
2024/25 ShenCoLAB Projects
ShenCoLAB projects are listed below in alphabetical order by the last name of the project leader(s).
Project titles and information are subject to change.
22 Projects | 5 Days | 1 Epic Experience
Looking for ways to participate? Join a project as a collaborator! Email shencolab@su.edu for more information.
Blue Rocket
Project Leader: I’ami Argueta
In this coming-of-age musical, four talented musicians in New York — Issa Alvarez, a passionate singer/songwriter, Arie Mercier, a charismatic singer/guitarist, Leon Abate, a steadfast songwriter and bassist, and Maya Gomez, a defiant drummer — navigate their early adulthood in the spotlight as a band. Despite their differences, they form meaningful relationships with each other, uncovering their deepest insecurities, dreams and fears. As their careers take off, these discoveries pull them closer — but could also prove to be the very thing that tears them apart.
Approximate Run Time
15-–20 minutes
Suggested Show Rating
PG-13
Confirmed Collaborators
I’ami Argueta, director, Issa Alvarez
Antonio Saladino, Leon Abate
Dara Gordon, Maya Gray
Griffin Small, Arie Mercier
Kira Sledge, Amira Abate, staging, choreography
Justin Gulbranson, ensemble member/Bruno Gray
Chance Anding, ensemble member/Interviewer
Roman Harris-Hernández, ensemble member/Busker, saxophone
Nick Walker, bass
Annie Starliper, drums
Xander Glenn, piano
Anthony Villanova, guitar
Valentino Colella, sound
Alice McNutt, lighting & sound
Zoe Anderson, lighting
Needed Collaborators
1 stage manager
1 co-director
1 pianist
3 ensemble members
The Edge of My Knife
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Jaylen Taylor Cooper & Stella Bott
The Edge of My Knife is an a cappella musical in the golden age of piracy. It follows the long generational feud between the Clarsett Crew and Sephiran Crew and their fight for territory expansion. The leader of the Clarsett Crew is Johanna Hastings, a young, lively lady who takes the seas by storm. Evangeline Dukes is the Sephrian captain’s daughter who takes her ‘temporary captain’ role very seriously. She’s determined to put an end to the feud and take down the Clarsetts completely. Nothing will hold her back. The Edge of My Knife opens discussion about how our society treats queer woman and their awareness of their own sexuality. The a cappella aspect represents giving these woman their own voices to tell their own stories. Queer women don’t owe you masculinity. Queer women don’t owe you a show to watch. Queer women don’t owe you an explanation. As a queer woman myself, I want to talk about this. That’s why I wrote The Edge of My Knife.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Jaylen Taylor Cooper, writer, director
Stella Bott, composer, music supervision
Jessica Materazzo, stage management, writer
Rosaline Satine, costume design, hair & makeup, intimacy coordinator
Naomi Tenebrae Rouner, choreographer
Rhys Utterback, lighting designer
Jessica Endrick, properties manager
Carter Perryman, rehearsal pianist
Savannah Stephens, Johanna
Riah Lubansky, Evangeline
Kaylee Wisner, Dena
Auguste Thielemann, Tricky
Nicholas Grzywacz, Rush
Naomi Tenebrae Rouner, Nine, Dena u/s
Christopher Seeger, Tumble, Rush u/s
Aislin Given, Ensemble, Johanna u/s
Laney Norberg, Ensemble, Evangeline u/s
Quinlan King, Ensemble, Tricky u/s
Anthony Villanova, Ensemble, Tumble u/s
Megan Griffin-Ferry, Ensemble, Nine u/s
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
8 actors (minimum)
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PolyMetrics
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Luke Demers
This goal of this project is to explore the possibilities of music and dance outside of traditional metric structures. A group of musicians will perform music written in a variety of uncommon time signatures and dancers will choreograph dance to accompany the music. This project aims to show that odd time signatures can be used to create expressive and unique art.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Daniel Tillotson
Burke Adkins
Talbot Jennings
Jesse Eagle
Alex Kilkus
Jacob Blair
Nicole O’Donnell
Adam Dockins
Olivia Kouletsis
Kaliyah Fridia
Amanda Poling
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 trumpet
1 alto sax
1 tenor sax
1 trombone
1 guitar
1 bass
1 keyboard
1 percussion
1–4 dancers
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Prompt Night
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Jenna Eckenrod, Maggie Herber & Shriya Bharadwaz
As three separate creative majors within the conservatory, we find unity through writing together. We are interested in investigating how one creative prompt can spur three different literary outcomes, especially since our three writing styles are very different and often yield a thought provoking range of conversation. By using separate pieces of writing that are all tethered to the same prompt, we will direct each section differently utilizing multimedia performance (i.e., dance, spoken word, acting, music, etc.).
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Jenna Eckenrod
Shriya Bharadwaz
Maggie Herber
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
3 directors (one for each written piece)
2 movers
3 actors who will act as dramatic readers
instrumentalists
1 lighting technician
1 sound designer
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Women Writers Cabaret
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Zoie Foster & Brooklynn Baca
Women Writers Cabaret is an interactive cabaret that blends music, song and storytelling to shine a spotlight on the incredible women who have helped shape the world of musical theatre we all know and love. Throughout the show, we’ll celebrate the voices of underrepresented female composers and lyricists — sharing both hidden gems and well-known hits you may not have realized were written by women. This cabaret isn’t just a performance; it’s an opportunity to educate, inspire, and amplify the contributions of female writers who deserve to be recognized alongside their male peers.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Zoie Foster
Brooklynn Baca
Abigail Gorsuch
Emmalee “Stapes” Stapleton
Sydney Barker
Haidyn Bye
Se’Lah Jackson
Charlotte Jenkins
Dalaney Lange
Maya Lysinger
Petra Munter
Phelan Newman
Ella-Jo Reinhart
Morgan Smith
Celia Stafford
Kaylee Wisner
Olivia Zenetzis
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
N/A
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Look Back: A Story of Orpheus & Eurydice
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Shannon Fowler
The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is an honest story of the human condition and trusting one’s partner. I think that it is one that everyone can relate to: love, hope, grief, but especially music. This will be an interdisciplinary work that explores music and movement across history and genres (i.e., opera, musical theatre, instrumental). I want to tell the story while also showcasing other works that have also found inspiration in this myth. Examples like Hadestown and Orfeo immediately come to mind, but I want to comb the archives and find what else is out there.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Maximiliano Fernández Escalona, narrator
Aislinn Coghlan, vocalist
Julian DiNapoli, vocalist
Savannah Stephens, vocalist
Riah Lubansky, vocalist
Tenebrae Rouner, actor
Megan Griffin-Ferry, actor
Katie Hicks, collaborative pianist
Eliza Sisk, choreographer
Ella Gibson, dancer/choreographer
Hannah Diehl, dancer/choreographer
Tatum LeGault, dancer/choreographer
Evvie Bowman, dancer/choreographer
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 lighting designer
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Animusic LIVE
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Ethan Fox & Brodie Meyers
Remember those animated YouTube videos from 2008, that we all thought were real as a kid? Well now it is real: Animusic LIVE will take you on a trip down memory lane, featuring live music from nostalgic YouTube videos many of you may remember such as, “Pipe Dream,” “Resonant Chamber” and “Pogo Sticks.” Created by Wayne Lytle and arranged for many of the members of the Shenandoah University Percussion Ensemble, we will ensure that these old master works are not lost in the back of your mind.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Ethan Fox
Brodie Meyers
Jacob Derges
Ethan Richardson
August Morris
Logan Sawyer
Luka Mendoza-Felix
Jasmine Perry
Chris Boxall
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
2 marimba players
1 vibraphone player
1 drumset player
1 bongo player
1 aux percussion player
1–2 sound engineers
1 stage hand
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Dancing with the Majors
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Brooke Frampton
Dancing with the Majors brings “Dancing with the Stars” to Shenandoah. Four dance majors will get the opportunity to choreograph a short dance routine with non-dance majors from all over the conservatory. Throughout ShenCoLAB week, each duo will help each other create the choreography based on both of their ideas and skill sets and at the end of the week, perform in front of an audience. In the final the performance, these four duos will compete against one another to win a prize and bragging rights. There will be no panel of judges because the audience gets to decide which of the four duos they believe deserve to win. Each non-dance major will come from a different part of the conservatory and preferably have little to no dance experience so that it would truly help push people out of their comfort zones and allow them to have full trust with their partner.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Kathryn Rodger, dance major/choreographer
Madison Pellegrin, dance major/choreographer
Jessalyn Snyder, dance major/choreographer
Abby Davis, dance major/choreographer
Grace Frame, non-dance major partner
Naomi Rouner, emcee/choreographer
Mary-Kelly Reimel, non-dance major partner
Emily Mullen, non-dance major partner
Sophia Alvini-Moore, non-dance major partner
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 sound designer/operator
1 lighting technician
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SU Mini Symphony Orchestra
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Derek Garcia & Chris Claudio
This ensemble isn’t the usual symphony orchestra you’re used to hearing. For this concert, we want to portray the feeling of Love. Whether it was good or bad, everyone has had their own authentic experience falling in and out of love. It’s a rollercoaster no one can control. We want the audience, even if it’s just one person, to feel like their love can be expressed through these pieces. Which is why we think… “Why play a piece by Bach that everyone is tired of, when you can play an orchestral video game soundtrack?!”. “Why be the millionth ensemble to play Beethoven’s 5th when you can play a piece by Laufey?”. We hope you enjoy, and fall in love with the passion this ensemble will bring to the stage.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Megan Hawthorne, flute
Gwen Cauffman, flute
Emma Shields, oboe
Daniel Lee, clarinet
Bryce Smyers, clarinet
Katie Tokar, clarinet
Alix Shriver, bass clarinet
Aidan Robbins, saxophone, auxiliary percussion
Theo Tevault, trumpet
Myklin Davis, horn
Syd Hileman, horn
Brandon DuBritton, trombone
Alex Rayburn, bass trombone
Mark Lowe, euphonium
Blake Doddson, tuba
Jamaige Clark, tuba
Emily Mullen, violin
Kaysea Calvert, violin
Kate Job, violin
Nina Quinn McDonald, violin
Raquel Anongos, violin
Haley Whitelaw, viola
Ryan Snyder, viola
Eugene Bartholomew, cello
Jake Tuttle, cello
Ben Figgs, cello
Jack Penland, double bass
Yevgeny Dodzin, double bass
Brandon Divita, percussion (mallets)
Grace Ritchie, percussion (auxiliary)
Izzy Bock, percussion (bass drum + auxiliary)
Jeremiah Johnson, percussion (timpani)
Addy Price, harp
Joseph Goduto, piano
Micah Hackman, piano
Xander Glenn, sound production
Nikki O’Donnell, light production
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 trombone
1 bassoon
2 violins
1 cello
2 double bass
1 percussionist
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Brother Booth
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: A. René Gutierrez
This project is a series of six monologues exploring how Edwin Booth, brother of the infamous president-killer, feels and thinks in the aftermath of his brother’s murdering and subsequent death.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Anthony Villanova, actor
Kaylee Wisner, actor
Nico Russ, actor
Matthew Mangels, actor
Ryan Taylor, actor
Auguste Thielemann, actor
Jakob Wagner, understudy
Rosaline Satine, costume manager
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
None
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Slug
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: James Helsinger
“Slug” is a raunchy two-person comedic drama (think Veep in terms of tone) about two cousins in Vegas celebrating one of their 21st birthday’s. We follow Joe the quiet, shy, but recently acclaimed author, and Arnold, the playboy-bum as Arnold tries to get joe laid with two girls he knows upstairs and Joe’s complicated feeling about sex and intimacy come out. The set is a basic, but lived-in hotel room in Vegas. As a content warning, there’s alcohol consumption, misogyny, partial nudity (a character ends up in their boxers) and lot of inappropriate language.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Noah Decarmo, actor
Jacob Granado, actor
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 director
2 actors
1 set designer
1 stage manager
1 lighting technician
1 playwright (me!)
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“Silent” Film in Concert
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
10–15 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Cliff Hernandez & Anna Smith
“Grow Through What You Go Through” highlights the lived experiences of the filmmaker, Lizzie Pearson, as they navigate being diagnosed with debilitating and life-changing chronic illnesses. The film visually, artistically, and musically reflects the experiences of living with invisible disabilities if they could be seen on the surface. This original short, fictional film, accompanied by a live orchestra and scored by Cliff Hernandez, pays homage to the silent film era.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Lizzie Pearson, film director
Cliff Hernandez, composer
Anna Smith, conductor
Katarina Sams, flute
Jaylan Jones, flute
Emma Shields, oboe
Brendan Shirk, oboe
Darian Angel, clarinet
Caitlyn Rose, clarinet
Megan Frederick, bassoon
Emily Seelinger, bassoon
Addison Ashley, horn
Gabby Pocaro, horn
Juniper Jones, horn
Connor Eldredge, trumpet
Aidan Murray, trumpet
Jaylinn Vanegas, trombone
Brandon DuBritton, trombone
Juan Dominguez, piano
Addy Price, harp
Jonathan Toomer, violin I
Gabrielle Gans, violin I
Emily Mullen, violin I
Benjamin Bleam, violin II
Elena Ross, violin II
Kate Job, violin II
Joseph Goduto, viola
Haley Whitelaw, viola
Brian Morillo, viola
Christian Hartman, cello
Ben Figgs, cello
Bethany Hovermale, cello
Raegan Fisher, contrabass
Alex Parello, contrabass
Emma Shockey, percussion
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
Information coming soon…
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The Young Soldier (A Don McLean Jukebox Musical)
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Philly Kang & Chris Agaligotis
This is my directorial vision of a minimalist guitar musical that uses songs from Don Mclean’s album “American Pie.” It revolves around the song, “The Grave,” which tells the story of a young man who enlists in the Vietnam War and dies. Chris (the young soldier) plays the entire score on guitar; and using contemporary dance, hand-held lights and soundscapes we explore Don Mclean’s musical poetry.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Philly Kang, director/choreographer
Chris Agaliotis, music, actor (The Young Soldier)
Sa’rai Jackson, actor (Young Woman)
Naja Bates, assistant choreographer, actor (Young Woman)
Jayson Goldner, actor (Sargeant)
Blake McCall, actor (Soldiers)
Jacob Kim, actor (Soldiers)
Giovanni Santoro, actor (Soldiers)
Alex Agaliotis, actor (Soldiers)
Jakob Wagner, light operator
Nina Wilborn, light operator
Christopher Seeger, light operator
Philly Kang, light operator
Christopher Seeger, special effects
Cabe Parrish, sound designer/operator
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
Sister Fatima
Young Soldier (Chris)
Ensemble 1 (Philly)
Ensemble 2
1 lighting designer
1 sound designer
1 pianist
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The Music That Shaped Our Land: A Tribute to American Folk Music
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Ellie Long
This project will be a performance of protest, love, travel, storytelling and poetic songs played as a tribute to the relevant history and for the appreciation of some of the greatest musicians and songwriters in American folk history. We will also feature an artist from today! There will be a variety of instruments and voices featured.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Ellie Long
Barbara Johnson
Jackson Smith
Jess McMillan
Milton John Switzer IV
Ja Clark
Liam Jaehnigen
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
Information coming soon…
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Broadway’s Miscast: Theatre for the Overlooked
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Maya Lysinger & Chance Anding
In an industry as competitive as musical theatre, there’s a lot of competition and instances of people being stereotyped or placed in a box. For example, a plus-size black woman might be seen for Celie in The Color Purple, but what if she wanted to be seen for Belle in Beauty and the Beast? This project aims to shine light on a couple of people that may feel that they resonate with this, where there are so many roles they desire to try but don’t fit into the “stereotype.”
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Phelan Newman, ensemble
Haidyn Bye, ensemble
Petra Munter, ensemble
I’ami Argueta, ensemble
Dalaney Lange, ensemble
Greylynn Waite, ensemble
Xavier Miller, ensemble
Tenebrae Rouner, ensemble
Katherine Hicks, accompanist
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 choreographer
1 lighting technician
1 sound designer OR 1 accompanist+ 1 drummer + 1 cellist
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Dancing with the Athletes
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Sallie (Izzy) Miller
“Dancing with the Stars” was a sensation this past season, so why not bring it to campus? Dancers from Shenandoah Conservatory will be paired up with athletes throughout the university to perform a choreographed piece. There will be four pairs that are dancing a different piece for the competition. The dancer in the pair will choreograph a dance in the style of their choosing to compete on the day of the performance. There will be four judges as well as audience participation for voting. A winner will be announced at the end of the performance.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Abigail Westcott, dancer
Maria Pomares, dancer
Dante DePaul, dancer
Brandon Goldman, dancer
Michael Sheil, athlete
Tanner Ribel, athlete
Camryn Deleva, athlete
Lily Kyvelos, athlete
Julia Latko, emcee
Rachel Lambough, choreographer
Katie Jo Clukey, choreographer
Erica Helm, judge
Mannie Brown, judge
America Jackson, judge
Buzzy D. Hornet, judge
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
4 judges
1 MC
4 dancers
4 athletes
1 sound operator
1 lighting technician
1 person operating the video on the projector screen
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Instinctual Behavior
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Josiah O’Connor
Instinctual Behavior is a structured improvisational movement piece composed of sixteen dancers, set into three distinctive sections. The work is a continued study of my ongoing curiosity about animals and their connection to human behavior. I am rather fascinated with our connection to our inner primal behavior and our deterrence to that within society and cultural norms. Many questions that arise fall under our ability to be performative within societal norms, our deference to our natural behavior as animals, and our intolerance to act based on instinct. I have felt like an observer through this ongoing study as I feel as though humanity is pushing further and further away from our connection to our awareness of humans being mammals, and I question whether or not that has separated humans from the animal kingdom or driven us further into the madness of being animals. I would like to prioritize that this work is simply a canvas for me to further ask questions within a set group of dancers, and I am not declaring any statement in regards to the larger scope of humanity.
Instinctual Behavior lies in the questions and our actions as humans. It also is a further study into human emotions and whether or not the emotions that we feel and that motivate our actions are purely instinctual or are they crafted within our choices. My intended goal is to take my poetry and splice it up into many different small sections. From there, each dancer will have a section as their starting point within their improv. It is vital for this process that they have no awareness of what “emotion” I am trying to pull out of them. It would defeat the purpose. To live within their instinctual choices is the embodiment of me all at once. It is vital for this process that they have a state of vulnerability within themselves and a willingness to act decisively, not within the movement that they feel comfortable in. I do not look at this as improv as in a space to be free, but rather a place to let the body take over. It is also vital that there is a strong sense of community within all the dancers. As I see it, they are the embodiment of me. They may not know it within the process, but they are telling my story and emotions, and they must act as a collective, being aware of being one part of a larger machine to fully form cohesiveness within each other. Each dancer is acting instinctually within their own self, within the larger scope of a collective. I see improvisation as the truest form of instinctual behavior within the dance setting. In improv, there is no moment to question your actions or think about your movement; you simply act on instinct.
I am hoping to cultivate this with the large set of dancers within three distinct sections that correlate to certain emotions I plan to study. Love/Loss, Grief in Solitude, The Joy of Release. It is also part of this work that it be set in the round so the audience can garner a deeper scope of the dancers. I plan to use dirt across the space to allow the dancers to connect with the inner primal energy within themselves, in hopes that it allows a more truthful and instinctual performance.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Kylie Nicole, dramaturg
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
14–16 dancers
1 dramaturgist
1 lighting technician
1 sound operator
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ADVOCan We Not
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Ivanna Stefanova
This project is a one-act play depicting the experiences of myself as a student with an invisible disability in high school, also featuring similar experiences in college. It is told to the audience, the fourth wall is very much broken and the piece itself serves as an advocacy project in a way, for my specific disability but also similar degrading experiences of students also with invisible disabilities in schooling.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Valeria Perero Santa Cruz, co-composer
Alice McNutt, co-composer
Kaeleigh Howlett, stage manager
Gale Wolfle, sound head
Jessica Endrick, video editor
Rosaline Satine, costume head
Kaylee Wisner, actor
Anthony Villanova, actor
Rowan Coon, actor
Apollo Colon, actor
Chloe Vaughn, actor
Laney Norberg, actor
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
N/A
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From Screen to Stage: An Exploration in Translation
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Dylan Stukenberg
I want to explore the difference between dance numbers as viewed on-screen in iconic musical numbers vs. on-stage for live theatre and how choreographing a piece for live theatre is going to require different elements and approaches for similar or more impact. With film, there is the advantage of different camera angles, perspectives, and close-ups vs. a constant whole-picture view on-stage. So finding different solo moments, character emphasis, etc. is going to take special effects and planning. My plan is to take three iconic movie musical numbers, “Someone in the Crowd” from the movie La La Land, “The National Pastime” from the TV show Smash, and “Be Italian” from the movie Nine, and see how choreographing these numbers translates differently in front of a live stage audience versus a screen, while also finding ways to create the powerful more intimate moments that a camera can provide.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Dylan Stukenberg, choreographer
Zoe Anderson, lighting designer
Jillian Reef, actor (Marilyn Monroe)
Mia Nelson, dancer
Eliza Sisk, dancer
Ariana Gaub, dancer
Avery Whitacre, dancer
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 choreographer
1 lighting designer
1–2 pianists
1 guitar
1 drums
5–7 dancers
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The Universal Language of Music
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Reeve Thomas
The Universal Language of Music describes the connection of different music cultures coming together. We are incorporating musicians that are a part of band, jazz, orchestra and contemporary arts ensembles. We want to work together to create a new language of music. I chose certain individuals that represent these particular instrumental ensembles to be a part of our ensemble. Other musicians and I will be composing music that brings the universal language together. By bringing universal language in music, we can make music together to communicate our message to general audiences across the world.
Program
“Universal Language of Music Fanfare” – Beau Baldassarri
“Hymn of the Fallen” – Erik Ruane
“Discovery of the Tree Life” – Reeve Thomas
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Jaylan Jones, flute
Brienna Yates, flute
Brendan Shirk, oboe
Emma Shields, oboe
Darian Angel, clarinet
Caitlyn Rose, clarinet
Mitchell Ferris, clarinet
Jesse Eagle, bass clarinet
Alix Shriver, bass clarinet/percussion
Beau Baldassarri, alto saxophone, composer
Nikki O’Donnell, alto saxophone
Aidan Robbins, tenor saxophone
Stephen Payes, baritone saxophone
Emma Shockey, bassoon, conductor
Em Seelinger, bassoon
Ryan Wezner, horn
Gabby Pocaro, horn
Jaylinn Venegas, trombone
Andrew Hiebert, trombone
Jackson Smith, bass trombone
Abel Rose, euphonium, conductor
Reeve Thomas, euphonium, composer
Erik Ruane, tuba, composer
Juan Dominguez, piano, composer
Chris Boxall, percussion
Annie Starliper, percussion
Jaeden Persaud, audio engineer
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 flute
1 oboe
2 clarinets
1 bass clarinet
1 bassoon
1 alto saxophone
1 tenor saxophone
1 baritone saxophone
2 French horn
2 trumpet
2 trombone
1 euphonium
1 tuba
4 percussionists
3 composers (composers could also perform in the original pieces and conducting)
3 violin (optional)
3 viola (optional)
3 cello (optional)
1 double bass (optional)
1 bass trombone (optional)
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Hello?
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Leader: Zoe Toomer
Hello? Is a short radio play that features a series of phone calls detailing the kidnapping and murder of a four-year-old girl, Eden. We follow Eden’s parents, Frank and Pamela as they call others and receive calls concerning the events of Eden’s disappearance — ultimately leading to the call that ends it all for them. Though the characters may not be seen, they are heard, and felt, as the anticipation and suspense grows for them and also us.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Zoe Toomer, project head, scriptwriter, head recording engineer
Janelle Breitkreutz, assistant recording engineer
Matthias Williams, assistant recording engineer
Jessica Endrick, props manager
Ivanna Stefanova, scriptwriter
Nicholas Grzywacz, frank, kidnapper
Naomi Tenebrae Rouner, pamela
Anthony Villanova, 911 operator/officer, kidnapper
Kaylee Wisner, banker
Zoe Toomer, nanny, daycare worker, eden
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
9 voice actors
2–3 recording engineers/producers
1 musical composer
1 film/camera director
1 film editor
1 costumer
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Keys vs. Code: Can AI Compete with Man-Made Music?
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TYPE OF PROJECT
In-person performance/presentation
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APPROXIMATE RUN TIME
15–20 minutes
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Project Co-leaders: Maggie Waite & Carter Perryman
This project considers if AI can compete with human-made composition and art. The audience will be presented with two musical theatre pieces, one written by AI and the other by a human, without any prior knowledge of which is which. After both are presented, feedback will be collected on preference and guesses as to which is written by which, before the truth is unveiled. With the exception of the leaders/creators, not even the project participants will know which piece is authored by which entity. This will eliminate all bias and ensure no more emotional motivation is given to one over the other.
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CONFIRMED COLLABORATORS
Abigail Gorsuch, music director/pianist
Adaugo Ejekwu, AI consulting
Emerson Riley, performer
Preston Kelly, performer
Holly Calloway, music copyist
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NEEDED COLLABORATORS
1 director
1 movement/choreographer
1 lighting designer
1 costume designer
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