Welcome to University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts and Dance Backstage Pass

Hey Hey Rarig and Barker People!

What a busy week! BA Week in full swing! Good luck to everyone who is auditioning! If you feel like you need some help figuring out what to take, come by the Peers Office and we will help you get sorted out.

Also, if you have any humorous quotations from professors or pupils in theatre arts and dance classes, productions, or meetings (this includes you, faculty/staff) that you would like included in the BSP please e-mail them or drop them by the Peers Office.

New News

• PEOPLE IN THE PIT
  Topics covered were what is happening with the mainstage season next year. A full write up will be in next week’s BSP.
  
  
• HALLOWEEN IS HAPPENING SOON!
  To celebrate, the Peers are arranging a trick or treating event with UMTAD faculty (where you go to their offices in costume and they give you delicious candies) and a costume contest. Each day of the week preceding Halloween will have a theme:
  • Thursday- Inanimate Object
  • Friday- Your choice

  We will have a Zoolander style walk off on Friday the 23rd in the X from 12:30 to 1:30, so participants can strut their best costume of the week. The audience will select a winner for best costume and the winner will get a fabulous prize. Start brainstorming, guys.

• Thanks to everyone who came out for the BA informational meeting. What a terrific turnout!

• Exciting classes to take in the spring:
  Megan Lewis’s Th 3172 Engaging Theatre History
  Eric Colleary’s TH3120 - Burning the Curtain: Homosexuality on the American Stage
  More new class options to come…
  
  
• FRIDAY PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
  The Image Theatre Workshop that will be led by the illustrious Sonja Kuftinec and graduate student Ben Fink, will be from 4p to 5:30p in the X theatre. You do need to sign up by e-mailing Luverne at seife014@umn.edu. We are limiting participation to 20 students due to the size of the room. There are currently 5 students confirmed. Following the workshop at 5:30, there will be a meeting to talk about the 5117 Performance and Social Change class. This is a very exciting class that will feature a collaboration with The Heart of the Beast Theatre Artistic Director, Sandy Spieler.

Department Performance Notices

• Head of BA Performance, Luverne (Luvernski) Seifert will be playing Iago in Ten Thousand Things’ production of Othello which runs through November 15th. Go check it out!
  
  
• DANCE REVOLUTIONS has begun rehearsing for their show at the end of the semester. The show will run Dec. 11-13th. It will be fantastic
  
  
• For Colored Girls… opens today and runs through Sunday! There is limited seating available, so go sign up on the callboard ASAP. IT WILL BE AMAZING!!!!
  
  
• Ysengrimus which performs Nov 19th to 22nd is currently rehearsing in the X. OMG SO EXCITED!!!!!
  
  
• The BFA sophomores are in rehearsal for their American Realism plays Ah, Wilderness and The Shadow Box whichwill be performed in rep in the Arena Nov. 12-15.
  
  
• Congrats to BFA seniors who performed their Free Plays! Everyone produced wonderful and exciting work. Fantastic job!
  

People of the Week

In the Peer’s Office, there hangs a curtain of fame, tattered though it may be. Once a week, one UMTAD student and one UMTAD faculty/staff/grad student will be selected for this great honor. Winners are selected randomly by the Peers and receive a custom trophy, an interview, and a spot in the curtain of fame’s bosom.

This weeks people are (drum roll):

Sonja Kuftinec and Scott Mettille.

Congratulations to you both and come stop by the Peers Office to read their interviews after they have been posted.

The question of the week last week was:

What will the title of any faculty member’s next book be?

The following are the answers from the pit:
“Use the Rod, Beat the Actor” by Lisa Channer- Allison Witham

“The Intersection of Theatre Historiography and My World Travels Last Weekend, Dammit!” by Michal Kobialka- Anonymous

“Revelation” by ?- Anonymous

Come answer this week’s Question of the Week: What do you define as success in the theatre?

Tape your answer to the Peer’s window.

The Nick Ochs Apology Section:

The following is a weekly note of apology to the UMTAD Community for his consistently inappropriate behavior from Mr. Nick Ochs - Senior BA theatre student.

Nick Ochs would like to apologize to Ryan Dixon for making a joke about him having Crohn's Disease before being informed that Ryan actually have Crohn's Disease. The illness, which causes a great deal of pain, vomiting, and extreme weight loss, can be a sensitive issue for the individuals who have it. There is no known cure for Crohn's, so Ryan will be afflicted with this disease for life, which was in fact the primary theme of the joke Nick told. Nick would also like to apologize to Ryan for making a crack about his alien-shaped head, before being informed he also has a congenital disorder, which is a sore spot for him because his deformity led to his parent's divorce and a subsequent childhood full of abandonment issues and cross-dressing. That is all.

Quotes of the Week:

“Your midterms have been moved back to Monday. You’re welcome” –Lisa Channer

Kinda sparse on quotes appropriate for listserv disbursement this week….SO TURN THEM IN!!!!

That’s All Folks! Have a GREAT rest of the week and FAAAABULOUS WEEKEND
Xoxo The Peers

In this week's newsletter:
1. Department Performance Notices
2. People of the Week!
3. Question of the Week and Answers
4. The Nick Ochs Apology Section
5. Quotes of the Week

Peers Office Hours
Bob- Tu, Th 11:15 to 12:15 and 2:15 to 3:30
Wed. 11:00 to 12:30

Allison- Mon. 4:45 to 5:30 (5:30 to 6:30 X Meeting)
Wed- 3:00-6:00
Fri- 3:00-6:00 (4:30 to ? BA program meeting)

SCRIPT LIBRARY
will be open during Peer’s Office hours only until a grad student is able to take on library hours. For special requests, e-mail the Peers at peers@umn.edu

For Department Info
email us at Peers@umn.edu

UMTAD PEERS
Rarig Room 81
peers@umn.edu
612-625-9559

theatre.umn.edu