BA IN THEATRE

Letter from the Department Chair

To All New Incoming Theatre & Dance Students:

As the current Chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance I want to take a moment to welcome you to our department. I think you will find our program dynamic and stimulating, affording you many options for developing your talents as a performing artist. We are the major training center for Theatre & Dance in the state of Alaska, and our students populate almost every major performance venue in the state. We participate in major events such as the American College Theatre Festival, the Northwest Drama Conference, and the American College Dance Festival. Our students have been abroad, performing at the Moscow Art Theatre; in the U.S. at the Kennedy Center; and guest artists in Dance and Theatre are a regular event here at home. We not only offer a BA in Theatre, we offer a BA in Theatre with a Dance Emphasis, as well as minors in Theatre, and Dance. Our Dance degrees are the only such degrees in the state. Our program is oriented toward production, and our students are exposed to all aspects of theatre including directing, acting, stage management, lighting, costume, and set design, history, criticism, and more. In the end, our students graduate with a very well rounded theatre generalist degree. Our alumni attend (or have attended) some of the finest graduate programs in the country including Yale, Florida State, DePaul, even Second City in Chicago. They can be seen in major motion pictures like Unbreakable, Air Force One, and Charlie’s Angels. Many have gone on to start theatres of their own, or teach in area schools, and UAA’s Theatre & Dance faculty is first rate.

We welcome you as newcomers to our program, and hope you like the people, and the challenges. I hope you will take time to read through this handbook carefully, for it contains much information which will be useful to you during your residency at UAA, hopefully making your stay more fun, and more rewarding. Should you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the department. Someone will be more than willing to answer your questions. And if you aren’t a Theatre & Dance major but would still like to participate, whether you are a UAA student, or community member, please join us. There is plenty of opportunity whether you want to work onstage, or backstage. All are welcome.

Sincerely,

Tom Skore/Chair

UAA Theatre & Dance Faculty Advisors

Name	Title	E-Mail	Telephone	Area
Algiene, Anita	Assistant Professor	afaka@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1660	Scenic Design, Technical Director
Anteau, Dan	Assistant Professor	afdja1@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1782	Sound, Lighting
Crosby, Jill	Professor	afjaf@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1164	Dance Program
Edgecombe, David	Associate Professor	afdpe@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1794	Directing, Playwrighting
Jeffery, Brian	Assistant Professor	afbdj@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1688	Dance Program, Dance Ensemble
Kuznetsova, Katya	Term Instructor	anegk@uaa.alaska.edu	786-4706	Dance Program, Dance Ensemble
Lautenberger, Fran	Professor	affel1@uaa.alaska.edu	786-1797	Costume, Performance, Directing
Skore, Tom	Associate Professor	tskore@ptialaska.net	786-1740	Performance, Directing

Note: All theatre faculty can provide general program advising, regardless of area of specialty.

Faculty

Anita Algiene, Term Assistant Professor/Technical Director

South Dakota State University, B.S., M.S., Communication Studies

Tulane University, M.F.A, Set Design

Anita has recently joined the UAA Theatre and Dance faculty. She received a B.S. & M.S. in Communication Studies and Theatre from South Dakota State University and her M.F.A. in Set Design from Tulane University. Her recent scenic design credits include the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of the The End of the Beginning based on AVI’s award winning book by the same name. She also designed sets for Prairie Repertory Theatre’s productions of My Fair Lady and I Do! I Do!, as well as for the New Orleans Youth Theatre directed by Delfayo Marsalis. Anita’s costume design credits include Shakespeare’s Cymbeline and the 2004 Tulane Dance Company’s Annual Evening of Dance. In the summer, she works as the Props Master for the Central City Opera House, in Colorado. In 2006, Anita received the John J. Southerland Jr. Award for Excellence in Design. She is looking forward to acting as the resident set designer and technical director for UAA theatre department

Dan Anteau, Assistant Professor/Sound & Lighting, Technical Theatre

University of Alaska Anchorage, B.A.

University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, M.F.A

Daniel Anteau received a B.A. from the University of Alaska Anchorage and his M.F.A in Lighting Design from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Daniel most recently taught Lighting Design and was Technical Director at the University of Hawai’i and Manoa. Daniel’s Lighting has been seen nationally spanning Alaska to Hawaii and New York City and internationally to Southern Africa. He is very excited to return home to Alaska as well as returning to the Faculty at University of Alaska Anchorage.

Jill Crosby, Professor, Dance Program Coordinator

New York Univ. M.A., PhD

Western Kentucky University B.A

Dr. Crosby is the coordinator for the dance program at UAA. She has held this position since 1988. Dr. Crosby is currently responsible for teaching Dance Appreciation, Fundamentals of Jazz Dance, and often co-teaches Dances of the West African Diaspora. She has mentored independent study students in dance research methods, dance anthropology, portfolio development, and choreography. She is qualified to teach, and has taught classes in modern dance, ballet, and dance composition. In 1998, she taught 4 semester-long classes at the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, West Africa. Her courses included Dance History, Dance Cultures, Dance Composition and a Jazz Dance Technique class. She also taught workshops at the University of Ghana in 1992 and 2000.

Dr. Crosby is both an active performer as well as scholar. She has appeared as a performer in the Morningside Dance Festival in New York City and was featured as a guest artist with the XSIGHT! Performance Group of Chicago in 1997 and 2001. She has performed and co-created choreography with artists such as Heather Cornell, Artistic Director of Manhattan Tap, and with nationally recognized tap dancer Katherine Kramer, and Brazilian tap dancer Valeria Pinheiro. In 2001/02, she collaborated with Brian Jeffery on the conceptualization and realization of “Look Again”, an NEA funded multi-site and multi-disciplinary performance project in Anchorage.

Dr. Crosby received a 1998 Fulbright research grant that took her to Ghana West Africa. She also does fieldwork in Cuba. She has received numerous Faculty Development grants for her work and is the recent recipient of the Chancellor’s Fund Award to support her upcoming year-long study in both Cuba and Ghana researching the folklorization of traditional religious dance. She has presented at two Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) conferences, published in the CORD journal, and in Etnofoor, a University of Amsterdam based anthropology journal. She also collaborated on a video that was based on her1998/1999 fieldwork in Ghana and Cuba for use in her classrooms at the University of Alaska.

David Edgecombe, Professor, Director

Kent State University, Ph.D.

San Diego State University, M.A.

U.S. International University, B.A.

Dr. Edgecombe heads the Directing Program and teaches Playwriting, History of the Theatre, Dramatic Literature, Theatrical Criticism and other courses. His Telecourse in Theatre History remains one of the most popular broadcast courses at UAA. Dr. Edgecombe also teaches Web-based courses in Dramatic Literature. David holds a B.A. from California Western University, an M.A. from San Diego State University and a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Directing from Kent State University, and has been nominated for a Fulbright Teaching Award, UAA Teacher of the Year, Distance Educator of the Year. He was also a Kennedy Center Honoree and accepted an award in Washington D.C. for his work with the Northwest Drama Conference in Criticism. He is the Past President of the Northwest Drama Conference. He has won two teaching appointments with the American Heritage Association to teach in Siena, Italy and Athens, Greece.

As Chair of the Department of Theatre at Marian College in Indianapolis, Dr. Edgecombe directed numerous musical and dramatic productions. He founded the Indiana Shakespeare Festival and directed 16 of its main season productions. He also worked for the San Diego Junior Theatre and the California Shakespearean Festival. At UAA Theatre and Dance, Edgecombe's productions of The Death of Von Richthofen as Witnessed From Earth, Somewhere in Between and The Scarecrow won American College Theatre Festival Regional Awards. His book, Actor Training During the Age of Shakespeare has recently been published in second edition. He has published numerous articles on subjects as varied as “Hopi Performance Rituals,” “Russian Theatre Training,” and “The Education of William Shakespeare.”

His play Libby, completed a national tour and received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. This production featured his wife Elizabeth Ware, an adjunct professor at UAA, in the title role. He has staged many performances which were featured at the Edward Albee Playwright’s Conference including A Delicate Balance, Three Tall Women, and John Guare’s Lake Hollywood. He has also directed many productions for Cyrano’s Playhouse in Anchorage.

Brian Jeffery, Term Assistant Professor of Dance

Jeffery comes to Alaska from Chicago where he was active in the city's performing arts communities for over twenty years. In UAA's Department of Theatre and Dance Jeffery teaches Movement for Actors, Theory and Improvisation, Dance Composition, and all levels of Modern Dance Technique. He is also the faculty advisor for the Dance Program's student performance company, UAA Dance Ensemble. Jeffery has previously served on the faculties of Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago and University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, he has also conducted extensive residencies as a guest lecturer at numerous universities across the U.S. As Artistic Director of XSIGHT! Performance Group for fifteen years, his vision of exploring the amalgamation of theater, dance and the visual arts, has been consistently recognized by popular and critical acclaim. Jeffery has created over fifty original multidisciplinary works for XSIGHT! and toured professionally throughout the U.S. as well as Australia, Egypt, Cyprus, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. Jeffery has premiered work on several professional companies, notably Danz Abierta of Havana at the National Theater of Cuba and Trinity Irish Dance Company at the Joyce Theater New York City. He has also enjoyed creating and directing several original evening length physical theater productions, The Image After, Kickin the Devil Around, The Book of Maybe, All You Can Eat and Other Human Weaknesses, The Popes Toe, as well as an adaptation of Euripides The Bacchae. Jeffery was the Artistic Director of Look Again 2002: Alaskan Landscapes in Transition, a statewide site-specific installation and performance project. His collaborative work in multimedia art installation has been presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Ross Gallery Chicago, Kass Meridian Gallery Chicago, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Scotland. Jeffery's work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Jeffery has been twice honored with the Chicago Dance Coalition's Ruth Page Award for "Outstanding Choreography of the Year".

Ekaterina (Katya) Kuznetsova, Term Instructor/Dance Ensemble

University of Alaska Anchorage, B.A. International Business and Arts Administration

M.A., Dance and Adult Education

Ekaterina (Katya) Kuznetsova has been with the UAA Dance Program since 1997. Originally from Magadan, Russia, Ms. Kuznetsova began her dance career at the age of eight with Tanzgracia Ballroom Dance Company, focusing on competing in international ballroom dance. She arrived to UAA as a student in 1996 and received a BA in International Business and Arts Administration. As a UAA dance student and a student director of the UAA Dance Ensemble, Ms. Kuznetsova enjoyed exploring and cross-referencing various forms of social dance with modern dance techniques, history, methods of dance composition, and dance education. In March 2005, Katya's choreographic work "Cruzada" represented UAA at the American College Dance Festival Association’s Northwest Regional Conference at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, and was selected as one of the seven best from a total of thirty five pieces. In 2006, Ms. Kuznetsova received an MA in Dance and Adult Education. Currently, she is a faculty member with UAA Department of Theatre and Dance, as well as UAA Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Ms. Kuznetsova has also taught for the Academie de Danse Anchorage, Maui Community College, Anchorage Classical Ballet, the Ballroom Club of Fairbanks, Club Soraya, Alaska Dance Theater, and the Anchorage School District. Her guiding passion is to create multi-disciplinary approaches to teaching, performance, and choreography.

Fran Lautenberger, Professor, Costume Designer

University of Connecticut, M.F.A.

Rutgers University, B.A.

Professor Lautenberger, a member of USITT and Puppeteers of America, introduced puppetry to the Department of Theatre and Dance. Professor Lautenberger wrote the script and designed the production of The Adventures of Baba Yaga, which toured throughout Alaska. She directed a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the first production of that show with life-sized puppets. This play was selected as a regional finalist for the American College Theatre Festival in 1999. She has also won numerous Certificates of Merit from that organization for her directing and costume designs. Professor Lautenberger attended the National Puppetry Conference and has exhibited at the USITT Technology Expo. She has taught puppetry to local school children as part of the summer workshop, Music Machine, and is often used as a consultant by local theatre groups. Professor Lautenberger received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Creative Activity for 1999. She directed UAA’s blockbuster production of 1776 in 2004, and wrote a new play while on sabbatical (so far titled Just Sisters) which she will direct during our 2005-2006 Mainstage season.

Tom Skore, Professor, Director, Department Chair

University of Illinois, M.A.

Florida State University, MFA

Tom is a director, voice specialist, the department’s primary acting teacher, and current chair. A USAF veteran, he has taught at numerous institutions including Ohio University, Clarke College, Southwestern University, and Southern Oregon State University. He is a member of Actor's Equity Association (AEA), the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA), the Voice and Speech Trainer’s Association (VASTA), and a certified practitioner of ALBA Emoting Technique. He is a prolific screen writer with numerous options taken out on his works by major Los Angeles film studios, and has experienced the entire rewrite process with several major film producers. He has also written for the stage (The Dragon), and published a novel (The Resurrection Encounter). Of the many productions he has directed at UAA, four shows were selected to participate in ACTF Regional competition. He has acted in several Hollywood films and a national television commercial, and recently portrayed the role of John Adams in UAA’s production of the musical 1776! During the 2005-2006 season he will be directing Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, as well as performing the role of Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons.

Staff:

Student Information Coordinator – Jessica Knott

Administrative Assistant – Kim Stanford

Program Director, Theatre for Young People – Yngvil Vatn Guttu

Arts Building Manager, Technical Media Consultant – Cedar Cussins

Costume Shop Supervisor – Connie Rauterkuss

General Information

INSURANCE

Students employed by the university who are injured while working are covered by Workman's Compensation. It is imperative that the student notify the Theatre & Dance Department office immediately upon injury so the proper forms can be submitted. The deadline for submission is 72 hours after the injury has occurred or the claim is void.

The university assumes no liability for students involved in UAA Theatre & Dance productions. Students are expected to have their own health insurance, and understand that there is some risk involved in every activity. Students without health insurance may contact the Student Health center or go online at http://edit.uaa.alaska.edu/studenthealth for information about optional student health insurance.

POSTING POLICY

There is a campus-wide posting policy that addresses where and how materials may be displayed. Specifically, information "...may be posted in campus buildings at locations specifically designated for that purpose, e.g. kiosks, bulletin boards, electronic message centers. Posting is disallowed on walls, windows, doors and furniture. Do not use tape, gun staples, or nails." A copy of the regulations is available in the Theatre & Dance Department office.

Posted in the hall next to Room 331 of the Fine Arts Building are bulletin boards and clipboards with information concerning student, graduate and faculty opportunities. They are kept current, so be sure to check them regularly.

PRODUCTION PUBLICITY

Performers may be needed for pictures to advertise the production and their full cooperation is expected. You will be notified of photo shoots at least 24 hours in advance.

Taking of pictures during performance is not permitted, but individual students may contact the department for copies of digital photos if they are available. In cases where a professional photographer has taken the production photos, the student may request copies directly from the photographer, and will be responsible for any applicable purchase charges. It is expected that appropriate credit will be given when required in either case.

Original show tapes and other department tapes will not leave the Fine Arts Building. Copies approved by the Department Chair can be obtained from the Fine Arts Building Manager. You must provide your own blank videotape or DVD.

VALUABLES

Students should not bring valuables to the theatre. Money, rings, watches, and similar items are easily stolen. Do not leave such items in the dressing rooms or backstage. Purses, wallets, money, rings, watches, keys, and other items of value should be given to the stage manager and locked up in a secure place. If you have a locker, use it.

LOCKERS

There are a limited number of lockers available for rent in the Fine Arts Building on the first floor. Theatre and Dance majors will have first priority for requests. Lockers can be found in the men's dressing room (14); Scene Shop entryway (14); and women's dressing room (14).

Rental is $10 per semester. The sign-up is in the Fine Arts office (Room 302) on a first come first-served basis. Students are asked to provide their own locks, and are responsible for removal of materials from the locker at the end of the semester/rental period.

Theatre Program

The Theatre program pursues four main objectives:

1. Preparation of students for professional careers in theatre such as teaching and performing.

2. Course and activities for those who enjoy theatre as a hobby.

3. Enrichment of the life of the Anchorage community though the presentation of dramatic and

communicative arts.

4. Service by increasing the proficiency of the student in communication and appreciation of

drama as an art and discipline.

As the official theatre organization on campus, the department presents four to five major productions per academic year. All types of plays are chosen in order to give audiences and students working in the program an understanding of as many different styles and periods of drama as possible. Through the Second Stage program in the Black Box Theatre, student directed and designed scenes and productions are also presented each academic year.

The Theatre program is open to all students, and any student is eligible to participate in the productions. Non-student members of the community are also welcome to take part. Theatre majors are expected to attend a performance of each UAA Theatre production.

ADVISING FOR THEATRE MAJORS

It is imperative that all incoming students see an advisor, and for students admitted on advisory status, it is mandatory. Each college has advisors on staff to answer questions and help the student navigate the complexities of the college environment. The CAS advisor for Theatre & Dance is Deborah Ginsburg (786-1357). Make an appointment to meet with Deb, or contact the department directly to schedule an appointment with a faculty advisor if you are a declared Theatre & Dance major. Jessica Knott (786-1792) is the Fine Arts secretary and assigns majors to advisors. If you have someone in the department in particular that you would like to work with, clear it with that person first, then notify Jessica. She will then put you on that specific advisor’s list. Above all, keep good records of your progress, and be sure and see your advisor as least once a semester so you are both tracking your progress. As they say, two heads are better than one, and this will help prevent any surprises when gradation nears and you suddenly find you are missing a CAS required class. Keep mixing your classes, a Theatre & Dance class or two, some GERs (General Education Requirements), and an elective for fun, perhaps. And remember, your basic GERs in Math and English must be completed within your first two years, the sooner the better. A special Self Advising packet is available from your advisor, or Sharon Ennis in room 302. The packet contains timelines, numbers, email addresses, locations and directions to places like the University Center-- information you’ll need to structure your choices and keep your degree on track. In the end, this will save you time, money, and probably, frustration. Oh, and did we say you should see your advisor!

Finally, if you have decided that Theatre & Dance is the major you want, declare it. There are benefits for you as a declared, degree seeking student, and there are benefits for the department. If you go through a program for 4 or 5 years without declaring that as your major, your body does not count toward that program statistically. In the end you are hurting yourself, for your program will in essence be under funded. Bottom line – declare your major.

BA IN THEATRE

FOUR YEAR SAMPLE PROGRAM

This is a sample only and is not intended to replace the catalog.

1st	Fall - 15 credits	Spring – 15 credits
Year	ENGL 111 (GER)	ENGL 211 (GER)
	COMM 111 (GER)	PHIL 101 (CAS) (GER HUM)
	THR 111	CAS Social Behavior (CAS) (GER SOC SCI)
	THR 131	THR 121
	Elective*	THR 141

2nd	Fall – 15 credits	Spring – 15 credits
Year	HIST 101 (CAS) (GER HUM)	HIST 102 (CAS) (GER HUM)
	AS 252 or MATH 270*** (GER)	Natural Science-4cr. (GER)
	CAS Literature (CAS) (GER HUM)	THR 243
	THR 221	THR 295 (201)-1 cr. + 1 cr. Elective
	THR 257	Elective*

3rd	Fall – 15 credits	Spring – 15 credits
Year	Natural Science 3 cr. (GER)	ANTH 250 (CAS) (GER SOC SCI)
	THR 311 OR 312 (CAS) (GER)	CAS American Culture (CAS) (GER SOC SCI)
	THR Performance Selective	THR Design Selective
	THR 295 (201)-1 cr. + 2 cr. Elective	THR 495-1 cr. + 2 cr. Elective
	Elective*	Upper Division Elective**
		Upper Division Elective**

4th	Fall – 15 credits	Spring – 15 credits
Year	THR 411 (CAS HUM SEQ)	THR 412 (CAS HUM SEQ)
	THR 331	THR Performance Selective
	THR 495 (401)-1cr. + 2cr. Elective	Upper Division Elective**
	Elective*	Upper Division Elective**
	Upper Division Elective**

NOTE: The GER and CAS courses listed here are only suggestions. Please see a faculty advisor in the Theatre department or the CAS Academic Advising Coordinator if you have questions.

Electives:

Electives may be chosen from any area.

* These electives are required to meet the 120 credit requirement for graduation. They must be at least 100 level, but do not have to be upper division.

** These upper division electives are required to meet the 42 credit upper division requirement for graduation.

***Students in the Humanities or Performing and Fine Arts may find it easier to take AS 252 or Math 270 rather than Math 107.

SCHEDULE PLANNING WORKSHEET
FIRST YEAR
FALL COURSES	Credits	SPRING COURSES	Credits