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

��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. “The 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. “The 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 “The 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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus, student named artistic directors at Little Rock theater

Janea Snyder — Fri, 18 May 2018 19:24:42 +0000

Duane Jackson, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumnus, was recently named artistic director at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock. Assisting him will be Zachery Ingersoll, a senior theater student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Both have been involved with numerous productions at as well as theaters throughout Central Arkansas. As artistic director, Jackson will oversee the artistic vision of all productions at The Weekend Theater, which recently concluded its 25th season. The next season includes four musicals and six dramas. “Duane has been part of The Weekend Theater family for many years,” said Kim Labbate, president of the theater’s Board of Directors. “He understands and embraces the theater’s unique mission of producing socially significant works, and we look forward to seeing his creative vision.” Jackson, a central Arkansas native, has performed in more than 75 plays and directed 13 productions at The Weekend Theater over the past 20 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in theatre performance from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, graduating cum laude in 1988. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock offered me the opportunity to work and create with talented professors and directors, and helped me develop discipline and commitment to the craft of theatre,” Jackson said. “I was able to learn how to work with directors in multiple performance styles. Since it was a smaller department at the time, it allowed more individual attention and performance opportunities. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock provided the foundation of teamwork, learning your craft, and the importance of giving back to your community.” Jackson did postgraduate study at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. (now Missouri State University). He performed in two summer seasons of Tent Theatre and for a season at the Molly Brown Dinner Theatre in Hannibal, Mo. In 1991, Jackson returned to central Arkansas where he has performed and directed at most of the theatres in central Arkansas, including , ,, , the Phoenix Players, the , and . Some of his directing credits include “Angels in America,” “The Laramie Project,” and “A! My Name is Alice,” all for Weekend Theater. He will direct “Steel Magnolias” this fall.

Zachery Ingersoll

Ingersoll, who will graduate in spring 2019, also has been involved with numerous theater productions. This summer, he will work as the stage manager for The Weekend Theater’s production of the musical “Bare,” and he will direct “The Survivor’ in May, which also serves as his senior capstone project before graduating. In March, he directed a production of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” with the on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. He also served last year as the directing intern for The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” under John Miller-Stephany and as assistant director to Gilbert McCauley for “The Call” in January. Ingersoll plans to earn an MFA in Directing and eventually work as a professor of theatre and directing. “A dream of mine has always been to be a part of founding a theatre company with a strong educational mission and a commitment to producing new work and reimagining classics,” he said. (Top photo right)��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus Duane Jackson is The Weekend Theater’s new artistic director.

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Miller

Janea Snyder — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 22:15:37 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Sarah Miller (‘16) has found the perfect combination between her passion for theater and love of working with nonprofits. She currently manages , which is part of the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Main Library campus. There, she coordinates the theater’s many offerings of films, music performances, plays, readings, lectures, speakers, and children’s activities. “I love the idea of organizations existing for the sole purpose of serving others,” Miller said. “I served a few different organizations through college. After I graduated, I realized the public sector was where my home was, where I felt most comfortable.” Miller, a native of Arkadelphia, graduated from Henderson State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 2014. She learned to act and do technical work and discovered her passion for directing. “I loved the creation aspect of it,” she said. In 2015, she moved to Little Rock and enrolled in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Graduate School and completed her Master of Public Administration with a graduate certificate in nonprofit management in December 2016. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock prepared me for nonprofit work in ways I didn’t even realize,” she said. “I understand responsibility in money management, how important a strategic mindset is, and most importantly, that it is ok to constantly be asking, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’ You either come away from the question with a better understanding of why that system is in place, or you get to be a part of a change that could make a meaningful impact. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock really challenged me to constantly be thinking, researching, pushing for better ways to impact the most people.” During her graduate studies, she began to understand the setbacks and hardships that nonprofits face, especially smaller ones. “I thought there had to be more solutions out there,” she said, “and I aimed to find those solutions and one day become a resource for those nonprofits.” Miller already is serving as that resource. In May 2017, she joined Board of Directors and also took on the volunteer position as the theater’s volunteer coordinator. The Weekend Theater is also a nonprofit and is run by volunteers. When she’s not working or volunteering, she enjoys reading, hanging out with her beagle mix, Bron, and playing the ukulele, a hobby she picked up five years ago. She also spends time volunteering for various youth organizations. For the past few years, she has worked with the Arkansas Young Playwrights Competition, which encourages high schoolers to write original plays for the chance to have their play staged. She also has volunteered for Y.E.S (Youth Entrepreneur Showcase) Arkansas, judging middle school students’ proposals for business start-ups. “The whole purpose of volunteering is the chance to make this world a little better than how we found it,” she said. “That type of work brings you clarity and purpose. Any time someone tells me they are in a rut or struggling with a big decision, my advice is to put in some volunteer hours for a cause they care about. Volunteering almost always makes you feel better about your place in the world at the end of the day.” Pictured top right is ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate Sarah Miller who manages the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater and volunteers at The Weekend Theater. Photo Credit: Lonnie Timmons III/ University Communications

Alumni Spotlight: Brian Chambers

Janea Snyder — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 22:27:36 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus Brian Chambers is making his directorial debut this month with “Almost, Maine” at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock. Chambers graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and a master’s degree in secondary education in 2013. He taught theatre at Maumelle High School for three years and has served as the Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) program facilitator for the past two years. “Almost, Maine,” written by John Cariani, is part of The Weekend Theater’s 25th anniversary season line-up. Final performances are this weekend, Dec. 14-16. “I first discovered Almost, Maine a few years ago while trying to select a play for my high school students to perform,” Chambers said. “For those who have ever spent any time around teenagers, you know that trying to get them to read these days is like pulling teeth. But when I dropped these scripts in front of them, the students became more engaged in a piece of literature than I had ever seen. Almost, Maine touches on one of the most universal ideas for any age: Love. It’s a play about people who are normally very grounded but who have become very excited about love… and other extraordinary circumstances.” Chambers also collaborated with fellow teachers at Maumelle High School to create a learning project for students. About a dozen students designed and built the set for the show. While “Almost, Maine” is Chambers’ first directing project, he has performed in several productions with central Arkansas theaters. Past credits include “Little Shop of Horrors” (Seymour), “Spamalot” (Multiple Roles), “Endgame” (Clov), “A Comedy of Errors” (Dromio), “Hair” (Woof), “Grease” (Eugene), and many others. Chambers has also performed with Red Octopus Theatre and Flokati Films. Ticket information .

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. “The 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,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” “Hamlet,” and “The 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