Drama News

Leading with Light

How Jaymi Lee Smith is shaping the future of graduate education at UC Irvine: A Q&A session In June, Professor Jaymi Lee Smith from the Department of Drama at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts was appointed as the Interim Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Interim Dean of the...

Celebrating Alumni in the Arts

Alumni Appreciation Month at Claire Trevor School of the Arts August marks Alumni Appreciation Month at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA). This initiative honors the achievements of graduates in the fields of art, dance, drama and music. This year, we are excited to...

Professor Vincent Olivieri explains how sound travels for the Los Angeles Times

What caused the thumping of Inglewood music festival to disrupt so many? Blame the weather? Los Angeles Times By Karen Garcia | Aug. 10, 2024 Living in Westchester, Chris Bankoff said, he’s used to two types of noise: the occasional house party by Loyola Marymount University students, and...

2024 Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship Recipients

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 UC Irvine Graduate Dean's Dissertation Fellowship (GDDF) recipients. The competitive fellowship provides financial support to graduate and doctoral students in the final stages of their thesis and dissertation research. This...

2024 Medici Circle Scholars

UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts names eleven new Medici Circle Scholars UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 Medici Circle Scholars. Eleven scholarships were awarded to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. These scholarships allow...

UCI Arts names 2024 Lauds and Laurels recipient

UC Irvine Alumni Association to Honor Darcy Prevost M.F.A. ’09 with Distinguished Alumni Award Recognizing Darcy Prevost’s, M.F.A. ’09, exceptional contributions to the field of set and production design for theatre, film and television, the UC Irvine Alumni Association names Prevost the 2024...

Joel Veenstra to be the next Chair in Drama

Cultivating inclusivity, sustainability and well-being in theatre education The UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) has named Professor of Teaching Joel Veenstra as the next chair of the Department of Drama. He currently serves as the department’s vice chair of production and co-...

Marching to New Heights

UCI alumna Jenn Colella M.F.A. ’02 earns Drama League nomination for Suffs By Chiara Guastella Jenn Colella (M.F.A./Acting ’02), is captivating audiences in the Broadway hit Suffs. The Tony-nominated musical, produced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brings to life the inspiring...

The Sound of Success

A sound design company founded by UCI alumni is making waves in themed entertainment By Christine Byrd Even if you’ve never heard of Ears Up Sound Design, their work is heard by millions around the globe — from the music that sets the tone at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to the soundscape of...

Behind the Curtain: The Making of UCI's The Prom

An inside look at the collaboration, creativity and themes of love and acceptance in the drama department’s closing show Co-directed by Don Hill and Daniel Keeling, The Prom addresses LGBTQ+ themes and societal issues, highlighting the importance of love and acceptance amidst challenges. Through...

That’s Show Biz

Don Hill makes his final curtain call after 20 years with CTSA By Christine Byrd Theater is a risky business. No one knows that better than veteran stage manager and producer Don Hill, who left the Nebraska cornfields to ultimately work with legends like Carol Burnett and Patti Lupone....

Arts Advocates: Reza Jahangiri

RISK TAKER Q&A with Reza Jahangiri Reza Jahangiri ’00 is the founder of American Advisors Group, a pioneer in the reverse mortgage industry. A lifelong music lover, he serves on the Dean’s Arts Board in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts as well as the board of the Pacific Symphony. He...

CTSA Awards the 2023-24 Research & Innovation Grants

The Research and Innovation Advisory Committee (RI Committee), composed of esteemed faculty members representing each department within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), rigorously evaluated an influx of 33 research proposals requesting a total of $152,000 for the 2023-2024 academic...

UC Irvine’s Department of Drama presents “The Brothers Paranormal”

Prince Gomolvilas’ ghost-hunting play explores the intersection of genre, race and displacement  Irvine, Calif., April 18, 2024 — UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Drama presents The Brothers Paranormal, a story about two Thai American brothers who set out to launch...

Celebrating Diversity in the Arts

Johanna Sophia Romo honored at the Latino Excellence Awards Dinner The Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce that M.F.A. student Johanna Sophia Romo received the Graduate Student Excellence Award at the Latino Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner (LEAD). The LEAD is...

Doubling Down

CTSA students embrace risk as they pursue careers in arts and other fields By Christine Byrd Living the artist’s life requires embracing risk. Unlike medicine or business, there is no clear-cut pathway to a successful and stable career in the arts. But in the quest to create art by taking...

Launching into the Arts

Drama's annual Santley Showcase is a springboard for UCI actors By Christine Byrd The Claire Trevor School of  the Arts’ annual Santley Showcase puts the work of graduating actors in front of countless casting directors, agents and managers who hold the potential to make an aspiring star...

UCI Drama Students Connect with Broadway's Jeremy Jordan

Music theatre students engaged with the star during a Segerstrom sponsored event By Professor Myrona DeLaney The Jeremy Jordan – as one student remarked – is an icon to the current generation. UC Irvine's Department of Drama music theatre students engaged in an interview and talkback...