Welcome to the summer edition of our e-newsletter. The summer edition might look a bit different to you. It's a combination of our monthly performance focused e-newsletter and quarterly academic focused e-newsletter, The Through-Line. The Through-Line keeps you informed of the work being done by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
We hope you'll enjoy reading The Through-Line, and we welcome your thoughts, questions, and suggestions. Please get in touch with us at: katrinae@uw.edu.
When Glenn Hughes started the UW School of Drama in 1940, after many years of teaching theatre as part of the English Department here, he was heading up the only game in town. There were community theatres, had been Federal Theatre Project Theatres, as well as the usual road show tours. He both envisioned, and never could have imagined, that he’d be seeding one of the most vibrant theatre communities in the country—and doing it out of an experimental school at a state university.
Glenn Hughes both envisioned, and never could have imagined, that he’d be seeding one of the most vibrant theatre communities in the country
What a difference 75 years makes! As we head into the summer and look forward to the School of Drama’s 75th Anniversary Season (and as I complete my own first year here), I am particularly excited about our place in that theatre community. Almost every theatre in this city has either grown out of the U, been founded by alumni from here, bloomed side-by-side with us, or fed into the School’s growth by teaching or employing our students. And so, beginning this fall, as our way of paying tribute to Hughes’ legacy and the School’s history, we will do our best to honor and celebrate those theatres.
We’ve been thinking about these deep connections as “the bridges of Seattle theatre.” We also...
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Get to know Michael Place, a graduate of the University of Washington School of Drama (BA ’04) and Yale School of Drama (MFA ‘12). He’s an actor, a producer, a director, a bi-coastal artist, and a partner in our 2015–2016 season. Oh, and a father-to-be!
Why choose to be a bi-coastal artist? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working on two coasts?
When I left Seattle to pursue a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama, I had every intention to keep strong ties with the Seattle theatre community, though, at the time, I wasn’t exactly sure how that would take shape. I prioritized spending time in Seattle each summer—because why not spend summers in the PNW—and would reconnect with the city’s community during those breaks, collaborating with local companies and taking work with colleagues. After graduating it felt like the perfect moment to spend some time in NYC and the city was full of new lessons: about artistic resilience and nimbleness, the highest standards of competition, exchanging ideas with artists from all over the world, and experiencing multitudes of new and international work. Seattle allowed me to develop a more diverse career as a theatre artist: regularly producing, directing, acting, and teaching, while NYC demands a more singular self-definition. The NY acting market requires a tenacious persistence, which I was continually reminded of each time I choose to spend months on end in Seattle instead of in NY....
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Post-graduation professional plans are on the minds of all doctoral students. The importance of professional preparation led rising third-year UW Drama doctoral student Duygu Erdogan Monson to apply for a tenure-track position at Shoreline College.
“As an actor, I’ve been on thousands of auditions, but I had never interviewed for a position in academia. I thought applying for the Shoreline position would be a good way to experience it. I never thought they would hire me,” says Duygu.
Well, an initial interview led to a second, which led to an offer for a tenure-track position and the opportunity to join the founding faculty for a four-year theatre and film program at Shoreline. After discussions about her options, Duygu and the UW Drama PhD program faculty crafted a plan that would allow her to complete her third-year of coursework while starting with a light teaching load at Shoreline.
“We are all very proud of Duygu and delighted that she’s landed this position. We work hard in the PhD program to professionalize our graduate students to be scholars, teachers, and good citizens of both the institution and the larger field,” says Associate Professor Scott Magelssen. “Duygu has demonstrated in just a couple of short years here a passion for social and justice issues, a rapport with her students, and a real sense of leadership. These are all valuable traits for theatre and performance scholars to have—in addition to strong researching and writing skills...
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If you're interested in knowing what our faculty and students are up to this summer, check out our Summer Plans feature in the June e-newsletter.
Lenne Klingaman (PATP '07) played Mariane in Moliere's Tartuffe at The Shakespeare Theatre DC. Lenne is also working on completing her first debut album, The Heart is the Hunter.
Frank Butler (MFA '85) was the lighting designer for Juno and the Paycock at the Guthrie Theatre, running May 23–June 28.
Amy Rose Marsh (BA '05) was recently promoted to Literary Director at Samuel French.
Czerton Lim (MFA' 06) is the scenic designer for The Diary of Anne Frank directed by Artistic Director Jeremy Winchester (MFA '06) at Flint Youth Theatre in Michigan.
Tlaloc...
Read moreWant to receive our season brochure? Contact katrinae@uw.edu to get on the list.
Seattle Theatres Lost & Founded
In partnership with Meany Hall and One Coast Collaboration
Meany Studio Theatre
September 28, November 9, January 25, February 8, March 14
Play reading series
The Cradle Will Rock
by Marc Blitzstein
directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
Jones Playhouse
October 28–November 8
Seattle Theatre Symposium
Jones Playhouse
November 2 at 7:30 PM
Public Talk, Free
Loot
by Joe Orton
directed by Sean Ryan
Meany Studio Theatre
December 2–13
Beginnings: First Breath
In partnership with Jet City Improv
directed by Andrew McMasters and Lindsey McMasters
Cabaret Theatre, Hutchinson Hall
December 2–6