Tags: theatre and film studies

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MFA Film program ranked in Top 50

The UGA Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television and Digital Media was named to the list of Top 50 Film Schools across the country by The Wrap, a leading publication in the media and entertainment industry. This is the first time the UGA MFA Film program, launched in 2020 as a joint program between the Franklin College and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been named to a national list and it debuted at No. 43: “It is…

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Writer and producer alumnus visits campus, theatre students

UGA alumnus Steve Yockey (A.B. Theatre, '01) visited the department of theatre and film studies Oct. 4, sitting for three Q+A sessions with students interested in pursuing careers both on stage and behind the camera. In addition to the Q+A sessions, Yockey attended Dr. John Bray’s Dramatic Writing class for a more focused discussion on his career as a playwright, who has seen much of his theatrical work produced throughout the US, Europe, and…

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UGA theatre students make the journey in 'Everybody'

UGA Theatre's season-opening production continues tonight and through the weekend with “Everybody,” written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by J.L. Reed. Performances will be held in the Cellar Theatre of the Fine Arts Building on Sept. 25-28 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18, $6 for students and can be reserved at ugatheatre.com/everybody or by phone at 706-542-4400 or in person at the Performing Arts Center or…

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kudos, September 2024

We welcomed new faculty and staff colleagues into the Franklin College, celebrated new professorships, a Hall of Fame induction and so much more in this first month of the fall semester 2024. Congratulations to our colleagues for outstanding contributions and career achievements: Kelly Dyer, professor in the department of genetics, director of the Integrated Life Sciences Program and co-director of the NIH T32 Genetics Training Grant program, is…

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Healthcare training – a partnership of science, art, and communications

For decades, simulated interactions with theatre actors have contributed to how doctors, veterinarians, and pharmacists learn to talk – and listen – to patients and clients Truth, trust, and transparency are key in a patient's relationship with their healthcare provider. Good health for ourselves and for our pets requires near-perfect interactions with healthcare professionals that meets a range of experience and results. The humanistic element…

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Opportunity of a lifetime: UGA student interns for Paris Olympics coverage

University of Georgia student Niara Thompson enjoyed a 2024 summer to remember. The 4th year film studies major worked at NBC Sports as a Digital Streaming Operations Intern for the 2024 Paris Olympics.  From broadcast testing and execution for all Olympic events appearing on the Peacock and NBC OneApp platforms to quality control checks on customer devices, Thompson learned the ins-and-outs of a tight schedule where for 24 hours of the day…

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Inaugural Athens Film Festival features MFA Film students, faculty

Several UGA faculty, alumni, and MFA Film students will screen films and lead discussions during the inaugural Athens Film Festival which takes place at downtown venues in Athens Aug. 15-17.  As the local film industry grows, the UGA MFA in Film, Television, and Digital Media is right in the thick of making this creative engine go: For Alex Thomas (MFA ‘23), coming back to Athens to premiere his MFA thesis film, “The School Mistress,” is a…

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New musical showcases work by arts scholar, alumni group support

This week, UGA Theatre presents “First Semester: A Musical,” an original work written by undergraduate and Cora Nunnally Miller Arts Scholar Wyn Alyse Thomas, directed by Thomas and Sydney Rainwater and supported by the New Georgia Group fund. “First Semester: A Musical” represents a new addition to UGA Theatre’s seasonal offerings—a slot dedicated to original student-written, student-produced work supported by the New Georgia Group fund. The…

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Divisional Spotlight: Fine & Performing Arts

Like the five food groups necessary for good health and wellbeing, the Franklin College is organized in five divisions that together power the robust, intellectual learning environment of the University of Georgia. We welcome 2024 by highlighting the divisional nature of our organizational structure and the academic units contained in each division. Today we highlight the FINE & PERFORMING ARTS Connecting our campus community with a wide…

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Alumni shine Off-Broadway in 'Brighter than the Sun'

An autobiographical musical that delves into the poignant relationship between a young man and his grandmother, both hailing from South Georgia, "Brighter Than the Sun" is written by alumnus Collin Hendley and features an array of UGA Theatre & Film Studies alumni. The limited run production opened January 9 Off-broadway at New York's Chain Theatre and runs until January 21: In 2022, Theatre undergraduate Collin Hendley was named the…

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Alumni Profile – Casey Nelson

Casey Nelson has been a Georgia Bulldog since birth.   Growing up a self-professed die-hard UGA fan, he attended home football games every weekend and has fond childhood memories of tailgating and running through North Campus throwing a frisbee. When the time came for college, it was a dream come true for him to accept a track and field scholarship at the school he’d always loved.   Fittingly, it was in Athens that another…

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Theatre provides the stage for blending the arts and AI

Theatre and Film Studies associate professor John Gibbs brings his excitement for science to his teaching and research in drama. All along, he knew the potential of artificial intelligence was lurking. Now that computer-aided design is ready to have an impact on just about every field, Gibbs is prepared to meet the new tools more than halfway. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share the story: “I was born about five years too…

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Favored by the Muses

The department of theatre and film studies and the Willson Center present an original performance presentation Favored by the Muses, the culmination of a year-long collaboration between UGA and TCU Humanities and Education programs that celebrates the literary and cultural legacy of America’s first published black female poet, Phillis Wheatley Peters(1753-1784), and the sesquicentennial of her collection, Poems on Various Subjects,…

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Theatre student helping in the effort to keep UGA’s drama scene alive and well

With Wyn Alyse Thomas as artistic director, the Thalian Blackfriars staged its first production in three years. The second-oldest student theatre company in the country, the Thalian Blackfriars had been on hiatus due to COVID-19, which stretched through a concerning number of semesters threatening the health of live theatre at the University of Georgia.  “It was about to maybe die out,” Thomas said. “And I had been really wanting to have a…

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Silent Sky

UGA Theatre presents Silent Sky, the untold story of Henrietta Leavitt, a brilliant astronomer whose groundbreaking discoveries changed our understanding of the cosmos.  Fueled by determination, intellect, and an unyielding spirit, Henrietta struggles against the societal expectations of the early 20th century in Lauren Gunderson's thought-provoking meditation on perseverance, the pursuit of knowledge, and the indomitable human spirit.…

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Finding inspiration everywhere

Sophomore theatre major, and Cora Nunally MIlle Fine Arts Scholar in the Franklin Colege, Wyn Thomas channels her inspriations for theatre-making from a variety of sources. Our colleague Erica Techo shares her story: She has written several plays, including “Write Their Wrongs,” a short play that discusses the aftermath of a high school shooting. It was performed around the country as part of #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence and then published…

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UGA faculty member Julie Ray "Beautiful" Scenic Designer

Professor and head of the department of theatre and films studies Julie Ray served as Scenic Designer for the recently-opened Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for Aurora Theatre. MFA candidates Jack Stoffel and Cody Russell served alongside her as Assistant Scenic Designers with Russell also designing props. Aurora Theatre holds a special place within UGA and the department, as one of its co-founders is alumnus Anthony Rodriguez…

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Four students named Cora Nunnally Miller Fine Arts Scholars

Four University of Georgia students have been selected as the 2023 cohort of Cora Nunnally Miller Fine Arts Scholars in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The purpose of the scholarship, made possible as part of a $17 million gift to the university upon Miller’s passing in 2015, is to recognize exceptional artistic talent, to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in the arts, to promote the arts on the UGA campus and beyond and to give…

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MFA Film accepting applications through Jan. 15

The Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television and Digital Media is accepting applications for its fourth cohort with some exciting plot developments including a partnership with the new Athena Studios, less than five miles from the UGA campus; growth of the Distinguished Industry Mentor program that includes professionals like Chuck Haywood (“WandaVision”), Davita Scarlett (“The Good Fight”) and Damon Lindelof (“Watchmen”); and the…

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Theatre faculty helped make this show go on

Over the summer, two faculty members from the University of Georgia department of theatre and film studies worked with the Aurora Theatre and Broadway Factor to bring Chris Anthony Ferrer’s debut play, “Swindlers,” to life. The play ran at the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville in May and June. Julie Ray, associate professor and head of the department of theatre and film studies, and Ivan Ingermann, associate professor…

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Graduate Student Excellence-in-Teaching Awards

The Excellence-in-Teaching Award was established by the Graduate School to recognize those students who have demonstrated superior teaching skills and have contributed to teaching beyond their own classroom responsibilities, making a significant contribution to the instructional mission of the university. Three of the five 2022 Graduate Student Excellence-in-Teaching awards went to Franklin College students: Elise Robinson is a Ph.D.…

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Cinema Roundtable: New French Cinema - Beyond Borders

The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts presents a Cinema Roundtable."New French Cinema: Beyond Borders - French Women Filmmakers and Global Perspectives," Friday November 5 at noon. Advance registration for the event, which will be conducted via Zoom webinar, is required and available here. The event is part of the Spotlight on Arts Festival and also part of France-Atlanta 2021, an annual series of high-caliber…

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UGA Theatre presents “Rent”

UGA Theatre presents “Rent,” with book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, directed by Brandon LaReau, part of the University of Georgia’s Spotlight on the Arts festival. Performances will be held in the Fine Arts Theatre Nov. 4-5 and 10-13 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 or $12 for students, and can be purchased at ugatheatre.com, by phone at 706-542-4400 or in person at the Performing Arts Center. Larson’s…

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The show goes on: UGA Theatre takes the digital stage

Our colleagues in the Office of Research share the story of a successful year for theater at the University of Georgia. The Department of Theatre and Film Studies and its associated student theater organizations produced over 30 shows, each unlike anything seen before at UGA. Productions ranged from self-taped musical cabarets to live-streamed comedy shows, to multimedia explorations of current events, and featured the work of…

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The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines

UGA Theatre presents The Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines by Don Nigro, April 19-21, via livestream: A metaphysical and metatheatrical romp of rebellion and reimagined classics. Girlhood of Shakespeare's Heroines explores the lived experiences of two of Shakespeare's famous female characters and two actresses who have embodied them onstage. This humorous and intimate testimony reveals what Shakespeare left out of his immortal text and why…
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