Marissa Savaris currently attends Fordham University Law School in New York.
1. Majors: Dramatic Art & English.
2. Did you have any internships during or after college? “No, during college I did not have the chance to intern or work anywhere. I was President of Studio 301 Productions my senior year and a member of Tri Delta, so between those commitments and classes I had barely any extra time.”
3. Did you travel during or after college? “I studied abroad in Oxford, England the summer before my Senior Year. It was the Oxford: Portal to Fantasy program through the English Department with Amy Clarke. We studied children’s and young adult fantasy literature that had roots in Oxford, ranging from Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland to Howl’s Moving Castle. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was the most magical experience.”
4. Did you have any internships/apprenticeships/jobs after you graduated from UCD? “Yes, immediately after graduating, I moved to the east coast to work as a Company Management Intern at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the Berkshires. Once the summer was over, I moved to New York to be the Company Management Intern at Manhattan Theatre Club. MTC produces Broadway productions at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on 47th Street and Off-Broadway productions at City Center on 55th Street. It is one of only four non-profit organizations in NYC with a resident home on Broadway. I had the opportunity to work on some incredible productions, including Constellations with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson. I worked briefly at MTC as the General Management Assistant, and then moved to the American Associates of the National Theatre as the Development & Special Events Assistant. The AANT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the work of the National Theatre in London and any productions that transfer to New York, such as War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Angels in America.”
6. Hometown? Where are you located now?
“Oak Park, California. “I currently reside in New York, where I just finished my first year of law school at Fordham University School of Law. I hope to pursue a career in entertainment law.”
What was your major(s)? “Double majored in English/Theatre and Dance.”
Did you do any research/projects in your time as a Theatre major? “I wrote a one-act play for the Dead Arts Society student theatre club with Professor Rossini advising. I was assistant director ’Do Not Obey’ for Margaret Laurena Kemp and Lisa Quoresimo. I performed in 6 department shows, including ‘Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’”
Did you have any internships or other jobs during college? “I had an internship through the English department as they developed ‘Play the Knave,’ an interactive Shakespeare-performance game.”
Did you travel while you were a student or after you graduated? “I studied abroad in London for two weeks over winter break.”
Have you had any internships/apprenticeships/other jobs after graduating? “Since leaving UC Davis, I worked as an apprentice at Capital Stage in Sacramento for a year. I now work for a solar panel company and at Big Idea Theatre in Sacramento.”
“In my last quarter at UC Davis, I was cast at Davis Shakespeare Ensemble for their summer repertory. I have worked consistently with them, and this will be my third season when I return in the fall. During the run of those, my first season I was accepted into the Capital Stage Apprenticeship Program and started that at the end of August 2016.”
Where is your hometown, and where are you located now? “I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA and now live in Sacramento.”
Advice? “Work hard, play fair, and try to keep a sense of humor about yourself. It’s a tough business but if you want it, you’ll make it happen somehow.”
Professor John Iacovelli shares his photographs of his set models for the South Coast Repertory Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” The production runs in Costa Mesa Jna. 19 through Feb. 16.
John Iacovelli, professor of theatre and dance at UC Davis, and alum Kent Nicholson are collaborating on the South Coast Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s award-winning musical “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Iacovelli is scenic designer and Nicholson is the dark musical’s director.
These are the songs from the score of “Flora the Red Menace” that will be used in the auditions. Please click the link for a specific character’s material.
These are the scenes from the script of “Flora the Red Menace” that will be used in the auditions. Please click the link for a specific character’s material. Characters may have more than one scene, so please read all of their scenes.
UC Davis alumni are working alongside each other in a bilingual production of Dr. Seuss’s beloved classic “A Cat in the Hat/El Gato Ensombrerado” at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre in Berkeley.
Maria Castro serves as the show’s production manager, while Jennifer Vega plays the role of The Fish/El Pez. Alumna and lecturer Michele Apriña Leavy is the production’s Movement Director (Directora de Movimiento).
UC Davis students and alumni are working alongside each other at this summer’s Davis Shakespeare Festival.
Charlie Lavaroni, student in the Department of Theatre and Dance, is appearing in various roles in the musical comedy “On the 20th Century” which is directed by the festival’s co-artistic director Gia Battista, a Theatre and Dance alumna.
The California Arts Council, a state agency, announced that it plans to award $2,500 to a collaborative effort between the City of Davis, DJUSD, and the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance as part of its Professional Development grants program.
Broadway veteran Mindy Cooper, professor of theatre, has directed the popular 1930s musical comedy “Me and My Girl” for San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon Theatre. The production runs through May 20 at the Gateway Theatre.
Theatre alumna Melissa Cunha, class 2017, has joined the newly created Bike City Theatre Company in Davis. She serves as Company Manager and will be stage manager for their inaugural production, “Gutenberg, the Musical.”
Department of Theatre and Dance alumna Ari Laura Kreith, MFA 1995, has been named as artistic director of New Jersey’s Luna Stage.
As a director and artistic director, Ari Laura Kreith will join Luna Stage with an extensive resume of creating new work through community engagement. Her work as Artistic Director in theaters who work with original plays will continue Luna’s tradition of developing vital new works for the stage.
Here are publicity photographs and set model for the upcoming production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. The Tony Award-winning comedy plays the Main Theatre, Wright Hall, Feb. 23-25 and Mar. 2-4, Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Feb. 25 and Mar. 4.
Publicity photos by Huan Yu, copyright UC Davis, Set model photo by John Iacovelli, copyright UC Davis
Here are publicity photographs and design concepts for the upcoming production of The Shape of Things. The contemporary drama plays the Lab A Theatre, Wright Hall, Jan. 19-21 and 26-28, Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Jan. 21 and 28.
Publicity photos by Huan Yu, copyright UC Davis, Set model photos by Elizabeth Kang, copyright UC Davis
This is the second event of a three-part dance series that brings the audience into the performance process. The unique formatting of this show provides the viewer an opportunity to see works in various stages of conception and development. Follow the evolution of an artist over the course of the year or watch new choreographers put their work on display; there will be new choreography from the students featured in the last series, as well as new students presenting dance works.
A dynamic contemplation of human existence in time provides the context for a remarkable evening of movement when the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance presents Time Is Passing By, created by the distinguished choreographer John Jasperse.
What are you doing these days? We want to hear about your life since you graduated. Are you working, attending grad school, or performing somewhere? Please fill out this form to tell us about your work, accomplishments, awards or future plans.
To Mondavi Center: From I-80 take the UC Davis/Mondavi Center exit and follow signs.
To Wyatt Pavilion and Nelson Hall Studio: Proceed as above, continuing on Old Davis Road past the Mondavi Center to Visitor Parking Lot 5.
To Main Theatre, Arena Theatre, and Laboratory Theatre A: These three theatres are located in Wright Hall, a short walk through the Arboretum from Visitor Parking Lot 5.
