http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/ A blog for the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. en Copyright 2009 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:42:36 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.25 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 4870=Dance News|4677=General Announcements|4871=Theatre News|4873=Upcoming Dance Events| All the evening performances for For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf begin at 7:00pm instead of 7:30pm. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/10/for_colored_girls_evening_perf.html 200875 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:42:36 +0000 Backstage Pass, the weekly newsletter produced by the Peers, is now available online. It can be found on the Current Students Resource Page. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/10/new_backstage_pass_weekly_news.html 200777 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:36:55 +0000 After 15 years of dedicated service to the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, Sherry Wagner-Henry, Managing Director for University Theatre and Dance and the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, has announced that she will be moving in to a new position within the University as the new Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Continuing Education. A letter from Sherry: Dear Colleagues, Alumni and Friends: It has been my extreme pleasure and honor to have been a part of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University for almost 15 years now. I moved to Minneapolis straight out of graduate school in July of 1995 to take over the position of Managing Director for both U Theatre and Dance and the Showboat programs. And while serving as the Managing Director has been a true labor of love, my passion has always been in the educational development and training of the next generation of Arts leaders and managers. That's why I worked with so many of you on internship placements with local and regional companies, advised directed studies and Senior Seminar projects on arts management topics, and worked hard to keep Arts Management curriculum and work opportunities in the box office a part of the department. Because of my commitment to the further development of Arts leadership and management opportunities, I have accepted the position as the new Director of Graduate Programs in the College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota. The position will allow me to help steward the interdisciplinary, inquiry-based Master of Liberal Studies program (which features an arts management emphasis), as well as to help launch the new Arts and Cultural Leadership program, which I helped to develop over the course of the last four years. In addition, I will be working with other units, colleges and the community to not only buoy and grow these programs, but create and launch new collaborative graduate programs, some currently under development and others not even sparked yet. It is a truly challenging and innovative opportunity and I am thrilled to become a part of this forward thinking at the University. This transition is both exciting and emotional. Whenever you are part of something for this length of time, as I have been, it becomes more than just a job--it becomes an integral part of your life. I have made life-long friendships with faculty, staff and with alumni, whom I continue to remain in contact. I met and married my husband, the technical director in the department for almost 8 years, and we even held our wedding celebration on the Showboat! I have had the opportunity to work on and promote countless productions, projects, workshops, classes and students, many in collaboration with all of you! I owe an enormous debt to this University and this community for allowing me to serve in this capacity and for allowing me to learn so much while I was doing it. I have been truly blessed in this job, but realize that it is time to move on and take on the next big challenge that life has to offer: helping to educate and develop the next generation of Arts Leaders and Managers, who will lift up, steward, and celebrate the next generation of art-makers and producers. My last official day in the Dept. of Theatre Arts and Dance will be Friday, October 23 and I will start my new position officially on Monday, November 2 over on the St. Paul Campus, which is where the College of Continuing Education is housed. I will operate on a consulting contract with the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance through January 31, in order to execute a smooth transition with current projects, before my replacement is hired and comes on board. My email will remain the same, but I will forward address and phone number information once it becomes available. While this is certainly an amazing change for me, it is an exciting time for Theatre Arts and Dance as well, as this community contemplates its own set of new opportunities and directions. The Department is always changing, always growing, and being a part of that is something we all can have an impact upon. Take advantage of dept. meetings, town hall forums and volunteer opportunities--all of us are responsible for setting the course for the next 10 years of exciting developments within this department and at this University. Fifteen years ago, I set out to find an arts management job in MPLS/ST PAUL, because in my estimation, when it came to the arts and education, there was no finer place in the world--my university colleagues, my community partners and my students have all proved that assumption to be overwhelmingly true. I would rather not think of this transition as good-bye, but perhaps as a new conversation that will open doors to unchartered opportunities between my new department and your future endeavors. So here's to a future full of possibilities! Many kind regards, Sherry Wagner-Henry swh@umn.edu http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/10/managing_director_sherry_wagne.html 198013 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:24:43 +0000 On October 5th Maggie Moulton passed away. She was married to long-time, but now deceased Department of Theatre Arts Professor and iconic figure Robert Moulton. A quiet, but passionate supportor of our department, she established a generous scholarship fund in her husband's name shortly after his passing. She is also the mother of choreographer Charles Moulton who has been a Cowles Guest artist with the dance program in the past. She will be missed. A memorial service will be held at St Matthews Episcopal Church, 2136 Carter Ave, St Paul on Saturday Oct 17. Mrs. Moulton's Official Obituary http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/10/departmental_supporter_maggie.html 197323 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:19:08 +0000 Congratulations to Director of Dance Ananya Chatterjea for being named by the Women's Environmental Institute at Amador Hill as "Local Mother of Environmental Justice." The Institute's mission is: The Women's Environmental Institute at Amador Hill, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is an environmental research, renewal and retreat center designed to create and share knowledge about environmental issues and policies relevant to women, children and identified communities especially affected by environmental injustices; to promote agricultural justice, organic and sustainable agriculture and ecological awareness; and to support activism that influences public policy and promotes social change. For more information, check out the Women's Environmental Institute website. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/director_of_dance_ananya_chatt.html 194627 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:46:34 +0000 Luverne Seifert, Head of BA in Performance, won an Ivey for playing science-fiction author Philip K. Dick in "The Transmigration of Philip Dick" by Victoria Stewart and produced by Workhaus Theatre Collective. Affiliate faculty member, Sonja Parks, received an Ivey for her solo role as a high-school teacher in Nilaja Sun's "No Child," which was produced at Pillsbury House Theatre. For more information about the Iveys and the award winners, check out Graydon Royce's article in the Star Tribune. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/luverne_seifert_head_of_ba_in.html 192671 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:10:01 +0000 The Dance Program received a 2010 National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Dance Grant of $15,000 to reconstruct and restage sections of Jawolle Willa Jo Zollar's "Walking With Pearl . . . Southern Diaries." This reconstruction will take place during the 2010-2011 academic year. For more information, visit the National Endowment for the Arts website. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/dance_program_receives_an_nea.html 191788 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:21:41 +0000 Mary's Wedding, a dream play set in the World War I era, opens Friday, September 18 at the Jungle Theater. Directed by affiliate faculty member Joel Sass, choreography by Department Chair, Carl Flink, and BFA Acting alum Sam Bardwell, the production features a variety of artistic talent with ties to the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. The play runs from September 18-October 25. Visit the Jungle Theater's website for more information. Check out the great articles about the produciton: Quinton Skinner's article, The Law and the Jungle in City Pages. Dominic Papatola's piece, Theater: 'Mary's Wedding' unites director and choreographer in the Pioneer Press. The Star Tribune OnStage article, Conjure a horse, but don't use one by Graydon Royce. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/department_chair_bfa_alum_and.html 191784 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:59:31 +0000 ARTSMOSIS, a collaborative arts festival on the west bank of campus will be held on October 9! The event will feature animation, dance, performance art, painting, photography, music, drama, opera, and more... Volunteers are needed for: publicity, design, tech (audio/video/theatre), dance, music, costuming, lighting, and logistics. To sign up, email aqc@umn.edu. For more information, visit the Arts Quarter Collective website at www.tc.umn.edu/~aqc/~ http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/volunteer_for_artsmosis.html 191610 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:13:59 +0000 Professors Lisa Channer, Michael Sommers, and Marcus Dilliard, have made arrangements to improve our rehearsal/ studio spaces. During the spring, several students and these professors built flats and procured some lights to put into studio A and either room 10 or 20. These additions will make students in directing classes have the ability to utilize lighting and level choices, grant design students simple tools to create stage pictures, and performance students new tools to play with to compliment their physical work. We need a few volunteers- between 4 and 6- to come in on Friday, September 18 around 3 to help staple on the top covers of the flats and install them. Michael Sommers has even offered to buy pizza for those involved. If you would like to volunteer, e-mail Allison Witham at peers@umn.edu. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/helpers_needed_for_improving_s.html 191609 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:11:31 +0000 Professor Kobialka recently published a new book entitled, Further on, Nothing: Tadeusz Kantor's Theatre (University of Minnesota Press) . Below is a direct link to the Press's catalogue containing a more detailed information about the book-- http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kobialka_further.html For additional information, the Editor Review from Amazon.com: Tadeusz Kantor (1915-1990) was one of the twentieth century's most innovative visual artists, stage directors, and theoreticians. His theatre productions and manifestos challenged the conventions of creating art in post-World War II culture and expanded the boundaries of Dada, surrealist, Constructivist, and happening theatre forms. Kantor's most widely known productions--The Dead Class (1975), Wielopole, Wielopole (1980), Let the Artists Die (1985), and Today Is My Birthday (1990)--have had a profound impact on playwrights and artists who continue today to engage with his radical theatre. In Further on, Nothing, Michal Kobialka explores Kantor's theatre practice from the critical perspective of current debates about representation, memory, and history. He pursues the intriguing proposition that Kantor gave material form to a theatre practice that defined the very mode of postmodern operation and that many of its theoretical notions are still in circulation. According to Kobialka, Kantor's theatre still offers an answer to reality rather than a portrayal of a utopian alternative. Further on, Nothing includes new translations of Kantor's work, presented in conversation with Kobialka's own theoretical analyses, to show us a Kantor who continues to offer--and deliver on--the promise of the avant-garde. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/professor_michal_kobialka_publ.html 189796 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:34:28 +0000 X Auditions For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf AND Ysengrimus Wednesday, September 16 6-9pm Thursday, September 17 6-9pm "For Colored Girls" will provide readings from the script for audition. "Ysengrimus" asks for 2 one-minute monologues, 1 comedic and 1 dramatic. In either classical or contemporary style. Sign up for auditions is located on the callboard in the basement of Rarig. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/xperimental_theatre_auditions.html 190733 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:02:25 +0000 Director of Dance and Associate Professor Ananya Chatterjea's dance troupe Ananya Dance Theatre will be performing the premiere of their latest work, "Ashesh Barsha, Unending Monsoon" at the Southern Theater September 10-13, 2009. For more information check out Camille LeFevre's article, "Ananya Dance Theater completes trilogy", an article in the Minnesota Daily, and the Southern Theater's website. Also watch a video on the 3-Minute Egg website. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/ananya_dance_theater_to_perfor.html 190195 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:47:21 +0000 Associate Professor Kuftinec recently published a new book entitled Theatre, Facilitation and Nation Formation in the Balkans and Middle East. How might theatre intervene in violent inter-ethnic conflicts? When does participatory theatre mediate more just futures, and when might it preserve inequities? Theatre, Facilitation, and Nation Formation addresses these questions through detailed case studies of community-based projects in the Balkans and Middle East that the author has witnessed or helped to create. In Mostar, collaborative performance helps youth to re-member a divided city. In Berlin, participants from seven Balkan countries reorient understandings of citizenship through an interactive installation. In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, image theatre animates the limits of reconciliation. These theatrical facilitations model ways that ethnic oppositions can move towards ethical relationships, while pointing out challenges in doing so. As a travelogue, this study weaves critical analysis with the voices of participants, directors, and workshop leaders, offering viewpoints and field notes on how theatrical facilitation can (and can't) effectively transform conflicts. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/associate_professor_sonja_arsh.html 189849 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:48:28 +0000 Check out our two new videos: 2009-10 Season of Love An Introduction to the BA Program http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/09/new_videos_now_online.html 189798 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:47:47 +0000 Time Track productions, led by dance faculty member Paula Mann, presents Mann's latest work I Love Tomorrow at the Dance Theater Workshop in Manhattan. More information about the event: Paula Mann Performs I LOVE TOMORROW 7/22 Thru 7/25 New York Times Dance Listings http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/07/dance_faculty_member_performs.html 186122 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:30:17 +0000 The Guthrie Theater's summer comedy, When We Are Married, features U of M Theatre Alumni: Linda Kelsey, Peter Michael Goetz and Sally Wingert. Read more about Kelsey in Kevin Winge's article, Linda Kelsey Returns to the Guthrie Stage. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/07/u_of_m_alumni_return_to_the_gu.html 185725 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:56:30 +0000 Michael Sommers, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, has been awarded a 2009 Enduring Vision Award from the Bush Foundation. The $100,000 prize is intended to propel the artistic investigations of mature artists. The Enduring Vision Award is the only award of this size and intent in the country. Up to three awards are given annually to artists in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota who have at least 25 years of experience as working artists. For the 2009 awards, nominations were received for artists working in the performing and literary arts. A regional panel of five performing and literary artists and arts professionals from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota reviewed and selected 10 finalists for this year's Enduring Vision Awards. A national panel (including one panelist from the regional panel) then selected the three recipients, considering the breadth and depth of the finalists' work, their promise of continued future artistic excellence, the importance of their influence on their communities, and their interest in pursuing deeper investigations and/or new explorations to inform and enrich their work. Professor Sommers has practiced the theater arts as a designer, director, composer, performer, playwright, and technician, both locally and nationally, for 30 years. In 2000 he and his partner Susan Haas co-founded Open Eye Figure Theatre, and in 2007 the company opened an intimate venue in South Minneapolis. Sommers's work has been seen in venues ranging from major cultural institutions to backyards and the street. Through these experiences, and drawing from traditional theatrical forms, classical text, populist entertainment, folk art and the comedy and "tragedy of our daily lives," Sommers says he "creates original work that speaks in a contemporary voice directly to the audience." His work has been presented at the Walker Art Center and in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Canada, and Mexico. Professor Sommers has also recently won a $25,000 McKnight Fellowship and a $50,000 United States Artists Grant. In an interview with the Star Tribune newspaper, Sommers said, "It's a crazy thing. This one feels different, quieter. I have a chance to shift gears, pause and think in a new way, not to sound too corny." http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/06/faculty_member_wins_prestigiou.html 183386 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:13:36 +0000 Newsweek reporter Jeremy McCarter mentioned the University Theatre's production of Tony Kushner's A Bright Room Called Day and Kushner's talk with the cast in his article, "Tony Kushner's Day", which discussed Kushner's time in Minnesota. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/06/a_bright_room_called_day_menti.html 182288 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:39:22 +0000 Dr. Charles Nolte, distinguished and beloved teacher, actor, and author, has made a gift of his archives to the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota Libraries. To celebrate Dr. Nolte’s gift, which will allow students and scholars to continue to benefit from his remarkable gifts, the University of Minnesota Libraries, the Tretter Collection, and the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance are celebrating the donation of the Dr. Charles M. Nolte Collections in Theatre and Cinematic Arts with a reception at the Elmer L. Andersen Library. Portions of the archives will be on display at the Elmer L. Andersen Library. Monday, May 18, 2009 4:30 to 6 pm Elmer L. Andersen Library 222 21st Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota Program Reception beginning at 4:30pm Welcome and Speakers at 5:00 pm Kris Kiesling, Director Archives & Special Collections Carl Flink, Chair of Theatre Arts and Dance C. Lance Brockman, Professor, Theatre Arts and Dance Dr. Charles M. Nolte Conclusion: Eric Colleary http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/05/professor_emeritus_dr_charles.html 180730 Mon, 18 May 2009 18:56:04 +0000 Director Lisa Channer has announced the cast for the October 2009 production of Big Love. Cast List for Big Love: Thyona: Sasha Gibbs Olympia: Jenna Frankenfield Lydia: Julianna Drajko Constantine: Nickolas Marcouiller Oed: Ian Knodel Nikos: Billy Mullaney Eleanor: Addy Salami Leo: Kalen Keir Bella: Allison Witham Guliano: Nathaniel Nesheim-Case Piero: Kevin O’Neil Additional Brides and Grooms will be announced later after discussions with the choreographer. A note from Lisa to all who auditioned: there were so many talented and prepared auditioners that this was a very difficult decision. Anyone who wants feedback on their audition, just email me and I'm happy to share what I can with you. A note from Lisa to those who are cast: I will be contacting you about prep work you can do over the summer. Please contact me also at some point to talk about the role and how you'd like to prepare for it. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/05/big_love_cast_announced.html 180054 4677 Tue, 12 May 2009 14:30:15 +0000 Join fellow University of Minnesota Alumni Association members for a special evening aboard the Minnesota Centennial Showboat on Friday, June 19, or Tuesday, July 21. The Friday, June 19 event offers a pre-show talk with director Kenneth Noel Mitchell, dinner on the upper deck of the Showboat, a ticket to Is There a Doctor in the House? and an invitation to the opening night reception following the show. On Tuesday, July 21, your Showboat experience will include a ticket to the performance and a member-exclusive, post-show dessert reception with actors of the Showboat Company. For event details, including pricing and times, visit www.alumni.umn.edu/University_Theatre. Tickets are available now by calling Padelford Riverboats, the exclusive ticketing agent for the Showboat, at 651-227-1100 or toll free at 1-800-543-3908. Please identify yourself immediately as a member of the Alumni Association and have your alumni member number available. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/04/exclusive_offer_for_u_of_m_alu.html 178412 4677 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:31:43 +0000 In the City Pages' Best of Minneapolis 2009, the University of Minnesota Dance Program students performing José Limón's 1958 classic Missa Brevis was named the Best Dance Performance of a Classic. Check out the full article at citypages.com. Affiliate Dance Faculty member, Marciano Silva Dos Santos, was named Best Dancer. Read the full article about his award also at citypages.com. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/04/_dance_program_produced_the_be.html 177502 4870|4677 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:24:00 +0000 AUDITIONS BIG LOVE Written by Charles Mee Directed by Lisa Channer Description of the play: Fifty brides flee their fifty grooms and seek refuge in a villa on the coast of Italy in this modern re-making of one of the western world's oldest plays, The Danaids by Aeschylus. And, in this villa on the Italian coast, the fifty grooms catch up with the brides, and mayhem ensues: the grooms arriving by helicopter in their flight suits, women throwing themselves over and over again to the ground, pop songs and romantic dances, and, finally, unable to escape their forced marriages, 49 of the brides murder 49 of the grooms-and one bride falls in love. About the same odds as today. The entire play is available to all at http://charlesmee.com/html/big_love.html It is suggested that you read it before auditioning so you understand the style in which it is written and the world it inhabits. Auditions are Monday May 4th from 6:30-11:00pm in Room 20 and callbacks are Tuesday May 5th from 7:00-9:30pm. An audition sign-up sheet is posted on the callboard across from the tunnel entrance in the Pit. For May 4th Auditions: Sign up for a slot and come with two things: A song excerpt that is no longer than one minute in length. A monologue excerpt that is no longer than two minutes in length. Note: Everyone must sing for the audition (even if it is Happy Birthday) although not every character sings in the show so you may be cast even if your singing is less than stellar :-) For May 5th Callbacks: You will be asked to prepare sides from the play and there will be a group dance/movement audition. Additional information about the callbacks will be given after the initial auditions. Questions? Chann006@umn.edu or 626.6617 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/04/big_love_auditions_announced.html 176649 4677 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:17:30 +0000 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/03/dance_program_featured_on_alis.html 171913 4870 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:35:42 +0000 BA Program Head and Instructor, Luverne Seifert, was named one of the City Pages Artists of the Year for 2008. Check out the City Pages article for more detailed information. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/03/ba_theatre_program_head_named.html 171679 4677 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:28:02 +0000 Three Theatre Arts and Dance faculty members have been granted the highly competitive Institute for Advanced Study Collaborative Awards for next year. Director of Dance and Associate Professor Ananya Chatterjea received an award for her project Intersecting Performance and Social Justice. Lisa Channer, Associate Professor in Directing, received one for her project Embodying Gilgamesh: New Physical Language for Staging Epic Texts. Department Chair and Associate Professor Carl Flink will be working with Microbiology Professor David Odde on their project Choreography of the Moving Cell: Self-Organization and Catastrope. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/03/faculty_members_granted_instit.html 171670 4677 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:29:13 +0000 BFA Actor Training Program grads are getting rave reviews in the NYC-based Acting Company's production of Henry V, which tour started at the Guthrie Theater. It features Matt Amendt (BFA Class 2004) as the title character, with 11 other performers, including graduates Will Sturdivant (BFA Class of 2005) and Sam Taylor (BFA Class of 2006), playing more than 55 other roles. Below are the list of reviews for more detailed information: A Bang-Up Take on the Bard By Frank Scheck, New York Post Henry V By David Finkle, TheaterMania.com Henry V by Sam Thielman, Variety The King, All Grown Up and Ready to Wage Battle By Charles Isherwood, The New York Times http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/03/bfa_grads_finding_success_on_t.html 170325 4871 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:38:48 +0000 Congratulations to PhD student Rachel Chaves for winning the Norman Johnston DeWitt Fellowship. Rachel is the sole recipient of this University-wide fellowship for research in the Humanities. This is the first time a graduate student in Theatre Arts and Dance has won the fellowship. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/02/phd_student_rachel_chaves_awar.html 165709 4677 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:17:28 +0000 The following is an e-mail from Theatre Arts & Dance Department Chair Carl Flink: Dear All: It is my pleasure to let you know that TAD's very own interim Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor Sonja Kuftinec was just named one of only two new Scholars of the College by the College of Liberal Arts! While this is no surprise to all of us who know Sonja, it is wonderful to see the College acknowledge her excellence at a time when I am certain competition for these awards was particularly high given our current economic climate. Congratulations, Professor Kuftinec! A truly well deserved honor. Sincerely, Carl http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2009/01/sonja_kuftinec_named_scholar_o.html 162709 4870|4677|4871 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:14:10 +0000 Emmy® Award Winner: Affliate Theatre Faculty member, T. Mychael Rambo, narrated a series of one minute video spots honoring Minnesotans who have worked to protect and restore our natural landscape called "Minnesota Minute". Produced by TPT/KTCA - Twin Cities Public Televison and the University of Minnesota Bell Museum, the thirteen PSAs received an Emmy® from the National Television Academy's Upper Midwest Chapter in the Community/Public Service Campaign category. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/11/faculty_member_wins_emmy.html 154427 4677 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:38:07 +0000 "Peace Crimes - The Minnesota 8," a program produced in partnership among Twin Cities Public Television, the U of M Department of Theatre Arts and Dance and The History Theatre of Saint Paul, has been nominated for a prestigious regional Emmy Award™. "It's a testimony to the talents of TPT staffers as producer, as well as to the quality of the story being told, and the importance of the contributions of all the partners involved," said Sherry Wagner-Henry, Managing Director of University Theatre. University Theatre is the production arm of the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, and one of the collaborators on the "Peace Crimes" play and documentary project. Many folks may recall the co-production University Theatre hosted this spring on campus with the History Theatre of St. Paul on a "real story" play about the Minnesota 8, which centered around former U students who were sent to prison for their protest of the Vietnam War. Seven of the eight men were on hand for the construction of the play and documentary of the process of the play. The play titled "Peace Crimes--The Minnesota 8 vs. the War" premiered on Feb. 21, 2008 at the Rarig Center on the West Bank campus, and the documentary aired on TPT the following evening. A grant from the U of M McKnight Arts and Humanities Fund sponsored the documentary project. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/09/peace_crimes_documentary_nomin.html 144326 The Emmy Awards™ ceremony will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis where the final award winners will be announced October 25th. The program continues to be broadcast and is being aired statewide in September on the digital Minnesota Channel, over the air or on cable: Saturday, 9/27, 7pm Sunday, 9/28, 1am Sunday, 9/28, 7am Sunday, 9/28, 1pm 4677 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:53:47 +0000 AUDITIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY THEATRE SUBSCRIBER SERIES FALL & SPRING SEMESTERS (sent out August 28, 2008 on TheatreList with updates September 4, 2008) Please read the following carefully: FALL SEMESTER PRODUCTIONS: WOYZECK PROJECT AUDITIONS WOYZECK will audition Wednesday and Thursday, September 3 and 4, from 7-10 in Norris Gym on the East Bank where the production will be performed. From 7:00-8:00 there will be group movement auditions with Carl Flink. At 8:00 there will be interview and exercises with Luverne Seifert and Michael Sommers. Sign-up sheets for each night are posted. Using Buchner's play WOYZECK as a springboard for themes, images, and gesture and per formative events, participants will propose, construct, and perform in a world in which the audience becomes the voyeurs. The forms of peep show, diorama, tableau vivant, The Fun House, installation, shadow, the museum and site-specific all become possibilities. The work will culminate in movement/dance created by the cast and Carl Flink. The participants will create their own event from the initial idea, the construction of all elements, space, object, scenography, sound and light, through the performance. These events may range from 30 seconds to three hours in duration. Rehearsals will be structured according to participation. Performance dates: October 10-18. 3100 credit is available. Rehearsals Monday-Thursday 7-10. TWO COWARDS IN REP: HAY FEVER AND PRESENT LAUGHTER AUDITIONS Although HAY FEVER and PRESENT LAUGHTER are designated as Senior BFA shows in rep, there are additional casting opportunities. All roles to be cast are speaking roles. All current students as welcome and encouraged to audition on Saturday afternoon, September 6 from noon to 3:00 p.m. in the Thrust. Sign-up sheets for these auditions will be posted on the Production Notices Bulletin Boards in the basement of Rarig. Performances: November 14-23. Students should prepare a short comic monologue with heightened language. Please bring a resume with you. The roles available in PRESENT LAUGHTER are Fred, Miss Erickson, and Lady Saltburn. The sides for these roles in will be posted near the signup sheet. You should pick the role for which you would like to read. HAY FEVER will have two female roles available to be determined during the Saturday audition process. You may be asked to read one of those sides at the audition. Please plan to stay after your audition. As a reminder, in professional auditions in the US it is advisable to use an RP or other basic British dialect when the script is in those dialects (Shaw, Coward, Wilde, A Christmas Carol, Pinter, etc.). XPERIMENTAL THEATRE SEASON AUDITIONS The Xperimental season will audition its fall productions Monday and Tuesday, September 8 and 9, with Callbacks Wednesday September 10 for fall productions only. DIVERSE VOICES will audition during these dates also. See separate postings. Two opportunities to participate in 4380 creative collaboration projects are available this semester. Section (1) will be production of BACCHAE working with Assistant Professor Dominic Taylor. Auditions will be held September 9 in Studio A. Section (2) will be a production of GILGAMESH working with Assistant Professor Lisa Channer. A group audition will be held Thursday, September 11. Further information on both these projects will be posted separately. SPRING SEMESTER PRODUCTIONS: The University Theatre will be auditioning both NIGHT TRAIN TO BOLINA and A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY on Wednesday through Friday evenings, November 5-7. Individual production callbacks for A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY will be held Saturday, November November 8; individual production callbacks for NIGHT TRAIN will be held Saturday, November November 15. Casting for both productions will be posted November 17. NIGHT TRAIN TO BOLINA by Nilo Cruz will be directed by Dominic Taylor, Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance, in the Arena. Rehearsals will start January 20 though there may be some read-through rehearsals in late fall semester. Performance dates are Feb 27-March 7. Clara and Mateo, young, poor and powerless in an adult world, confront life with intelligence, passion and eloquence in a lyrical portrayal by Nilo Cruz in Night Train to Bolina -- a haunting tale of the dispossessed of the earth in which two poor Latin American children's spirits soar like kites as they run away to an invented place called Bolina. Roles for 5 actors (typically 3 women and 2 men, which could change depending on talent pool). A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY by Tony Kushner will be directed by Lisa Channer, Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance, in the Thrust. Rehearsals will start February 23. Performance dates are April 17-25. Set in two opposing viewpoints of early 1930s Berlin and Long Island in the 1980s, Kushner relates the concerns of Agnes Eggling, a middle-aged actress in pre-Nazi Berlin, to those of Zillah, a young woman frustrated with the governing Republican Party led by Ronald Regan and determined to move to Berlin. Based on Bertolt Brecht's The Private Life of the Master Race, Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner examines the rise of two political parties to power in two different eras. A Bright Room Called Day is produced as a part of the 2009 Kushner Celebration presented by the Guthrie Theater. Roles for between 5 and 6 women and between 5 and 6 men. Sign-up sheets for the general auditions will be posted on the Production Notices Bulletin Boards in the basement of Rarig. For these auditions, please prepare two contrasting pieces: one dramatic and one comic, one of which should be non-realistic. Time limit of 3 minutes or less per audition will be strictly enforced. It is strongly suggested that you read the plays before auditioning. NOTE the following spring conflicts: - NIGHT Train conflicts with UDT, the X production of SHADOWS/WILL TALKING in spring semester and possibly THE ODYESSY. - BRIGHT ROOM conflicts with the X production of THE ODYESSY in spring, and possibly SHADOWS/WILL TALKING. - Neither production conflicts with the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/09/upcoming_season_auditions.html 140570 4677 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:36:00 +0000 The Department of Theatre Arts & Dance's own Rarig Center is one of the host venues for the 2008 Minnesota Fringe Festival. All four of its theatre spaces (thrust, proscenium, arena, black box) will be used to host events throughout the festival, which takes place July 31st – August 10th. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.fringefestival.org. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/07/u_of_ms_rarig_center_hosts_mn.html 137379 4677 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:37:05 +0000 The Minnesota Centennial Showboat began its summer-long run of "The Count of Monte Cristo" on Friday, June 13th. Please visit showboat.umn.edu to learn more about the 50th anniversary celebration of our favorite floating theatre. Please also view our "Finding Minnesota" segment produced by Jeanette Trompeter of WCCO-TV. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/06/the_count_of_monte_cristo_open.html 131523 4677 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:42:30 +0000 The 2008 edition of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance's annual publication Applause is now online. Visit our alumni page at theatre.umn.edu/alumni to download it in PDF format. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/04/2008_issue_of_applause_posted.html 124234 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:57:39 +0000 University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program students and alumni are shining on the Guthrie's stages this spring. Through April 27th, see the current Senior Company of the program perform its annual New Plays Series. Well into June, get your tickets early to see several BFA Acting alumni in the popular A Midsummer Night's Dream. Take a look at guthrietheater.org for more information about both of these events, and to see interviews with Midsummer cast members. A preview story and wonderful video about Midsummer also appears at StarTribune.com For more information about the U of M/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, visit theatre.umn.edu. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/04/u_of_mguthrie_bfa_actors_shine.html 123637 4677 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:06:59 +0000 April is a big month for U of M Theatre events: University Theatre & Dance presents "The Wiz" April 11-19 at Rarig Center. Directed by Dominic Taylor, this new spin on a classic brings the Emerald City to the U of M campus, and Dorothy is a college student, who needs to find her way through the college experience. More on "The Wiz" at theatre.umn.edu/thewiz. Also, the Senior Company of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Traning Program opens its "New Plays" at the Guthrie Theater April 11-27. See three new, challenging works performed by the Twin Cities next wave of acting talent. For more information, visit www.guthrietheater.org. Plus, U of M theatre alumni Charles Nolte and Shirley Venard, along with Bill Semans, star in "Exit Strategies" at the Mixed Blood Theatre. With the slogan "You're never too old. NEVER." this show provides a unique perspective on aging. It runs now through May 4th. For more information, visit www.exitstrategytheplay.com . Be sure to check out all of the amazing events happening in the West Bank Arts Quarter, and sign up for email updates at www.artsquarter.umn.edu. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/04/u_of_m_and_related_theatre_ope.html 122484 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:28:27 +0000 The University Theatre has unveiled its new "rehearsal blog," which allows anyone to get a behind the scenes glimpse of the rehearsal process leading up to our April 11-19 subscriber series production of "The Wiz." Link to the blog and learn more about this musical production — where Oz is turned into a university campus — at www.theatre.umn.edu/thewiz http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/03/the_wiz_rehearsal_blog_is_unve_1.html 118617 4677 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:53:31 +0000 Please take some time to watch "Peace Crimes Backstage," a recent production by Twin Cities Public Television about the Minnesota Eight and how they influenced the world-premiere production of "Peace Crimes." "Peace Crimes" was presented February 22 - March 9 at Rarig Center by the History Theatre and the University of Minnesota Theatre. Media Mill Video http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/03/watch_the_peace_crimes_backsta.html 118172 4677 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:22:07 +0000 "Peace Crimes: The Minnesota Eight vs. The War," which previews Thursday and opens on Friday, Feb. 22nd is hot in the press. Read about this exciting collaboration between the University of Minnesota Theatre and History Theatre: MinnPost.com: http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/02/21/942/peace_crimes_tells_minnesota_8s_war_story Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/onstage/15842477.html Minnesota Monthly http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/February-2008/Patriot-Acts/ City Pages http://articles.citypages.com/2008-02-20/calendar/peace-crimes-the-minnesota-eight-vs-the-war/ Minnesota Daily http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2008/02/21/72165692 http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/02/peace_crimes_press.html 112309 4677 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:37:30 +0000 Twin Cities Public Television has produced a half-hour backstage special that tells the story of the Minnesota 8, as seen through the eyes of the playwright, director and actors of “Peace Crimes,� as well as through interviews with some of the original participants. The program premieres on Saturday, February 23 at 8:00 pm on TPT Channel 17. Check tpt.org for additional broadcast times. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2008/02/peace_crimes_backstage_to_air.html 111924 4677 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:43:09 +0000 Michael Sommers, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance and the new Interdisciplinary Program in Collaborative Arts (IPCA), was just named one of 50 fellows for 2007 by United States Artists. Sommers was named along with several notable artists such as Robert Woodruff, Bill T. Jones, and Ann Hamilton, as one of the recipients of a $50,000 unrestricted award. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/12/michael_sommers_wins_united_st.html 101900 4677 Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:48:41 +0000 Namir Smallwood, a 2006 graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program, and Vanessa Voskuil, a 2001 graduate of the BFA Dance Program, were recently named by the "Minneapolis Star Tribune" as two of eight "Young Artists on the Verge." http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/11/2006_bfa_program_grad_named_yo.html 97519 4677 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:10:31 +0000 Lou Bellamy, Department of Theatre Arts and Dance faculty member and director of the Penumbra Theatre, won an Obie Award on May 21st for best direction for his staging of August Wilson's "Two Trains Running." http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/05/u_of_m_theatre_faculty_shine_a_1.html 80352 Matt LeFebvre, MFA Design & Technology Program director, was also mentioned for his work on the show. Bellamy's critically lauded production opened last December at New York's Signature Theatre, where it was twice extended. He won what is perhaps the most important off-Broadway accolade, the Village Voice-sponsored Obies, which have been given out for 52 years. 4677 Wed, 23 May 2007 13:48:25 +0000 U of M and area high school students are uniting to end LGBTQ discrimination with the Fringe Benefits theatre project. Learn more here. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/04/u_of_m_theatre_students_take_o.html 75015 Several high school and University of Minnesota students are collaborating to present their original play “the Punch … or how I became an ally� in area high schools throughout April in an effort to end discrimination toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. The collective of students has worked since January to develop the project, which began with a week-long, intensive workshop between members of the community including U of M students, faculty and staff; District 202 youth, counselors and staff; Shakopee High School students, a counselor and the principal; members of the community at large; several attorneys; and members of the Fringe Benefits Theatre Company. During the week, the group shared stories and personal experiences, and improvised scenes that related to LGBTQ discrimination they had faced in high school. The workshop concluded with writing and editing an original script. Since the workshop week, students have been volunteering their time, meeting nearly every weekend at Rarig Center to revise and rehearse the show, design and build the set, costumes and props, and coordinate a tour of high schools where the play will be presented. Participants have also developed a curriculum to support the production, including a study guide for students, an educators’ guide, resources for continued discussion of topics surrounding LGBTQ discrimination, and information about starting LGBTQ alliances in high schools. U of M student and project coordinator Xanthia Walker says “this is the first time the project has been done in Minnesota, and that the focus is to bring the it to suburban schools where LGBTQ alliances don’t often exist.� She says of her work, “it has been an amazing learning experience, being a community leader and facilitator. Though it has been challenging to get our program in schools because teachers and administrators are all so busy and this is a difficult project to introduce. We are still looking for more high schools to work with.� After months of hard work and lots of convincing, the Fringe Benefits project will take “the Punch� out on the road to local high schools including Roosevelt and Washburn schools in Minneapolis, Eden Prairie High School, Hastings Senior High School and Shakopee Senior High School. Performances are also scheduled for OutFront Minnesota’s justFair Lobby Day at the Minnesota Capitol on April 19th and at Rarig Center on a date yet to be determined. For more information about “the Punch� and its contributors, contact Justin Christy at 612.625.5380 or Justin@umn.edu. Project Coordinator Xanthia Walker and others involved in the project are available for interviews. The Fringe Benefits project was made possible through a grant from the Fringe Benefits Theatre Company in Los Angeles, founded and directed by Norma Bowles (http://cootieshots.org). Other supporters include the University of Minnesota Coca~Cola beverage partnership and Crisis Point Theatre Company. ##### The Fringe Benefits project is one of several outreach initiatives of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance at the University of Minnesota, whose mission is to educate our students and our audiences about the performing arts, and about the social issues and human emotions the arts speak to so powerfully. 4677 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:00:18 +0000 Congratulations to the Dance Majors performing at ACDFA/Regional American College Dance Festival in Milwaukee. BOTH U of M student Emily King’s ‘Better to Have’ and Cowles Guest Artist Uri Sands’ ‘Happy’ were selected by national adjudicators for the final Gala performance. University of Minnesota Dance is proud to represent at the North Central regional conference with dynamic student and faculty/guest artist work. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/03/more_acdfa_success_for_u_of_m.html 72782 4677 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:44:58 +0000 The University of Minnesota's Xperiemental Theatre Company has an exciting spring season of theatre entertainment ahead. View their spring season here. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/02/the_xperimental_theatres_sprin.html 66799 Fully planned, produced, and managed by students, the "X" is always ready to venture into a wide array of projects and upcoming events include an adaptation of the classic children's book "The Phantom Toll Booth," David Greig's "Outlying Islands," and a Senior Seminar showcase of work by graduating students in the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance. Click here for more information. 4677 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:33:39 +0000 Quinton Skinner of City Pages has named "The Master and Margarita" one of his top 10 theatre productions of 2006. http://citypages.com/databank/27/1360/article15011.asp http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/01/the_master_and_margarita_named.html 63815 Part of the 2006-07 University Theatre Mainstage Season, the production was the first mainstage production performed outdoors. Under the direction of University faculty members Michael Sommers and Luverne Seifert, "The Master and Margarita" was produced collaboratively by a team of 20+ students from the University's West Bank Arts Quarter. Read Skinner's full comments here 4677 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:40:23 +0000 Featuring choreography by Ananya Chatterjea, Pat Graney, Uri Sands and Anna Sokolow, the 2007 Dance Revolutions concert will delight you with its energy-filled examples of modern dance throughout time. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2007/01/dance_event_title.html 47332 For tickets buy online or call the University Arts Ticket Office at 612.624.2345. Performances are Friday, February 2 at 8pm; Saturday, February 3 at 8pm and Sunday, February 4 at 2pm. 4873 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:14:08 +0000 Every year, more than 40,000 people are moved and challenged by the thoughtful work of Penumbra Theatre Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. The McKnight Foundation has named Lou Bellamy, Penumbra's artistic director and University of Minnesota theatre professor, as the 2006 McKnight Distinguished Artist, in recognition of artistic excellence spanning three decades as a producer and director at the nation's preeminent African American theater. The annual award includes a $40,000 cash prize, and recognizes individual Minnesota artists who have made significant contributions to the quality of the state's cultural life. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/utheatre/tadnews/2006/06/lou_bellamy_named_2006_mcknigh.html 48135 "Lou Bellamy embodies the spirit of the McKnight Distinguished Artist Award," said Erika L. Binger, board chair of The McKnight Foundation. "The excellence of his craft is evident in Penumbra's loyal following and critical acclaim. Lou's commitment to the community, however, is what truly distinguishes him among exceptional Minnesota artists." Among Bellamy's other numerous awards are The W. Harry Davis Foundation Award for Excellence in Afro-centric Education and The Minnesota Martin Luther King, Jr., Humanitarian Award. Bellamy graduated with a BA from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and received his MA from the University of Minnesota. He has been a member of the University of Minnesota's faculty for 29 years and currently serves as associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. His extensive directing credits include Zooman and the Sign, King Hedley II, and Two Trains Running; acting credits include lead roles in Fences, The Piano Lesson, and Talking Bones. In addition to his extensive work at Penumbra, Bellamy has directed for Kansas City Repertory, Arizona Theatre Company, the Guthrie Theater, and Trinity Repertory Company. He also serves as an executive board member of The African Grove Institute for the Arts. Bellamy's involvement in theater arose because, in his estimation, he's "always been a show off." At college in Mankato, his main extracurricular activity was running for the school's track team. In 1962, however, Professor Ted Paul sought out black actors for a staging of the racially charged Finian's Rainbow. Paul found Bellamy in an on campus dorm, and invited him to join the cast. With positive feedback from his performance, and because "there were more girls in theater then there were on the track team," Bellamy's lifelong theater career began in earnest. To this day, Paul attends theater productions with which Bellamy is involved. Looking back, Bellamy explains, "I was really impressed with people who were more concerned about your talent and so forth than they were about your color. And I began to notice the power of theater to make change in people and I've been at it ever since." A decade and a half later, in 1976, Bellamy created Penumbra Theatre Company. Bellamy founded Penumbra on the shoulders of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and '70s. A key tenet of the movement is that ethics and aesthetics share one moral code, and from this union is borne mission-driven art with the power to define and sustain communities. "We cannot be misled or seduced by efforts, noble as they may be, to impersonate, distill, or pacify this kind of work," says Bellamy. "It is only at a place like Penumbra, a theater housed within the African American community, that the work can be both critical and celebratory, marking milestones of our growth, our survival, and our history." One of few surviving theaters that emerged during the Black Arts Movement, Penumbra strives to present the African American experience as rich, dynamic, and essential to the history and breadth of American theater. Today, Penumbra is the nation's premier African American theater, and one of only a few that offer a full season of performances. It is recognized for development of educational and outreach programs, as well as contributions to the development of creative talent. Bellamy notes that, over the years, "Penumbra's raison d'etre—producing artistically excellent, thought-provoking, well-appointed productions that probe the human condition with stories told from an African American perspective—has been constantly refined and refocused." In a region rich with performing arts, Penumbra ranks as St. Paul's oldest professional theater company of any kind. Under Bellamy's leadership, Penumbra has produced 20 world premiers and presented more plays by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson than any other theater company in the world. The theater's national significance was recognized in New York City in January 2000, when Danny Glover presented it with the Jujamcyn Award for development of artistic talent, a distinction it shares with superb regional theaters like the Yale Repertory Theater and The Mark Taper Forum. In recent years, City Pages has named Penumbra the "Best Theater for Drama," and Stage Directions Magazine has named it "One of Ten Companies that Make a Difference." "Our work at Penumbra seeks to engage our audiences and our community in cross-cultural dialogue, in order to address and deal with specificity and difference," says Bellamy. "I believe that we—as people, as a society, as citizens of the world—need to learn to see difference not as a threat, but as the key to understanding humanity. Cross-cultural dialogue offers us the opportunity to recognize the power of difference." ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARD The McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recognizes individuals who helped lay the foundation for Minnesota's rich cultural life. Despite opportunities to pursue their work elsewhere, they chose to stay—and by staying, they have made a difference. Previous recipients are composer Dominick Argento (1998), ceramic artist Warren MacKenzie (1999), writer Robert Bly (2000), choral conductor Dale Warland (2001), publisher Emilie Buchwald (2002), painter Mike Lynch (2003), orchestra conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski (2004), and sculptor Judy Onofrio (2005). 4871 Thu, 29 Jun 2006 19:49:01 +0000