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Wake Forest University Department of Theatre & Dance Spring 2021

Spring Production

14 Lines for Now

Coached by Brook Davis, students, faculty, and staff selected one of Shakespeare's sonnets to present in a style of their own conception. A filmed sonnet was presented daily the month of March.

If you missed the collection or if you just want to see it again, you can check it out here.

Spring Production

holding up the mirror to NATURE

This video production directed by Sharon Andrews aimed to point to examples of how theatre, both past and present, holds the mirror up to NATURE and more specifically how it has illustrated and responded theatrically to environmental crises and the human beings responsible. The work mixed video clips narrated by Cindy Gendrich with monologues from selected works performed by students and faculty.

If you want to watch the film, you can view it by clicking here.

Spring Production

Senior Dance Showcase

Produced by Chris Martin, this film includes six work choreographed and performed by senior dance students. The video is available until June 6 and be viewed here.

Please note that the final work can be viewed only if you scan a QR code that is available in the video. If you cannot do that, the direct link to the video of the final work is here.

In Memoriam

Robert Simpson

We recently lost our dear friend and colleague, Robert Simpson, passed away on April 14, 2021, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Robert had been a member of the Dance Program for over two decades. In 1996, Nina took classes from him at his ballroom studio in High Point and was so impressed with his talent and skills that she hired him to teach Social Dance. During his 24 years at Wake, he was incredibly popular with students of every major. Even though he was part-time, he was very involved in our program; he performed or choreographed for our dance concerts and served as an advisor for Wake’s competitive ballroom club.

Robert was active in the animal rescue community - spending much of his time and money helping animals in need and volunteering for animal transport getting them to new owners and rescue groups driving up down the East Coast.

He was a great man, loved by our department, and we will miss sense of humor, his talent, his hugs, his energy, and - above all - his humanity.

Student Spotlight

Emma Szuba & Eliza Drake

For their Studio Series productions, seniors Emma Szuba (pictured top right) and Eliza Drake (pictured bottom left) embarked on a different approach in a sea of virtual performances: outdoors. This new venue presented additional challenges for the pair, but the weather cooperated and in-person performances were enjoyed by WFU audiences for the first time since in over a year.

Emma Szuba directed The Two Gentlemen of Verona April 10-11. Eliza Drake directed her own work The Grim Unfoldings at Hesse-Kassel April 30-May 2. Both productions were sold out.

Alumni Spotlight

Cambra Overend

Cambra Overend ('04) has been working as a stage manager, assistant stage manager, and production assistant in regional, Off-Broadway, and Broadway theatres since she graduated from Wake Forest. In 2017, Cambra stage managed the play Oslo by J.T. Rogers as it moved from Off-Broadway to Broadway, eventually winning many prestigious awards including the Tony Award for Best Play, the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Broadway Play. After the show closed, Cambra made the difficult decision to leave stage management and co-executive produce the HBO Max film with J.T. Rogers, Marc Platt, and Steven Spielberg. She has traveled internationally producing the film, which stars Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott. The film will be released May 29, 2021.

Department Announcement

International Scenic Design Competition

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting an international theatre design competition called aWAKEn, which invites performance designers from around the world to submit scenic designs for the Lauren Gunderson play Silent Sky. The competition is open to any non-U.S.-based designer, who may submit up to two scenic designs for the play. A design will be selected by an international panel of six judges to be produced onstage during the 2022-2023 season for Wake Forest University Theatre. Opening night is scheduled for March 31, 2023.

Registration for the competition will open May 31, 2021, and the deadline for entries is March 22, 2022. You can read more details about the competition and how to enter here.

Department Announcement

Class of 2021

Finally, here is our annual tribute to our graduating seniors. We bid you a fond farewell as you embark on your next adventure!