Spotlight on Students

By Shelby Brewster, Damian Bowerman and Beth Josephsen Simon

 

 

PhD student Elizabeth Harelik attended the Intersections: Arts and Special Education Conference August 7-8, 2013, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Harelik at The Kennedy Center Intersections Conference. 

 

PhD student Francesca Spedalieri presented “Allegorical Monstrosity: Motherhood as Representation of the Sicilian Struggle in the Works of Emma Dante” as part of the Post-Partum Working Group at the American Society for Theatre Research annual conference in Dallas. She was awarded a grant from the Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship to support her research on contemporary Italian theatre.

 

Francesca Spedalieri and Chelsea Phillips at the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR).

 

MFA lighting design student Chelsie McPhilimy attended Live Design International, a lighting and projection intensive conference, in Las Vegas. She was 1 of 2 lighting designers selected to participate in Young Designer’s Forum. 

 

BA student Corey Lipkins, Jr., wrote, directed, and performed in an original play, From the Depths of Hell, based on the life of Lakeisha Davis. Lipkins received an Undergraduate Research Grant from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Young Scholars program to create the piece, which was performed at the Martin Center in Canton, Ohio.

 

MFA lighting design student Andy Baker was part of a project led by Professor Mary Taratino that created a large-scale lighting display projected onto the South Campus Chiller Central Plant on Cannon Drive.

 

PhD student Mina Choi successfully completed and defended her dissertation, “Revision of Euripides’ Tragedies by Contemporary Women Playwrights.” The members of her dissertation committee were: Lesley Ferris (chair), Beth Kattelman, Joy Reilly. The graduate faculty representative was William Batstone.

 

PhD student Chelsea Phillips was awarded the prestigious Presidential Fellowship for a final year to complete her dissertation, “‘Carrying All Before Her:’ Pregnancy and Performance on the British Stage in the Long Eighteenth Century, 1688-1807.” She also attended the Blackfriars Conference in Staunton, Virginia, where she led the colloquy session on Rhetoric and Verse.

 

BA students Andrew Trimmer and Genevieve Simon each received an Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the Arts and Sciences Honors Committee.

 

Back Row: Francesca Spedalieri, Leela Singh, Elisabeth Rogge, Michael F. Carozza, Jennifer Schlueter; Center Row: Max Glenn, Genevieve Simon, Cecelia Bellomy, Constance Hester; Front Row: Maria Kenngott, Josh Patterson, Elizabeth Wellman at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. 

 

MFA acting student Camille Bullock’s play Southern Cross the Dog was performed as part of Available Light Theatre’s Next Stage Initiative. The performance featured MA student Max Glenn, BA students Erin Mellon, Janice Robinson, movement by PhD student Francesca Spedalieri, and was stage managed by MA student Shelby Brewster.

 

PhD student Josh Patterson presented “A Defense of Grantland Rice and Performative Sportswriting” at the national conference for the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association in Chicago.

 

BA student Andrew Trimmer presented “Finding the Heart in Theatre,” BA student Natalie Woods presented “Live Programming and Operation of Lighting in a Text-Based Theatrical Performance,” BA student Genevieve Simon presented “MAPS: Where Do We Go From Here,” and BA student Julia Langholt presented “Science of a Story,” at the 2014 Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.

 

Andrew Trimmer at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. 

Natalie Woods at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. 

Genevieve Simon at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. 

Julia Langholt at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. 

 

MFA lighting design student Andy Baker and MFA scenic design students Shane Cinal and Joshua Quinlan were part of a team that designed a theoretical renovation to a campus building to create a performance space. Their design won the 2014 Theatre Renovation Challenge sponsored by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and American Society of Theatre Consultants.

 

BA student Elisabeth Rogge received the Emerging Eminence Award from Mortar Board, the National College Senior Honor Society. The award recognizes extraordinary scholarship, leadership, and service.

 

MFA lighting design student Chelsie McPhilimy presented her work at the Young Designer’s Forum at the national conference of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology in Fort Worth.

 

MFA acting student Melonie Mazibuko was a finalist for the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduate Associate Teaching Award.

 

PhD student Allison Brogan presented “Post 9/11 Narratives and Contentious Discourses: Arab-American Female Voices in Contemporary Theatrical Performance,” PhD student Geoffrey Wilson presented “Revising Boundaries and Perspectives in ‘I Took Panama,’” PhD student Elizabeth Wellman presented “The Obituary Lied: Rose La Rose and the 1960s Burlesque Revival,” MA student Max Glenn presented “Re-vise/De-vise: Revising the Dramaturg within The Ohio State University’s Devised Marcel Marceau Project,” and PhD student Josh Patterson had two short plays produced, “Is That Elvis?” and “Quantum of Significance,” at the 35th annual Mid-America Theatre Conference in Cleveland.

 

Geoffrey Wilson, Allison Brogan, Josh Patterson, and Max Glenn at The Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC).

 

PhD student Paul Lockwood presented “Gay Playwrights and Their Gay Characters: Mirroring the Stages of Grief through the Generational Evolution of AIDS Plays” at the 2014 Queer Places/Practices/Lives Conference at The Ohio State University.

 

PhD student Chelsea Phillips presented “Midwiving Fathers: Supernatural Generation and Suspect Recognition in Pericles and The Winter’s Tale” at the annual Shakespeare Association of America conference in St. Louis. 

 

MFA lighting design student Chelsie McPhilimy successfully defended her thesis lighting design production, Zombie Prom. Her committee members were Mary Tarantino (adviser), Kristine Kearney, and Mandy Fox.

 

MFA scenic design student Trenton Bean successfully defended his thesis scenic design production, Zombie Prom. His committee members were Brad Steinmetz (adviser), Janet Parrott, and Mandy Fox.

 

MFA scenic design student Marni Balint successfully defended her thesis scenic design production, The House of the Spirits. Her committee members were Kristine Kearney (adviser), Beth Kattelman, and Brad Steinmetz.  

 

PhD student JiRye Lee was awarded a Coca-Cola Critical Difference for Women Grant for Research on Women, Gender, and Gender Equity for her proposal “Staging Stories of Her Own: Autobiographical Performance by Women in the Twenty-first Century.”  

 

PhD student Elizabeth Wellman received the Betty Masters Advocate of the Year Award from the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO).

 

BA student Leela Singh is the first student from the department to win the Holbrook Research Abroad Fellowship. Just two of these are given annually, to provide a student project with $3500 for international research. With this money, Leela traveled to India, where she conducted 21 interviews with performers at the Chokhi Danhi resort, to write a distinction thesis that easily rivals the quality of many graduate theses and dissertations.

 

BA student Elisabeth Rogge received the Emerging Eminence Award from Mortar Board, the National College Senior Honor Society for extraordinary scholarship, leadership, and service.

 

MFA design student Justin John successfully defended his MFA thesis. Justin designed The Tempest, produced in autumn semester 2013, directed by guest Cressida Brown from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Justin’s committee consisted of Mary Tarantino, adviser, and members Kristine Kearney and Kevin McClatchy. 

 

MFA design students Andy Baker, Shane Cinal, Josh Quinlan, led by Assistant Professor Brad Steinmetz won the National Theatre Architecture Competition, awarded at the USITT national conference.

 

BA student Ryan Harrison will be attending The Ohio State University to earn his PhD in Hearing Science.

 

BA student Jordan Hinkle-Moore interned with “Glacier Films” a Hollywood company shooting in Columbus and on Ohio State’s campus. 

 

 

MFA acting student Melonie Mazibuko attended the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique Certified Teacher Program, an intensive offered at Kent State University.

 

MFA acting student Sifiso Mazibuko attended the P3/east Chicago Intensive: Physical Acting Intensive Workshop based on their training in Suzuki and Slow Tempo work. 

 

PhD student Esmaeil Najardaronkolae presented “Ta’zieh: The Persian Condolence Theatre,” PhD student JiRye Lee presented “A Story of Her Own: Autobiographical Solo Performance by Lenelle Moise and Vanessa Hidary,” PhD student Francesca Spedalieri presented “Breaking through the Strata: Contemporary Italian Theatre, Women Directors and Emma Dante in the Berlusconi Era (1994-2011),” and PhD student Seunghyun Hwang presented “Stratifications of Asians in Cold War America: Foreigner to Family in Leonard Spigelgass’ A Majority of One,” at the annual International Federation for Theatre Research conference in Warwick, UK.

 

PhD student Seunghyun Hwang successfully defended his dissertation: “Remaking the American Family: Asian Americans on Broadway during the Cold War Era.”  His committee includes:  Lesley Ferris (advisor), Beth Kattelman and Jennifer Schlueter; Professor Chan Park (East Asian Languages and Literatures). He joined the Department of Theatre in fall 2014 as a lecturer.

 

PhD student Jill Summerville successfully defended her dissertation and passed her oral defense. Her dissertation, “The Presence of the Gimp: A Study of the Effects of Body Aware Casting,” is groundbreaking work that grapples with how wheelchairs are read onstage, and what it means when the person seated within them is (or is not), as she provocatively calls it, “gimpy.” Jennifer Schlueter served as Jill’s dissertation advisor, and members of her oral defense committee were: Beth Kattelman, Joy Reilly, and Jennifer Mitzen (Political Science). 

 

MFA acting student Meg Chamberlain and BA student Erin Mellon appeared in The Divine Sister at the Short North Stage.

 

2013-2014 End of Year Celebration
Awards & Recognition Program
April 16, 2014

The following students were honored with Undergraduate Student Excellence in recognition for participation in this year’s Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.

• Andrew Trimmer - Finding the Heart in Theatre, Adviser: Joy Reilly. He also received an Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the Arts and Sciences Honors Committee.
• Natalie Woods - Live Programming and Operation of Lighting in a Text-Based Theatrical Performance, Advisers: Jennifer Schlueter and Mary Tarantino
• Genevieve Simon - MAPS: Where Do We Go From Here?, Adviser: Joy Reilly. She received an Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the Arts and Sciences Honors Committee.
• Julia Langholt - Science of a Story, Adviser: Joy Reilly

L to R: Ryan Harrison, Julia Langholt, Andrew Trimmer, and Genevieve Simon are recognized for their participation in the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. 

Denman participants from theatre presenting for their minor:

• Ryan Harrison - Using Cochlear Pre-Conditioning to Reduce Cisplatin Ototoxicity, Adviser: Eric Bielefeld
• Leela Singh - Preserving the “Fine Village”: Commodification in Imagined Spaces, Adviser: Jennifer Schlueter

GRADUATE STUDENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Chelsea McPhilimy, for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research, and Creative Activity; for guest teaching Theatre 2211, service on the Syndicate Committee; for her participation in Live Design International in Las Vegas and the Young Designers Forum in Texas, her professional development through the Gilbert Hernsley portfolio review; for her lighting design for Zombie Prom, Marat/Sade, Twelfth Night, The Visit, The Rape of Lucretia, and media for The House of the Spirits.

L to R: Mary Tarantino presents the Graduate Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research, and Creative Activity Award to Chelsea McPhilimy. 

Chelsea Phillips, for Excellence in Teaching & Research. Chelsea received the Graduate Association Teaching Award (GATA) and the Presidential Fellowship based on her dissertation research Carrying All Before Her. She also received a Coca-Cola Research grant, AGGRS, and Arts and Humanities grant to conduct research in the UK, and she presented research at four major conferences – Dallas,  France, Toronto, Virginia, and two more in the UK.

Elizabeth Harelik, for Excellence in Service & Creative Activity for her outstanding work with the OSU/RSC partnership and programming by creating, teaching and leading the workshops that accompany the touring production of As You Like It, and for the marvelous job she did acting the role of Rosalind.

Max Glenn, for Excellence in Service & Creative Activity for his work as the Production Manager of the Lab Series and for the development of the Script Club.

L to R: Jennifer Schlueter presents the Graduate Excellence in Service & Creative Activity Award to Max Glenn.

Camille Bullock, for Excellence in Creative Activity for the writing and production of her play Southern Cross the Dog at Available Light Theatre Company.

Jane Elliott, for Excellence in Research on The Gender Project and coinciding workshops, co-presenting on her research with Mandy Fox at the VASTA conference, and presenting at the ATHE conference on the Theatre and Social Change Debut Scholars panel.

Sifiso Mazibuko, for Excellence in Teaching of the TH 2831 Movement and Voice class, his exquisite command of both voice and movement and his exceptional ability to teach and inspire students to excel in bringing two techniques together.

Jeanine Thompson (left), Mandy Fox (right) present Sifiso Mazibuko (center) the Graduate Excellence in Teaching Award. 

Meg Chamberlain, for Excellence in Service, for going well above and beyond the call of duty with her teaching and mentoring of stage managers and assistant stage managers; for her extraordinary abilities, time and generosity as Production Stage Manager for There Is No Silence; and for her excellent assistance with running the Mime and Movement Theatre Symposium. Meg delivers a high standard of leadership in all that she does.

Francesca Spedalieri, for Excellence in Creative Research for the superb, multifaceted job she did as assistant director of There Is No Silence, including her expertise in staging, choreography and the extraordinary animation collaboration with ACCAD.

2013-2014 Honorary Dramatic Fraternity Alpha Psi Omega (APO) President Liz Light led the newly elected 2013-2014 APO officer in the oath of office: Constance Hester, vice president; Michael Carozza, treasurer; Emily Kascandi, business manager.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE 2013-2014 PRODUCTION SEASON

For contributions as a stage manager:

• Jen Monfort, for excellent stage management of Zombie Prom and As You Like It
• Emi Bungo, for excellent stage management of There Is No Silence
• Josh Cordle, for excellent assistant stage management of There Is No Silence
• Zachary Bailey, for excellent assistant stage management of There Is No Silence
• Constance Hester, for excellent assistant stage management of The House of the Spirits

For contributions to the scenic studio:

• Emily Jeu
• Ryan Harrison, in particular for his work as technical director for As You Like It

For contributions to sound and media:

• Zach Evans, for helping pull more than a mile of network cable this semester

For contributions in design:

• Chris White, for sound design in The House of the Spirits
• Ashton Montgomery, for costume design of As You Like It

For contributions as a performer:

• For their work in The House of the Spirits: Leela Singh, Anna Leeper, Janice Robinson, Rachel Moore, and Jesse Massaro
• For their work in Zombie Prom: Trent Rowland, Kelly Hogan, and Liz Light
• Genevieve Simon, for My Name Is Rachel Corrie

L to R: Anna Leeper, Rachel Moore, Leela Singh, Jesse Massaro, and Janice Robinson receive oustanding contribution to production awards. 

For ensemble work:

• The ensemble of As You Like It performed at 18 different schools in 20 performances, after opening at the Lincoln Theater from February 7-9. They have exemplified the best in ensemble work and have enriched the lives of hundreds of K-12 students. The acting ensemble is: Erica Beimeshe, Victoria Carthorn, Max Glenn, Elizabeth Harelik, Jay Hobson, Kelly Hogan, Caleb Inboden, Daniel Shtivelberg, David Smith, Kevin Tate, Daniel Turek.

L to R top: Daniel Shtivelberg, Caleb Inboden, Kevin Tate, Max Glenn, Daniel Turek; L to R bottom: Elizabeth Harelik and Kelly Hogan receive oustanding contribution to production awards. 

For overall excellence:

• Natalie Woods, for her extraordinary work as tech coordinator for the Lab Series from 2012-2014. Efficient, competent, with an artistic eye and steady nerves, Natalie has been indispensible and will be sorely missed!
• Andrew Trimmer, for his many contributions to the Department of Theatre over the past years, including work as an actor, playwright, and designer, as well as his warm and generous spirit, whether undertaking work in the main office or supporting his fellow students. We’ll miss you!

GRADUATE STUDENT MORROW AND SNOW FUND RECIPIENTS

Established in 1980 in memory of John C. Morrow, professor of theatre from 1963 until his death in 1979, the Morrow Memorial Fund provides small grants for graduate student research.

Recipients: Marni Balint, Shelby Brewster, Allison Brogan, Meg Chamberlain, Mina Choi, Jennifer Collins, Esmaeil Najar Daronkolae, Jane Elliott, Max Glenn, Elizabeth Harelik, Seunghyun Hwang, Jirye Lee, Paul Lockwood, Melonie Mazibuko, Sifiso Mazibuko, Chelsie McPhilimy, Josh Patterson, Chelsea Phillips, Brent Ries, Francesca Spedalieri, Elizabeth Wellman, Geoffrey Wilson

Established February 7, 2003, The Aida Cannarsa Snow Endowment Fund was established to provide need-based scholarships to students interested in the arts.

Recipients: Marni Balint, Shelby Brewster, Allison Brogan, Meg Chamberlain, Mina Choi, Jennifer Collins, Esmaeil Najar Daronkolae, Jane Elliott, Max Glenn, Elizabeth Harelik, Seunghyun Hwang, Jirye Lee, Melonie Mazibuko, Sifiso Mazibuko, Chelsie McPhilimy, Josh Patterson, Chelsea Phillips, Brent Ries, Francesca Spedalieri, Elizabeth Wellman, Geoffrey Wilson

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Established December 9, 1982, by American Playwrights Theatre, Inc. Income provides scholarships to students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and ability in dramatic writing.

Recipients: Michael Carozza, Constance Hester, Elisabeth Rogge, Trent Rowland

The Gerald R. Black Scholarship Fund for Recognition of Excellence in Theatre was established in 1974 in memory of Gerald R. Black, a 1924 graduate of The Ohio State University.  The scholarship is intended for undergraduate students within the Department of Theatre interested in the area of playwriting.

Recipients: Cecilia Bellomy, Kelly Hogan, Emily Kacsandi, Daniel Shtivelberg

The Michael Swink Fund for Talent in Theatre Technology was established in 1980 in memory of Michael Swink (BA 1975) and provides funding for undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and ability in theatre in the area of design and technology.

Recipient: Travis Bihn, Zachary Cooper, Zachary Ivans

The Scarlet Mask Award was established in 1973 by members of the Scarlet Mask Society to recognize distinction and outstanding performance.

Recipient: Joshua Cordle

The Robert Eugene Johnson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1983 with gifts from the estate of Robert Eugene Johnson (MA 1950) to provide one or more scholarships for junior and/or senior students who are majoring in theatre and are maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average.

Recipients: Victoria Carthorn, Jesse Massaro

The Roy and Addeleen Bowen Fund for Exceptional Talent in Theatre was established in 1978 to honor Roy H. Bowen, professor emeritus of theatre. The scholarship supports undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional talent in theatre.

Recipients: Erica Beimesche, Amy Pan, Akia Williams

L to R top: Daniel Shtivelberg, Josh Cordle, Zach Evans, Jesse Massaro, Trent Rowland; L to R bottom: Emily Kacsandi, Kelly Hogan, Cecelia Bellomy, Elisabeth Rogge, and Constance Hester receive scholarship awards. 

WILLIAM CASE KRAMER THEATRE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

Congratulations to Geoff Wilson, the 2014 recipient of the William Case Kramer Theatre Research Fellowship.  Geoff is funded for a research trip to Bogota, Columbia to visit several libraries and archives, and conduct interviews with theatre artists. His dissertation research examines representations of violence in contemporary Colombian performance.