The School of Design & Production offers a unique and comprehensive program of instruction and practice in 12 different concentrations in theatrical design, technical production, project management, arts management and related theatre crafts. Students design and execute the sets, properties, costumes, lighting, sound, and wigs and makeup, as well as manage all production aspects for more than 20 shows a year. The School of Design & Production works hand-in-hand with the Schools of Dance, Drama, Filmmaking and Music in mounting and producing operas, musicals, plays, ballets, contemporary dance performances and films. Students may enroll in the undergraduate (Bachelor of Fine Arts or Arts Diploma) or the graduate (Master of Fine Arts) programs. The instructional program equips graduates for positions in the profession at an employment rate that approaches 100 percent

UNCSA’s School of Design and Production, along with Cirque du Soleil, are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual UNCSA Southeast Regional Entertainment Technology Conference to be held September 30 – October 2, 2010 on the UNCSA campus in Winston-Salem, NC.

The event will once again be a three day conference presented by Cirque du Soleil Resident Shows Division and their business partners, and will include demonstrations of Cirque’s automation techniques, rigging, show operations, digital projection, wardrobe/wig/makeup, and audio systems.  The conference will also offer training and information sessions on the unique production environment of Cirque shows and their "Creation" process.

Further program details, including registration information, can be found at http://faculty.uncsa.edu/techconference/

The Winston-Salem Lighting Project, is back in downtown Winston-Salem for a second year.  The project, under the direction of Norman Coates (lighting department program head), is a multimedia public art presentation using prominent downtown landmarks as the canvas.  This year, the Pepper Building in downtown Winston-Salem will serve as the location for the project.

Last year, D&P students “lit” the Millennium Center using the styles of various artists.  This year, students will project up to 100 images onto the Fourth Street side of the Pepper Building during a 15-20 minute cycle.  The cycles will run continuously, in a loop, from 7-11 p.m. each day.  The images, which have been designed by four 4th year undergraduate lighting design students in the School of Design and Production, will focus on depletion of the world’s resources, the environment and sustainability, and population growth.  D&P lighting design students whose designs will be incorporated into the exhibit include John Alexander, Alex Bright, Emily McGillicuddy, and Rob Ross.   In addition, Robert Virzera (4th year lighting) will serve as the lead production electrician.   A total of 26 students in the lighting program in D&P are involved in implementing the event, which involves projecting digitally manipulated images onto the building façade with high-tech, large format projectors.  Coates describes the project as being “conceived to powerfully demonstrate the impact of light as an artistic medium in urban contexts.”  The project runs downtown at the Pepper Building (101 West 3rd Street) Thursday – Saturday, November 19 – 21, from 7 p.m. – 10p.m.

Press Release

Lighting Project coverage in Sunday November 16, 2009 Winston-Salem Journal

Lighting Project coverage in Sunday November 22, 2009 Winston-Salem Journal

Kelly Katzenmayer (high school senior – visual arts program) has won a gold medal at the prestigious youngArts competition for 2010.  The program is sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), which honors the most talented high school seniors in the U.S. in the performing, visual and literary arts.  The youngARTS program is considered by many to be the most prestigious arts competition for young adults (17 – 18 years old) in the nation.  NFAA was founded with the mission to identify emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development, and to raise the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American society.  The approximately 20-40 students chosen as Gold and Silver award winners then participate in a youngARTS week later this spring.  Held in New York, the week culminates in several performances of an interdisciplinary show.  These youngARTS finalists are able to work with phenomenal master teachers as part of the youngARTS week.  Notable master teachers have  included Edward Albee, Frank Gehry, Placido Domingo, Vanessa Williams, Raul Esparza, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Lora Brasser (4th year stage management) has recently authored an article for the Stage Technologies website.  Lora is interning at Stage Technologies in Las Vegas, where she is gaining valuable exposure to various aspects of the production process.   The article, entitled “From automation techniques to resumé surgery at UNCSA” can be found at:

http://www.stagetech.com/news/unsca-southeast-regional-entertainment-technology-conference.

The following D&P faculty, students and alums are involved in Triad Stage’s upcoming production of “Around the World in 80 Days,” adapted for the stage by Mark Brown, from the novel by Jules Verne:

• Howard Jones (scenic design faculty) – scene designer
• Norman Coates (lighting faculty) – lighting designer
• Janie Bullard (3rd year graduate sound design) – sound designer
• Renata Brewington (4th year scene painting) – scenic artist
• Nicole Miniclier (2nd year graduate scenic art) – scenic artist
• Jeremy Stamps (4th year stage management) – assistant production manager
• Christian Young (D&P alum) – technical director
• Meredith Riggan (BFA ‘09, scene painting) – scenic artist

The show runs at Triad Stage in downtown Greensboro from 2/7/10 – 3/7/10.

Leah Huels (4th year costume design) designed the costumes for Twin City Stage’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”  at the Arts Council Theatre on Coliseum Drive in Winston-Salem.

D&P alum Klyph Stanford has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for outstanding set design for his design of a production of “Hysteria” at the Rep Stage in Columbia, MD.

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