School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration

Cool news you can use!

Extreme-action dance/theatre performance this Saturday 

In an innovative collaboration, dance and theatre students from The University of Akron will create an extreme-action performance with Brooklyn's Streb on Saturday, April 27, 7:30 p.m., in Daum Theatre in Kolbe Hall on the UA campus.  

Interactive video technology will connect performers and audiences at The University of Akron and at Streb’s SLAM studio in Brooklyn — producing a single experience in two separate locations. The program will open with Streb performing "Forces" at its Brooklyn site. Then, the action will switch to UA's Daum Theatre, where UA students will perform "Flippy Zippys," named after UA's mascot. Audiences at both locations will be able to view the action.

Tickets are free but required, and can be obtained in advance in person or at 330-972-7948 or dance@uakron.edu. Tickets are limited, and on a first-come basis.

Known for its high-flying, body-slamming, daredevil performances, Streb has been seen on the David Letterman Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN Showbiz Today, Nickolodeon, NBC’s Weekend Today, MTV, ABC Nightly News with Peter Jennings, and Larry King Live.

Last summer, Streb was part of the 2012 Olympics in London. A team of 32 dancers performed seven "actions" throughout the day on the London cityscape, including scaling down City Hall, bungee jumping from the Millennium Bridge, and attaching themselves to every other spoke of the EDF Energy London Eye.

Led by UA dance instructor Kara Stewart, the UA students have been working since January on campus with visiting members of Streb to learn the company’s strenuous “PopAction” techniques. Last month they traveled to the Streb studio in Brooklyn, working and performing with members of the company and choreographer Elizabeth Streb. 

More about Streb here. 

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Actor John Lithgow on campus 

Actor John Lithgow came to The University of Akron's E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall to talk about "The Power of Story Telling" on Thursday, April 18.

The award-winning actor, one-time Akronite, musician, author and arts advocate offered touching and humorous reflections on his life and his two years living in Akron while in his teens. While in Akron, Lithgow will also work closely with UA students majoring in the performing arts.


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Kennedy Center Theatre Festival selects UA production

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) selected the UA Theatre Program's fall production of The Bacchae 2012 for its annual regional festival competition. 

KCACTF also selected one scene from last spring’s UA production of Merchant of Venice, directed by UA theatre instructor Aubrey Caldwell, for performance during the festival's Fringe showcase.

Directed by UA Theatre Professor James Slowiak, The Bacchae 2012 was one of only six full-length plays chosen for performance in January during the KCACTF Region 2 festival at Towson University. Read more here.

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Welcome

Welcome to the School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration at The University of Akron, where undergraduate and graduate students explore and expand their educational and cultural horizons through comprehensive investigations of art and life. At the undergraduate level, the B.A. curricula in dance and theatre focus on technique and creative exploration within a broad liberal arts context.   The B.F.A. degree in dance prepares talented students for professional careers in dance performance and choreography.

The Summer Degree Program in Theatre, designed for advanced students of theatre arts, is structured so that the program can be completed in intensive five-week sessions over the course of three summers.   This program is particularly popular with teachers desiring to complete a graduate degree in theatre without having to take leave from their jobs. The graduate program leading to a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Theatre Arts with an option in Arts Administration is one of approximately 25 programs across the country with a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful careers in the business of not-for-profit arts. Join us to explore your dreams and discover your future.