麻豆精品 S淚f you liked UCF Celebrates the Arts 2017, just wait until you see 2018, 麻豆精品 S� said Steven Chicurel-Stein, interim director of the School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e having a postmortem meeting today [Monday]. There 麻豆精品 S檚 that much energy to get started. 麻豆精品 S�

The April 7-14 festival was based at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando and for the first time at nearby art galleries.

麻豆精品 S淧eople responded to the variety of events that ranged from the larger events such as Oklahoma! and the Flying Horse Big Band, but also enjoyed the more intimate concerts and panels. They also responded well to the visual arts in the lobby and public areas at the center, 麻豆精品 S� Chicurel-Stein said.

Several of the events were at capacity. The biggest performance drew nearly 2,700 people to each of the two Oklahoma! shows, a collaboration of the music and theatre departments.

Attendance to the festival was free, but this was the first year visitors could buy a limited number of reserved $20 seats.

麻豆精品 S淧eople took to that very well and appreciated the fact that they had earlier access to the theater, 麻豆精品 S� Chicurel-Stein said.

Live streaming also was offered for several events, which made it possible for students 麻豆精品 S� families living far away to see the performances.

The festival featured more than 1,000 university students, 100 faculty members and some collaborative programs with outside partners showcasing theatre, dance, orchestra, choirs, big band, chamber music, cabaret, concert bands, opera, visual arts, studio art, gaming, animation, photography and film.

The purpose of the festival, Chicurel-Stein said, is to highlight what UCF has to offer and spread the word how UCF celebrates the arts.

The eight days of music, performances and visual displays, which are open to the public for free, will feature a production of the musical Oklahoma!, concerts, student-created plays and films, a fine arts showcase, panels and other events.

麻豆精品 S淭his shows the growth and maturity of our student groups, and shows the public what we can do, 麻豆精品 S� said Steven Chicurel-Stein, interim director of the School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival.

麻豆精品 S淲e have two goals: We want to highlight what UCF has to offer, and we want to take UCF to downtown to spread the word of how UCF celebrates the arts. 麻豆精品 S�

The festival will showcase the university 麻豆精品 S檚 involvement in a variety of ways through theatre, dance, orchestra, choirs, big band, chamber music, cabaret, concert bands, opera, visual arts, studio art, gaming, animation, photography and film.

Kicking off the week is Oklahoma!, the award-winning musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The duo won a Pulitzer Prize for the play, and a subsequent film adaption won Academy Awards for best music, scoring of a musical picture and best sound recording.

The UCF version will be a collaboration of the theatre and music departments, including an orchestra. There will be two evening showings of the play April 7-8.

麻豆精品 S淲ith this we 麻豆精品 S檙e able to show a really large contingency of students, 麻豆精品 S� Chicurel-Stein said.

A couple events during the festival will be geared toward raising awareness about hunger in the community.

Puddin 麻豆精品 S� and the Grumble, a play about how hunger affects a young girl, will be at a 1 p.m. matinee April 8. The performance is suitable for viewers of all ages and will be in collaboration with the School of Performing Arts students and Second Harvest food bank, which will collect food for those in need.

The school also will present a reading from John Steinbeck 麻豆精品 S檚 The Grapes of Wrath, the story of a family 麻豆精品 S檚 flight from the dust bowl in the 1930s. The 3 p.m. April 8 performance will have a cast of more than 30 students, alumni, faculty members and guest artists, and is part of the National Endowment for the Arts 麻豆精品 S� Big Read program.

Here are some of the festival 麻豆精品 S檚 other highlighted events:

While the public can see all the festival events for free, this year for the first time a limited number of $20 reserved tickets are being offered.

Tickets and lobby passes will be available beginning March 1. There will be three types of tickets available:

For a complete schedule, ticket reservations and other information, go to the festival 麻豆精品 S檚 website at .

Jeffrey M. Moore, who has been the director of the UCF School of Performing Arts since its inception in 2013, has been named as the new dean of the College of Arts & Humanities.

麻豆精品 S淚 am honored to have the opportunity to join UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 outstanding senior academic leadership team, 麻豆精品 S� Moore said. 麻豆精品 S淭hroughout my career, I have always enjoyed collaborating with faculty, students and our community partners. This new position will allow me to expand on those activities and enhance our presence even more. 麻豆精品 S�

Steven Chicurel-Stein, professor of theatre and associate director of the School of Performing Arts, has been named interim director of the school while the university conducts a national search for Moore 麻豆精品 S檚 permanent replacement.

Chicurel-Stein 麻豆精品 S檚 new position grants him oversight over the school 麻豆精品 S檚 music and theatre curriculum, facilities and faculty. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been teaching at universities for 25 years now, and I 麻豆精品 S檝e always been a professor in theatre, but my degrees are in music. For me, it 麻豆精品 S檚 an easy fit 麻豆精品 S擨 understand the cultures of both music and theatre. There 麻豆精品 S檚 still a learning curve, but I 麻豆精品 S檓 comfortable working within both worlds. 麻豆精品 S�

Professor of Music David L. Brunner will assume Chicurel-Stein 麻豆精品 S檚 associate director duties for the interim period, complimented by Dr. Keith Koons, who remains in his associate director position.

Theatre professor Julia Listengarten has been named as the artistic director for Theatre UCF. The artistic director is typically responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision of a theatre company.

Listengarten envisions her role as working with the theatre faculty to reimagine artistic goals of the department and develop a vision for upcoming seasons. Theatre associate professor Bert Scott, as director of production, will facilitate the technical production needs of the season.

麻豆精品 S淥ne of the exciting parts of this position for me is the fact that now we 麻豆精品 S檙e a School of Performing Arts 麻豆精品 S攕o there are theatre and music, 麻豆精品 S� says Listengarten. While her position does not directly impact the music department, she looks forward to bringing the two areas closer together. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e always tried to collaborate with musicians in the productions that I 麻豆精品 S檝e directed, and I see artistic collaboration as a very important part of the merger. 麻豆精品 S�

Tremon Kizer has been hired as associate director of bands and director of athletic bands. In this role, he will oversee all aspects of the athletic band program and teach courses in music education. As an award-winning educator, Kizer hopes his students take the skills they learn and apply them to every area of their lives. 麻豆精品 S淚 want to help our students become the best doctors, lawyers, educators, musicians, mothers, and fathers they can be, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淗opefully, they will apply what they learn into their path of life. 麻豆精品 S�

Kizer earned his doctorate in musical arts from the University of South Carolina, his master of arts in music from the University of Central Missouri and his bachelors in music education from Kansas State University.

While the School conducts a nationwide search for a new director of bands, Dr. Chung Park, director of orchestras, will lead UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Wind Ensemble in addition to the orchestra.

Assistant Professor Si-Yan Darren Li has been added to the music faculty, where he will be leading the cello studio. Li holds his bachelor of music degree from The Juilliard School, and his master of music degree and artist diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Li started studying cello at age 5 and now holds听prizes from numerous prestigious competitions around the world, such as the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. He is also the recipient of the 麻豆精品 S淎merican Masterpieces 麻豆精品 S� Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

麻豆精品 S淭eaching cello has really become my biggest passion in life, 麻豆精品 S� said Li. 麻豆精品 S淚 find it incredibly rewarding to help my students to grow as a cellist, a musician and a human being by sharing my experience, knowledge and wisdom. I believe that passion, devotion and honest communications are essential elements to great teaching. 麻豆精品 S�

The theatre department also welcomes Assistant Professor Shawn Boyle to the faculty, where he will be teaching lighting design and working on Theatre UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 productions. Boyle has an extensive background as a projection and lighting designer, working in theatre, musical theater, opera, dance, installation, and architectural projects, as well as designing for several theaters and theme parks in the United States. As an associate projection designer for Elaine J. McCarthy, Boyle worked on productions of Wicked in the United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Holland and the United Kingdom.

Boyle earned his MFA in projection design from Yale School of Drama in 2015 and his BFA in Lighting Design from Rutgers University 麻豆精品 S檚 Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Cynthia White, who has been serving on the theatre faculty as interim professor focusing on acting and directing, has been awarded the permanent position of lecturer in directing. The position is a shared one with the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, where she will also serve as the director of new play development. She was associate director and director of play development at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and taught at Pacific Lutheran University, the University of Wisconsin 麻豆精品 S揗adison, and Western Washington University in Bellingham. She has directed professionally at numerous Shakespeare festivals, universities, and regional theatre around the country.

David Willmore will be Theatre UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 master electrician. Willmore holds a B.A. in theatre and dance with a concentration in design and technology from James Madison University and has been working in the electrics department at the Glimmerglass Festival in New York.

In that space-dominated era, that handful of actors, set designers, professors and others in the performing arts literally 麻豆精品 S渟et the stage 麻豆精品 S� for today 麻豆精品 S檚 highly regarded Theatre UCF.

Now more than four decades later, some of those theatre participants will gather to reminisce about their experiences and the campus productions that were first presented in a tent on a sandy field and later in a science auditorium.

麻豆精品 S淲e were part of something that was unique. It was a brand new school so there was a first time for everything, 麻豆精品 S� said Mary Monroe, 麻豆精品 S�76, who acted and directed in campus plays and recently set the reunion into motion.

She said there were 12 theatre students when she joined the program. After graduation she went on to a 35-year career as a director and producer in New York, including being the recipient of a Kennedy Center bronze medal, and is now a writer in Rhode Island. 麻豆精品 S淵ou became a pioneer because you were immersed in something for the first time. Because it was new, there were no restrictions, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淲hatever was the outcome, you opened the door for other possibilities down the road. 麻豆精品 S�

Monroe said she has heard from about 40 people around the country planning to get back together the second weekend of June to reminisce, tour today 麻豆精品 S檚 theatre facilities, attend a play and catch up on what has happened through the years.

She said that during the brief time they spent together the theatre folks formed strong relationships, but many of them later lost touch with each other and some of them have not visited UCF since graduation. And when she heard that one of their fellow theatre students died, she thought it was time for a reunion.

麻豆精品 S淏ecause you had this intense experience, you bond, 麻豆精品 S� Monroe said. 麻豆精品 S淭he imprint was solid. I thought this was important to be able to come together again. It 麻豆精品 S檚 like a denouement. 麻豆精品 S�

The first production in the theatre department 麻豆精品 S檚 tent was Shakespeare 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S淭itus Andronicus 麻豆精品 S� in November 1969. The department followed with dozens of shows such as 麻豆精品 S淜iss Me Kate, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淥f Mice and Men 麻豆精品 S� and the Gershwin 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S淥f Thee I Sing 麻豆精品 S� before FTU became UCF in 1978.

麻豆精品 S淭he theatre department was small, and I听immersed myself in it, doing every conceivable job. I learned so much, 麻豆精品 S� said Julia Gagne, 麻豆精品 S�74, who had the opportunity to direct a show even though she had no experience as a director.

麻豆精品 S淚 had great mentor/professors at UCF, and the directing experience was very positive, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚 got to work with my friends as cast and crew, experiment with rehearsal techniques, and experience the thrill of opening a show as a director. 麻豆精品 S�听

That experience and the encouragement of department chair Harry Smith and theatre director David Mays led her to pursue an MFA in directing. She later became the artistic director and theatre chair at Valencia College for more than 30 years, where she directed more than 90 shows.

Susie Findell, a staffer taking classes at the young university, said she auditioned for her first play after reading about it in the campus newspaper: 麻豆精品 S淪top the World, I Want to Get Off, 麻豆精品 S� directed by Frances Johnson of the communication department.

麻豆精品 S淏eing in theatre gave me confidence and poise, 麻豆精品 S� she said. Her theatrical involvement at UCF led her to do Orlando community theatre, a TV Christmas special, voice-overs听and TV commercials. 麻豆精品 S淚t all started from my UCF experiences and classes. 麻豆精品 S�

Despite the challenges of improper facilities, low budgets and limited participants of four decades ago, Monroe said, 麻豆精品 S淚t was incredible the way we all came together. This doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 happen often. We were doing things then that were brand new. Whether we knew it, we were pioneers. 麻豆精品 S�

Steven Chicurel-Stein, a professor of theatre and interim director of the School of Performing Arts, said the determination and dedication of those in the FTU theatre program cannot be underestimated because they set the foundation of what is now a nationally accredited department with more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students.

麻豆精品 S淭he art that is created today at Theatre UCF, the teaching and learning of the craft of theatre, and the continued forward movement of the present students, faculty and staff has its footing on the shoulders of those who had the vision, passion, and energy to launch theatre at FTU and early UCF, 麻豆精品 S� Chicurel-Stein said. 麻豆精品 S淭o those pioneers, we are grateful. 麻豆精品 S�

Anyone involved with the early years of FTU Theatre who would like more information can contact FTUnions@gmail.com.

Moore joined UCF in 1994 as the university 麻豆精品 S檚 first full-time percussion professor. He became chair of the Music Department from 2009 to 2013, and he began his role as the director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 newly created School of Performing Arts in 2013.

麻豆精品 S淔rom a pool of terrific candidates, Professor Moore stood out because of his strong leadership abilities and his innovative vision for strengthening the college 麻豆精品 S檚 academic and interdisciplinary research mission at UCF, 麻豆精品 S� said Provost and Executive Vice President A. Dale Whittaker.

During his music and teaching career, Moore has been involved with more than 60 literary and music projects as an author, composer or arranger, and is an international performer, lecturer, clinician and soloist. His work on several local boards and committees has helped build awareness of the arts and relationships with UCF partners. In his new role, he will advance the college while continuing to enhance UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 arts presence in our community and beyond.

麻豆精品 S淚 am honored to have the opportunity to join UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 outstanding senior academic leadership team, 麻豆精品 S� Moore said. 麻豆精品 S淭hroughout my career, I have always enjoyed collaborating with faculty, students and our community partners. This new position will allow me to expand on those activities and enhance our presence even more. 麻豆精品 S�

Moore holds a bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in music education from the University of North Texas and a master 麻豆精品 S檚 in percussion performance from the University of Wisconsin.

He is also the Region 7 chair of the National Association of Schools of Music, serving on its board of directors as well as the board of advisors for the Percussive Arts Society.

Under his leadership as director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 School of Performing Arts, both the theatre and music departments received accreditation or reaccreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre and National Association of Schools of Music. Moore also helped create UCF Celebrates the Arts, a multi-week festival that highlights UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 arts and interdisciplinary programs that recently held its second season.

麻豆精品 S淲hen you consider our opportunities as we pursue recognition as a Florida preeminent university, along with campus performance-space construction and also our involvement with UCF Downtown, it is a very exciting time for the arts and humanities at UCF, 麻豆精品 S� Moore said. 麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait to get started! 麻豆精品 S�

Moore will be taking over the role of dean from Jos茅 Fern谩ndez, who will be stepping down and returning to the history faculty this fall. Fern谩ndez has been dean of the College of Arts & Humanities since 2006.

Dr. Steven Chicurel-Stein of the Theatre Department has been named interim director of the School of Performing Arts while a search is conducted to fill the role permanently.