Alumna and former peer advisor Elisabeth McGowan (B.A., theatre
and dance and English, ’18) has become a regular contributor
to the Showbiz Cheat
Sheet, an online publication devoted to all things show
business, including the latest entertainment and celebrity news.
Professor Mindy Cooper is the director of Still Will Be
Heard which shows at the Robert and Margrit
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 17, 18 and 19 at
7:30 p.m.
Professor Margaret Laurena Kemp is among the artists
exhibiting in “Monitor: Surveillance, Data, and the New
Panoptic” at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the Maine
College of Art and Design. The installation opens Oct. 1 and runs
through Dec. 10.
For all questions, you can contact Susie Owens, production
manager of theatre and dance, in Wright Hall 216 or
at sowens@ucdavis.edu or Ileana Oseguera, undergraduate
advisor to theatre and dance, at ioseguera@ucdavis.edu.
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.
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 Summer Session II, doctoral student Karola Lüttringhaus
teaches DRA 014: Intro to Contemporary Dance in which students
explore ways to access their unique movement vocabulary.
Broadway veteran Mindy Cooper, professor of theatre and
dance, is the chair of the advisory board for the Ann
Reinking Scholarship which has been established to honor the
late award-winning choreographer, dancer and actress. The
scholarship is now seeking applications for its first gift now
through June 30.
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.
Professor L.M. Bogad, chair of the Theatre & Dance
Department and member of the Performance Studies Graduate Group,
has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship
from the John Simon Guggenheim
Memorial Foundation. Bogad received his fellowship for his
achievements in the category of Theatre Arts and Performance
Studies.
Ben Carter (B.A. theatre and dance, ‘20) has written and directed
a virtual musical parody that features numerous UC Davis alumni
and undergraduate students on and off screen. With music by Nate
Challis (B.A., theatre and dance, ‘20), the collaborative
project, A Marvelous Parody, spoofs superhero genre
films.
American Theatre Magazine has spotlighted Professor L.M.
Bogad, chair of theatre and dance, for his efforts as an activist
clown during the 2020 presidential election. In an article
titled “Send in the Activist Clowns,” writer Nicole Gluckstern
details the work of numerous performers who used street
theatre to provoke laughter and political introspection
nationwide.
Throughout the academic year, the Department of Theatre and Dance
offers a diverse array of courses that explore cultures,
ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation through performance,
dramatic literature and theatrical techniques. Here is a cross
section of courses that challenge concepts of race and racial
representation in theatre and dance.
DRA 155 Representing Race in Performance explores representation
and performance of “race” in American culture featuring different
subheadings such as “African American Theatre” or
“Asian-Americans on Stage.”
Associate Professor Margaret Laurena Kemp and former Granada
Artist Sinéad Rushe were the co-directors of last year’s
production of AntigoneNOW. The duo have recently
contributed an article about the performance to American
Theatre Magazine. In the UC Davis Arts Blog, Karen
Nikos-Rose features insight and an excerpt of the article along
with a direct link to the piece.
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.
Broadway veteran Mindy Cooper, professor of theatre and
dance, will be among the advisory board members for The Ann
Reinking Scholarship which has been established to honor the late
award-winning choreographer, dancer and actress.
The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of
California, Davis is dedicated to integrating consent-based
practices into all classroom, studio and production environments.
The 180 Series of courses provide exciting practical instruction
and participation in all aspects of theatrical and dance
production. Whether you are exploring these courses as a
Theatre & Dance Major, Minor, or are simply an interested
non-affiliated student, you will find passionate people working
to create art and tell stories on stage. We invite you to
join us at this link.
Emile Rappaport (B.A., theatre and dance, ‘19) works in
video production for the Los Angeles based Zach
King Team which specializes in making short, high
concept videos that are shared onto Tik Tok, Instagram, and
YouTube, though Rappaport originally arrived in L.A. to
pursue an acting career.
