Student Resources

This page is a repository for resources
for current Theatre & Dance students.

Other useful resources for Theatre & Dance Students are:

The Theatre & Dance Subject Guide, from the Trexler Library, offering links to a wide variety of theatre and dance resources, including video, texts, databases, citation guides, and more.
the Dance Program Blog, featuring information about courses, auditions, master classes, and performances.
the Muhlenberg Theatre Association website, with information about all student-run theatre performances, ensembles, auditions, applications, and more.

Auditions: The Labyrinth of Desire

SIGN UP TO AUDITION
for 'The Labyrinth of Desire'

FALL 2023
THE LABYRINTH OF DESIRE
By Caridad Svich
Directed by Leticia Robles-Moreno and Troy Dwyer

AUDITIONS

Sat, April 22 & Sun, April 23
9 am – 12:30 pm — one-hour time slots
in Rehearsal House 201
collaborative group auditions

CALLBACKS

Sat, April 29 & Sun, April 30
times TBA — 1.5 hour time slots

INFO SESSION w/ Troy & Leticia

Thur, April 20
5:15-6 pm
Rehearsal Hall, Trexler Pavilion
Zoom option available for students abroad:
ZOOM LINK Meeting ID: 974 3662 1599 Passcode: 183235

PERFORMANCES

Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2023
Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance

The audition sign-up process has FOUR steps:

Read this casting email carefully — also right here!
Sign up for an audition slot here.
Complete the audition information Google form! (two forms!)
Read the script! Seriously, please read the script before you audition!

Audition Information

ALL AUDITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT REHEARSAL HOUSE 201. Please arrive at RH 15 minutes prior to your audition time to check in.

We are seeking 9 principal roles and 5-6 ensemble roles. The play will be cast from among current first-years, sophomores and juniors.

Students cast in the production will return to campus around Aug. 18 for a week of intensive rehearsals prior to the start of the semester. The department will cover meals for students involved in the process until meal plans begin at the start of the semester. Please note that OLs and RAs usually have full-time commitments before the semester begins, so this might conflict with our week of intensive rehearsals for Labyrinth.

Preliminary auditions will be in a workshop-style format in a group setting in which prospective company members collaborate to devise performance material related to the themes, characters and situations of The Labyrinth of Desire. This workshop will also ask prospective company members to invoke their life experiences, human perspectives and worldviews. Other than reading the full text of The Labyrinth of Desire, no preparation is necessary for the workshop-style preliminary audition. Just please come ready to work collaboratively. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, of plain colors. No jewelry, or constraining clothes or accessories. Bring a bottle of water and something to write on.

Students who are currently abroad / off-campus:

Students who are currently studying abroad or out-of-town should fill out the audition information Google form and send an email to both Leticia Robles-Moreno and Troy Dwyer by THURSDAY, APRIL 20 AT NOON ET to receive your prompt for online collaborative auditions. Students who don't fill out the Google form and/or don't communicate with the directors by the April 20 deadline will not be able to audition.

Show Information

CONTENT ADVISORY

The play starts with a melodramatic exclamation related to suicidal ideations, a rhetorical device that occurs a few more times in the play. Though no character appears seriously intent on self-harm, we acknowledge the impact that this topic has had and could have on LGBTQ audiences and ensemble members. Additionally, since the play deals with a societal preoccupation with binary gender, the character of Florela/Felipe is the frequent victim of microaggressions in which the world of the play asks them to “prove” that their gender either does or does not match traditional fixed notions of “woman” or “man.” The directors will work on generating networks of support to make space for grief and healing.

SHOW DESCRIPTION

An adaptation of Lope de Vega’s Spanish Golden Age comedy La Prueba de los Ingenios (1617), Caridad Svich’s The Labyrinth of Desire (premiering 2010, revised 2022) is both a loyal translation of Lope’s comedy of errors and a re-working that incorporates contemporary understandings of gender-queerness. Florela/Felipe is a central protagonist on a journey of self-discovery as a gender nonbinary person. Svich uses Florela/Felipe to turn Lope’s original convention of outrageous Twelfth Night-style disguises into a modern queer/feminist interrogation of assumptions about desire, love, and personhood. The play’s denouement riffs on the classical convention of tidy marriages, with some of the central lovers unpartnered, and several others paired in queer unions. The publication of the 2010 version, also offers this description: “Filled with clever deceptions and hilarious disguises, this who’s-who comedy of romantic intrigue explores the delightful and essential mystery of love. This stylish and contemporary adaptation proves that intuition and infatuation have long challenged the boundaries and fluidity and desire.”

BLURB

Have you ever thrilled to the over-the-top excitement of a telenovela? Spanish Golden Age playwrights like Lope de Vega were making equally outrageous onstage adventures four centuries before Univision hit the airwaves. In Caridad Svich's contemporary queer adaptation of Lope's comedy La Prueba de los Ingenios, high-stakes telenovela glamor meets Shakespeare-esque romantic calamity. An honest-to-goodness gender nonbinary romantic lead goes undercover, and gets way more than they bargained for! A ravishing heroine and a suave hero both learn that love and sex aren't as clear-cut as they thought! Intuition! Infatuation! Betrayal! And a sly challenge to the boundaries of fluidity and desire...

A NOTE ON INTIMACY

This play will require to work closely with ensemble members, exploring how (queer) love and desire create intimate bonds. We will work intentionally with an intimacy director to create a safe and humane environment on stage and in rehearsal rooms.

A COUPLE OF NOTES ON CASTING

Lope de Vega was Spanish, and Caridad Svich is Argentine-Cuban-Spanish-American. As a result, though the play imagines a modern world with room for every kind of person, it is very informed by perspectives of the global majority, particularly Latinx cultural contexts.

The highly stylized world of the play (plus its preoccupation with self-presentation) makes ample and equal space for actors of all races and ethnicities, actors of all gender identities and presentations, actors who are from countries other than the US, and actors with disabilities. To a great degree, the play invites the incorporation of any identity and identification into the characters. This means that every actor at Muhlenberg will discover characters in the play they can easily see themselves playing.

A NOTE ON GENDER PRONOUNS

The following character breakdown includes the characters’ pronouns as written in the play and envisioned by the directors. Actors of all gender identities and presentations are encouraged to audition. However, if you have questions about how your pronouns align with those of the characters, please feel free to contact Troy and Leticia to ensure equitable practices in casting.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

FLORELA / FELIPE (they/them), spirited, impulsive, intelligent; on a journey of self-discovery as a gender-nonbinary person. The text implies this character was assigned female gender at birth, and presents as a young woman throughout much of the play. However, that changes.

RICARDO (any pronouns), steadfast friend to Florela and Alejandro; ready to help, ready to follow through, ready to fall in love

ALEJANDRO (he/him), Florela’s impetuous, somewhat neurotic, handsome fiancé; on the search for comfort and privilege

CAMACHO (any pronouns), a young man of quicksilver energy, a messenger, fool, and trickster; from “Nowhere and Everywhere,” but with a family originally from Spain, CAMACHO’s ethnicity is Hispanic or Latinx.

LAURA (she/her), confident, poised, intelligent young woman of slightly giddy, neurasthenic energy; not really ready to fall in love, unless…

FINEA (any pronouns), her plain-spoken confidante; propelled by energetic desire and playful freedom to love

PARIS (he/him), Laura’s charming, ardent suitor, a dandy in the Wilde-an sense with rockstar energy; used to win and be loved

ESTACIO (any pronouns), his loyal assistant; used to enjoy the fruits of PARIS’ wins, and to work hard to secure those wins

DUCHESS (of Ferrara) (she/her), LAURA’s mother, sly and elegant, a gracious politician; believes in the empowerment of younger generations

ENSEMBLE (any pronouns), joyful, stylized, melodramatic presences that entangle, and disentangle at the same time, the Labyrinth of Desire…

One more link to the script, which you should read

Theatre Course Worksheets for Fall 2023

Theatre Major Worksheets
for Fall 2023 course registration

Last revised: April 5, 2023

Dear Theatre Majors —

Here are some helpful documents for you to use as you prepare to register for courses for Fall 2023.

Classes of 2024–27

Class of ’23

Students who entered prior to Fall 2020 will still complete the major requirements of the previous Theatre curriculum. This is true even if your official class designation might have changed. You should consult with your academic advisor to ensure that you meet all requirements.

Theatre Selection Process, 2023-24 Season

Theatre Season 2023-24
Season Selection Notes

Please refer to this document for updates on the season selection process for 2023-24 theatre productions.

Updates:

Jan. 27: List of shows under consideration

Theatre Selection Committee:

Oyinkansola Adebajo ’24
Jess Bien, Director of Operations and Production
Holly Cate, Associate Professor of Theatre
AnnaMaria Fernandez ’24
Rebecca Lustig, Director of the Co-Curricular/Production Program
Beth Schachter, Professor of Theatre
Carolina Sutton-Schott ’24

Proposal Guidelines:

(Proposals were due Jan. 17, 2023.)

The Theatre Season Selection group is happy to invite ALL members of the Muhlenberg community to propose projects for the 2023–24 production season! These are productions that will be directed by faculty and guest directors, but all — including students — may propose a production for consideration.

Preference will be given to proposals that include one or more of the following:

Musicals written in the last 25 years
Anti-racist and Feminist works, especially those that focus on intersectional identities
Projects that seek to find new approaches to “old” plays
Works that feature multiple roles for non-binary, trans and female identifying performers
Non-realistic works, especially those that contain fantastical or supernatural elements
Works that confront ableism, both through process and in production

At this time we are not considering proposals for student-directed works or student-written plays, but stay tuned for more information on student playwright opportunities!

Other factors that will be considered include:

The number of available roles across the season
The availability of performance rights
The feasibility of production scale across the season
The overall educational opportunities for students, both those involved in the production and those who will be audience members

Guest Artists — Spring 2023

Guest Artist
Masterclasses & Workshops
Spring 2023

Here's information about Theatre & Dance workshops and masterclasses this semester. The pages below will be updated as more information and signups become available.

Friday, Feb. 3: Masterclass & American Dance Festival Audition
with Sarah Procopio
2:30-4 pm in the DST
Find out more

Feb. 6-10: Dance Film Week
with Cara Hagan

Monday, Feb. 6: Films created by the Muhlenberg community
Submission deadline for films is Monday, Jan. 23
Tuesday, Feb.7: Muhlenberg faculty's favorite clips
Wednesday, Feb. 8: Muhlenberg students' favorite clips
Thursday, Feb. 9: Guest Artist's favorite clips

Find out more! (including submission guidelines for short films and favorite clips)

Friday, Feb. 10: Guest Artist Cara Hagan
Part of Dance Film Week

Screendance Workshop, 2-4 pm
Presentation & Talkback, 7-9 pm

Find out more!

Friday, Feb. 17: Theatre for Young Audiences Workshop
with Joshua Rashon Streeter
2:30-4 pm in the Empie Theatre
Find out more and sign up

Friday, Feb. 24: Flying Low & Passing Through Workshop
with Lily Kind
2-5 pm in the DST
Find out more

Tuesday, April 18: Aerial Workshop
with Bandaloop
5:30-7:30 pm at Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University
for Muhlenberg students
Find out more

Signing Out Studio Space

updated Nov. 1, 2021

To reserve studio spaces for next week, please take the following steps:

Read the first tab of this space schedule spreadsheet that explains "Everything You Need to Know About Reserving Spaces!" Maya will be sending weekly versions of this spreadsheet out every Friday.
View the space specific tabs of the space schedule spreadsheet for the upcoming week and make note of what spaces are available at the times you are interested in. A white, blank rectangle means that a 30 minute time slot is available.
Email Maya at [email protected] with your space request at least 24 hours in advance of when you hope to occupy a studio. Include the time frame (or frames), date, and spaces you are hopeful for.
You will be good to go when Maya confirm the reservation with you and plug it into our weekly spreadsheet! Instead of waiting for an email response, you can always visit Maya at her new office hours (explained below!) for an instantaneous confirmation.

For the current spreadsheet, please go here.

Maya's office hours for the rest of this semester will remain as follows:

Mondays: 10 am - noon
Wednesdays: noon - 2 pm
Fridays: 2 pm - 4 pm
Any other time the box office window is open

Prop & Costume Requests

Dance Costume Loan Requests

The Theatre & Dance Department maintains a stock of props and costumes from past productions that students can borrow for their work in scenes and class projects. Please note, not all items are available for loan.

It's important that you plan ahead to ensure that you have the items you need in time for your project.

Here's how it works…

1. Choose your items

Contact Katrina in Props or Lex in the Costume Shop to see what they have that will fill your needs. See below for details. They might just be able to leave your items at the Box Office, or you might need to come in and take a look.

2. Pay your deposit

Once you've determined that there are items that meet your needs, come to the Box Office to pay your $20 refundable deposit. You can do this when you pick up items left for you. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, noon – 6 pm.

3. Get your stuff

If items are left for you, just pick them up at the box office. If you need to take a look at stock, you can take your items with you when you find them (after you've paid your deposit, of course).

4. Use the stuff

Break a leg — but not your props and costumes! Take care of 'em! You're responsible for their safe, intact return.

5. Bring it back

You can return your items to the Box Office, again Monday through Friday, noon to 6 pm. You'll get your deposit back when the stuff comes back on time and in good condition.

Deposits

You can pay the $20 refundable deposit at the Box Office, via cash, check, or credit card. Each deposit covers up to five items. If you need both costumes and props, you'll need to pay two separate $20 deposits. Be sure hang onto the receipt for your deposit.

Prop Loans

To borrow props, email Katrina at [email protected], to see if we have what you're looking for. Katrina can let you know what's available, or make an appointment for you to come take a look. If she has what you're looking for, you can arrange to have her leave it at the box office for pickup.

You may also come visit Prop Storage, in the Empie stage-right wing, during the posted hours of Friday noon to 2 pm to look through the stock of props. You must pay your $20 deposit before you take your items.

Studio Productions may reserve furniture and leave it in prop storage until tech rehearsals. All other props should be taken with you at the time you select them.

Costume Loans

To borrow costumes from theatre costume stock or dance stock, fill out one of these forms:

Upon receipt of the form, Lex will determine whether Costume Stock includes any items that will suit your needs, and/or contact you to make an appointment to look through stock. There's no guarantee that requests can be fulfilled.

You can view available dance stock using the online Dance Stock Catalogue. Multiple options should be provided, in case the costume(s) being requested are unavailable. Feel free to include photos and/or links in the form. If we have what you need, Lex will leave it for pickup at the box office.

For Studio Productions, a z-rack can be made available for costumes to be held. All other costumes need to be taken at the time of rental.

Costumes must be returned no later than the end of the semester they were borrowed — by Friday of Finals Week.

Lockers in the Box Office Lobby

Lockers in the Box Office Lobby

For the Spring 2021 semester, the lockers in the Trexler Pavilion box office lobby will be available ONLY to students who are taking class in the Dance Studio Theatre.

Please watch this charming instructional video, featuring our own Gianna Neal!

Instructions:

Choose a locker!
Remember the location!
Lift the handle to open the locker.
Place your items inside the locker and lift the handle to close the door.

TO LOCK:

On the keypad:

Press the C button
Choose and enter a 4-digit code. (Choose something you will remember!)
Press the “key” button

The lock will then engage with a beep, and the indicator light with flash red. Your items are then secured until you choose to unlock the unit.

TO UNLOCK (the same process as locking):

Press the C button
Then enter the 4-digit code you chose
Press the “key” button

The lock will disengage and you can lift the handle and open the unit.

Some things to remember about the lockers:

The lockers are NOT overnight, indefinite storage. They are for use during classes and rehearsals. Items should not be left overnight or for extended periods of time.
The staff will open ALL of the lockers following the master classes on Friday afternoons to prevent folks from taking over the lockers indefinitely.
Staff will periodically AND FREQUENTLY unlock all units and remove all items — especially during breaks.
Please avoid placing ANY open containers or any particularly smelly items in the lockers.
Should you spill ANYTHING in a locker, it is your responsibility to clean it up immediately and if you need assistance, please seek assistance at either the box office or the administrative office upstairs.

If you forget your code, you can seek assistance in the Theatre and Dance office between the hours of 9 am AND 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

How to Get Places — a Video Tour

These videos give you a first-person look at how to get from point A to point B in the world of Theatre & Dance. Thanks to Mia Shmariahu '19 for the video assist!

Baker Center for the Arts —> Trexler Pavilion
1. Empie Theatre
2. Baker Theatre
3. Studio Theatre (Black Box)
4. Box Office
Trexler Pavilion —> Baker Center for the Arts
1. Box Office
2. Studio Theatre (Black Box)
3. Baker Theatre
4. Empie Theatre
Brown Dance Studio
CA 226 — The Tap Box (Center for the Arts)
Dance Wellness Center & Pilates Studio
Hillside House & Rehearsal House
Lav Lounge / Lavender Lounge / Green Room
Theatre & Dance Offices
Scene Shop & Environs
1. Scene Shop
2. Damon Gelb's Office
3. Eric Covell's Office
4. Loading Dock
5. Dumpster
Other Tech Locations in the Center for the Arts
1. the Vault (electrics)
2. Paul Theisen's Office
3. Prop Storage
Bonus Round! The Baker Closet

Performance & Production Policy (Erstwhile 'Two-Rule')

Performance & Production Policy
(formerly known as 'The Two-Rule')

MTA members enrolled in any number of studio courses may be involved in only one production of any classification (except for Performance Ensembles) per semester, on or off campus. A member who is not enrolled in a studio course may be involved in up to two productions of any classification per semester, on or off campus. Members may be involved as designers in up to three productions of any classification, on or off campus.