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Reynolds College Blog

Student artists “start their journey” at 2025 Missouri Fine Arts Academy

July 1, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Three young people leaping into the air

Ready to “start their journey,” 125 high school students from nearly 60 Missouri schools attended the 2025 Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA) June 1-14.

As a summer residential program, MFAA serves highly motivated high school student artists throughout Missouri. The program, taught by faculty from across the state, gives students an immersive training experiences in visual arts, theatre, dance, creative writing and music.

The academy received 209 applications for the 2025 session, according to MFAA Director Dr. Fatih Benzer, associate professor in the Department of Art and Design.

The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) at Missouri State hosts MFAA and works with the state legislature to manage the affordability of the Academy. As a result, MFAA 2025 students received free tuition, thanks to the support of the State of Missouri and private donations. Benzer said he remains grateful to Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for “keeping ‘MFAA 2025’ free.”

[Read more…] about Student artists “start their journey” at 2025 Missouri Fine Arts Academy

Filed Under: Camps, Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Ethical Leadership, Event News, Pre-college, RCASH Highlights Tagged With: Department of Art and Design, Department of Music, Department of Theatre and Dance, Fatih Benzer, Heather Nelson, Jason Hausback, Laine Cordell, Missouri Fine Arts Academy, School of the Arts

Tent Theatre’s “Vintage Hitchcock” promises an evening of mystery and suspense

June 26, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Five young adult actors on a stage

Missouri State University’s Tent Theatre continues the 2025 season with its production of “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play.”

Performances are June 27 and 28, then June 30-July 2 at the John Goodman Amphitheatre.

All show times are 8 p.m.

Ticket information

Individual, group, and season tickets are now on sale. Patrons can purchase by mail, calling the box office at 417-836-7678 or 1-888-476-7849 or online at MissouriStateTix.com.

On show days, Tent Theatre patrons can pick up their tickets at the will-call kiosk next to the Amphitheatre between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Food and drink concessions will be available. Patrons can access restrooms in Hill Hall, just north of Craig Hall.

Get tickets

Early Hitchcock films brought to the stage

Directed by Betsy Kruse Craig, “Vintage Hitchcock” adapts three of film director Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest films – “The Lodger,” “Sabotage” and “The 39 Steps” – into radio format.

Known as the “master of suspense,” Hitchcock used innovative techniques in his films. Camera angles and framing, along with ominous music, create a sense of escalating danger and the surreal.

In “Vintage Hitchcock,” the stories are presented as they might have been in the 1940s. Five actors play dozens of characters, with live sound effects and atmospheric music keeping audiences spellbound. Vintage commercials woven into the performance add to the fun of this unique production.

 

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Event News, RCASH Highlights, Shows Tagged With: Department of Theatre and Dance, John Goodman Amphitheatre, School of the Arts, Tent Theatre

Tent Theatre opens 2025 season with “Serenade”

June 6, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Young men playing trumpets

Missouri State University’s Tent Theatre opens the 2025 season with its production of “Serenade: Summer Nights of Swing and Song.”

Performances are June 12-14 and 18-21 at the John Goodman Amphitheatre. All show times are 8 p.m.

Professor Sarah Wiggin from the Department of Theatre and Dance is the show’s director.

Ticket information

Individual, group and season tickets are now on sale. They can be purchased by mail, calling the box office at 417-836-7678 or 1-888-476-7849 or online at MissouriStateTix.com.

On show days, Tent Theatre patrons can pick up their tickets at the will-call kiosk next to the Amphitheatre between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Food and drink concessions will be available, and patrons will have access to restrooms in Hill Hall, just north of Craig Hall.

Get Tickets

“Las Vegas flair” brings timeless tunes to life

Multiple vocalists, backed by Missouri State’s “Serenade” Jazz Orchestra, will bring to life classic tunes immortalized by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald, along with contemporary hits from Natalie Cole, Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr. and others.

“I am loving working with the ‘Serenade’ jazz orchestra,” Wiggin said. “They are really elevating the performance of the jazz concert, and the vocalists are very enthusiastic about collaborating with them. It’s magical.”

Conducted and directed by Dr. Jason Hausback of the Department of Music, the jazz orchestra includes Missouri State students, alumni and guest artists. Heather Luellen of the theatre and dance department is the show’s music coordinator.

[Read more…] about Tent Theatre opens 2025 season with “Serenade”

Filed Under: Alumni Accomplishments, Community Engagement, Cultural Competence, Event News, RCASH Highlights, Shows Tagged With: Department of Music, Department of Theatre and Dance, Heather Luellen, Jason Hausback, jazz studies, John Goodman Amphitheatre, John Vincent Horton, Musical Theatre, Sarah Wiggin, School of the Arts, Tent Theatre

Missouri State’s dance program holds first research symposium

May 28, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Students sitting at conference table

Missouri State University’s dance program, part of the Department of Theatre and Dance, held its first ever research symposium on the Springfield campus April 27-May 1.

Conceptualized and spearheaded by dance instructor Brittney Banaei, the event was developed to immerse dance students into a scholarly environment that reflects the professional dance world.

“Although dance is most often associated with performance, and our students are certainly excellent performers, there are a multitude of ways to engage with dance which are applicable in the ‘real world,’” Banaei explained.

For the symposium, Banaei said its organizers included “creative research, performance as research, embodied knowledge and inter/cross disciplinary research” in addition to traditional scholarly applications.

“Having the space to present cutting edge, research-integrated work is crucial for a dance program to stay responsive, relevant and connected to a rapidly evolving professional field,” Banaei said.

Several dance faculty and students participated in the event, which included presentations, roundtable discussions, creative and scholarly research projects and performances incorporating what students had learned. Several graduating BFA and BS in dance majors were featured as keynote speakers.

Approximately 30 students participated in the symposium, according to Banaei. Participation for the first symposium was limited to students enrolled in Dance Research Methods, Dance Composition II, Dance Fundamentals and West African Dance. In the future, however, Banaei hopes the conference can implement an open submission/application process.

Students dancing on an outdoor stage
Sophomore Jacob Nalley (second from left) performs with other West African Dance students as part of the research symposium.

Immersive scholarly experience

According to Banaei, the symposium gives Missouri State’s dance students hands-on experience in scholarly research by immersing them in a conference-like setting. This is essential to give students an advantage as they begin their careers, she noted.

The symposium mirrored several aspects of a typical scholarly conference. Students in the Dance Research Methods course submitted their final papers for review and acceptance to the conference. This process mimicked those of any conference or journal. These same students were also asked to create poster presentations of their work as well as a research statement, which they used to introduce themselves during the roundtable discussion.

“The entire process had the pedagogical goal of taking students through the lifecycle of a research project and developing the skills to submit to and present at conferences,” Banaei said.

Similarly, Dance Composition II students needed to think about their work as research, she added. They approached their choreography and performances by exploring a number of different methodologies.

“Research-integrated approaches to creative work are now standard and expected in a typical dance MFA program and a large portion of the dance performance landscape,” Banaei said. Learning this approach is essential to dance students who plan to pursue a graduate degree or a performance career outside of commercial dance, she explained.

Career prospects enhanced by dance studies

Jaden Brown, a senior BFA dance major, grew up dancing and taught at dance studios throughout high school and college. After graduation, she will start working for “Vitality in Motion,” an organization that brings dance to elderly care facilities.

“I’m very fortunate that my work throughout college and within college set me up for such a successful career path,” she said.

Ryan Sohrab, a junior musical theatre major, also sees his dance studies as essential to his career prospects.

“We’re in a generation of performance work that rides hand in hand with spectacle, especially performer spectacle,” he explained. “Having heightened dance capabilities will no doubt allow me to propel my career towards heights I doubt would be in reach if I had treated it as secondary to acting and singing.”

Freshman Abbey Racer, a BFA dance major, plans to be a professional choreographer. She also said her studies are vital to meeting that goal.

“Learning as much as possible in as many styles as possible is super important,” she said. “It will help me be the best and most informed choreographer I can be.”

“My experience in the MSU dance program has been one I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Brown added. “I have been given so many tools and guidance that have allowed me to feel comfortable going into the working field.”

[Read more…] about Missouri State’s dance program holds first research symposium

Filed Under: Community Engagement, Conferences, Cultural Competence, Event News, Feature, RCASH Highlights, Research, Student Accomplishments, Student Research Tagged With: Azaria Hogans, Brittney Banaei, dance, Department of Theatre and Dance, Musical Theatre, School of the Arts

Fourth annual Judy Awards celebrate Reynolds College excellence

May 14, 2025 by Lynn M. Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) held its fourth annual Judy Awards May 2, 2025, at The Old Glass Place.

Two women standing at podium during ceremony.
Jennifer Murvin and Dr. Judith Martinez hosted the 2025 ceremony.

The event honors the legacy of Judith Enyeart Reynolds by celebrating the achievements of faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends within the RCASH community.

RCASH Associate Dean Dr. Jake Simmons opened the ceremony, followed by hosts Dr. Judith Martinez and Jennifer Murvin, who announced the 2025 winners. RCASH Dean Dr. Shawn Wahl then presented the Dean’s Awards.

Mock Trial students recognized

For the first time, the Judy Awards recognized a student organization for its achievements. Missouri State’s Mock Trial Team, from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, received the Dean’s Champion Award.

“The Mock Trial Team is the first student group being recognized with a Judy Award,” Wahl said, adding that the team competes at regional and national levels.

“I am especially proud of our students who compete against larger public and private universities,” he said.

Two staff members merit recognition

Another first this year was to recognize two Staff Impact Award recipients instead of one. The awards went to Christy Titus of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and James Chang from the Department of English.

“The Staff Impact Awards recognize outstanding Reynolds College staff who focus on building and maintaining conditions of excellence for students and faculty,” Wahl said. “Christy and James are both deserving of this special recognition.”

English department wins award of distinction

The awards ceremony concluded with the Department of English receiving the Dean’s Award of Distinction for excellent performance as an academic unit over the past year.

“The English Department continues to raise the bar with high quality research and teaching innovation, including graduate program expansion,” Wahl said. “In addition, the department maintains robust dual credit offerings.”

Awards commemorate Reynolds’ legacy

Named in honor of Reynolds, a dedicated staff member and role model for many years in the English department, the Judy Awards cover a variety of contributions to the college, ranging from traditional awards in teaching, research and service to those that recognize collaboration and other efforts that highlight the pillars of the University’s public affairs mission.

Except for the Dean’s awards categories, winners were nominated either by their peers or self-nominated, then selected by representatives from each academic department serving on the Judy Awards selection committee.

[Read more…] about Fourth annual Judy Awards celebrate Reynolds College excellence

Filed Under: Announcements, Community Engagement, Event News, Faculty Accomplishments, RCASH Highlights, Student Accomplishments Tagged With: Christy Titus, Department of English, Department of Theatre and Dance, Jake Simmons, Jennifer Murvin, Judith Martinez, Judy Awards, Mock Trial, School of Communication, School of the Arts, Shawn Wahl

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