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NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
March 25, 2026
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Crew Needed for Much Ado About Nothing
Seeking 2-3 students to join the backstage run crew (THEATRE 262) for Much Ado About Nothing. Please reach out to Jahana Azodi at jazodi@wisc.edu
or swing by Vilas #2131 as soon as possible if you want more information. Note that this tech process does NOT follow the normal University Theatre schedule, please review the full schedule below!
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University Theatre Audition Announcement
The Compass
By Michael Rohd
Directed by Micha Espinosa
AUDITION INFORMATION:
University Theatre auditions are open to all current and incoming UW-Madison students, regardless of major.
Deadline extended: Auditions for The Compass will be by self-taped videos to be submitted by April 6.
Callbacks will be in person. Actors called back will receive an email in advance with details:
- Monday, April 6 7:30-10:00 pm Vilas 1090 *PRIORITIZE 9-10pm for students in Scene Painting course.
- Tuesday, April 7 3:30-5:30 pm Vilas 1090 *PRIORITIZE for members of the Much Ado company.
- Wednesday, April 8 4:30-5:30 pm Vilas 1090 *PRIORITIZE for members of the Much Ado company.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:
Actors are encouraged to read the script prior to auditions. Perusal copies of the script are available digitally here or in the Department of Theatre and Drama Main Office, 6173 Vilas, 821 University Ave, during regular hours 9 am-5 pm Monday to Friday.
For Auditions:
- Please prepare a recording that includes the following:
- Personal Questions. Please answer both questions directly to camera:
- Tell us who you are outside of acting. What matters to you right now?
- How comfortable are you having a conversation with a stranger?
- There are no right or wrong answers. No longer than 2-3 minutes total.
- Contemporary Monologue. Please prepare one contemporary monologue.
- The monologue should be approximately 45-60 seconds in length.
- Audition videos due April 6, 2026 (if you need assistance in creating the self-tape, please contact Stage Manager, Miriam Hayes at mvhayes2@wisc.edu and Assistant Director Jared Lee at
mjlee46@wisc.edu by March 18).
The entire self-tape, including the questions and monologue, should be no more than four minutes total. Please record the monologue in one continuous take. No internal cuts or edits. The monologue may be comedic or dramatic from theatre, TV, or film.
Self-Tape Submission Protocol
Please follow these guidelines to ensure your audition can be viewed smoothly.
Upload
Upload your self-tape using Vimeo, YouTube (Unlisted), Google Drive, or Dropbox. Submit a direct viewing link only.
Privacy Settings
Your video must play immediately without login or permission requests:
- YouTube: Unlisted.
- Vimeo: Unlisted or private link.
- Google Drive / Dropbox: Anyone with the link — Viewer.
File Naming
Label your file clearly:
FirstName_LastName_Project
Example: JordanRivera_TheCompass.mp4
Before Submitting
- Test your link.
- Confirm video and sound work properly.
- Watch the full video after upload.
- Submit your video & audition form.
Email your uploaded video link to Stage Manager, Miriam Hayes at mvhayes2@wisc.edu. You will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to the audition form. Please submit your audition form by the April 6 deadline.
THE PLAY:
The Compass is a live, interactive performance at the intersection of technology, ethics, and civic decision-making. Structured as a public trial, the work examines the fate of a young person who relied on an app to make a life-altering decision. Each performance unfolds through audience choice, positioning spectators as participants in a shared civic process within a mediated environment that merges courtroom and public forum. Evidence, authority, and responsibility are negotiated in real time, positioning theatre as a site of civic inquiry and participatory dialogue.
Content advisory:
This performance contains references to gun violence and addresses themes of artificial intelligence, mental health, and ethical decision-making.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION:
- Rehearsals begin: Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
- Performances: October 15-25, 2026 including two 10am student matinee performances on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 and Friday, October 23, 2026.
- Venue: Mitchell Theatre.
- Student actors cast in this production must register for 1-3 credits of THEATRE 360.
Staged Intimacy: None.
Staged Violence: None.
Heightened Content: Throughout the play, characters grapple with gun violence in schools and ethical decision making.
Click here for more information regarding roles to be cast and best practices for self-taped videos.
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The Department of Theatre and Drama is excited to collaborate with Children’s Theater of Madison next fall on the musical Annie. See below for how to get involved.
Actors
Looking for vibrant, highly committed singers, actors, and dancers to help bring the world of Annie
to life. Ensemble members play a wide range of characters - New Yorkers, Hooverville residents, Warbucks' house staff, radio performers, and more. They are essential for creating the energy, heart, and theatrical magic of the production. Also looking for dedicated and flexible performers to serve as understudies, who are eager to learn multiple tracks, support the company with professionalism and preparedness, and step into roles as needed with confidence.
How to Audition:
Please prepare a self-tape of you performing 32-bars (roughly a minute of music), in any style - Annie lives more in the classic Broadway/Golden-Age musical theatre style with 1930s flavor.
Upload your video to either YouTube (unlisted), Vimeo (unlisted/private link), Google Drive/Dropbox (anyone with the link - Viewer), then send to auditions@ctmtheater.org. Fill out the audition form
here.
*If video submission is a barrier to you participating, please email auditions@ctmtheater.org, we are happy to provide other options.
- Rehearsals begin September 15, 2026 at Madison Youth Arts Center (1055 E Mifflin St.).
- Tech begins October 16, 2026.
- Performances October 24 - November 1, 2026 in the Capitol Theater at Overture Center for the Arts.
Submission deadline: April 3.
Callbacks:
Callbacks will happen on campus, in-person Sunday, April 12. You will be notified by April 8, of time, place, what to prepare, and rough production schedule.
Production Crew
We are seeking enthusiastic, reliable production crew members. We are open to all backgrounds and all interests (stage management, backstage crew, assistant designers, dressers, etc.). We are looking for individuals who are organized, collaborative, calm under pressure, and excited to be a part of a fast-paced theatrical environment.
How to Apply:
Email Anders Goodwin, Associate Director of Production, at anders@ctmtheater.org, with the subject line "UW Annie Application." Please include in your email your technical theater resume, what field(s) of technical theater interest you (ex. Scenery, Props, Costumes, Lighting, Audio, Stage Management, Run Crew), and a few sentences explaining why you are interested in working on the show.
Submission Deadline: April 3.
Interviews:
We will review all submitted materials and invite selected candidates to participate in an interview process.
See a recording of the March 20 informational meeting here.
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Student Production Proposals April 22
The Department of Theatre and Drama's Programming Committee will hear proposals for student projects on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:30-10:30 am in the Theatre Department Conference Room Vilas 6181. Anyone planning to do a project proposal should either email Jahana Azodi
jazodi@wisc.edu or stop by her office 2131 Vilas in advance of the meeting.
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Save the Date!
Get ready to shine, sparkle, and celebrate! Theatre and Drama is excited to invite you to this year's Spring Banquet!
When: May 1st, 5pm - 8pm
Where: Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre, Vilas Communication Hall
Who: Students, faculty, staff, friends, guests and everyone who helped make this year and every year a success for faculty, staff, and students!
Why: Celebrate the achievements of the 2025-2026 school year with food, dancing, awards, and more!
If you have any questions or concerns about attending, please email Department Program Specialist Sydney Prather at sprather2@wisc.edu. We hope to see you there!
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Theatre and Drama Professor Ann M. Shanahan collaborated on a feature article with Emily A. Rollie (past University Theatre guest director and intimacy director) for the current Winter 2026 issue of the SDC
(Stage Directors and Choreographers) Journal Peer Reviewed Section, which they co-edit. Read the journal withe the article here.
The 10 year retrospective "Changing Landscapes in Directing and Choreography in Higher Education: Reflections on a Decade of the Peer-Reviewed Section and New Paths Forward” which feature images of several of the plays we have directed or Intimacy directed at UW and elsewhere, including great work by colleagues and students 2023-2025.
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UNIVERSITY THEATRE
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Announcing the University Theatre 2026-2027 Season!
The Compass by Michael Rohd
October 15-25, 2026, Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
Urinetown Music and Lyrics by Mark Holman, Book and Lyrics by Greg Kotis
November 19-22, December 3-6, 2026, Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen
March 4-14, 2027, Ronald E. Mitchell Theatre*
Ushuaia Blue by Caridad Svich
April 15-25, 2027, Gilbert V. Hemsley Theatre*
*Venue subject to change.
For details and information on additional projects visit the Theatre and Drama website and online
Callboard.
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Student Support Funding Opportunities
The Department is 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!
Deadlines are approaching soon! Apply today! Click on this Google Form
for more info and to apply.
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INTERNSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS
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Deadlines Approaching for Applications for Summer Internships!
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Share Your Voice! Join Our Career Center Website Focus Group
The Career Center is working on improving its website, and we’d love your input! We’re forming a small, 60-minute focus group to help us understand what’s working, what’s missing, and how we can make the site more helpful and easier to use.
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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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Mask and Clown Workshops with Dr. Budi Miller
Dr. Budi Miller—internationally recognized actor, director, clown master, Fitzmaurice Voicework® teacher, and co-founder of the Bali Taksu Actor Training Retreat—is coming to UW–Madison for a one-week residency this April. During the residency, Dr. Miller will teach, perform, and engage with students and campus partners and contribute to EarthFest 2026 through mask work in the Climate Change Theatre Action plays.
Anyone Interested SIGN UP for Dr. Miller's Workshops!
(Space is limited)
MASK
This intensive is designed for actors, directors, and theatre-makers who want to expand their physical presence, imaginative range, and awareness within an ensemble through focused work with archetypal masks and embodied performance training.
Drawing inspiration from Balinese mask practices, physical theatre traditions, and psychophysical approaches to actor training, the work encourages performers to engage instinct, spatial awareness, and a deeper integration of body, voice, and imagination. Masks tend to expose habitual patterns of control while opening space for greater responsiveness, vitality, precision, and play. Whether your focus is performance for stage or screen, directing, or devised work, this training aims to strengthen presence, energetic listening, and imaginative openness. These skills support grounded, compelling performance and collaborative leadership in creative spaces.
CLOWN
Step beyond technique and into taksu. This immersive clown workshop moves beyond red nose carictures to invite performers to rediscover clowning at its true depth. Rooted in vulnerability, presence, and the Balinese concept of taksu (spiritual charisma, life force, duende, and "being in the zone"), this training challenges performers to embrace authentic impulse and let go of over-intellectualization. We embrace and celebrate our failures as clowns and as humans! Through guided exploration of play, emotional honesty, and moment-to-moment responsiveness, performers learn to fail beautifully and unlock a powerful stage presence that feels raw, magnetic, and profoundly human.
This workshop is designed for serious performers seeking to improve their range, emotional expression, improvisational agility, and fearless connection with the audience. Dr. Miller draws from embodied practices and performance traditions that cultivate spontaneity and inner awareness so that participants develop the resilience to stay open under pressure and the confidence to trust their instincts. The result is transformational. When performers access this state of presence, they transcend rote technique and become alive. Join this workshop to awaken your play, deepen your authenticity, and step into the kind of presence audiences can feel before you speak
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12 Ophelias (A Play with Broken Song)
by Caridad Svich
Directed by Amelia Eichmeier and Rachel Reichard
“too much of water hast though, poor ophelia
and therefore i must dry my tears”
– Laertes, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 7
Shakespeare’s Ophelia rises up out of the water dreaming of Pop-Tarts and other sweet things. She finds herself in a neo-Elizabethan Appalachian setting where Gertrude runs a brothel, Hamlet is called a Rude Boy, and nothing is what it seems. In this mirrored world of word-scraps and cold sex, Ophelia cuts a new path for herself.
Poster design by Matt Goscha
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Content warning: themes of trauma, sex, death, violence, child loss, and prostitution, and usage of hard language
Performance dates
- April 10th at 7:00PM
- April 11th at 7:00PM
- April 12th at 2:00PM
All performances in 4010 in Vilas Communication Hall
FREE ADMISSION
Reserve your ticket with the link below or come day of
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WUD Games Presents: Hollywood Murder Mystery
Join WUD Games for an evening of mystery and investigation on either the 18th or 19th of April! The event will run 6pm-10pm, during which time you will take on the role of a member of a Hollywood film studio, socialize with your fellow filmmakers, and then solve the curious case of someone's untimely demise. A great chance for practicing improv skills! Dress-up is encouraged, and dinner will be provided. Use the QR code above or head to the
RSVP form to join!
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Get Free Studio-Quality Headshots with the Iris Air Photo Booth at the Wisconsin Business School
The Iris Air photo booth is now available for WSB employees, students, and the campus community. It is located on the second floor between the central elevators and the Learning Commons, just above the West Atrium.
The Iris is available any time Grainger Hall is open. Simply press the touch screen to begin and follow the prompts. Each session takes about 4-5 minutes and your photos are delivered instantly via email. We ask that WSB students and employees use their wisc.edu email address when signing in.
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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
Be on the lookout for casting calls for Student Film projects!
Check the Student Opportunities page on the department website for audition announcements, jobs (on campus and off), performances, and more.
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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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