Art Professor Selected for Tallahassee International Exhibition

Assistant Professor of Art, Elizabeth Roberts McFalls, was one of fifty
artists selected out of a total 400 artists who applied for the The 25th
Annual Tallahassee International Exhibition. Her work will be on display
through the end of September at The FSU Museum of fine Arts in Tallahassee
FL. For more information:
http://www.mofa.fsu.edu/pages/participate/tallahasseeinternational.shtml

Violinist advances in international competition

CSU senior violin student Suliman Tekalli (from Florida) advanced to the finals of the Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition in Gorizia, Italy, after competing in three rounds (qualification, elimination and semifinals) against violinists from the US, Korea, Japan, Russia, China, Romania, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia, Armenia, and Italy.

Suliman will perform in the finals as soloist with orchestra violin concertos by Brahms and Bartok. As one of the six finalists, he is already guaranteed one of the prizes in the competition. Meanwhile, he has already been awarded three special prizes: € 400,00 for the best performance of Variations by R. Lipizer; € 400,00 for the best sonata performed in the semifinals; and € 400,00 for the best virtuoso piece performance by a semifinalist.

Parker panelist at Live Design Institute

Scott Parker, Technical Director of the Department of Theatre, will moderate the third annual LDI Portfolio Review at Live Design Institute 2010, held at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Young professionals will receive critiques and career advice from lighting, sound, and projection professionals.

Vocal student finalist in Atlanta Symphony Competition

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies today announced that CSU student Joseph Brewer is one of three finalists for the “Atlanta Symphony Songster 2010” amateur vocal competition. Their YouTube.com video-entries are currently available at http://atlantasymphony.org/songsterfinalists. Finalists will sing “Over the Rainbow” with the Orchestra prior to the start of the The Wizard of Oz concert on Saturday, August 14, 2010 — the competition will also be streamed live on UStream.com. Audience members will select the winner by text message or by online voting. Winners will be announced at intermission of the concert by Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.

Joseph has studied voice with Kimberly Cone for five years. He performs with theatre companies around the region, including such roles including Jack in Into the Woods, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Rusty Charlie in Guys and Dolls. Other shows include The Music Man, Oklahoma, Bye Bye Birdie, and Once Upon a Mattress. When not on stage, Mr. Brewer works at St Luke United Methodist Church in Columbus as a staff singer and accompanist, playing piano and organ, and the Springer Opera House, where he recently finished teaching Musical Theatre at the Springer Summer Academy. Mr. Brewer has said he is thankful to have the opportunity to be reunited with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – many years ago he performed with the Orchestra as a boy soprano.

Theatre student wins Phi Kappa Phi scholarship

BATON ROUGE, LA— Melora Slotnick of Jonesboro was awarded a Study Abroad Grant worth $1,000 by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. The daughter of Melina and Michael Slotnick, she is a theatre student at Columbus State University. Slotnick will travel to the United Kingdom to continue her studies and broaden her horizons.
This honor counts Slotnick among fifty students nationwide to receive the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant. This program is designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually more than 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

Theatre professor published in Dramatics magazine

In the first of two articles (January and May 2009) in Dramatics Magazine , CSU Technical Director Scott C. Parker describes the fundamental objectives of the lighting designer’s work, the designer’s process of script analysis, and the use of research to envision what the show should look like. This month, May 2010, he outlines the next steps: figuring out where to hang the lighting instruments and how to control them to achieve the effects shown in the rendering, and communicating those solutions to the stage crew who will hang the lights in the theatre.

Dramatics is the Educational Theatre Association’s magazine for theatre students and teachers. Published monthly nine times a year (September through May), the magazine contains practical articles on acting, directing, design, and other facets of theatre; profiles of working professionals that offer insights into theatre careers; new plays; book reviews; news about new productions in New York and other major theatre centers; and a monthly calendar of EdTA events.

Faculty, Students receive Scholastic Honors

College of the Arts faculty and students were recognized at the Scholastic Honors Convocation April 16. Dr. Mariko Izumi, Assistant professor of Communication, received the Faculty Service recognition for Global Connections. Kariann Fuqua, Assistant Professor of Art, was recognized for Individual Contribution to Creative Activity.

Students recognized with departmental awards include:

Outstanding BFA (in studio Art) Student of the Year Award
Cassandra H. Lagmay

Outstanding BSEd (in Art Education) Student of the Year Award
Steven M. Tette

Outstanding MEd (in Art Education) Student of the Year Award
Virginia McCullough

Communication Award
Amelia Quinn

Music Major Award
Amanda Beard

Presser Award (Music)
Emily Vold

Theatre Arts Award
Abigail Hilton

Theatre Arts Education Award
Barrett Scroggs

Theatre Arts Design/Technical Award
Shane Harrison

Theatre Arts Performance Award
Edward Zaboroskie

Theatre Student Honored in National Competition

Edward Zaboroskie, CSU senior in Theatre Performance, was one of two actors selected for the National Partners of the American Theatre Classical Acting Award. He also was selected as alternate for an internship at the Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, NY.

Zaboroskie and his acting partner, Ansley Selman, earlier won the Region 4 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Irene Ryan acting competition and traveled to Washington DC in April to compete for the national title. This is the second year in a row that CSU Theatre students have advanced to the national level in the highest collegiate acting awards in the country. Nominees select an acting partner and perform two scenes, as well as a song or a monologue.

Bassoonist recognized in international competition

Constantin Barcov, B.M. 2008, was one of five bassoonists to advance to the finals of the Fox-Gillet Competition, held at the International Double Reed Society meeting in Norman, Oklahoma, USA, June 22-26, 2010. He was recognized with an Honorable Mention for his performance of a full recital program and a concerto.

Griffith takes top student research honor at SSCA

Brandon Griffith, a communication major at Columbus State University, received the “Top Paper” award at the 80th Annual Southern States Communication Association Meeting in Memphis, Tenn. His work entitled, “Toward a better story: A paradigm for positive Communication in ‘Lord of the Rings,’ was among the 111 honors papers accepted for presentation in SSCA’s Theodore Clevenger, Jr. Undergraduate Honors Division.

CSU Professor Selected for LaGrange National Biennial

Elizabeth Roberts McFalls, Assistant Professor of Art, was selected out of 438 submissions, as an artist in the XXVI LaGrange National Biennial. The exhibit hosts works by 118 artists from 39 states. J. Richard Gruber, PH.D., Director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, University of NewOrleans served as the juror. The exhibits runs from 2/26-4/17, 2010. For more information: www.lagrangeartmuseum.org

CSU sculptor takes first prize in student juried exhibition

CSU art student Nam Hoang has been awarded the First Place prize for his polished steel sculpture Profane Radiance at CJX: 9th Annual College Juried Exhibit, a student art exhibition sponsored by the Mountain View Arts Alliance. The exhibition features the painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture of fourteen students from eight Georgia colleges and universities. The works will be on display from March 30 - May 10 at The Art Place, 3330 Sandy Plans Road, Marietta, Georgia The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 770-509-2700.

16 CSU Vocal Students Take Honors at Auditions

The Vocal Arts Area at Schwob School of Music had 16 winners in the Georgia NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) student auditions at UGA in Athens. All four vocal studios were represented and 7 of the 15 students who won (one person won two categories) were NOT Schwob Music Scholarship holders, a testament to the quality of teaching and breadth of the vocal program. In addition to the collegiate students who won, two high school students studying with CSU professors also placed in their division.

• 2nd Place - First Year College Women, Ashley Rivera, student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• 3rd Place - First Year College Women, Lydia Jackson, student of Michelle DeBruyn
• 3rd Place - First Year College Women, Coraine Tate, student of Earl Coleman
• 1st Place - Second Year College Women, Cecilia Felix, student of Earl Coleman
• 3rd Place - Second Year College Women, Carrie Crawford, student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• 2nd Place - Second Year College Men, Zachary Bryant, student of Earl Coleman
• 1st Place - Fourth Year College Women, Kimberli Render, student of Michelle DeBruyn
• 3rd Place - Advanced College and Adult Women, Meg Vinnacombe, student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• 3rd Place - Advanced College and Adult Women, Christian Ivey, student of Michelle DeBruyn
• 1st Place Overall- Advanced College and Adult Men, Joseph Brewer, student of Kimberly Cone
• 2nd Place - Lower Level College Musical Theater Women, Lindsay Grant, student of Earl Coleman
• 1st Place - Lower Level College Musical Theater Women, Kristen Meyers, student of Earl Coleman
• 3rd Place - Lower Level College Musical Theater Women, Sarah Johns, student of Earl Coleman
• 2nd Place - Lower Level College Musical Theater Men, Zachary Wright, student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• 3rd Place - Upper Level College Musical Theater Men, Phillip McIntyre, student of Kimberly Cone
• 1st Place Overall - Advanced College and Adult Musical Theater Men, Joseph Brewer, student of Kimberly Cone High School Students
• 2nd Place - Beginning High School Girls, Ashley Seldon, student of Michelle DeBruyn (Senior and SSOM recruit for Fall 2010)
• 2nd Place - Advanced High School Girls, Ashley Riddell, student of Dian Lawler-Johnson (junior in the ATL area)

Congratulations to everyone involved!

Prof. Brenda Ito Honored as Ga. Arts in Education Leader

Theatre Professor Brenda May Ito has been selected by the Woodruff Arts Center of Atlanta as a Georgia Arts in Education Leader for 2009-10. She is the Artistic Director and Program Manager for Columbus State University’s Theatre for Youth program. In that role, Ms. May Ito produces shows that tour to several schools and cities throughout Georgia. Last year alone her shows visited sixty-nine schools and performed to over 48,000 students. Under her direction, theatre students participate in countless community outreach activities including story readings to children, fire prevention puppet shows, and charity benefit performances. Timothy McGraw, CSU Associate Professor of Theatre, said of Ms. May Ito, "Brenda’s service to students of all ages has been prolific, innovative, and creative, reaching far into the local and statewide communities." In her honor, the Woodruff Arts Center will contribute $2500 in her honor to the Theatre Outreach Program at CSU. More information at http://www.woodruffcenter.org/wac/aedu/

Freshman bassoonist wins concerto competition

Bassoonist Bogdan Dumitriu won the 2010 LaGrange Symphony Young Artist Competition with his performance of Ciranda das Sete Notas by Heitor Villa-Lobos. Mr. Dumitriu, a student of Dr. Ron Wirt, will perform as soloist with the orchestra as part of their 2010-11 concert season.

Theatre Students Capture Acting Honors Second Year in a Row

CSU junior Edward Zaboroskie and his acting partner Ansley Selman have won the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 4 Irene Ryan acting competition, and will travel to Washington DC on April 18th to compete for the national title. This is the second year in a row that CSU Theatre students have captured this award, the highest collegiate acting award in the country. The Region 4 competition draws students from Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Of the thousands of participants in college productions in these states, nearly five hundred graduate and undergraduate students were nominated for the acting competition for their superior work in college productions, including twelve from Columbus State.

Nominees select an acting partner and perform two scenes, as well as a song or a monologue. After the preliminary auditions, 32 pairs of semi-finalists are selected. Also making the semifinals this year was CSU Senior Carrie Poh, who partnered with Caleb Lawton. The semi-finals reduce the number of competitors to sixteen pairs, and two pairs of students are selected as regional winners at the final audition. Zaboroskie has the unique accomplishment of being nominated twice, for his performances in The Cripple of Inishmaan directed by CSU Theatre Professor Larry McDonald and Senora Tortuga, directed by Professor Brenda May Ito.

Zaboroskie and Selman will represent CSU at the national festival in April. They will receive an all expense paid trip to Washington DC where they will participate in workshops and seminars with tony-award winning directors, authors and playwrights. On Saturday, April 18th, they will perform on the Kennedy Center stage for a chance to win the national title.

Theatre Professor's Play Selected for Louisville Production

Professor Haley Rice's short play, Galileo Fail, will be produced at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. Placing fourth overall, it was one of six plays selected from 267 entries for performance at the university's “Anything Galileo” 10-Minute Play Festival. Performances will be March 19-21.

Theatre Faculty Honored in Kennedy Center Festival

A number of CSU Department of Theatre faculty members have been recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2009. 

Recognized for Meritorious Achievement for Faculty Design were Professor Krystal Kennel for her Lighting Design of Senora Tortuga and Sound Design for Machinal, Professor Kimberly Manuel for her Scenic Designs of A Streetcar Named Desire and Cloud Nine, and Costume Designer Kimberly Garcia for her design of Senora Tortuga.

Two faculty directors were recognized for their work on three productions, Professor Larry McDonald for his direction of the fall production of A Streetcar Named Desire, and Dr. Becky Becker two times for her spring direction of Machinal and fall direction of Cloud Nine.

The Department of Theatre has a long track record of success at the regional conference, placing at least 2 students in the finals in each of the past five years. Last year, Theatre Majors Caroline Thrasher and James Pharr won the Region IV Irene Ryan competition, and travelled to Washington D.C. to work with renowned theatre professionals and Tony Award winners. Their week culminated in a Saturday night performance on the Kennedy Center stage.

Theatre Students Win Kennedy Center Festival Honors

Students of the CSU Department of Theatre continued their impressive run of Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival honors in 2009.

12 students were nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, and will compete at the Region IV Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the chance to travel and compete for national honors at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April.

In addition, the Department was recognized for student achievement in the following areas: Costume Design (2), Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Dramaturgy (2). Four students were recognized for achievement in Directing, and a total of five students were recognized for their work in Stage Management. Junior Dureyea Rashad Collier has been selected to compete for the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers fellowship at the Regional Conference.