Greetings from the Chair
Greetings from the ChairAfter a brief hiatus, we are happy to welcome back our end-of-year Theatre and Film Department Newsletter!
It is an exciting time for us and we’re eager to tell you about some of the activities of our students, faculty, and alumni.
A kick-off meeting launched our fall semester as we welcomed our returning and new students out on the Wolfe Center patio. Following the meeting, an outdoor screening of Zombieland was presented on an inflatable screen out back of the Wolfe Center on our grassy slope.
This academic year was filled with professional development opportunities. Our first of the year was a masterclass with screenwriter Mitch Brian, who is also a Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This event was followed by an informative discussion about the business and pursuing acting in Los Angeles by Jeff Witjas, Senior Vice President of Talent and Partner at the Agency for the Performing Arts and BGSU alum. In November, Bruce Roberts, a 30-year veteran actor, producer, director in New York City presented a workshop on the business side of theatre titled “The Business of the Business.” Babette Roberts, veteran stage manager in New York City led a workshop on the "Nuts and Bolts of Stage Management." Associate Director of Second City in Chicago, Jessica Mitolo, also a BGSU theatre alumna, led a two-day workshop on "Building Comedic Material from… Anything." A highlight of the year was the Edwin H. Simmons Creative Minds Series lecture and workshops presented by Oscar Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.
Our students and faculty have been busy creating as well. There have also been several film events that have featured the work of our talented students and faculty. In the fall and spring, we held Screen-Play in which student screenwriters’ work is read by actors and discussed. In the fall we held Cineposium where student short films were screened, including the senior film project of BGSU alum Ahmad Ghanim, Daughters of a Different Path. Spring Cineposium featured the creative work of our film production faculty. The mainstage theatre and dance productions this year began in the fall with Jordan Harrison’s The Amateurs directed by Prof. Sara Chambers. In November, the fall dance concert, Alight, was staged and choreographed by students and instructors, including Prof. Colleen Murphy. The spring semester began with the delightfully playful production of The Magnificent Baron Munchausen: His Travels, Triumphs, and Tribulations: A Pleasant Diversion by Marionettes in Motion, designed, adapted and directed by Prof. Bradford Clark. Prof. Clark also designed and carved all the marionettes used in the production. Our final show of the season, Pippin, was also the final production of retiring faculty member and director, Prof. Michael Ellison.
In this issue of our newsletter, there is additional information about this year’s productions, events, and student activities. We also feature several interviews. For instance, new theatre faculty member Prof. D. Amy-Rose Forbes Erickson discusses her research interests and upcoming goals. Film Production faculty member Prof. Daniel Williams relates his experience of his recent Faculty Improvement Leave. And we look ahead at our next season!
We are proud of our busy schedule of theatre and film productions, and of our faculty who have been recognized for their work. In all, we think you’ll agree what a dynamic time it is here in the Wolfe Center for the Arts!
Sincerely,
Lesa Lockford, Professor and Chair
Department of Theatre and Film
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE: To view previous newsletters, visit the Theatre and Film Newsletter Archive.
Events
Annual Kickoff Meeting
September 2, 2021 | Wolfe Patio
Screening of Zombieland on the grass behind the Wolfe Center
“Structure: Who Cares?” Screenwriting Masterclass with Mitch Brian
September 21, 2021 (7:30 PM) | Zoom
“Stage Management Seminar: Nuts and Bolts Basics” presented by Babette Roberts
November 6, 2021 (2:30 PM) | Wolfe Center 201
“The Business of the Business” Workshop presented by Bruce Roberts
November 6, 2021 (2:30 PM) | Wolfe Center 203
Q & A with Talent Agent Jeff Witjas
November 17, 2021 (9:30 AM) | Eva Marie Saint Theatre
Edwin H. Simmons Creative Minds Series: “The Power of Story” featuring Dustin Lance Black
February 10, 2022 (7:30 PM) | Kobacker Hall, Moore Musical Arts Center
Workshop on Activism and Art, February 10
Workshop on Screenwriting Process, February 11
In the Round Series: Seth Sutton
February 25, 2022 (5:30 PM) | Olscamp 101
In the Round Series: Carole Lindstron and Michaela Goade
April 1, 2022 (5:30 PM) | Olscamp 101
Michael Ellison’s Retirement Celebration
April 10, 2022 (4:30 PM) | Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre
Dr. Petra Kuppers Workshop and Lecture
April 13, 2022 | Eva Marie Saint Theatre
Elsewhere: The Train
By Irene L. Pynn
Directed by Nicole Line
October 1-2 (8 PM)
The Amateurs
By Jordan Harrison
Directed by Sara Chambers
October 28-30 (8 PM)
October 30-31 (2 PM)
Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre
Fall Dance Concert: Alight
Directed and Choreographed by Colleen Murphy
November 19-20 (8 PM)
Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre
Cineposium
A curated collection of short films produced in part by the Department of Theatre and Film. Screenings included projects from THFM 4880 Studio Experience and the premiere of Ahmad Ghanim’s senior film Daughters of a Different Path.
November 2 (7:30 PM)
Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theatre
Elsewhere: Exit, Pursued by a Bear
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Lauren Lash
February 4-5
Eva Marie Saint Theatre
The Magnificent Baron Munchausen: His Travels, Triumphs, and Tribulations
Adapted, Designed and Directed by Bradford Clark
February 17-20 and 24-26 (8 PM)
February 19-20 and 26 (2 PM)
Eva Marie Saint Theatre
Elsewhere: Hecate Hill
By Bill Fountain
Directed by Caleb Wise
March 18-19 (8 PM)
Eva Marie Saint Theatre
Spring Opera: Orpheus in the Underworld
In collaboration with the College of Musical Arts
Directed by Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers
March 25 (8 PM)
March 27 (3 PM)
Pippin
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Roger O. Hirson
Directed by Michael Ellison
April 7-9 (8 PM)
April 9-10 (2 PM)
Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre
Screen-Play
Screen-Play features staged readings of two student screenplays. Thoughtful conversations with the authors, the audience, and the performers follow the readings to explore the authors’ inspirations and visions. These discussions facilitate revisions to strengthen story structure, characterizations, tone, dialogue, and translation into actual production.
February 15 (7:30 PM)
Zoom
Faculty Cineposium
A curated collection of short films and research presentations created by film production and film studies faculty.
March 22 (7:30 PM)
Bowen-Thompson Student Union Film Theatre
Film and Media Festival
A celebration of student-made short films from across the BGSU campus. Sponsored by the University Film Organization, BG Reel, and the Department of Theatre and Film.
April 9-10
Bowen-Thompson Student Union Film Theatre
Capstone Film Showcase
A premiere showcase of work produced by upper-level film students in the Department of Theatre and Film in the 20/21 and 21/22 academic years.
April 22 (7:30 PM)
Thomas B. Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre
Student Organizations
APO (Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society) was organized for the purpose of providing acknowledgement to those demonstrating a high standard of accomplishment in theatre and providing a wider community for those interested in theatre. We provide professional development and educational opportunities for those interested in theatre or theatre related careers. Meetings are held on a weekly basis.
BG on Screen is a film production-based organization for students of any background to come promote and produce projects through the organization. We provide our members hands-on experience to develop their filmmaking skills as well as equipment, cast, and crew if they need it through either a pitched project to the club or by participating in another project. Our goal is to have our members projects screened and promoted; as well as developing production skills while in university. We work with Professor Lucas Ostrowski as our faculty advisor. This year, we have produced three short films, hosted screenwriting and acting workshops, and kicked off several larger projects and writers' rooms!
BG Reel/University Film Organization is an organization that holds weekly meetings at Olscamp 117 at 9 p.m. on Thursdays. We are in charge of the 48-hour film challenges, film technique workshops (which, this year, included workshops in sound recording and SFX makeup), and the annual Film and Media Festival. Our faculty advisors are Thomas Castillo and Jose Cardenas.
MuTS (Musical Theatre Students) is a student organization designed for any undergraduate who loves musical theatre! The MuTS 2021-2022 officership consists of Nicole Line as President, Victoria Norland as VP, Hallie Foy as Treasurer, and McKinley Witt as Secretary. Our faculty advisor is Dr. Heath Diehl from the Honors College. At our member meetings, we discuss a "Musical of the Month," advertise different theatre events/opportunities at BGSU and in the surrounding community, and bond with our fellow members through games and activities. MuTS meets every other Tuesday evening at 10:30 p.m. in the Heskett.
MuTS had a very successful year for membership. We had record-breaking interest from campus fest and the department kick-off events back in August, and we had a record-breaking number of non-theatre majors join our organization this year! Our Mutts/Puppies (big/little) program was a huge success with over 30 "Puppies" finding their forever homes with our Mutts. Some of our favorite activities at member meetings include Name That Tune, Karaoke Night, and our classic Kahoot games!
GuSTO (Graduate Student Theatre Organization) is an organization for graduate students in the department of theatre and film to get more involved. Our members meet once a month, organizing department events, like this year’s workshop and lecture with activist and performance artist, Dr. Petra Kuppers, and fundraisers, like our book sale. In addition, this organization offers opportunities for professional development and encourages graduate students to get involved with the Graduate Student Senate, the department’s season selection committee, and more.
UDA (University Dance Alliance) held our first in-person student showcase this past fall - the first since fall 2019. There were over 700 people in attendance over the two days. March 5-7, we sent four of our members to ACDA and had the opportunity to take classes from faculty from different universities. Our spring show was held on April 1-2.
Film Appreciation Club meets weekly to discuss film as an art. These meetings are open to all students, and discussions are shaped by weekly themes, such as “Female Directors,” “Wes Anderson Films,” “Food in Film,” and many more.
Dialogue With D. Amy Rose Forbes-Erickson | New Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies
I'm a theatre/performance scholar/artist/teacher. I earned a doctorate in Theatre: Performance as Public Practice from the University of Texas at Austin with a doctoral portfolio in African and African American Studies with focus on the African Diaspora. I hold an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky, a B.A. (Hons) in Theatre Design from the University of the Arts, London (Central Saint Martins), England, and a Diploma in Sculpture (Edna Manley College), Kingston, Jamaica.
My research interests include ritual drama, Caribbean masquerades, digital media technologies, performance studies, and Africana studies. My teaching interests are theatre and performance histories, Black social movements, and contemporary performances, and ethnomusicology.
I'm currently researching and writing about Caribbean masquerades from the 17th century to the early 21st century to investigate why certain masquerade figures reoccur over the centuries, recontextualized as decolonial acts in parades, carnivals, spectacles, the visual and performing arts, and literary devices. I'm also teaching about contemporary Black theatre and performance and cultural diversity through performance this Spring 2022.
Current and future research projects have been and will be about developing the Pan-African Theatre Ensemble in collaboration with the Afro Caribbean ensemble at BGSU for outreach to Black and Indigenous communities and the wider Bowling Green and Toledo communities, providing opportunities for students, including participating in international festivals and conferences.
I'm looking forward to participating in theatre productions in some way, developing teaching and learning strategies, collaborating with students and colleagues, and focusing on my research agenda that will support and enhance the Department's and University's goals and mission.
I take my two Russian blue cats (Marcus and Molly) for outside walks with their *blingy* collars and leashes. They fancy themselves as dogs who need to go for outside walks. Yes, I spoil them rotten. ☺️
Dialogue With Daniel Williams, Associate Professor of Film Production
I had several productive experiences during my leave which were beneficial since many of the things I proposed didn’t come to be. It was also a nice coincidence that my leave corresponded with some unexpected opportunities, and I was able to participate. A film I’ve been working on for a long time, I Am Kinloch, was accepted to the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase in July, and then invited to screen at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November. I started production on this film in 2002 and have periodically traveled to St. Louis to capture footage and to interview residents and former residents of Kinloch, MO., the first all-black incorporated town in the state. My family’s history goes back to the early 1900s, and my mother is essentially the main character and co-producer. The plan has always been to tell the story of this town that no longer exists in a feature length film, but I felt compelled during the summer of 2020 to craft a short version, mainly so my mother and many of the people interviewed in the film could see something. It’s been too long, but I won’t apologize for that. Things are finished when they’re finished, and while there’s a short version that seems to work, the film still isn’t finished.
I was also honored with an invitation to attend the 25th anniversary screening of Sankofa at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. ARRAY, Ava Duvernay’s company worked with director Haile Gerima to remaster the 35mm film in 4K and handle its distribution. I think they did an amazing job on the remaster. I hadn’t seen the film in years, and it’s still incredibly moving. I was a student of Gerima’s and lived in DC when his small company independently distributed the film nationally. During the post screening panel discussion with Bradford Young, Raafi Rivero (both former students at Howard U.), and Gerima, we talked about our experience seeing the film for the first time, and our relationship with Haile and the film school. I mentioned how I used to clean the 35mm prints when they were returned from the theaters and prep them for the next booking. That kind of film distribution work isn’t done much anymore.
As part of the Gerima film retrospective that ran through the month of October, a modest short film that I made with a small group of students from the Theatre and Film Department in 2009, screened at the museum. When the film curator selected Solace, I only had a Quicktime file with okay resolution of the film. I wanted the film to step up the venue, so I got the original 16mm camera negative scanned at 2K resolution and conformed the negative. Professor Stephen Crompton brought his skills to the project, finished the color grade and mastered the DCP for the theater. While there was considerable cost involved, even with the initial decision to make the film on 16mm, I appreciate being able to access that tangible material without the risks of hard drive failures and data rot. When I originally finished this film back in 2011 or so, no festival would touch it. I think the only screening it had was at the Gish Film Theater in old Hanna Hall. We produced that film in three days, and I think it holds up. I’m proud of it, and I appreciate the students that helped me make it.
Another short film of mine, Playday, was accepted to two festivals during my FIL, one of them in Columbus, so that was also nice. Students, former students, faculty and their children helped make that film.
Procrastination, motivation and time management.
I didn’t necessarily learn anything as much as I benefited spiritually from the experiences. Some of the things we had to contend with involve specific technical processes in post-production and producing the materials necessary for the film screenings and items requested by either the venue or the film festival programmers. In the film producing class we discuss with the students the importance of gathering the necessary elements for publicity during production and using them to help promote the film, and I always try to do that. The process of hiring an editor (Ahmad Ghanim, B.A. in Film 2021) to edit the trailer for I Am Kinloch was an experience that I’m formatting into a presentation. At some point, I might use the presentation in a class, as long as it fits the curriculum. I documented the entire process so it might be an interesting study on the evolution of a film trailer. I think he did a great job. For the most part, I was prepared for all of the opportunities that came up and having previously invested time into keeping track of things and maintaining a level of organization always seems to pay off.
Dialogue With Michael Ellison, Associate Professor of Theatre | Pippin and Retirement
Pippin is a Tony award winning musical that premiered on Broadway in 1972 and had a huge revival in 2013. Composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz also wrote Godspell and Wicked. I love the show, especially for a college audience because it is about a young person on a quest for a life that is truly fulfilling. I believe Pippin, the main character, is a kind of “Everyperson.” My hope is that audience members will see something of themselves in this story and encouragement to find their own truth and not be swayed by others who have their own agenda.
It is especially exciting because the journey of this production began in 2019. We were in rehearsals in March 2020 when the world shut down. So, to finally have the opportunity to direct this show with its wonderful music and message is truly a gift. The wonderful cast is working hard, and we are having a lot of fun in the process.
This is a really tough question because there have been so many in the 23 years I have been here. Memories
- of favorite shows: Into the Woods, Children of Eden, Chicago, Spring Awakening . . .
- of working with students for The American College Theatre Festival and being at the Kennedy Center in 2015 when Mariah Burks (with her acting partner David Baker) won the National Irene Ryan Scholarship Award
- of being onstage with students when I played The Mysterious Man in Into the Woods, directed by graduate student David Sollish
- of working with colleagues who truly care about our students and seeing so much growth over the years.
- Getting my novel/fantasy/self-help book Being Magic: A Journey to (W)hole-ness published
- Turning 50 breathing meditation videos into 3 audiobooks, with the help of BGSU grad Brent Winzek
- Helping the duplex I own in Toledo’s Old West End blossom into the Space for Healing it is becoming – supported by huge beautiful cosmic murals Lynn Busch has painted and will be painting on walls and floors in my house
- Focusing on my own healing practice - I do transformational body/energy work (chakras clearing, soul attunements, past life readings, etc.)
- Traveling, visiting friends and continuing to learn grow
Dialogue With Bradford Clark Professor of Theatre | The Magnificent Baron Munchausen: His Travels, Triumphs, and Tribulations
I wore several hats on Munchausen, which really started when I began carving a series of wooden puppet head replicas as a research project. Most were based upon photos of Czech museum originals. I eventually built a small repertory company, and it seemed to make sense to "cast" the figures in a show. So, I thought of Munchausen (which has often been dramatized for both conventional and puppet productions as well as films). It was then a matter of adapting the book into a script, designing the production, painting the scenic panels, and working with Seung-A “Liz” Lee (who created the costumes), prop master Kelly Mangan, costume shop manager Laurel Daman (who made the jellyfish and octopus), and scene shop manager / TD Danny Mangan - there was an army behind this! And following a "puppet boot camp" to begin the training of our non-puppeteer cast, I had to actually direct the show.
Puppet productions offer a lot of possibilities for imagination and creativity in staging and subject matter. And while there are wonderful cutting-edge productions out there that use various kinds of puppets in all sorts of new ways, I'm also quite fond of traditional folk puppetry (especially Czech and Slovak), which had a big influence upon this production. So hopefully students develop some curiosity about the genre, attend productions, study, and consider using puppet-related "tools" in their own work
Challenging and exhausting on all levels, but I like pushing myself imaginatively, developing my skills, and seeing what happens when others get inspired and make their own huge contributions. And there are moments when you are "in the zone" and the work is flowing - it's very satisfying!
Dialogue With Lucas Ostrowski Professor of Film | 4880 Studio Experience
The upcoming THFM 4880 Studio Experience is a short folk-horror film tentatively titled The One Within the Woods. Unlike previous studio experience projects, this one will use rotoscope animation to heighten the experience and expand the project's narrative scope. For Spring 2022, we are currently in pre-production in preparation for principal photography at the end of the semester. This will allow us to focus on the post-production process for Fall 2022.
Students gain hands-on experience while working in specific departments in preparation for the production and completion of the film. All enrolled students have an opportunity to take part in the collaborative process and gain experience of what it feels like to be a on a large-scale production. Every project and department has real world professional expectations and offers students an opportunity to gain experience and build confidence in different areas of interest. Ultimately, they learn that filmmaking is a creative, collaborative, and communicative process that takes a lot of planning, quick thinking, and problem solving in development of a final project.
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Updated: 02/14/2023 04:38PM