Theatre and Dance

Tom Munn, professor emeritus of theatre and dance, died on June 24 at 78. He was a pillar of the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance, where he co-created the M.F.A. program in theatre, design. An acclaimed designer in the San Francisco Bay Area, he designed lighting and scenery for the San Francisco Opera for nearly a quarter century.

Jordan Brownlee (B.A., cinema and digital media ‘20) is a cast member for the New York premiere of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas which plays at the New Victory Theatre Dec. 10- Jan. 2.

Based on the book by Russell and Lillian Hoban and Henson’s popular classic holiday special, the show follows Emmet and Ma Otter as they enter a Christmas Eve talent contest hoping to win prize money to buy each other holiday gifts. Brownlee is the puppeteer for the characters of Tiny Squirrel and Doc Bullfrog.

The Department of Theatre and Dance production of The Bluest Eye will be presented at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival in January 2022. The show was originally performed at UC Davis in spring 2018.

The production will be performed on Jan. 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago. 

Alumna and lecturer in Theatre and Dance Michele Apriña Leavy (MFA dramatic art, ’94) has returned to in-person learning at UC Davis, which includes her course for the Global Study Program in Continuing and Professional Education | International. Leavy’s positive perspective is spotlighted in an article about the return to in-person instruction on the program’s website.

For all questions, you can contact Susie Owens, production manager of theatre and dance, in Wright Hall 216 or at [email protected] or Ileana Oseguera, undergraduate advisor to theatre and dance, at [email protected].

DRA 180A: Performance

Professor Margaret Laurena Kemp appears in the new film Ten-Cent Daisy which has its world premiere at this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival’s silver jubilee in New York. The film will be shown Oct. 2 at 12:45 p.m. 

The film is included in the American Black Film Festival which runs Nov. 3-14. The festival is online only with registration here. 

Professor Margaret Laurena Kemp is a co-author of “Unity over Unison: Creating AntigoneNOW in Lockdown,” which has been published in a recent edition of the journal Theatre Topics, vol. 31, no. 2, July 2021. 

In fall 2020, theatre programs at UC Davis and Northwestern University joined forces to devise and generate a new form of virtual performance.

Alumna Michele Apriña Leavy (MFA dramatic art, ’94), a lecturer in theatre and dance, is featured on the cover of the April issue of Montclair Living, a monthly publication serving Oakland. The article covers Leavy’s career as a performer and arts educator who rose to the challenge of teaching acting in a virtual classroom. In addition, Leavy discusses her heritage and background as well as her affection for her community. 

Alumna Raissa Simpson (M.F.A, dramatic arts, ‘16) has written Writings on Dance: Artistic Reframing for Celestial Black Bodies which has been included in the Afrofurturistic anthology Critical Black Futures: Speculative Theories and Explorations. 

Michele Apriña Leavy (MFA dramatic art, ’94), a lecturer in theatre and dance, has been accepted into the ACCELERATE Fellows Program, designed to support the creation of inclusive and equitable e-learning environments, including but not limited to the transition of face-to-face courses into online courses.

Graduate student Jennifer Grace is among the actors, who have played the iconic role of Emily Webb in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” interviewed in a New York Times article. Grace portrayed the role in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production in 2009.

Michele Apriña Leavy (MFA dramatic art, ’94), a lecturer in theatre and dance, has been honored by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education with an Outstanding Service Award for the academic year 2019-2020 in recognition of her partnership, service and commitment to continuing education.

During spring quarter 2020, Leavy had to adapt her course, DRA198-Presentation, Communications, and Collaboration Skills for International Students which is offered with the UC Davis Global Studies Program, for online learning due to the pandemic.

Rose Kim, B.A. theatre and dance, ‘18, has recently published her first book, “25: Before, During and Shortly After,” which is her raw account of turning 25 and the powerful internal compasses we are all equipped with for the journey into maturation. 

The book features 25 achingly honest essays about Kim’s exploration of her own expressions and truths including experiencing heartbreak, finding the balance between your passions and your job, and loving your family in spite of challenges. 

Alumna Jasmine Washington, B.A. 2018, has written Callus, a new production that centers on the racial disparities in America’s health care system. The new work is being produced by Art Rat Theatre which was founded by Rose Kim, B.A. 2018. The production will be stage managed by undergraduate student Jillian Yong.