UM Theatre recently hosted Jake Wood of the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ for a 3 day workshop in scene painting for approximately 15 technical theatre students. In addition, Wood spoke to all of the theatre majors about working in regional theatres and various professional opportunities for students at his theatre.

The cast of COMPANY is enjoying working with Guest Choreographer Carl Dean, Current Artistic Director of Magic City Actors Theatre in Birmingham.  Dean has worked professionally in NYC and around the USA as an actor, director and choreographer before co-founding MCAT in Birmingham. Dean is also an alumnus of the UM Theatre Program.

NYC based Playwrights Steve Harper and Rob Kandel will also be on campus in April to work with UM students on new play development. Harper will conduct workshops for theatre majors as part of the Montevallo Literary Festival and Kandel will discuss creating “radical theatre narratives” in his workshop. This is the 3rd year UM theatre majors have been able to work with playwrights and performance artists in tandem with the program’s plans to increasingly develop student writing and workshop new plays in varying ways