Men on Boats
The University Theatre returned to live performances on the Tedford Stage in September with Men on Boats, directed by Cindy Gendrich. Boats, rapids, humor, and excitement abound in Jaclyn Backhaus’s fabulous revisioning of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers. Men on Boats was the gender-flipping, theatrical joy ride we needed to welcome audiences back to the theatre.
The Normal Heart
In the early 1980s, one man rose up and helped lead an army to fight an ignored plague. Larry Kramer's largely-autobiographical play, The Normal Heart, explores the politics, fear, anger, and frustration he experienced during the early years of the AIDS crisis in New York. Directed by Brook Davis, it was a profound, tragic history lesson for audience members too young to remember this dark time in America, as well as those old enough to see the parallels between then and now.
In Memoriam: Dr. Harold C. Tedford
On October 20, Dr. Harold Tedford passed away. He taught and directed thousands of students during his 33 years at Wake Forest University. After his retirement, he remained a fixture in Scales - attending (almost) every production at least once - sending notes to the cast and crew and helping with our annual Shakespeare Day. The Tedford family is planning to hold a celebration of his life late this Spring, and we will share those details when they are available.
Dodding Scholarship Update
Great news! The support of James Dodding friends and fans has raised $85,000 toward the creation of the James Dodding Theatre Scholarship that will impact generations of Wake Forest Theatre students to come. Visit the James Dodding tribute website. With only $15,000 left to meet the benchmark for a fully-funded scholarship, we ask you to consider being a part of this collective effort to honor his legacy. If you’ve not yet made a gift, please consider doing so by the end of this calendar year so that our faculty may identify the first James Dodding Scholar for next academic year.
Please click here to make your gift or reach out to Beth McAlhany at bdmcalhabd@wfu.edu for assistance. Thank you for your support!
Alumni Spotlight: Kyle Ransbottom
Kyle Ransbottom ('12) is a Scenic and Prop designer based in Florida, but he returned to the Tedford Stage this fall to design the set for Men on Boats. He has a MFA in scenic design from Purdue University. Since moving to Florida, he’s designed scenery and props for venues like the Garden Theatre, Orlando REP, and Eckerd College. Beyond designing for theatre, Kyle works frequently in themed entertainment. He worked for Universal Creative in Orlando fabricating props and dressing attraction sets. Currently, Kyle is developing themed exhibit department for a design firm in St. Petersburg, Florida.