Current Initiatives

2010-2011 International Initiatives Committee Awards

The International Initiatives Committee of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, (Karen Bradley, Walter Dallas, Frank Hildy (chair), Helen Huang, Sara Pearson, and Miriam Phillips,) is pleased to announce that 13 projects will be funded in 2011-12. We received proposals to fund work in 5 European countries, 2 Asian countries, 2 South American countries, 2 Caribbean countries and 1 African country. Funded projects cover 9 undergraduate students; 2 faculty and 2 MFA students from Dance Performance and Scholarship; 2 faculty and 4 MFA students from Theatre Performance; 2 faculty and 6 MFA students from Dance/Theatre Design and Production; and 4 faculty and 7 PhD students from Theatre Scholarship and Performance Studies. To see all awards granted please click here.

2009-2010 Professor Walter Dallas; Accra, Ghana

  • Research on Concert Party Theatre, a popular form of traveling theatre (music, comedy, education)
  • Artist/festival organizer, Morrison Glover, from Ghana, will return to UMD with Professor Dallas for open student workshops and seminars
  • Development of future exchanges between artists/students/faculty (Ghana-UMD)

2009-2010 Professor Leslie Felbain and Professor Laurie Meer; Havana and Cumanayagua, Cuba

  • Professor Felbain's company, Infinite Stage, performing the play Winter Under the Table in the International Theatre Festival of Havana
  • Theatre workshops (given and received) in rural Cuba with Teatro de los Elementos (Theatre of the Elements), a professional community/political theatre group working in the Escambray Mountain region
  • Research presentation by Dr. Meer in the theatre festival's conferences/roundtable discussions
  • Development of future UMD collaborations with Teatro de los Elementos (in a theatre production) and/or other Cuban artists
  • Participants include 4-6 professional actors, one MFA grad student, 1-2 PhD grad students, one undergrad student playwright, and 1-2 undergrad student performers

2009-2010 Professor Frank Hildy; London, England

  • Research into building an ongoing relationship with the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London.
  • Developing internships and other opportunities for students (grad/undergrad) and faculty to work with the Globe in future
  • Participants include one PhD graduate student and one faculty member.

2009-2010 PhD student Karalee Dawn; Edinburgh, Scotland

  • Researching Scottish identity through the "Homecoming Scotland" Festival performances
  • Establishing contacts and developing an undergraduate course on the "National Theatres of Europe" with an emphasis on England, Ireland, and Scotland, to be delivered at UMD next year
  • Development of contacts for potential student exchanges with Scottish universities and/or theatres in future