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Mollie Downes, Anna Faye Lieberman, Woodrow Proctor & Blake Segal
Drama

Virginia Theatre Festival Makes Casting Announcement for Upcoming Production of The 39 Steps

The Virginia Theatre Festival has announced casting for its upcoming production of the hilarious and high-octane take on the classic Hitchcock whodunit The 39 Steps. The 39 Steps, directed by Nicolas Minas, will run from July 25-August 4 in the Culbreth Theatre. The cast for The 39 Steps will include: Mollie Downes (Annabella Schmidt/Margaret/Pamela): Mollie (they/she) has appeared in the national tours of Chicago, The Cher Show, and Legally Blonde. Their regional theatre credits include Pippin, Damn Yankees, and Hairspray. Anna Faye Lieberman (Clown 1): Anna (she/they) appeared Off–Broadway in The Worst Café in the World. Their regional theatre credits include Fun Home, Into the Woods, Head Over Heels, and A Christmas Carol. Woodrow Proctor (Richard Hannay): Woodrow (he/him) has performed at regional theaters across the country including Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Franklin Stage, Saratoga Shakespeare, Luna Arts and The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. Blake Segal (Clown 2): Blake (he/him) has appeared in the national tour of Mary Poppins. He has performed at regional theaters across the country including Williamstown Theatre Festival, Old Globe, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, PlayMakers Repertory Company, and Syracuse Stage. He has been seen by television audiences on the CBS series Blue Bloods. Blake is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

https://virginiatheatrefestival.org/casting-announcement-for-the-39-steps/

An illustration of a director's clap board, a marionette puppet of a furry grey animal, and a student in pants and a tank top dancing.
Drama

Drama Department Classes Offer Hands-on Experimentation and Creation

While the University’s department of drama offers many traditional classroom-based courses, several classes take students outside of the classroom setting, giving them a hands-on space to experiment with new media.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/05/drama-department-classes-offer-hands-on-experimentation-and-creation?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured

A photo of the entrance to the balcony in Old Cabell Hall, which is decorated by the mural "The Student's Progress" by Lincoln Perry.

Painting a Brighter Future – a Critical Exploration of the UVA Arts Scene

From student-formed bands that elevate nightlife, to individual art exhibits on display at the University’s Ruffin Gallery, the arts community at the University is filled with a plethora of passionate creatives.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/05/painting-a-brighter-future-a-critical-exploration-of-the-u-va-arts-scene?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured

Four cast members of Shakespeare on the Lawn's "Much Ado About Nothing" pose in costume for a photo outdoors.
Drama

Shakespeare on the Lawn Brings New Energy to an Old Classic

The works of William Shakespeare have been performed for hundreds of years, with endless variations on modernizing the themes and setting.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/04/shakespeare-on-the-lawn-brings-new-energy-to-an-old-classic?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

The crustacean puppet Kiki lights up the dusky sky on grounds with its embedded blacklights.

These Creatures Moved and Grooved on Grounds

Technical Director of Drama Steve Warner, along with architecture instructor and fabrication lab director Melissa Goldman and studio art technician Eric Schmidt started the Art of the Moving Creature course in 2012, a two-semester sequence that culminated in the first Festival.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/these-creatures-moved-and-grooved-grounds

Emily Swallow and James Seol, dressed sharply, chat in the lobby of the Drama Education Building.
Drama

Stars of ‘Mandalorian’ and ‘The Flight Attendant’ Return to UVA

Swallow and Seol returned to Grounds at the end of April for an artist residency that included visits to multiple UVA Drama classes, workshops with students, and a public question-and-answer session with Virginia Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Wales, who was a classmate of theirs in the UVA Drama Department.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/stars-mandalorian-and-flight-attendant-return-uva

Clockwise: Geno Carr, Jack Donahue, Tony Gilbert, Lauren Hooper, Lydia Horan, Emelie Faith Thompson, Emily Swallow, Nancy Snow Carr, Arbender Robinson, & Rob Marnell
Drama

VTF Announces Cast for 50 Years and Counting: A Musical Revue!

The Virginia Theatre Festival has announced casting for the 50th Anniversary season-opening production 50 Years and Counting: A Musical Revue. Set to run June 27-30 in Culbreth Theatre, 50 Years and Counting: A Musical Revue will be directed by the Theatre’s longtime former Artistic Director Robert Chapel. The production features a cast of 10 VTF alumni performing some of musical theater’s most beloved and show-stopping songs from musicals VTF has produced over the last half-century, including Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Ragtime, Spamalot, and more. Founded in 1974, VTF is the Commonwealth’s longest-running professional summer theatre company and was formerly known as the Heritage Repertory Company, Heritage Repertory Theatre, and Heritage Theatre Festival before renaming as the Virginia Theatre Festival in 2022.

https://virginiatheatrefestival.org/casting_announcement_50years/