Recent Musical Theatre Program (MTP) graduates, John Peterson and Mandy McDonell will be touring with Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella national tour, launching its 2018-19 season with three performances in Milwaukee, WI, at the Miller High Life Theatre, November 10 and 11, 2018.

John graduated from the MTP in 2018. He says, "I'm thrilled to be on tour for the first time with this magical production of Cinderella!" During his time at the U, he performed in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Hello, Dolly!, Bring It On: The Musical, Cats, Steel Pier (Johnny Adel), and The Beautiful Game (John Kelly). Regionally he appeared in Mamma Mia!, Newsies, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof at Pioneer Theatre Company, and Mary Poppins at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Mandy is a San Jose, CA native who graduated from the MTP in 2017. While attending the U, she performed in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Cats, and Hello, Dolly! Regionally she appeared in Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), Oliver! (Charlotte), The Rocky Horror Show, and Mamma Mia! at Pioneer Theatre Company, and Mary Poppins at Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Utah Shakespeare Festival.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will be John and Mandy's 10^th show together, including a duet they performed for the Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall. Visit www.cinderellaonbroadway.com for a full list of tour dates.

Kaitlyn Mayse to Step Back Into the Glass Slippers to Lead CINDERELLA Tour

by BWW News Desk Sep. 27, 2018

Casting has been announced for the 2018-19 national tour of Cinderella launching in November.

Kaitlyn Mayse steps into the glass slippers in the title role of Ella, and Lukas James Miller plays the role of Prince Topher, Cinderella’s dashing love interest.

The touring cast also features Zina Ellis as Marie, the Fairy Godmother; Sarah Smith as Madame, Ella’s stepmother; Carlos Morales as Lord Pinkleton; Natalie Girard as Gabrielle and Joanna Johnson as Charlotte, Ella’s stepsisters; Nic Casaula as Jean-Michel; and Christopher Swan as Sebastian.

Rounding out the ensemble are Leyla Ali, Beth Anderson, Emily Applebaum, John Barsoian, Kyle Caress, Maxwell Carmel, Tyler Eisenreich, Marissa Levesque, Gage Martin, Mandy McDonell, Erica Messonnier, Schuyler Midgett, Victoria Newhuis, John Peterson, Gray Randolph and Kaylene Snarsky.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA launches its 2018-19 season with three performances in Milwaukee, WI, at the Miller High Life Theatre, November 10 and 11, 2018. Other markets on this year’s tour include Ames, IA; Fort Worth, TX, San Jose, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Boston, MA; Cleveland, OH; Philadelphia, PA; among others. Please visit https://www.cinderellaonbroadway.com/ for a full list of tour dates.

With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA combines the story’s classic elements – glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairy-tale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn’t let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Originally directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, the tour is directed by Gina Rattan and choreographed by Lee Wilkins. Music adaptation and arrangements are by David Chase and music supervision is by Greg Anthony Rassen. Orchestrations are by Bill Elliott and are adapted from the original Broadway orchestrations by Danny Troob.

One of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most popular titles, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLAwas written for television — debuting in 1957 starring Julie Andrews. In 2013, the show made its long-overdue Broadway debut. Along with CINDERELLA, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein‘s legendary musicals include OKLAHOMA!, Carousel, The King and I, South Pacificand The Sound of Music.

Mr. Beane’s book for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA blends masterfully with the musical’s cherished score with songs including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”

The creative team includes scenic design by Tony Award nominee Anna Louizos, costume design by six-time Tony Award-winner William Ivey Long, lighting design byTony Award-winnerKenneth Posner and sound design by Tony Award nominee Nevin Steinberg.

The Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA tour is produced by Work Light Productions.CINDERELLA was produced on Broadway by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Luigi Caiola & Rose Caiola, Roy Furman, Walt Grossman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, Glass Slipper Productions LLC/Eric Schmidt, Ted Liebowitz/James Spry, Blanket Fort Productions and in association with Center Theatre Group.

For more information please visit https://www.cinderellaonbroadway.com/

Students, do you have an interesting project that needs funding? Is your group registered through ASUU or are you a CFA SAC? Then read on, because the College of Fine Arts might have money for you.  On behalf of the FAF Grants* Funding Committee, we are excited to announce the 2018 Fall FAF Grants Cycle. FAF Grants process, eligibility, restrictions of funds, deadlines, instructions and application materials can be found here. There are lots of different projects that FAF Grants can fund. Historically, FAF Grants has funded student-driven events to:

• Create gallery exhibits, performances, concerts
• Bring guest artists or scholars to campus
• Travel to arts-related conferences or events

Any College of Fine Arts student groups, registered through ASUU, and CFA SACs may apply for Fine Arts Fees Grants (FAF Grants) for student-driven, noncredit activities that enhance student learning, and/or enhance the student experience for the larger University community, and/or create or host fine arts events on campus and in the greater Salt Lake City area. College of Fine Arts students want to know more about FAF Grants can also contact your departmental FAF Grants representatives. Fall FAF Grants must be turned into your Departmental FAF Grants Representative prior to September 21, 2018 at 5pm. *The Fine Arts Fees (or “FAF”) fund is supported by all paying tuition at the University of Utah. These student fee monies are used to support Arts Pass, which offers University of Utah students free or deeply discounted tickets to campus Arts events, as well fund the FAF Grants program. 

Last modified on September 12 2018, Original article from The Finer Points.

On Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 11A – 2P, the arts at the University of Utah are taking over the Marriott Library Plaza. We’re talking live performances on a massive stage, interactive art, free food, free T-shirts, free swag, and all the info you could ever want on the different ways to experience the arts on campus.

Hold on, you know about Arts Pass, right? It’s the one-of-a-kind program that makes it so you can use your UCard to get free or deeply discounted tickets to literally hundreds of arts experiences on campus each year. So you can attend dance performances, concerts, plays, exhibitions, film screenings, and more on the super cheap — and it even includes special student access to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, UtahPresents and Pioneer Theatre Company.

Why? Because more and more research is showing the positive impacts of the arts on education. The findings are significant: exposure to the arts is linked with better critical thinking skills, greater social tolerance, a greater likelihood of seeking out art and culture in the future and better workforce opportunities. (Maybe that’s why we issue tens of thousands of tickets to students every year.)

But, back to the Bash: First things first, pick up a passport from any of the booths, visit other booths to collect stamps, and when your passport is full, visit the Info booth to redeem it for a super soft mint green Arts Pass t-shirt that you can take to get your choice of design screen printed on it right in front of your eyes. Then you’ll grab some food and catch a couple acts on stage.

We’re so excited to have all five academic units in the College of Fine Arts there to let you know what non-major classes you can take to spice up your class load, how to major in the arts, and give you the scoop-diddy-whoop about what experiences they’re providing throughout the year for all U students, faculty, and staff.

Plus, we’ll have all three professional arts organizations (UMFA, UtahPresents and Pioneer Theatre Company) there along with our friends from ArtsForce, Arts Teaching, the Marriott Library’s Creative & Innovation Services, ASUU, Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, and the Union Programming Council.

And we’re stoked to welcome to the main stage:

• A proper bash kick-off from the U’s new Associate Vice President for the Arts and Dean of the College of Fine Arts, John Scheib
• The Department of Theatre’s musical theatre program will perform numbers from their season opener “CHESS” directed and choreographed by Denny Berry
• Ballet grad student James Wallace will take the stage for a stunning performance
• The School of Music’s Percussion Ensemble will host a not-to-be-missed drum circle
• And the modern dance freshman class will do its famous improv jam on the plaza (fan favorite every year!)

Not to mention, we have a couple surprises up our sleeves…

So, come. Experience. And start thinking differently.

Original post from The Finer Points Blog

In Spite of Ourselves written by Alumna, Cate Heiner, starring Actor Training Program students Hannah Ensign and Maxwell Paris premieres at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival this weekend. In Spite of Ourselves is a devised piece based on the poem “All My Love Poems Sound Like Break Up Poems” by Ashe Vernon. Heiner said in an interview with The Chronicle, “My play exists in this weird space between falling in love and falling out of love... it does have a beginning, a mi ddle and an end, but they don’t have to happen in that order and you can decide what they are.” In Spite of Ourselves has 6 performances between August 3-12. For more information visit the Facebook event page. They were in love. Are. Were. Maybe. They’ve grown apart, or back together. This has all happened before, or it’s a sign of what’s to come. They can’t stand each other, and they can’t let each other go.

About the playwright: Catherine Heiner received her master’s degree in Literary and Cultural Studies this spring from Carnegie Mellon University. This year she has also presented at the American Theatre in Higher Education conference, Comparative Drama Conference, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Theatre and Drama Graduate Student Conference. Her work in dramaturgy has included productions of As You Like It, American Idiot, and Self Defense, or death of some salesmen, as well as upcoming productions of The Wolves,The Lion in Winter, and the world premiere of An Evening with Two Awful Men.

About the cast:

Hannah Ensign is a senior in the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah. Previous credits include Meg Long and Captain Jemmy Campbell in Our Country's Good (University of Utah), Ellie in Elephants Graveyard (Anthem Theatre Co), The Vagina Monologues (University of Utah), Maggie in Somewhere In Between (Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival), and Ursula/Outlaw in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Salt Lake Shakespeare).

Maxwell Paris is thrilled to be making his debut at the Fringe Festival. He is a sophomore in the Actor Training and Stage Management Programs at the University of Utah, originally from Wisconsin. Back home he appeared in Inspecting Carol as Wayne Wellacre, All in the Timing as Trotsky, and in Peter Pan as Tik Tok Croc. Here in Utah, he was most recently seen as Submarine in A View From the Bridge. His upcoming projects will include being the PA for U of U's production of Chess and as an ensemble member in Big Love.

Tell us about yourself.
Hi! My name is Kelsey June Jensen and I am from Salt Lake City, Utah. In May of 2018, I graduated with a BFA from the Actor Training Program. Currently, I am residing in the Hollywood Hills with an internship at the renowned Groundlings Theatre and School. My internship mainly consists of ticket sales, customer service, and making sure the theatre is running efficiently overall. In exchange for my work in their box office, I am being rewarded with free classes, which is such an incredible honor to study and train alongside some of the best comedians of our time. Being in Los Angeles has been amazing thus far and feels like exactly where I need to be. There is so much opportunity out here! In my free time, I am constantly auditioning/submitting for different projects in Los Angeles and have been fortunate to work on some already! It’s been incredible so far.

How did your experience in the U’s Department of Theatre help you as a professional?
I would not be the woman I am today without the ATP's discipline. I am far more hardworking, diligent, persistent, and passionate than I was freshman year of college... And I truly owe that all to the ATP. This is a cutthroat industry and if I hadn't had this rigorous education to whip me into shape, I don't know if I would be pursuing my dreams in Los Angeles right now. It gave me the confidence, training, and motivation I needed to become the artist I aspire to be. Any audition room I walk into, one of my professors pops in my head to say, "be confident and breathe." Seriously. Every. Single. Audition. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

What is your favorite Utah memory?
I miss the sunsets. I also miss the grid system. A LOT. But I think one of my best memories happened during my senior project. There was a moment after an awkward stage kiss occurred and the audience completely lost it. They were laughing hysterically for quite some time and it took my partner and I every inch of our being's not to break character and join in with them. It was the absolute best feeling in the world. I felt like I had worked so hard for the past 4 years just to reach that one small moment of pure exhilaration... It was one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences of my life.

What advice do you have for current students?
I remember thinking as a freshman, "Am I really cut out for this?" It turns out, I abso lutely was and so are YOU! You are much smarter and stronger than you think. Push yourself, listen to your professors, and know that it's all going to be worth it! Seriously. It may not seem like it now, but you are going to miss the late nights, early mornings, over-caffeination, and insane schedule. Cherish every moment you have.  

Share your story! Are you an alum with a story to share? We want to hear about it! Email

The Department of Theatre is proud to present "Mornings with Masters" a series of workshops led by our Theatre faculty for University of Utah Youth Theatre students.

The YTU summer camps are one of the most affordable quality theatre camps in the country. Students rotate to a variety of theatre classes including dance, drama, and voice taught by qualified instructors, including current U of U Theatre students and alumni. All students perform in a showcase at the end of the last week, featuring a variety of songs, dances, and drama.

This summer, students in the teen sessions will have the opportunity to join a workshop led by Department of Theatre faculty in various areas. The goal of these workshops is for the students to meet theatre professionals and expand their knowledge about theatre careers and opportunities.  The Youth Theatre program at the University of Utah is dedicated to empowering youth to skillfully participate in the performing arts as a vehicle to explore their creativity, engage in their community, and think critically about the world.

For over thirty years, YTU has been providing high quality out-of-school time theatre arts programs for young people along the Wasatch Front. 

Mikki, Amanda, and Jamie on the set of Mamma Mia! after graduation, 2018.

Musical Theatre students and recent grads will appear in Pioneer Theatre Company's Mamma Mia! Mikki Reeve who graduated this spring will appear as Ali and Jesse Klick who graduated in the fall will appear as Eddie. Both recently appeared in the US premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Beautiful Game in the Babcock Theatre directed by Denny Berry.   Senior in the MTP, Sky Kawai will appear in the ensemble alongside MTP alumni Jamie Landrum, Mandy McDonell, John Peterson, Megan Shenefelt, and Amanda Wright. Stage Management student Tahra Si’mone Veasley will serve as the 2nd assistant stage manager.Mikki, John, Jamie, and Amanda being celebrated by PTC after graduation, 2018.

Mamma Mia! closes Pioneer Theatre Company's 2017-2018 season, running Friday, May 11 through Saturday, May 26, 2018. The greatest pop hits from ABBA who came to define the disco era are part of this cheerful musical about a young woman trying to find out who her real father is on the eve of her wedding on a beautiful Greek island.

Current University of Utah students may take advantage of student discounts through the Arts Pass to attend performances at discounted rates. Visit pioneertheatre.org for more information.

SKY KAWAI (Ensemble) is a pre-med student in the University of Utah Honors College while earning his BFA in musical theatre. Previous roles include Boland in Dogfight (Babcock), Worm in Diary of a Worm… (SLAC), Randall in Bring It On!(Marriott Center for Dance) as well as Ensemble in PTC’s concert productions of Chess and In The Heights.

JESSE KLICK (Eddie) Previous credits include: The Envelope(Toby) and Newsies (Ensemble/Swing) with Pioneer Theatre Company; The Beautiful Game (Choreographer), You Never Can Tell (Valentine), Cats (Rum Tum Tugger/Macavity) and Dogfight (Eddie Birdlace), with U of U; An Evening With Kristin Chenoweth (Backup Vocalist) with BYU; and Twelfth Night(Sebastian) with Salt Lake Shakespeare. Klick holds a BFA in musical theatre from the University of Utah. jesseklick.weebly.com

JAMIE LANDRUM (Ensemble) had the Mamma Mia!soundtrack memorized by the age of three! PTC credits: The Count of Monte Cristo (Valentine) and The Last Ship (Swing). University of Utah (from which she is a very recent graduate!) credits: Steel Pier (Shelby Stevens) and an all-female Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas). Endless thanks to everyone at PTC for giving students incredible opportunities, and to friends and family for supporting her dreams, and all her love to Noah. @jamiela      

MANDY McDONELL (Ensemble) is delighted to be back at PTC! McDonell is a California native who now resides in NYC. Selected credits include: Mary Poppins (Annie) with Utah Shakespeare Festival and Alabama Shakespeare Festival; Oliver! (Charlotte); The Rocky Horror Show (Transylvanian); Fiddler on the Roof (Chava); Chess (Assistant Director); The Will Rogers Follies (Dance Assistant) with Pioneer Theatre Company.  Proud University of Utah graduate!  mandymcdonell.com    

JOHN PETERSON (Ensemble) is so grateful to be back on the PTC stage right after graduating from the Musical Theatre Program at the U of U! Regional: Newsies, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof (PTC) and Mary Poppins (ASF). U of U: The Beautiful Game (John Kelly), Steel Pier (Johnny Adele), Cats(Skimbleshanks). Endless thanks to Karen, the MTP faculty, J Beall and his amazing, supportive family. @johnnpeterson       

MIKKI REEVE (Ali) is beyond grateful to do her first show with PTC! She recently graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in musical theatre, where she played Rita Racine in Steel Pier, Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Marcy in Dogfight. She thanks her incredible parents for their unwavering support and her friends for inspiring her every day. Enjoy the show!       

MEGAN SHENEFELT (Ensemble) is a graduate of the MTP at the University of Utah and was last seen in PTC’s concert version of Chess. Favorite credits include St. Jimmy in American Idiot, Lucy T. Slut in Avenue Q, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ in Godspell. Second place winner of Classical Singers International Singers Competition in Boston. Sending love to family and friends.   

AMANDA WRIGHT (Ensemble) is so glad to be back at PTC after appearing in this season’s Newsies (Katherine u.s./Ensemble) and last season’s Chess the Concert Production. She has performed with Salt Lake Acting Company in Saturday’s Voyeur 2016 and can be seen in Voyeur again this summer. She has a BFA from the University of Utah’s Musical Theatre Program, where she appeared in Hello, Dolly! (Ernestina) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus). For my family—thank you for the music!

Graduation ceremonies for the University and Colleges are some of the most exciting days on campus!

The University of Utah commencement and convocation ceremonies are held annually at the conclusion of Spring semester. You are invited to attend both the University Commencement Ceremony and your College Convocation. All candidates must apply in advance for graduation. Learn more about when and how to apply for graduation on the Office of the Registrar website.

Graduation Day

Graduation at the University of Utah consists of two events: commencement and convocation. Commencement is for all candidates and convocations are held by each college.

College of Fine Arts Convocation

The College of Fine Arts Convocation will be held on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 12:00 pm at Kingsbury Hall.

Candidates

All candidates for graduation should line up for the College of Fine Arts Convocation no later than 11:30 am.

• Baccalaureate Candidates should enter through the "lower lobby" door at the southwest side of the building and will line up in the lower level of Kingsbury Hall.
• Master's, DMA and PhD candidates should line up on the southwest side of Kingsbury Hall along the sidewalk between David Gardner Hall and Kingsbury Hall.

Guests

Convocation Ceremonies are non-ticketed events with a first-come, first-seated policy. Due to space limits, we recommend limiting the number of guests to 4, if possible. Kingsbury Hall will open approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony start time. Patrons will form a line to enter the auditorium and will enter the building through the main doors. Guests must be seated prior to the start of the processional, which begins promptly at 12:00 pm. Patrons are discouraged to save seats. Once the auditorium is filled to its capacity, guests will be directed to an overflow auditorium next to Kingsbury Hall. By order of the Fire Code Official, no objects such as infant carriers, strollers or other like items are allowed in Kingsbury Hall Lobby or Auditorium.

Special Seating/Accommodations

Students or guests with disabilities (including individuals in wheelchairs and those who have limited mobility) attending the College of Fine Arts' Convocation Ceremony can request accommodations by contacting Cami Rives at 801-581-6764. The College requests that guests give reasonable prior notice and, since space is limited and seats are first-come, first-seated, plan to arrive early.

Parking

Campus parking lots may be used at no charge during Convocation and Commencement ceremonies. Families are encouraged to drop off guests who cannot walk long distances at Kingsbury Hall before parking their cars. Guests may also park in other lots and catch a University shuttle to Kingsbury Hall.

Photography

A commercial photographer will be present to photograph all candidates. You will be asked to fill out name cards for the photographer, but you are under no obligation to purchase pictures. Family and friends may take additional photographs as desired. For more information about graduation photos, please click here.

Support local artists and a fantastic organization this Friday, April 20 by attending “Natural Shocks” at 7:30 p.m. in the Babcock Theatre.

Directed by Department of Theatre Instructor Mark Fossen and starring Professor Sarah Shippobotham, this theatre activism piece against gun violence is a one night event produced by Pussycat Productions.

Modeled after her Inauguration Day project when she made her play The Taming available to theaters for royalty-free readings on January 20, 2017, Lauren Gunderson and her team of producers have coordinated an ambitious national campaign of theater activism against gun violence with royalty-free readings of her new play Natural Shocks taking place across the country April 19-23, 2018.

That timing is intentional: April 20 is the 19th anniversary of Columbine and the day of the National School Walkout, organized by the students activists in Parkland, Florida. Professional theaters, universities, high schools, and community groups are pairing their readings with town halls, audience talkbacks, and fundraisers for nonprofits like Everytown For Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.

Learn more about the nation-wide campaign, here: https://www.naturalshocks.org

The Department of Theatre is lending our Babcock Theatre to Pussycat Productions for this event. Donations for Everytown for Gun Safety will be taken at the door in lieu of tickets.

RSVP at the event Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1491709104291935??ti=ia

Congratulations to Martin C. Alcocer, our 2018 Department of Theatre Outstanding Student!

Martin was born in Mexico City and grew up in Salt Lake City. He is a dedicated and compassionate leader in the department who is graduating with a BFA in Stage Management.

During his time in the Department, Martin has served as stage manager for many productions in our department and in local theaters. Most recently he served as stage manager for Steel Pier in the Marriott Center for Dance and assistant stage manager for Newsies! at Pioneer Theatre Company.

Martin also has a passion for lighting design and has done the lighting design for Love’s Labour’s Lost (Studio 115), How Long Can You Stand… (Sackerson and Flying Bobcat), and Our Country’s Good (Babcock Theatre). He was the assistant lighting designer for HIR, Streetlight Woodpecker, and Harbur Gate at Salt Lake Acting Company.

The Department of Theatre faculty nominated Martin because of his commitment to the department, his fellow students, and the theatre community. He has taken leadership several years in a row by organizing and mentoring other students to go to the USITT (United States Institute for Theatre Technology). He describes his work as "high quality work that is achieved and demonstrated through collaboration, strong communication, and the understanding that we are all human." He is a recipient of the Elizabeth Warner Scholarship, the Salt Lake Acting Company Scholarship, and Fine Arts Advisory Board Scholarship.

During his time in the College of Fine Arts Most memorable moment: I’ve had many memorable moments and it is not easy to pick one. Out of all the things I have enjoyed during my time in the College of Fine Arts, my most memorable moments are those in which I had the opportunity to create and collaborate with my peers. There are two times in particular which took place over a period of a few weeks: one was during the Department of Theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly!, and the other was during the production of Steel Pier. Both are memorable for similar reasons. They were both fairly large productions, and because of the large scale, they were both high stress. Despite this, everyone in the room was committed to creating a great production. The experience I gained from each show was immense, and the memories created are unforgettable. Having the opportunity to work on these shows will be of the most memorable.

One thing you learned at CFA: During my time in the CFA, I learned about the power of networking, and the importance of balance. In this industry, networking is critical. The arts are often times heavily reliant on who you know. Having this knowledge early on has definitely aided me as I progressed through undergrad and started to build my network in Salt Lake and around the country. The other lesson I have learned is the need for balance. Even though I love what I do and am fortunate enough to be able to work doing what I love, I learned that only working was not healthy. You have to be able to step back and do something else, like spend time with family or friends, or have a hobby that is not related to work. Having learned this has greatly improved my stress levels, and I also feel like it has helped me better my craft.

What Inspires Martin A main component from where I find my inspiration is through the reactions that I, along with everyone else I work with on a project, are able to evoke from an audience. With theatre, or any other type of performance art where I have been fortunate enough to work, I have been able to see and hear the impact that we, as artists, have on people’s lives. Whether we take them away from their worries and stress through a production, or we are able to spark a conversation and debate, what I, and everyone in the arts is able to do, has an impact. Knowing that I have a part of this is what inspires me.

Accomplishments While I was in the College of Fine Arts, I have had many fantastic opportunities. Within the Department of Theatre, I have worked, in some capacity, on nearly all of the productions whether it was as an electrician, light board programmer, or last-minute help. I also assistant stage managed and stage managed eight productions. I have been able to work at professional theatre companies, such as Salt Lake Acting Company and Pioneer Theatre Company, where I started in more entry level positions, like light board operator, and worked my way up to assistant stage manager on larger productions, such as The Count of Monte Cristo at PTC, or Saturday’s Voyeur at SLAC, where I even spent some time in the role of Stage Manager. I have also interned with Utah Opera on their production of Moby Dick. In addition to stage managing I have also assistant lighting designed at SLAC on Streetlight Woodpecker, Harbur Gate, and HIR. For the department, I designed lights for Love’s Labour’s Lost and Our Country’s Good. I currently work for Salt Lake County Center for the Arts as an On-Call Technical Director where I work at their various spaces, such as the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Capitol Theatre, and the new Eccles Theatre. In this position I ensure that their policies are followed, provide technical help, and verify that everything is done safely. Through this I have been able to interact with local art makers as well as with Broadway tours like, Something Rotten, An American in Paris, and Hamilton. Nationally, I have been a part of groups within the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), which is the largest organization for theatre, entertainment, and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production and technology. I was a part of the Gateway program, which aims to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the industry as both a mentee and a peer mentor, and I was also a part of the Stage Management Mentorship Program. In the Stage Management Mentorship Program, I, along with twelve other students or young professionals from around the country and Mexico, was paired with a mentor who gave me the opportunity talk to and network with other stage managers who have worked on touring musical productions and opera, as well as with the Walt Disney Company, Cirque du Soleil, and on events like the Super Bowl. I was also assigned to stage manage the Keynote Address that opened the annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL this past March. I have also served as president of the University of Utah’s chapter of Young Designers and Technicians, a club which secures funding, and organizes the trip to send students to the USITT conference. conference. Through this club, we have sent between eight to fifteen students, each year to attend the conference.