News and Announcements Fall 2007
MSUM Alums to Perform in Twin Cities Original Musical
Darkly funny sequel to holiday classic to be presented
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Feel like saying bah-humbug to the holidays? Have we got a show for you. Attend “A Christmas Carol Finale” for a sardonic, humorous tale of which Santa wouldn’t approve. The show reveals just what happens after Tiny Tim says that famous line.
With music, lyrics and book by MSUM Theatre Arts alum, Ben Mattson with Laura Leffler-McCabe, "A Christmas Carol Finale" picks up where the classic tale leaves off, exploring the after-effects of Scrooge's momentous change of heart. Teetering between absurdly funny and morbidly dark the show takes a second, less fanciful look at the difficulties of leading a moral life in contemporary society. The show also features MSUM Theatre Arts alum, Anna Carol.
A workshop production of "A Christmas Carol Finale" will be performed at 8:00 p.m. Friday Dec. 14 and Saturday Dec. 15, and at 7:00 p.m. Sunday Dec. 16 at the Warren on the Workhouse Theatre Stage, 4400 Osseo Rd. in Minneapolis, MN. The house opens for seating 30 minutes before curtain time.
Tickets are $5 and are available at the door. Seating is limited.
The cast of "A Christmas Carol Finale" includes Blake E. Bolan, Anna Carol, Todd Janssen, Mike Kelley, Robert Larsen, Katie Melby, and Ben Mattson with Daniel Sadowsky on piano.
MSUM Theatre Arts Students Awarded Scholarships
Two MSUM Theatre Arts students, Gennie Neuman and Kathryn Link, were recently awarded scholarships by the Northern Bound Section of USITT to help defray costs of attending the national conference. The USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo is a focal point for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The Conference offers over 175 sessions featuring design, technology, costume, sound, architecture, management, engineering, and production. Held in a different North American city each year, the conference attracts over 3,800 attendees from all over the world who share their knowledge and expertise with one another. This year’s conference will be held in Houston, Texas, March 19-22, 2008.
MSUM’S “Twelfth Night” Selected for Reginal Kennedy Center Showcase
A regional representative from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival has nominated a scene from the MSUM production of “Twelfth Night” for the Region V Invited Scene Showcase at the upcoming regional festival in January. This showcase will feature scenes of high quality, of a length less than ten minutes and utilizing only essential furniture and hand-props, to allow for the sharing of some of the broad range of excellence work across the region.
MSUM Faculty Member to Perform with FM Ballet
Fargo Moorhead Ballet and Jazz Arts Group are pleased to return Fargo-Moorhead's long running holiday event "Christmas Holiday 2007". Under the artistic direction of Matthew Gasper with music conducted by Dr. Kyle Mack, this year's spectacular premiers Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" and features a special tribute to the masterful arrangements of Paul Severson (1928-2007), a musical legacy. The production also features MSUM’s Director of Theatre, Craig Ellingson, as a special guest artist. He will be performing several numbers with FM Ballet.
Original choreography by Eddie and Kathy Gasper and musical arrangements by Paul Severson include the original show-stopping numbers "Be A Santa", "March of the Wooden Soldiers", and "Rockettes". And a special number, "The Toy Shop Fantasy Ballet” in the tradition of the grand "Radio City" dance and theatre musical spectaculars, "Christmas Holiday 2007" is the perfect musical and dance production for the young and the young at heart! Performances are at North Dakota State University, Festival Concert Hall, Reineke Fine Arts Center, 8 p.m. December 21, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. December 22. Tickets are available at: FM Ballet Box Office - 701.234.9440, JAG Box Office - 218.359.4JAZZ, www.jazzartsfm.com, NDSU Box Office - 701.231.7969, or any Ticketmaster location.
Tickets are affordably priced for perfect gift giving, Adults - $20, Students - $10, and Groups of 15 or more - $15 each. This event is being sponsored in part by: North Dakota Council on the Arts, Lake Agassiz Arts Council and North Dakota Public Radio.
Theatre Arts Organization Raises $1,200.00 for Northwood Tornado Victims
The MSUM Theatre Arts Department student organization, Performance Avenue, hosted a benefit performance called “Tonadoes Suck: An Evening of Comedy.” Over 300 people attended the evening’s festivities which included performances by The Bearded Men Improv Group, The Sketch Comedy Group, and The Linebenders. All of the proceeds, over $1,200, are being sent to the Northwood Victims Fund.
Theatre Arts Department Welcomes Guest Artist
The MSUM Theatre Arts Department is pleased to welcome guest artist, Shelly Gaza, who will be directing the fall production of Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT.
Shelly Gaza is an actor, director, and theatre teacher. For the past four years, Shelly has been a member of the acting company at The Utah Shakespearean Festival (USF) where she has appeared in King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Love’s Labours Lost, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and others. She was the recipient of USF’s 2006 Finlayson Acting Award. Shelly has also appeared at theatres across the country, including The Hilberry Repertory Theatre in Detroit where she received the 2003 Oscar Wilde Award for Favorite Actress in a Drama for her work in A Streetcar Named Desire. She has also appeared in the Regional Premiers of John Patrick Shanley’s plays Dirty Story (The JET, Detroit) and Sailor’s Song (Paragon Theatre, Denver). As a director, Shelly has worked with Backstage Theatre in Colorado and the Actor’s Training Program in Utah. She has taught at many schools and training programs including Wayne State University, Southern Utah University (in conjunction with USF), The Colorado Academy for the Performing Arts, and Flint Youth Theatre. Shelly studied acting at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia, received an MFA in Theatre from Wayne State University, and a BFA in Theatre from Millikin University. Shelly is a member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Theatre Arts Department Travels to the Twin Cities
The MSUM Theatre Arts Department will be hosting the annual Twin Cities Field Trip. Over 30 MSUM students will be traveling to see productions at Mixed Blood Theatre and The Guthrie.
Theatre Arts Faculty to Collaborate with Moorhead Public Schools
MSUM Theatre Arts Professor Craig Ellingson will be collaborating with Theatre Arts alum and Moorhead High School’s Director of Theatre, Rebecca Meyer-Larson, in MHS’s upcoming production of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Based on the Disney Channel’s original movie, this musical extravaganza took pop culture by storm with its record-breaking popularity. Ellingson will be choreographing, with Meyer-Larson directing this regional premiere.
New Theatre Arts Faculty to Work with Theatre BNew Theatre Professor Hardy Koenig will be part of a series of three staged readings of Little Heart, a new play by Irene O’Garden at the Spirit Room Gallery in conjunction with Theatre B of Fargo. Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 5th & 6th at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 7th at 2:00 p.m.
MSUM Costume Designer Attends Regional USITT Conference
Ricky Greenwell attended the Northern Bound USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology) Regional Conference at the Theatre L ‘Homme Dieu, in Alexandria, MN. He participated in workshops on marker rendering and illustration techniques.
MSUM Theatre Arts to Host High School WorkshopThe MSUM Theatre Arts Department is pleased to announce it’s fall High School workshop, “A Day in the Life of a Theatre Artist” scheduled for Saturday, October 27th, 2007. Held in conjunction with MSUM’s fall production, area high schools students will spend the afternoon participating in hands-on workshops and activities provided by MSUM Theatre Arts faculty and staff, and attend the closing night performance of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, TWELFTH NIGHT. For more information, please feel free to contact Elizabeth Evert Karnes at 218.477.2267 or at evertel@mnstate.edu.