NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
November 26, 2025
Wishing you a warm and joyous Thanksgiving!
The Theatre and Drama Admin Office will be closed November 26-30.
See you next week!
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Student Support Funding Opportunities
We are thrilled to be able to offer the students of Theatre and Drama at UW-Madison some additional funding to support continued Professional Development outside of the classroom!
We have created this Google Form to
lay out all the information around this opportunity. By completing this form, you will also have provided all the information we will need from you to get this process started.
Here is a summary of the information laid out in the above linked Google Form - please utilize the form to access all the information!
Do you want up to $150 to use towards one of the below opportunities?
Submit your form responses as soon as possible! This year, this funding will be given out to students that meet the requirements listed in the Google Form, on a first come basis. This form will be live as long as we have funding to provide.
Opportunities we are supporting for the 2025-2026 Academic year:
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Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF)
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United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT)
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University Resident Theatre Association (URTA)
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Comparative Drama Conference (CDC)
- What is CDC? Click here to learn more.
- 2026 Conference hosted by UW-Madison July 9-11.
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What is the process from here?
- Submitting this Google Form is the first step in requesting this Student Support Funding.
- These forms will go to Beth Quarles, Department Administrator.
- Your answers on this form will be assessed and then you will get an email response letting you know what next steps will be from Sydney Prather, Department Program Specialist.
- If you have any questions during this process, please reach out to Beth Quarles at beth.quarles@wisc.edu.
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Student Workers Needed for KCACTF January 6-10
2026 KCACTF Region 3 Festival 58
Hosted by Madison College
January 6-10, 2026
Events will occur both on the Madison College campus and here in Vilas Hall.
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We are seeking current student hourly workers to assist Theatre & Drama staff with the festival, including theatre technicians and house managers. Pay rate is $15/hour. A specific call will go out in early December for these opportunities. Please reach out to Jahana Azodi
if you are interested or with questions.
For students who want to attend the festival or volunteer to support the use of Vilas Hall spaces, you may work either 10 hours for reduced registration (50% off) or 20 hours for a full registration waiver. Apply to volunteer prior to registering for the festival by filling out this volunteer application
. Note that the festival will prioritize assigning UW-Madison students to work events here at Vilas Hall.
Want more information about KCACTF?
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UW Theatre in London Study Abroad Summer 2026
4 Week Course 3 credits
Online: 2 weeks May 11-22
In London: 2 weeks May 27-June 11
- See shows
- Tour famous theatres
- Tour Stratford-Upon-Avon
- Visit world famous museums
- Experience the rich and diverse London Culture
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Scholarships available! Click here for scholarship information.
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An original play written by UW-Madison Alum DeOnna Garrison, Porcelain dolls and Chocolate dreams follows a black woman Aliyah who is married to Jonathan who cheats on his wife. Throughout the play Aliyah has problems coming to terms with the issues within her relationship as she has to battle the ideas of confrontation and seeing the reality of her situation. The entire play is a critique of representation and what a perfect American family is supposed to look like.
Click here to reserve seats.
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As part of the production we would like to have art pieces displayed on stage and in the lobby as one of the main characters in the play is an artist. We are collecting physical and digital art pieces, which you can submit here.
Below is a description of the play and some of the themes we are looking for in art pieces that are related to the play.
Porcelain Dolls and Chocolate Dreams
Description: A long time loving relationship comes into doubt with the presence of an unwanted third person. For months Jonathan, a white non-profit director, has been seeing another woman while his girlfriend Aaliyah, a black artist, has been faithful to him. In this play we see the pain of a man's unfaithfulness, difficulty of navigating interracial relationships, gender roles in relationship and identity, and what it means to be there for family by law or by blood.
Themes we are looking for:
- Romantic relationships
- Christianity
- Complicated family relationships
- Gender roles
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Ten Minute Plays: A Festival December 9 7:00 pm
Join Fundamentals of Directing (Theatre 368) for an evening of short 10 minute plays in Vilas 4010.
The festival is free but seating is limited, reservations are required
Scan the QR code or click here to register.
23 actors, 9 directors, one evening to remember!
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Second Stage Presents
Constellations
By Nick Payne
“Every choice, every decision you’ve ever and never made exists in an unimaginably vast ensemble of parallel universes.”
Marianne, an astrophysicist, meets Roland, a beekeeper. Constellations follows the subsequent highs and lows of their relationship, and the tests both are faced with. In a universe with infinite possibilities and outcomes, anything can happen. But you can’t turn back a ticking clock.
Content Warning: Swearing, mentions of illness and sex
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Performance dates (and cast for each performance)
- December 11th at 7:00PM (Sun: Amelia Eichmeier and Nathan Lipkin)
- December 12th at 7:00PM (Moon: Malika Daikawa and Megan McCarty)
- December 13th at 2:00PM (Venus: Amelia Eichmeier and Megan McCarty)
- December 13th at 7:00PM (Mars: Malika Daikawa and Nathan Lipkin)
All performances at the Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre
FREE ADMISSION
Reserve your ticket with the link below or come day of
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An Investment of the People
December 3,4,5 @ 6:00 pm in Helen C. White Hall 6191 (6th floor)
No RSVP needed, Free to Attend
*Smart Devices/Phones and Headphones/Earbuds are highly encouraged.
This brand-new adaptation of An Enemy of the People transforms Ibsen’s 1882 drama into a unique interactive experience. Framed as a timeshare investment seminar, the performance invites the audience to move freely through the space—uncovering scenes, putting pieces together, shaping your own understanding of the story and ultimately deciding the ending of the play.
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Blending Ibsen’s text with contemporary accounts of environmental crises like Flint and “Cancer Alley,” the production connects past and present to examine how truth, profit, and public health collide. Taking steps to explore how immersive and interactive theatre can build more accessible, sustainable, and community-centered models of performance.
Featuring: Amelie Rosenhagen, Bex Schmitt, Ella Price
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Humanities NOW
How Can Universities Survive?
A Panel Discussion on Higher Education in Times of Political Turmoil
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Elvehjem Building, Room L140, 800 University Ave.
Universities are at the center of a political storm. From freezes on research funding to federal investigations and fines, academic institutions are navigating critical challenges and responding in a range of ways. At this
special panel discussion,
we’ll ask: How does a university articulate its values? How do we ensure that all students have the capacity to become productive citizens? What role does intellectual, moral, and political courage play in maintaining autonomy? And how might universities emerge from this intense scrutiny?
Our esteemed panelists include: Anna Andrzejewski (Art History), Erica Halverson (Curriculum & Instruction and Theatre & Drama), Giuliana Chamedes (History), and Jan Miernowski (French & Italian)
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"As many of you know, I’ve been teaching a course on improvisational theatre this semester, TD-619 Fundamentals of Improv. My students—undergrad and graduate students in majors such as arts and teaching, business, communication arts, computer sciences, data science, design studies, econ, history, legal studies, orchestral conducting, and theatre—have been preparing a mini-show to share what they’ve learned. It’ll be on
Wed, Dec 10, 2:00-2:45pm, in the Mitchell Theatre.
Please join us, and please feel free to forward this invite to spread the word" - Lisa Barker, Affiliate Faculty
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Four Seasons Theater is proud to present The Hello Girls: A New American Musical running December 11-21 at the Overture Center Playhouse. Featuring lighting design by UW Theatre and Drama student Jove Stueber, viewers can expect an uplifting new musical inspired by history, The Hello Girls
chronicles the story of America’s first women soldiers. These intrepid heroines served as bilingual telephone operators on the front lines, helping turn the tide of World War I and paving the way for future generations of women in the armed forces.
Tickets ($25-$44) available through the Overture Center Box Office in person, by phone at (608) 258-4141, and at overture.org. Student tickets ($25) available in person, limit 2 per Student ID.
Use code TELEPHONE for 20% off tickets to opening weekend!
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Time is running out to apply for two different incredible arts scholarship opportunities! Whether you're a professor, grad student, or undergrad, don’t miss your shot to fund your passion and elevate your work.
Last year, these awards totaled more than $100,000. This is an excellent opportunity to secure funding for your department's creative and scholarly work!
Key Details:
December 15th is the deadline to apply for the Creative Arts Awards and the Arts Business Competition!
- Winners announced: February 2026
- Eligibility: UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students in the arts.
For complete information about eligibility requirements, award categories, and how to apply, please visit:
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Explore internships, jobs, and other resources at the School of Education Career Center's Gain Experience page.
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Comparative Drama Conference Call for Papers
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Papers reporting on original investigations and critical analysis of research and developments in the field of drama and theatre are invited for the 48th Comparative Drama Conference, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, to be held July 9-11, 2026.
Papers may be comparative across nationalities, periods and disciplines; and may deal with any issue in dramatic literature, criticism, theory, and performance, or any method of historiography, translation, or production. Papers should be 15 minutes in length, written for oral presentation, and accessible to a multi-disciplinary audience. Scholars and artists in all languages and literatures are invited to email a 250-word abstract in English to Ann M. Shanahan and Baron Kelly
at cdc2026@theatre.wisc.edu by December 15, 2025.
For full details, see the CFP linked here.
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Food Access During FoodShare Suspension
FoodShare delays due to the federal shutdown may affect students who rely on these benefits. UW–Madison and local organizations provide free and low-cost food, including frozen meals, fresh produce, hot dinners, and pantry staples.
Please click the link here to access resources on campus and throughout the Madison community
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Thinking of declaring for a Major or Certificate in Theatre and Drama?
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New Resource for Students
UW-Madison has launched a new resource for students that gathers together information and resources for everything from food and health issues to housing and IT help. Visit https://basicneeds.students.wisc.edu to learn more.
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More Student Opportunities
Check the Student Opportunities page on the department website for more audition announcements (including student film casting calls), jobs (on campus and off), performances, and more.
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Theater and Drama is excited to be one of the pick up zones for the School of Education's Food Drive.
The School of Education is collecting nonperishable food and hygiene items to support The Open Seat and
The River Food Pantry. Your generosity is especially meaningful during this time of increased need.
Vilas Communication Hall: Room 6173 (Admin Office for Theatre & Drama)
Accepted Donations:
- Shelf-stable, prepackaged items from licensed/commercial facilities (no refrigerated/frozen foods, greens, fruits, or homemade goods)
- Unopened hygiene products
- Paper or plastic bags
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Pick ups will occur on Fridays each week (other than the 28th when the admin office will be closed. Pick up will occur on Tuesday the 25th that week) Members of the Dean's Office will be responsible for pick up, but you can help by signing up to volunteer for a drop off shift here
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Have an announcement to share? Send to publicity@theatre.wisc.edu. Submissions received by Friday will be considered for inclusion in the following week's newsletter.
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