- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Present “The Threepenny Opera” Oct. 26-30

John Hill — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:15:23 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Literary and Performing Arts will present a fall musical production of “T�� Threepenny Opera” Oct. 26-30. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26-29 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 30 in the University Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. This production features a variety of students in the Theatre, Music, and English program, as well as alumni, faculty, and community artists. Written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and directed by Stacy Pendergraft, “T�� Threepenny Opera” is a biting satire of the post-war rise of capitalism, wrapped up in Weill’s jazzy score, and the tale of Macheath (Mack the Knife), a debonair crime lord on the verge of turning his illegal empire into a legitimate business. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for University of Arkansas System students and employees, seniors, and members of the military. Tickets can be purchased . For more information, please contact Geneva Galloway at 501-916-3291 or gegalloway@ualr.edu.

Pendergraft to Direct 2022 Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre

John Hill — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 13:49:24 +0000

Stacy Pendergraft, associate professor in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, is taking her career to new heights by directing the first Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre production to hit the stage since 2019. Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is the state’s only professional Shakespeare company and is based at the University of Central Arkansas. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre returns with one of Shakespeare’s most beloved works, “Much Ado About Nothing.” “’Much Ado About Nothing’ will transport audiences to the cultural oasis of Messina, a crossroads of Spanish, North African, and Italian influences,” Pendergraft said. “Don Pedro and his band of men arrive at the lush court of Leonato, encountering love, the high-spirited wit and exacting lessons of the women who are its driving force.” While Pendergraft, who is celebrating her 20th anniversary at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has taken the stage in several AST productions, this will be her first time directing. Her previous AST performances include “T�� Merry Wives of Windsor,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” and “T�� Music Man.” “I directed a production of ‘Arms and the Man’ for UCA in 2018 and got acquainted with Shauna Meador, executive managing producer of AST,” she said. “We formed a good friendship, and Shauna called me last summer and said, ‘you were the first person I thought of.’ I was moved by that particular kind of faith from someone who had waited for the opportunity to work with me again. That kind of belief in your ability means a tremendous amount.” Joining Pendergraft from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock are Katie Greer, an alumnae with degrees in theatre and dance, who will serve as Pendergraft’s assistant director and choreographer. Meanwhile, Essence Robinson, a spring 2022 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in theatre, will serve as a sound/light intern. “Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre has taught me a tremendous amount of things about both the lighting and sound aspects,” Robinson said. “Coming here to work, I didn’t know that I would learn as much as I have thus far, and what I am really grateful for is how I have also met many wonderful people during the process. It is definitely an opportunity that I note as profound.”

Beatrice, played by Elizabeth Jilka and Benedick, played by Steven Marzolf, star in “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre will perform “Much Ado About Nothing” June 16-18 at the Global Campus Theatre at the University of Arkansas as well as at UCA’s Arkansas Bridges Larson Theatre. The return of the festival also brings a new partnership with the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to utilize the talents of the U of A’s graduate performance and design students and faculty. “I don’t think I’ve ever known of a partnership quite like this,” Pendergraft said. “T��re are three universities at work, and that requires a phenomenal amount of partnership, shared support, and communication. I am proud, honored, and challenged to be a part of this great event. I want to give our students the kind of experience that they need to be successful in their future careers. It’s a delightful thing to do.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host ‘Beckett’s Briefs’ Performance Oct. 20-24

John Hill — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:15:23 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a performance of “Beckett’s Briefs: Short Works by Samuel Beckett” Oct. 20-24. Presented by the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, the play will take place in Haislip Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20-23. The final performance on Sunday, Oct. 24, will begin at 2:30 p.m. “Beckett’s Briefs” includes the following shorts by Samuel Beckett: “Quad,” “Act Without Words I,” “Come and Go,” “Rough for Theatre I,” “Play,” “Act Without Words II,” and “What Where.” The production will also include an original piece, “Fortuit,” by Katherine Greer and Stacy Pendergraft. Directed by Stacy Pendergraft, “Beckett’s Briefs” presents seven short works by the legendary Irish playwright, Samuel Beckett. The pieces that were chosen for this production juxtapose the author’s physical and language-driven theatrical work, exploring the paths and patterns of the human experience. The production will feature unique portable structures and a blend of scenic and costume design created through shared research and brought to life by the student acting ensemble under the guidance of Technical Director Frank Mott and Costume Designer Don Bolinger. Presented with seating on all four sides, this unconventional production promises to pique your curiosity and challenge your preconceptions of theatre-making. The performers include Trystan Benson, a senior theatre major, Lexi Brooks, a sophomore dance and theatre major, Steven Dotson, a theatre major; Brayden Fitts, a senior theatre major; Margo Gifford, a theatre alum, Leonel Martinez, a freshman theatre major; Anthony Morris, a senior theatre major, and Essence Simon’e, a senior theatre major. Tickets to “Beckett’s Briefs” will be $5 for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and employees and $10 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased online at or over the phone at 501-916-3291. Facemasks will be required. All ticket sales must be made in advance, and no tickets will be sold at the door. Ticket sales for each performance will end three hours before showtime. The ticketing software will automatically block out a seat on either side of you to allow for social distancing. If you’d like to sit with another attendee, please purchase your tickets together to avoid social-distancing holds between seats. “Quad” by Samuel Beckett is presented through arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc. All rights reserved. “Quad” was originally written as a teleplay. “Act Without Words I & II,” “Come and Go,” “Rough for Theatre I,” “Play,” and “What Where” by Samuel Beckett are presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. For more information, contact the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at theatre@ualr.edu or 501-916-3291. In the upper right photo, student performers Margo Gifford, Trystan Benson, and Essence Simon’e rehearse “Come and Go” in the Center for Performing Arts at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.��

Transfer Student Spotlight on Essence Robinson

John Hill — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 13:21:55 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highlighting some of its outstanding transfer students in celebration of , Oct. 18-22. Essence Robinson is a theatre arts major at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. What is your hometown? I am from North Little Rock, Arkansas. Tell us about yourself. I am a theatre major and creative writing minor student. If anything, I am an overall multi-creative. I have many interests in life, and I am always trying to find different creative ways to express myself. I favor acting, singing, poetry, gaining business knowledge, drumming, and more. Overall, I am a person who has a strong belief in encouraging and spreading positivity with and through everything attached to myself. If you’re a positive and open-hearted being, you’re able to go pretty far in life, in my opinion. Why did you decide to transfer to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I decided to transfer to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because I was told that it has the best Theatre and Dance department in the state of Arkansas, so I came! Must I add, what I was told is definitely true. I am happy to have transferred here. What is your major, and what do you plan to do after graduation? My major is Theatre Arts. After I graduate, I look forward to going to graduate school and gaining even more knowledge along the theatre and film aspects. What is special about being a transfer college student? What is so special about being a transfer college student is that you get a chance to meet more amazing people. When I came here, I was welcomed with open arms, and I am blessed for that. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because of the wonderful theatre and dance department and also, I heard many good things about this school. Plus, my father graduated from here! What opportunities have you gotten through ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that you might not have had otherwise? The opportunities I gained through ��Vlog��ý Little Rock would be the transfer scholarship. Also, I was given sound advising. My advisor/professor has helped me tremendously and without Stacy Pendergraft, I wouldn’t have the knowledge that I currently have now.

Pendergraft named Faculty Excellence in Teaching winner for College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

John Hill — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 20:04:42 +0000

, associate professor of theater arts, has been selected as the 2020 Faculty Excellence in Teaching award winner for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. “Stepping into the studio daily and encountering our students has, without a doubt, enlarged me,” Pendergraft said. “I am a more nuanced artist and person for having spent my career teaching students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. And the beauty of academia is that you can take a chance on students. I have trained a wide range of student talent. There is nothing more thrilling than helping the ‘bright lights’ into a professional career or advanced degree program.” Pendergraft teaches introduction to theatre and dance, acting, directing, voice and movement, theatre and dance: a first experience, as well as many student special topics courses and capstones. As a director, the lab of production further deepens her teaching objectives and includes recent works such as “Eurydice,” “An Octoroon,” “T�� Learned Ladies,” “T�� Bacchae of Euripides,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” Her educational practice and artistic aesthetic foster an environment in which creative risk, direct feedback, and personal accountability are critical skills.�� Notably, Pendergraft has trained the only two Arkansas actors ever selected for the American Theatre Wing’s Springboard NYC, an in-depth program for college students that happens parallel to the Tony Awards. “As a former student and mentee of Stacy Pendergraft, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no one more qualified and deserving of such an award,” said Corrie Green, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate who attended Springboard NYC. “Stacy Pendergraft is one of the most dedicated professors inside and outside of the classroom, one of the most persistent advisors, and the most caring mentors I have ever had the honor of being influenced by. Without her, I would not have graduated. I would not have any success stories. I would not have the confidence to remain in theatre.” Pendergraft has also taken an active role in teaching and mentoring Arkansas high school students in theatre arts. She has led innovative efforts to recruit high school students to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock by offering free theatre workshops, providing free tickets to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s performances, and more. “As a public school teacher, many of my students can’t afford theatre tickets, but, thanks to Stacy and her department, many have been allowed the opportunity to see high quality theatrical performances,” said Spencer Sutterfield, drama department chair at Parkview Arts and Sciences Magnet High School. “Stacy has also led professional development workshops for the Little Rock School District theatre teachers, leaving teachers challenged and refreshed. And Stacy has taken the role of liaison/advisor for her university’s concurrent credit program in theatre, ensuring that high school students can receive college credit for the advanced theatre courses we offer at Parkview. For all these reasons, Stacy is a gift to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and our state.” Pendergraft is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association and earned her M.F.A. degree in acting from Arizona State University and B.A. degree in theatre and elementary education from the University of Tulsa.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater student cast in NY Shakespeare company

Janea Snyder — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 20:40:57 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater major Keith Harper has learned that an acting career requires both talent and extensive networking. Through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Theatre Arts, he has developed both. This summer, Harper heads to Silver Lake, New York, where he will spend six weeks performing in ’s production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” The acting company performs classic Shakespeare throughout western New York. Harper, 26, of Little Rock will play the roles of Adam and Audrey, which he is familiar with since he was cast in the same roles last year in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of “As You Like It.” That show was guest directed by Chad Bradford, a Little Rock actor based in New York City who is the associate artistic director for Shake on the Lake. �� Harper worked with Bradford in 2017 when Bradford directed ’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and cast Harper. Then in October 2018, Bradford directed ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of “As You Like It” and worked again with Harper. When it was time to cast his New York show, Bradford encouraged Harper to audition for the Shake on the Lake acting company. “I didn’t hear anything for a couple of months, and then I got an email,” Harper recalled. “I was happy and excited. It’s a paying gig!” Harper earned an Associate of Arts at University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, where he took his first acting classes with theater instructor Sheila Glasscock who cast him in a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” He fell in love with theater and came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a transfer student. Harper received the Joan R. Taylor Scholarship and will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre Arts. “T�� theatre department at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has given me a great foundation,” said Harper, who plans to pursue a career in film and theater in Los Angeles or Atlanta. “T�� faculty here have been great. Stacy Pendergraft and Larry Smith are awesome.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Harper has performed in the Department of Theatre Art and Dance’s productions of ��“Octoroon,” “Detroit 67,” and “As You Like It.” Harper also has performed in several productions at , including “T�� Member of the Wedding,” “Two Trains Running,” “Stick Fly,” and “12 Angry Men.” Before he leaves for New York, he will wrap up work with the Northwest Arkansas . He and other actors will perform “On the Row,” a collection of staged readings of poems from death row inmates. The group leaves leaves June 13 to perform four shows in four cities including Dallas, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. Later this month, Harper will also shoot the TV pilot “Lela’s Place,” being filmed in Arkansas. Harper plays an attorney. His residency with Shake on the Lake runs July 7 to Aug. 11. “This will be my first trip to New York, and I’m looking forward to working and building network connections and expanding my skill set,” Harper said. “I hope my art in this field reaches and inspires others to do what they love. Whatever gift God has given you, you just share it. Everything will take care of itself.” Photo top right: Keith Harper plans to pursue professional acting as a career when he graduates later this year. Photo above left: Keith Harper (seated) performed in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s production of��“Detroit 67” earlier this year. Photos by Benjamin Krain��

Fringe Festival to showcase original student plays, performances

Janea Snyder — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:27:07 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock students will stage their original plays and performance pieces during the university’s Fringe Festival, taking place April 2-5. Performances will begin nightly at 7:30 p.m. in the Haislip Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. Doors open at 7 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s festival – presented by the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance – includes 12 new plays, monologues, and choreographic work from 11 playwrights. The festival is divided into two events: “PG to OMG” will be presented April 2 and April 4, and “Women’s Voices” will be presented April 3 and April 5. Many of the students created their work during the special topics course “Page to Stage” taught last fall. The student playwrights and directors have revised their written work this semester and brought the pieces to life onstage. Other work in the festival was generated in Dr. Lawrence Smith’s Introduction to Theatre and Dance course and by student majors interested in poetry and creative writing. “T�� works in the festival offer a range of content and theatrical styles,” said Stacy Pendergraft, associate professor and artistic director for the Fringe Festival. “Students have been free to explore subject matter that inspires and challenges their ideas of theatre-making.” Fringe V is directed by students and alumni, and for the first time the festival has a design component. Theatre major Thomas Jackson’s scenic design serves as his senior capstone project. In addition, Conor Van Lierop serves as lighting designer, and Blake Morris serves as sound designer. Students Mykenzie Gordon, Jessi Ley, Thomas Jackson, and Conor Van Lierop received Signature Experience Awards to support their creative works. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock freshman Gage Pipkin wrote and directed an original 10-minute play called “Prisoners,” which will be staged on two nights of the festival. “I am so glad to be involved with something that is presenting unconventional works,” Pipkin said. “A ton of work has been put in by all of those involved, and much of the work is student driven from the page to the stage.” The festival is for mature audiences age 18 and older because of adult themes, strong language, and sexual content.

Student plays, performances needed for Fringe Fest

Janea Snyder — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 21:39:01 +0000

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance seeks student submissions of 10-minute plays and performance pieces to be produced in the Student Fringe Festival V on April 2-5, 2019, in the Haislip Theatre. Performance pieces may include performance art, musical compositions for the stage, multimedia, spoken word, physical theatre, and dance theatre. Submission of original work for Fringe Festival 2019 is free and open to all students enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the spring 2019 semester. Students in film, creative writing, music, and studio arts are encouraged to submit proposals.��Participants in the Fringe Festival will be eligible for any workshops or special work development sessions organized by the department. All accepted submissions will have a faculty mentor. The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance and the Kerry Kennedy Playwright Development Fund. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, Nov. 15, by 5 p.m. Entries can be submitted here. Submission guidelines:

Applicants may submit up to 2 entries;
A completed submission form must accompany each entry;
Each entry must include a cover page with the title, author’s name, and contact information;
Scripts may be no longer than 10 pages in length; a completed or near completed first draft is desired;
All scripts must have page numbers;
Previously published or produced material may not be submitted;
Submissions may also include proposals for multi-media performance, spoken word performance, choreography with spoken text, and dramatic musical compositions, fire-eating unicycle-riding monologues, etc. Supporting materials may also be requested.

For more information, contact Stacy Pendergraft at smpendergraf@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock theater presents “An Octoroon”

Janea Snyder — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 16:43:29 +0000

The Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will present the regional premiere of An Octoroon ��Feb. 21-25 in the Haislip Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus, 5900 University Dr. An Octoroon offers audiences a provocative, funny, and surprisingly poignant examination of race in 21st-century America. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, recipient of the 2014 Obie Award for Best New American Play,��cleverly exposes the roles that we play in maintaining the melodramatic travesty of “whiteness” in contemporary America, and how race still functions to keep someone in her “place.” (The word “octoroon” means “one-eighth black.”) Content includes mature language and themes and is not recommended for children. Performances are as follows:

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2:30 p.m.

Pre-show discussion panels with university faculty on melodrama, Louisiana Creole culture, racial stereotypes in popular media, and other issues relevant to An Octoroon and our times will take place 6:45-7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and 1:45-2:15 p.m. on Sunday. Post-show discussions with director Stacy Pendergraft and the actors will be after the Thursday and Friday shows. Ticket are $10 for general admission; $5 for faculty, staff and students; and $5 for military and seniors. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the theater’s box office from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, by calling 501-569-3456, or online at ��/theatre/season/ Pre-show speakers and topics:

Wednesday, Feb. 21 – “Racial Stereotypes vs. Self-representation in American Popular Media and the Visual Arts,” with Brad Cushman, Edma Delgado, and Erin Fehr, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 22 –��“Intersections of Race, Gender, and Performance” Candrice Jones, Kristina McAbee, and Jana McAuliffe, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23 –��“Antebellum Creole Culture and Melodrama” with Brian K. Mitchell and Lawrence D. Smith, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25 – “Legacies of the Delta Slavery Economy” with John Kirk, 1:45-2:15 p.m.

Alumni Spotlight: Michael Bartholmey

Janea Snyder — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:25:21 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate Michael Bartholmey (‘12) has been acting for years and recently took on a new role: directing his��first musical. He directs “Oliver!,” based on Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist.” The show runs through Dec. 10 at the Royal Theater in Benton. Bartholmey, who has been part of the central Arkansas theater scene for many years, graduated in 2012 from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, which he credits with giving him a solid foundation. “I loved my time in the Theatre and Dance Department at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” he said. “T�� faculty opened my eyes to another dimension and gave me a whole new perspective on the art of theatre. Stacy Pendergraft (associate professor of actor training) helped me hone my acting skills. Without her directing class, I doubt I would have been ready to take on this project. And I definitely wouldn’t have made it through without the help of my adviser and professor Yslan Hicks. All of the classes were hands-on and engaging.” Bartholmey, a North Little Rock resident, got an early start in theater. As a teen, he performed at the . After college, he was cast in “Henry V” at . He has performed with in Benton in numerous shows, including “Our Town,” “Oklahoma,” “Legally Blonde,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Earlier this year, he performed in “Titanic: The Musical” at in Little Rock. For the past five years, Bartholmey has worked with the Saline County Shakes, a company he co-founded as a way to bring classical productions to the public for free. He also directed summer productions of “Macbeth,” “T�� Taming of the Shrew,” “Hamlet,” and “T�� Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (abridged). In addition to acting and directing, Bartholmey is experienced in stage management, lights/sounds, set design and construction, and other facets of theater. “I’ve done just about everything. One of the things I loved about being in the theatre program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was that they provide you with training in almost every aspect of the craft,” he said. “Acting is my true passion, but I love being behind the scenes almost just as much.” Last year, Bartholmey was named to the ACANSA Arts Avant Garde class of 2016. “Oliver!” is a new challenge for Bartholmey. It’s not only his first musical to direct but also the largest cast and crew he has worked with on any production. “I’ve always loved the casting process. You start out with a certain vision of what you want each character to look like but then you have the audition and sometimes that completely changes,” he said. “That can be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s like a big puzzle that can really go anyway you want it. You start putting the pieces together and try to figure out the best solution to fit your vision.” “Oliver!” opened Nov. 30 to a full house, much to Bartholmey’s delight. “Just being able to see your ideas and vision come to life on stage is an incredible experience,” he said. “Being able to finally sit back and just enjoy it after all the hard work and late nights really makes it all worthwhile.” “Oliver!” will be performed again Dec. 7-9 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. For more information, visit

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Present “The Threepenny Opera” Oct. 26-30