, a timely play about gang violence. This was the first-ever collaboration between Penumbra and the University Theatre and came about as a result of the in-depth conversations the department had held with area theatres and arts groups as part of the ADEP project (Academic Department Enrichment Program) the year before. U of M students Jon Snyder, Reed Sigmund, Cicero McGee, Jr., John Oswald, and Leslie DuCloux joined professional actors from the Penumbra company to perform the play under Lou Bellamy’s direction. In November Bertolt Brecht’s drama Turandot was given an English-
language world premiere in the Arena. Directed by Anja Klöck with lighting by Kelley McClung, it featured a world draped in plastic sheeting and a unique look at the last play Brecht ever wrote.An international Brecht Symposium was held in conjunction with the performances on November 13 and 14, featuring internationally-known German director Peter Kupke, editor of Theatre Erika Munk, and noted Brecht scholar Carl Weber, among others. Fall in the Xperimental included a student choreographers project by Ellie Laser and Laura Selles, Love Suicides at Amijima directed by Jeffrey Bleam, Inoperative Words (Molly Balcom directing) and The Faustus Project (adapted and directed by Jackie Milbrandt), and Loot directed by Sarah Johannes.
UDT opened in February with six pieces choreographed by women -- five of them premieres – hence the title Women at Work: “Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella” (Hijack), “Mad Rush” (Paula Mann), “Lessons” (Cathy Young), “Holding Your Own” (Beth Corning), and Zoe Sealy’s 1998 piece “Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald.” Pentecost followed in the Thrust directed by Kent Stephens with an assist by Associate Director Kari Margolis. Set in an old abandoned church designed by Lance Brockman, the play dealt with sanctuary and discovery – of a painting and an artist, of refugees and guests, of how we might go forward together (or not). In celebration of the opening of the Barbara Barker Center for Dance, Crossover -- a Dance Theatre Collaboration was produced which featured opportunities for both theatre and dance students to participate together in cutting edge projects. The series became known as “On the Edge” and was produced for another five years. This year, thanks to Sage Cowles Land Grant and Winton Chair for Guest Artist funds, we were able to support three superb inaugural projects in the brand new Barker 100 studio/theatre. J. ed Araiza and Ellen Lauren came from Anne Bogart’s SITI company and created a work called The Lost Project; Stuart Pimsler and Suzanne Costello created People in Pairs, Part I : “Alone Together”; and Kari Margolis and Tony Brown of Margolis/Brown Theatre Company created Koppelvision and Other Digital Deities. The Xperimental produced X and a one-act showcase in March.
To close out the year, the University Theatre presented A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum directed by guest Lewis E. Whitlock III, with Agnes Smuda assisting with vocal work and Steve Schultz conducting. Reed Sigmund was featured in the lead. The “X” played International Stud in May.
Summer marked the last time we would host the Midwest PlayLabs since they now had renovated their own facility. During the winter of 1999, renovations to the General John Newton were underway, much to the satisfaction of the department which had struggled so tirelessly to raise funds for the renovation. Our goal was in sight and we planned for the opening of the newly renovated Showboat to occur in summer 2000. Long-time Professor of theatre history, Glen Gadberry retired this year after 25 years of teaching, advising, and serving as Director of Graduate Studies for 12 of them. Barbara Barker also retired and was named Emeritus faculty.
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