The Nineteen Nineties
1994-95
Throughout the fall of 1994, the University students and faculty joined hands with the on-campus Weisman Museum to mount an exhibit and presentation on Tanya Moiseiwitsch entitled “The Stage is all the World.” A world-renowned scenery and costume designer, Ms. Moiseiwitsch helped Tyrone Guthrie found the Guthrie Theater and designed there for several years. The University Theatre’s first drama of the season was The Tavern in the Thrust directed by Charles Nolte. Lou Bellamy joined the faculty this year and directed Tod, the Boy Tod in the Arena. The Universal Wolf, a vicious new version of Little Red Riding Hood, directed by Beth Cherne was the workshop production for fall.
Winter found Strange Snow directed by guest Kent Stephens and featuring David Ivers, Saidah Ekulona, and John Bentley as part of the MFA Acting program rep in the Arena while Romeo and Juliet performed in the Thrust. Sean Kelley-Pegg directed the latter with a wonderfully lyrical design by MFA Rebecca Fuller. Mandragola was the chosen workshop production for the quarter.
URepCo changed its name to University Dance Theatre (UDT) and presented Moves, consisting of five premiered pieces: “Sacred Dog” (Demetrius Klein), “Truth Spin” (Shirley Mordine), “My Red Shoes” (Marge Maddux), “from this day forth” (Janice Haws Roberts and Anthony Roberts), “Per Innamorati e Perditori” (Stuart Pimsler and Suzanne Costello), plus “Excerpts from New Orleans Suite” by Zoe Sealy. Les Belles Soeurs (aka “stamps”) was directed by faculty member Nancy Houfek who lured Jean Congdon out of retirement to act in the production. Miriam Monasch and Pam Mitman joined her as guest artists. Life is a Dream played the Thrust with one of the all-time huge traveling/reversing/lit moons to ever grace that stage. Marcus Young’s Candida was the workshop production in the Arena.
The 1995 Showboat displayed the lively comedy of Anglo and Irish American manners, Peg O’ My Heart, directed by Charles Nolte with olios by Vern Sutton, director of the School of Music. This “showboat” production featuring Raga Skuladottir and Margi Simmons was produced in cooperation with the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation at the Riverfront Chautauqua Tent on Raspberry Island in Saint Paul. In honor of the city and the Irish theme, several of the olios were Irish-based, including a crowd favorite “The Immigrant Olio” (known as “the suitcase olio” to us). In June, Lance Brockman began his duties as department chair taking over for Barbara Reid who had served so faithfully for nine years. After a long and wonderful career, Wes Balk retired at the end of the academic year, though he continued to teach in the MFA acting program on an ad hoc basis. Kent Neely also departed after 18 years of valued service as Managing Director and Head of the MA/PhD program to pursue positions in academic theatre administration.
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