Drama News

UCI Drama Professor Daphne Lei, Ph.D. Wins Distinguished Scholar Award

Daphne P. Lei (Ph.D. ’99), professor of doctoral studies in the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) Department of Drama, has received the 2022 Distinguished Scholar Award for outstanding achievement in scholarship in the field of theatre studies. Presented by the American Society for...

Inside The Making of THE STORY OF BIDDY MASON

A Q&A Interview with Playwright and Director Annie Loui Professor of Acting Annie Loui is a director, choreographer, author and playwright and is the Artistic Director of CounterBalance Theater. She has taught for the Brandeis Theater Arts Department, the Institute for Advanced Theater...

A Name to Remember

M.F.A. candidate Mary Hill stars as Biddy Mason – and hopes you’ll remember them both By Christine Byrd Unlike many of her peers who were on stage from the time they were little, Mary Hill didn’t find her way to the theater until college. In fact, her pursuit of the arts resulted from a happy...

Professor Richard Brestoff will present at the inaugural Theatre Teacher Summit

Professor of Acting Richard Brestoff will present at the inaugural Theatre Teacher Summit, a 2-day conference with inspirational training sessions from renowned acting teachers, authors and industry professionals taking place Nov. 12-13 online.    Brestoff will present on Nov. 13...

Dean Tiffany López featured on Erin Gruwell's podcast series "Freedom Writers"

The new dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, Dr. Tiffany Ana López, recently sat down with Erin Gruwell (B.A. '91, Humanities) for the podcast series "Freedom Writers." They discuss Dr. Lopez's journey from being a first-generation college student to becoming a leading voice in the fight...

Flourishing this fall: UCI arts

Upcoming performance season includes such bold and ambitious programs as a modern take on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Nick Schou, UCI | September 26, 2022 After a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UCI once again hosted its popular New Swan Shakespeare Festival on campus this summer. With...

For Alex Dreschke, a role in Hamilton at Segerstrom seems like homecoming

Event-News Enterprise (excerpt) By David N. Young | September 15, 2022 (Read full feature)   When he graduated with a Fine Arts degree from UC Irvine years ago, Alex Dreschke could hardly have imagined he would return to SoCal with a role in HAMILTON, one of the most engaging...

Made in California

The arts and education helped new dean Tiffany Ana López reimagine her own life By Christine Byrd For Tiffany Ana López, joining the Claire Trevor School of the Arts as dean is a double homecoming. Both a return to her native California and to the public higher-education system that shaped...

UCI Drama alum scores critical praise for horror thriller

Ryan Imhoff, M.F.A. Acting ’11 and New Swan Shakespeare Festival alum,  has written and directed the award-winning horror film Fresh Hell, which has won Best Feature Film at four film festivals dedicated to the horror genre. “This film was created on a string and a prayer by a group of...

CTSA celebrates alumni during the month of August

At the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, August is Alumni Appreciation Month! We have dedicated our Instagram account to celebrating our alums' work and accomplishments in and beyond the arts all month long. Spend the month learning more about just a few of our outstanding alumni! CTSA alums from...

The Celebrate New Swan Gala honored a decade of the Bard at UCI

  Irvine, Calif., July 27, 2022 — On Friday, July 15, UCI’s New Swan Shakespeare Festival welcomed 120 guests for its Celebrate New Swan Gala and a midsummer’s night to remember. Guests were treated to a magical and elegant evening under the stars celebrating the tenth anniversary...

Artful Summers

Summer Academies in the Arts offer college and career preparatory programs  By Christine Byrd Mafer Reyes had been dancing at private studios and ballet academies since she was 5 years old. But when it came time to think about college, she realized she had no idea what to...

‘We Need More’ of Taylor Fagins

The UCI Drama alum shares more about his journey to become an American Idol It’s nearly 10 p.m. on the third straight day of filming, and Taylor Fagins, ’17 is the final contestant to audition for American Idol’s celebrity judges. He sits down at a grand piano — an instrument he plays but...

Arts Advocates: Mary Gilly & John Graham

BARD BOOSTERS Q&A with Mary Gilly & John Graham Mary Gilly and her husband, John Graham, professors emeriti of marketing, are passionate about theater and the dramatic arts. They have been loyal supporters of the New Swan Shakespeare Festival since its founding in 2012. They became...

UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts Announces the 2022-23 Claire Trevor Society Scholars

  UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) is pleased to announce the next cohort of Claire Trevor Society Scholarships recipients for the 2022-23 academic year. Each year the Society awards six merit-based scholarships to exceptional students majoring in the Departments of Art, Dance,...

Shakespeare, Reunited

This, this! No more, you gods! Your present kindness Makes my past miseries sports. – Pericles By Christine Byrd Pericles’ joy over being reunited with his family after years apart may resonate with actors and audiences when Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Comedy of Errrorrs (note the...

Indeed It's Our Town

South Coast Repertory continues to foster a professional pipeline to retain local talent from UCI By Matt Coker When David Ivers, the artistic director of South Coast Repertory (SCR), approached Beth Lopes about directing a rival of Thornton Wilder’s classic play Our Town in December 2019,...

CTSA Awards the 2021-22 Research & Innovation Grants

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts Research and Innovation Advisory Committee has named the next Research & Innovation Grants cohort. Formerly known as 21C Research Grants, the newly relaunched Research and Innovation Creative Research Grant will continue to build on 21C’s legacy in...