| Dear Iowa Theatre Arts family, | First, let me say thank you. We are grateful to all who participated in the UI’s One Day For Iowa giving day last month, whether by donating to support the David Thayer Scholarship Fund or by posting on social media. We raised more than $2,500 in 24 hours to support our students!
This spring the University of Iowa is introducing New Work City: an exciting new initiative to celebrate new work created by our talented grad students across the Performing Arts At Iowa. New Work City will feature our legendary New Play Festival alongside presentations of music compositions, dance choreography, research, and other creations made by students in Theatre Arts, Music, and Dance departments. (Learn more)
As part of New Work City, we are also adding an exciting new element to enhance and expand New Play Festival. Coinciding with NPF, graduate students in Associate Professor Dan Fine’s new Digital Graffiti course will present their capstone project, projecting their digital creations onto the contours of the historic Theatre Building. And we are thrilled that alumni John M. Baker (2008 MFA, Dramaturgy), Keith Josef Adkins (1995 MFA, Playwriting), and Eric Holmes (2016 MFA, Playwriting) will join us as guest artists the festival.
We hope you can join us to celebrate the talent and creativity of our MFA playwrights and digital designers!
As always, we are eager to hear your updates. If you have news to share about your accomplishments or the work of a fellow Iowa Theatre grad, please let us know. | | Warmly,
Mary Beth Easley
Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts
Associate Professor, Head of Directing
Performing Arts at Iowa is seeking a full-time scenic and lighting designer to join as a resident designer. This role supports the Department of Dance, School of Music Opera, and Department of Theatre Arts, fostering student engagement and collaboration. Ideal candidates will prioritize mentoring and create a welcoming, respectful environment. For full details and to apply, click [here]. Please share this opportunity with skilled designers you know! | | | New videos for our academic programs | | | | We've just released a new student recruitment video featuring undergrad student Sara Alvidrez. She talks about her experience as a theatre arts major at Iowa, saying, "At Iowa, I truly feel like we're all creators, bringing the stories and places we imagine to life on the stage." | | | Associate Professor Dan Fine teamed up with numerous past and current program participants from across disciplines to create a video encouraging participation in the Certificate in Digital Arts program. | | | | NY-based film, TV, theatre, and voice-over actor Nicole Fonarow (1991 BA), known for Fairytale of New York (2000), Walking on the Sky (2005) and Day 57 (2021), is co-hosting a new podcast called "We've Got to Talk.” | | | Bo Frazier (2020 MFA) is heading up a national initiative to tell transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) stories. As Baltimore Center Stage’s artist-in-residence, Bo created the Trans History Project, which aims to commission, develop, and publish 10 new plays by 10 TGNC writers about the history of gender nonconformity. Their work was highlighted in American Theatre magazine. | | | | Lysik Receives Kennedy Center's National Student Playwriting Award Chris Lysik (2024 MFA, Playwriting) received the Kennedy Center’s National Student Playwriting Award, for his play American Rusalki, which was debuted in our 2024 New Play Festival. The prestigious award includes a cash prize and a showcasing of a selection from the play at the Kennedy Center as part of the national Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. | | | Steffes is Assistant Stage Manager for 'The Last Five Years' Nic Steffes (2018 BA) will be the Assistant Stage Manager for the first Broadway production of "The Last Five Years" by Jason Robert Brown, starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. The show will premier this Spring 2025. | | | | Naomi Wallace (1993 MFA, also English MFA) was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. An acclaimed playwright with over two dozen works, she’s currently completing a Kentucky-based trilogy and writing the book for two Broadway musicals: Coal Miner’s Daughter (Loretta Lynn’s story, co-written with Greg Pierce) and Small Town, inspired by John Mellencamp’s music. READ MORE | | | Faculty News + Accomplishments | | | | Assistant Professor Caroline Clay stars in Zora Howard’s acclaimed play BUST, named among “12 Plays and Musicals Across the U.S. to Brighten the Spring” by The New York Times. Following a successful run at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Clay will bring this production to Chicago’s Goodman Theatre from April 19 through May 18. READ MORE | | | Parrott Facilitates Costume Donation Assistant Professor of Costume Design Cathy Parrott has secured a significant donation from Alchemation, producers of Broadway's acclaimed Days of Wine and Roses starring Tony winner Kelli O'Hara. The collection features six custom dresses and three blouses created for O'Hara's understudies at Eric Winterling's NYC costume studio, including one piece originally made for O'Hara's off-Broadway run. Following their appearance in the 2024 production, these professionally crafted costumes will now serve as educational resources in our department. | | | Broadway: Coming Soon to Hancher | | | | | |
