Visiting world-class artists inspire theatre students

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Department of Theatre gave each of its students a special gift this March: a chance to work with five internationally renowned theatre experts through a weeklong series of innovative workshops.

Dubbed “The Tempest Orion Project,” these workshops explored how to approach Shakespeare’s classic play The Tempest from an acting, applied theatre, designing, directing or historical perspective. “This week was a rare opportunity for the entire department to concentrate on one topic from various perspectives,” says department chair Allana Lindgren.

“While we do this with our mainstage plays, these intensive workshops focused more on experimentation and process than the end product, allowing students to delve deeply into the artistic and scholarly investigations that happen before a production even takes shape.”

The list of prestigious theatre guests included Ralph Alan Cohen, a professor in Shakespeare studies at Mary Baldwin University, who challenged students to re-involve the audience by utilizing conventions that were used when the Bard was alive.

Renowned actor, director and dramaturge David Ferry’s workshops diverted from traditional methods to help students develop character backstories, imagine overcoming artistic obstacles, and bring the magic within a play to life. Applied theatre practitioner Alison Jeffers from the University of Manchester explored how artists can use The Tempest to examine real-world relationships and power structures.

Acclaimed actor and director Meg Roe worked with students to dive into the text to create tools and make informed choices as performers.

Mexico-based theatre, opera and film designer Eloise Kazan’s workshops explored how she has approached the play’s set and costumes in the past and examined the design used in Julie Taymor’s film adaptation.

Students, faculty and the visiting artists left the week feeling inspired. “Some of my friends loved the workshops so much they kept taking more and did as many as they could,” says student Alexa D’Archangelo.

“It was also wonderful to see the artists incorporate each other’s ideas into their own workshops,” adds student Brendan Agnew, president of the Theatre Course Union. “I had a great time working with our visiting guests.”