Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
A musical theater rendition of “The Simpsons” — featuring Itchy and Scratchy as the comically evil Mr. Burns’ minions attempting to murder Bart’s family — may not be on your apocalypse bingo card. But from Nov. 14 to 23, the Duke Theater Studies department’s Fall Mainstage show, “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play,” whirled its audience in Sheafer Lab Theater into a post-apocalyptic “near future” where theater is the only hope illuminating a (literally) pitch-dark world. read more about ‘Mr. Burns, a post-electric play’ Illuminates Our Need for Storytelling and Community »
Assistant Professor of Theater Studies Ryan Donovan is quoted in this story about a growing trend of rewriting and reimagining older, successful Broadway musicals rather than mounting expensive productions of new and untried musicals. In reference to "the exciting and renewed production of the 1955 musical 'Damn Yankees' currently ending its run at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.," Donovan says: "None of the creators of 'Damn Yankees' are still around, but the show as written in the 1950s would no longer play as… read more about 'Bat Boy' Returns After 20 years. Does It Hold a Key to Broadway's Future? »
Jeff Storer, professor of the practice in Theater Studies, first produced “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play” on another planet.It was 2013, and Storer was directing Anne Washburn’s newly written play for Manbites Dog Theater. The tale, described by the author as a “pop culture narrative pushed past the fall of civilization,” is set in a near future where the world has been decimated by a global pandemic. Washburn’s characters use their memories of the TV show “The Simpsons” to create a new mythology, which they… read more about “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play” Shines Bright Through Inspiration and Collaboration »
Cynthia Bunn, remembered fondly by many Theater Studies students and alumni, retired at the end of July.For 27 remarkable years – two in Women’s Studies before bringing her talents to Theater Studies for twenty-five more -- Cyndi has been the heart, soul, and mastermind behind the curtain. She's not just been our business manager in TS; she's been our mentor, guide, and advocate, as well as a dear friend to so many of us. Her hard work has steered our department to success.Many will remember her unwavering support of… read more about Cynthia Bunn Retires After 27 Years at Duke »
Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp, co-founders of Universes Theater Company, are in residence in Theater Studies from September 15-26 as guest artists for the Fall 2025 New Works Lab. A public performance, An Evening with Universes: Celebrating 30 Years of Art and Activism, will take place on September 26 at 5:30 pm in the Sheafer Lab Theater, Bryan University Center. Admission is free.Mildred and Steven, who met while attending Bard College, formed Universes Theater Company in the Bronx in 1995. They… read more about Universes: 30 Years of Arts and Activism »
It was late in the evening in December and I was sitting at my desk crying. I don’t mean dainty tears, I mean ugly crying. Why? Because the ongoing impact of Covid-19 had exhausted all my mentoring tools (not to mention exhausted me!) and, as a result, I worried that I was failing mentees in crisis in my role as DGS. I simply did not know what to do, and that lack of knowing felt awful. read more about A Humanist’s Very Human Perspective on the Realities of Mentoring »
Jeff Storer, professor of the practice in Theater Studies, received a Pillars of Leadership Award from Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national leadership honor society. The award honors individuals who exemplify ODK’s five pillars of campus life: Academics and Research, Athletics, Service to Campus and Community, Communications and the Arts. Storer was recognized in the category of Arts for his decades-long impact on theater at Duke, in the Durham community and beyond. Since joining Duke in the early 1980s, Storer… read more about Jeff Storer Wins Pillars of Leadership Award from Omicron Delta Kappa »
Fresh from the Outer Banks, sun-kissed, slightly sore yet fully inspired, Torry Bend is eager to continue the work started at Duke’s Marine Lab this summer. The professor of the practice in Theater Studies spent six weeks in Beaufort, North Carolina, directing Arts+ Resilience Through Puppetry and exploring the art form’s roles in teaching climate sustainability and community building. They came. They saw. They built a leviathan. The Arts+ team (from… read more about When Puppetry and Environmental Resiliency Go Hand-in-Hand »
“The Outsiders” and “John Proctor Is the Villain” showcased Danya Taymor’s adept staging of teen stories. Off Broadway, next: the teen satire “Trophy Boys.” read more about Meet Broadway’s Teen Whisperer, Duke Alumna Dayna Taymor »
The first monologue Daniel Dae Kim ever performed was by David Henry Hwang.He had to do one for his college summer program at the National Theater Institute in Connecticut. Kim chose a scene from “FOB,” Hwang’s play about the assimilation struggles of a Chinese American. So, it’s fitting that 35 years later Hwang — the first Asian American to win the Tony Award for best play — would be the one to bring Kim into the Tony spotlight.For a long time, Hwang felt the only way to get a play with Asian characters made was to set it… read more about Esther Kim Lee on Bringing Asian Americans Into the Theater »
The following is a partial list of national, university, school and departmental awards presented to the members of the Class of 2025. In some awards where there are multiple winners, only members of the Class of 2025 are included. read more about Department Honors and Laurels for the Class of 2025 »
Each year, Duke University awards Benenson Awards in the Arts, which provide funding for arts-centered projects proposed by undergraduates, including graduating seniors. This year, the Student Arts Award Committee awarded prizes to fifteen students for creative projects spanning film, theater, creative writing, music, dance, and visual art. read more about Announcing the 2025 Benenson Award Winners »
When is a lie acceptable, perhaps even a catalyst for creativity?This is a central question in Pierre Corneille’s “The Liar,” and it remains as thought-provoking today as it was at the play’s premiere in 1644.Directed by Darren Gobert, Duke Theater Studies’ Mainstage production of David Ives’ adaptation of the comedic masterpiece is impish, full of physical humor and surprisingly relevant. It follows the romantic misadventures of Dorante, a young man with a penchant for creative invention, and his servant, Cliton, who is… read more about "The Liar” Showcases the Joy of Theatrical Make-Believe »
For Khiyali Pillalamarri, pursuing a double major in Theater Studies and Mathematics is completely rational. Inspired by her grandmother’s mantra that “All knowledge is one,” the senior finds harmony in blending the creativity of the arts with the precision of mathematics, proving that logic and imagination can be two sides of the same equation. Homeschooled until high school, Pillalamarri thrived in a world where exceptional math resources were always within reach, and she had the freedom to decide her path of study.… read more about Equations and Encores »
For over 35 years, the Benenson Awards in the Arts has provided Duke undergraduates with funding to pursue summer arts training, research, or projects. But what happens after the grant? How does that experience shape an individual’s creative journey years down the line? We reached out to four Duke alums who received Benenson Awards to hear where they are today. From launching professional opportunities to shaping new creative directions, their stories reveal the lasting impact of this grant on their professional and… read more about From Grant to Growth: Duke Alums Reflect on Their Benenson Award »
Rebecca Wahls is Duke Theater Studies’ Artist-in-Residence for the 2024-2025 academic year.A director, writer and producer of film, theater and new media, Wahls holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a John Wells Fellow from 2020-2023. Her first feature film, “Him," is currently playing festivals across the U.S. This semester, Wahls is teaching Acting for the Camera and the first-year seminar Investigating Adaptation. She is also directing a new musical play, “GOOD,” which she wrote… read more about Artist-in-Residence Rebecca Wahls Creates “GOOD” »
The Department of Theater Studies at Duke University in Durham, NC invites applications for an Artist in Residence to begin July 2025. This full-time, one-year position is intended for a recent graduate of an MFA program (2022 or later preferred) in either Acting or Directing; the position requires an MFA at the time of hire. Job duties will include a 2/1 teaching load in small laboratory-based acting classes as well as ancillary coaching in the successful candidate’s areas of expertise, whether as a choreographer, movement… read more about Applications Closed: Artist-in-Residence »
What would you sacrifice to pursue your dream?This is the question that the women in “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark,” Duke Theater Studies’ Fall 2024 Mainstage production, must grapple with as they struggle to forge careers as actors in 1930s Hollywood. Breaking into the movie business is challenging under any circumstances, but it was particularly difficult for Black actors in the early 20th century. The compromises they had to make, and the consequences of their choices, are deftly illustrated in Lynn Nottage’s play,… read more about What Would You Do to Make Your Dream Come True? »
A personal connection with one of the iconic folk rock groups of the 1960s piqued Ken Cerniglia’s interest when he was approached to co-write a stage adaptation of Michael Walker’s book, “Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll's Legendary Neighborhood.” Michael Walker (L) and Ken Cerniglia (R) at the public reading for “Laurel Canyon: The Musical” on September 20 in Sheafer Theater. (Elizabeth Thompson/Trinity Communications) “I grew up in LA — not in Laurel Canyon — but… read more about New Works Lab Brings Theater Professionals and Students Together »
Alumnus Paul W. Downs (’04) came home on September 15 with two Emmys under his arm. Downs was awarded one Emmy as Executive Producer when his HBO/Max production Hacks received the 2024 Award for Best Comedy Series. He garnered a second Emmy, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, for penning the Hacks episode titled “Bulletproof."Since 2021, Downs has received seven Emmy nominations for Hacks. The pilot episode of the series gave him an Emmy in 2021 for Outstanding Writing for a… read more about Alumnus Paul W. Downs Wins Two Emmy Awards for “Hacks” »
The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) has recognized Ryan Donovan, assistant professor of Theater Studies, and Esther Kim Lee, Frances Hill Fox Professor of Theater Studies, with their 2024 Outstanding Book Award. The ATHES Outstanding Book Award recognizes books that demonstrate complex and critical engagement with dramatic texts, performances, histories, theories, practices and/or pedagogies. A maximum of five awards are given per year. Donovan, who is vice president and… read more about Lee and Donovan Receive Outstanding Book Awards »
When the Tony Awards ceremony highlighted the year’s best work in the theater on Sunday, a Duke alumna walked away with one of the most prestigious awards. Danya Taymor (T’ 10) won the award for Best Direction of a Musical, for her work on “The Outsiders.” The play, based on the classic novel by S.E. Hinton and the movie by Francis Ford Coppola, follows working-class teen Ponyboy and his friends in 1967 Tulsa as they struggle against an affluent rival gang. It was the first nomination for Taymor. In winning the directing… read more about Duke Alumna Danya Taymor Wins Tony Award for Direction »
Hannah Haverkamp, Lecturing Fellow of Theater Studies in the Department of Theater Studies at Duke, immerses herself in the performing arts on campus. In her role, she oversees the costume shop, making garments alongside work-study students, while also teaching the fundamentals of theatrical construction. The costume shop is responsible for creating garments for annual main stage productions as well as faculty led projects. Haverkamp, who recently finished her first academic year in the department, brims with excitement… read more about A Duke Workday: Working Hand in Hand with Students to Create Theatrical Performances »
