Thursday, April 16, 9:30-10:30am

Location: EZ Black Box Theatre, Center for the Performing Arts

Director Fabio Polanco and crew spoke about Kent State University’s production of The House of Blue Leaves.  The production will run from April 17-26 at Kent State University's Wright-Curtis Theatre; for tickets, contact the box office at 330-672-2497.

Fabio Polanco serves as Associate Professor of Acting and Directing at Kent State University's School of Theatre and Dance.  He received his MFA from Case Western Reserve University and his BA from Temple University.  Professor Polanco was the 2013 Recipient of Ashland University’s Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award.  A member of Actor’s Equity for nearly two decades, his acting credits include “Thenardier” in the Broadway national tour of Les Miserables, Missionaries at Brooklyn Academy of Music directed by Elizabeth Swados and starring Josie DeGuzman, the U.S. premiere of David Hare’s adaptation of Brecht’s The Life of Galileo directed by Mark Wing-Davey at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California, Arthur Miller’s Resurrection Blues at The Signature Theatre Company, A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre directed by Scott Ellis, as well as performances at Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cain Park, Porthouse Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, and Dobama Theatre.

Wednesday, February 18, 11-11:50am

Location: EZ Black Box Theatre, Center for the Performing Arts

Director Daniel Nadon and crew spoke about Kent State University’s production of Bonnie and Clyde.  The production will run from February 23-25 at Kent State University's E. Turner Stump Theatre; for tickets, contact the box office at 330-672-2497.

Daniel Nadon serves as coordinator of theatre at the Trumbull Campus and co-coordinator of LGBT Studies at Kent Campus. He also teaches courses in Acting, Directing, Multicultural Theatre, Script Analysis, Lesbian and Gay Theatre, and Playwrighting as well as the Monday and Wednesday Art of the Theatre. In addition he directs two shows during the University Season and serves as Artistic Director during the Summer Stock season. He was the Artist in Residence at Fringe Benefits Theatre in Los Angeles in the Fall of 04'.

Tuesday, February 17, 11am-12pm

Location: EZ Black Box Theatre, Center for the Performing Arts

Director Terri Kent, composer Phillip Palmer, lyricist Stacey Luftig & crew spoke about Kent State University’s production of My Heart is the Drum.  The production will run from February 20 through March 1 at Kent State University's E. Turner Stump Theatre; for tickets, contact the box office at 330-672-2497.

Terri Kent (pictured on the left) is the director of the musical theatre program, as well as serving as the artistic director of Porthouse Theatre, the professional summer theatre affiliated with the School of Theatre and Dance. Her local professional acting and directing credits include the following venues: The Cleveland Playhouse, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cain Park, the Ensemble Theatre, the working Theatre and Weathervane Playhouse, among others.

Monday, October 20th, 10am-10:45am

Location: EZ Black Box Theatre

Director Amy Fritsche and crew spoke about Kent State University’s production of Hot Mikado.  The production will run from October 24th through November 2nd at Kent State University's E. Turner Stump Theatre; for tickets, contact the box office at 330-672-2497.

Amy Fritsche earned her Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University graduating Phi Kappa Phi. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Southern California where she received the James and Nony Doolittle Award. She has also studied at Yale University, American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Beverly Hills Playhouse. Amy has taught acting, directing, and musical theatre at Southeast Missouri State University, acting at San Diego State University and The La Jolla Playhouse, and dance at numerous dance studios in Arizona and California.  She has directed a number of plays and musicals including Anything Goes, Into The Woods, Lend Me a Tenor, and The Crucible.

Amy has performed in films, commercials and on stage. She has worked with Fox Animations Studios, Phoenix Theater, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, Star Light Theater of San Diego, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, and toured with Theater League. Favorite roles include Rosalind in As You Like It, Cindy Lou in The Marvelous Wonderettes, Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Grace Farrell in Annie, Jenny in Chapter Two, Juliet in Madly in Love and Countess Charlotte in A Little Night Music. Amy is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and AGVA.

Thursday, October 2nd, 12:30-1:30pm

Location: Wright-Curtis Theatre

Roe Green Visiting Director Kathleen Conlin and crew spoke about Kent State University’s production of You Can’t Take it with You.  The production will run from October 3rd through 12th at Kent State University's Wright-Curtis Theatre; for tickets, contact the box office at 330-672-2497.

Kathleen F. Conlin is Professor and Dean Emerita at the University of Illinois Department of Theatre. Her professional directing included 22 seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival where she served as Stage Director, Associate Artistic Director, and Casting Director for the LORT B+ Theatre. Her productions ranged from classic American plays such as You Can't Take It With You and Foxfire, to Shaw’s Candida, to major Shakespearean titles such as Richard III, The Tempest, King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, Richard II, Love's Labor's Lost, and others. Her recent work at the Festival included triumphant re-imaginings of A Midsummer Night's Dream (whose design by Eric Stone was included in the Prague Quadrennial of Design), a Leonardo Da Vinci-inspired Tempest, and a technology-influenced adventure story for Pericles. Her directorial work has also been seen in theatres coast-to-coast from the Colony Theatre in Los Angeles to the Peterborough Players in New Hampshire and several cities in between. She has been recognized for directorial excellence by her nomination for the Zelda Fichandler Award by her professional union, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.