GREETINGS AND DEPARTMENTAL NEWS

As always, welcome back! 

At the time of this writing, it is just after the new year, and things around here are unusually calm.  Karen (Lordi) Kirkham is away in New York City directing a production of Oedipus at Colonus that will tour to Carlisle and be presented in the Cubiculo in February.  Jim and I are consulting with each other regarding the upcoming production of The Tempest, which opens February 29.  The development of this production has been quite distinctive in that it is the focal point of a year-long course team taught by myself and David Kranz in English,  looking at how literary study complements theatrical production and vice-versa.  (Those of you who were here when we did A Winter’s Tale may recall a similar approach.)  This production will also welcome back to campus Fred Morsell ’62 as Guest Artist who will be playing Prospero with the rest of our student cast.  Fred has already been participating in classes and was here for casting.  We’re all looking forward to starting rehearsals on January 21st.  I am attempting a personal first: designing (with the considerable input of the Shakespeare class) the set for The Tempest.  I will admit to being a bit intimidated, but with Jim and Kevin on board for stage advice and innovative technical execution, I feel like a starting pitcher with Rollie Fingers and Mariano Rivera in the bullpen.  Last summer (and,  it looks like—exchange rate allowing—this coming summer) found/will find me team teaching across listed Political Science/Theatre course in London titled The Political Arts, which examines the intersection of performance/art and politics/law in English culture.  A group of twenty of us had a great month and saw some wonderful theatre. (The politics was OK too!)

For those of you who may not have heard, we regretfully received the resignation of Amy Ginsburg as our Director of Dance over this past summer.  While we miss her presence acutely through the day to day life of the department, we are pleased  for her in a new and exciting phase of life centered in North Carolina.  Last year’s post-graduate fellow in dance, Rachel Boggia has assumed many of the teaching duties Amy formerly provided and is also choreographing dance sequences for the The Tempest after producing an eclectic and provocative fall concert.  Karl Rogers has come on for the year as our “fellow” in dance, and Karen Kirkham is taking on much of the administrative aspects of the program as our “Acting Director of Dance” as we search for a permanent replacement for Amy.  Amy’s absence makes us realize once again how blessed we were by her contributions during her time with us.

And speaking of administrative aspects, Sherry Harper-McCombs has added two new titles behind her name: Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance.  Those of you who have been with us since the dawn of the “Sherry Era” in design and costuming will understand how tickled we are to have her at the helm, with her good natured but always to the point and insightful leadership style.  She’s back from last year’s sabbatical, and team-taught a terrific course with Jim covering costume and lighting this past fall.  This past fall also saw a considerable amount of excitement surrounding the awarding of Dickinson’s Arts Award to Dancer/Choreographer Trisha Brown.  Emily Lawrence returned to us (from her current gig at Kenyon College) to help arrange a four day residency that was inspiring and illuminating.  Also honored on-campus in November was Edward Albee, who visited campus for three days as part of the Stellfox Residency Program.  After producing The Ballad of the Sad Café in Mathers in October and selecting three Albee plays as part of the Freshman Plays lineup, there was plenty of common ground in preparation for his visit, in which he gave two public presentations and visited classes and rehearsals.  All of these comings and goings have been ably and efficiently overseen by our remarkable Academic Department Coordinator (also a new title) Jenny Rhoads, who has been the lifesaver we needed when she came on board just over a year ago. 

Things coming up the spring, in addition to The Tempest,  include the dance trip to ACDFA, Freshworks, the Spring DTG concert and a senior repertory which will include two new pieces conceived/written and directed by our graduating seniors.  And, of course, there are the Lab Shows.  We have resolved to not have quite the aesthetic circus we had last year with seven full length productions in four and a half weeks (but we also resolved to make this current year more “calm” than the previous one, and you can see how gloriously we’ve failed on that one, so who knows?)

As always, we pride ourselves on offering our students a version of the personal, love-driven approach to the creation of art that we hope was evident during your time as students here, while updating things to take advantage of changes in the arts, education and in Dickinson that have occurred over recent years. 

If you haven’t been back for a while, we hope you can visit soon.  We’d love to see you!

Todd