UW-Superior Communicating Arts Department's News and Events

UW-Superior Theatre Camp

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:53:00 +0000

UW-Superior will offer a a summer program for 6th-12th grade students who love the art of theatre and want to expand their knowledge and skills. The program features a full range of classes and workshops taught by University Faculty, local professionals and current UW-Superor theatre students.

Students will get hands-on experience, both on- and off-stage, in our multiple theatre spaces, scene shop, costume shop, video labs and more! Upon completion of Theatre Camp, students will participate in a theatrical presentation conceived and created during the camp experience.

The program will run June 17-28, Monday-Friday, 12:30 - 5:00 p.m. The cost for the program is $150.00. For more information and an application, contact Cathy Fank at cfank@uwsuper.edu or 715-394-8388.

11th Annual UW-Superior Student Film and Video Showcase

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:19:21 +0000

This showcase represents the best student made films of the 2012-2013 academic year at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Short films include narrative, experimental and documentary.

UWS students made these films for credit in Documentary Video Production, Advanced Practicum, Narrative Video Production and Senior Capstone courses.

The showcase will be held in the Manion Theatre in the Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center. Holden is located on the UW-Superior campus, 1805 Catlin Ave.

Fox 21 News did a story about the showcase for their feature segment called College Connection which aired during the 9 o'clock newscast on Wednesday May15th.

Dr. Ephraim Nikoi promotes Global Awareness Week on campus

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:28:47 +0000

Watch Fox 21's coverage of Dr. Ephraim Nikoi promoting Global Awareness Week.

Encore: 10th annual Student Film and Video Showcase at Zinema

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:31:27 +0000

Encore: 10th annual Student Film and Video Showcase at Zinema

University Video Production presents an encore showing of UWS student films starting at 7 p.m. Friday at Zinema 2 Theatre, 222 E. Superior Street, Duluth.

This free and open to the public showcase illustrates the best student films made during the 2011-2012 academic year at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

The 14 short student films presented were made for a senior capstone project, narrative video production, or university video production course in the Department of Communicating Arts.

Types of films include narrative, experiment and documentary.

Martin Sheen promotes Senior Capstone Project

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:18:52 +0000

Actor, Martin Sheen promotes Andrew Kirov's sketch comedy senior capstone project. Check out the article posted in the Duluth News Tribune on March 7, 2013. Andrew's show aired live, Thursday at 8:00 PM in UWS Holden Fine Art's Experimental Theatre.

Communicating Arts Distance Learning Student publishes twice in Huffington Post

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:14:32 +0000

Meg Buck's article titled, "Why I'm Grateful for My Second Son," was posted on March 6, 2013 in Huffington Post.

Meg now has a second article titled, "What I Know About Marriage Now That I've Done It Twice," which was posted on March 27, 2013.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition Gives Honors

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:54:07 +0000

Professor emeritus John Munsell passes away

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:49:15 +0000

UWS theatre professor remembered

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:44:02 +0000

Jordan Kalm, 2009, graduate of Communicating Arts in St. Luke’s grant

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:06:55 +0000

Nationally known alumnus visits campus to talk about show business

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:42:54 +0000

It's always good to get advice from an expert, and that's what UW-Superior students got Thursday, Dec. 13, when alumnus Rick Sordelet dropped by to talk about show business.

Sordelet is a veteran of University Theatre who graduated in 1982. Since then he's built a career as a nationally known fight director and choreographer. In short, his job is to help actors put on a good fight without actually hurting anybody.

Sordelet was in town to speak at UW-Superior's Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 15. He took time to talk informally with a group of theatre students and faculty about his days on campus and how he got his start in fight choreography from working with Dr. Al Katz, a UW-Superior professor who was a pioneer in the art form.

He also had an opportunity to meet again with retired professors John Munsell and Stewart Platner, who were key members of the Communicating Arts Department and University Theatre during Sordelet's years on campus.

Sordelet spent a lot of time offering practical advice to students who are interested in pursuing acting, directing and other career fields. He covered everything from making connections with key people to saving money while working for that first big break.

Among his numerous credits, Sordelet has worked on more than 50 Broadway productions and several Hollywood movies. He has staged fight scenes for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, The Royal Opera House in London, and La Scala in Milan, along with 84 different productions of "Romeo and Juliet" and 66 different productions of "Hamlet." He is the only fight director to stage a battle for a Super Bowl halftime show.

Earlier this year the UW-Superior Alumni Association presented him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award. The award is presented annually to an alumnus whose success serves as an inspiration for current and prospective students.

Sordelet holds a master of fine arts degree from Rutgers University. He teaches at The New School for Drama and The Neighborhood Playhouse, both in New York City, and the Yale School of Drama. He is a board member for The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, and author of the play "Buried Treasure."

Scholarships in Technical Theatre

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:09:46 +0000

The Theatre Program at UW-Superior is offering a new scholarship program for incoming freshmen interested in technical theatre. The Ivy Rose Weaver Scholarship has been established to help first-year students who wish to study theatrical design and/or technology. Please contact the Admissions Office or the Allumni Foundation for more details.

Detailed description of the application criteria:

The incoming student must be a freshman with a declared major in technical theatre. They need to be in good academic standing and participate in all three campus productions in some capacity (for credit). Preference will be given first to technical theatre students interested in scenic design/technical direction or a related backstage area (properties). The second preference would be technical theatre students interested in lighting or sound. The third preference would be for technical theatre students interested in the costume area. Before the second semester dispersement of scholarship funds, theatre faculty/staff must sign-off that the student(s) are fulfilling the stated criteria.

Brent Notbohm discusses "Psycho" for WDSE's "The Playlist"

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:39:50 +0000

People who love scary movies and their music will hear from two UW-Superior faculty members about Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece "Psycho."

Dr. Erin Aldridge and the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra perform the thriller's unforgettable score while the film plays on a large screen at the DSSO's performance of "Mother ... she isn't quite herself today" at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, in Duluth.

Aldridge is director of strings at UW-Superior and concertmaster for the DSSO. She'll undoubtedly have a role in the shrieking strings that herald the movie's famous shower scene.

In advance of the DSSO performance, filmmaker Brent Notbohm shares his insights into "Psycho" WDSE-TV's next episode of "The Playlist," airing at 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25.

Notbohm, associate profess of communicating arts at UW-Superior, will have about 5 minutes of camera time to talk about the movie that introduced the world to The Bates Hotel.

"I'll talk about why 'Psycho' is such a great film and why it stands the test of time," Notbohm said. "It was very rare in a Hollywood film that the major star of the film is killed halfway through."

University Theatre presents 'The 1940's Radio Hour' April 12-14 and 19-21

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:09:33 +0000

University Theatre presents "The 1940's Radio Hour," a musical by Walton Jones.

Full of music, dancing and old-time sound effects, the play portrays the final holiday broadcast of the Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade on the New York radio station WOV in December 1942.

Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 12, 13, 19 and 20; and at 2 p.m.on April 14 and 21.

University Theatre presents 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:04:57 +0000

University Theatre presents William Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" Nov. 16-18 in Manion Theater in the Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Director Cathy Fank uses the commedia dell'arte style to tell Shakespeare's classic comedy of two couples -- one glibly scornful of love and the other hopelessly besotted -- who are tricked on their way to the altar by deception, gossip and mistaken identity.

Reviewer: This is a "stylish, juiced-up production"

Performances this week are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 17, and a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and non-UW-Superior students, and $2 for UW-Superior students. Group rates may be available. Contact the University Box Office at 715-394-8380 for information.

Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center is located at 1805 Catlin Ave. For directions to UW-Superior and campus maps, go to www.uwsuper.edu/maps.