{"id":162,"date":"2019-07-17T18:17:56","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/aquila-theatre\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:17:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:56","slug":"aquila-theatre","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/aquila-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 Aquila Theatre to debut new ‘Romeo & Juliet’ production at WCSU"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"ImageDANBURY, CONN. <\/strong>\u2014 Aquila Theatre<\/a>, a New York-based company dedicated to bringing great dramatic works to audiences nationwide, has chosen Western Connecticut State University<\/a> as the site for its rehearsal and debut of the troupe\u2019s fall 2015 touring production of William Shakespeare\u2019s tragedy \u201cRomeo and Juliet.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Aquila company has forged a collaboration this year with the university\u2019s Visual and Performing Arts Center<\/a> (VPAC) and Department of Theatre Arts<\/a> to conduct rehearsals and technical preparations at Western for its innovative interpretation of the Shakespeare classic, which will debut at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18<\/strong>, in the MainStage Theatre of the VPAC on the WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. Aquila Theatre also will utilize the VPAC\u2019s state-of-the-art rehearsal and performance facilities to prepare its touring production of \u201cThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,\u201d which will be presented at WCSU in January.<\/p>\n

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The professional cast of \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d will be directed by Desiree Sanchez<\/a>, Aquila\u2019s artistic director since 2011 and a professional choreographer whose extensive dance career includes her tenure as a principal dancer for 20 years for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York. Following the Danbury debut, Aquila will take the production on the road to communities in 10 states in the East, Midwest and West stretching from Pennsylvania to Montana.<\/p>\n

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Ticket information for the WCSU performance of \u201cRomeo and Juliet<\/a>\u201d at the VPAC may be obtained by calling (203) 837-8732 or online at www.eventbrite.com\/e\/aquila-theatre-in-william-shakespeares-romeo-and-juliet-tickets-17832895671<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Professor Pamela McDaniel<\/a>, chair of the WCSU Theatre Arts Department, observed that she and Professor of Theatre Arts Sal Trapani made their first contact seven years ago with the Aquila company to discuss opportunities for collaboration. McDaniel had been impressed by the New York company\u2019s daring approach \u2014 with each actor prepared to perform any of the leading roles \u2014 when she viewed an earlier Aquila presentation of \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where Trapani directed a WCSU student cast in a rock-and-roll adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy.<\/p>\n

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The possibility of an Aquila project at WCSU was discussed several times in the intervening years before the New York company\u2019s overture this spring bore fruit \u2014 in part thanks to the 2014 opening of the VPAC with stage and practice infrastructure rivaling the most technically sophisticated New York theatres.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have always had the superior faculty and student talent in our theatre arts program,\u201d VPAC Coordinator Sarah Renninger<\/a> said, \u201cbut now we have the building to reflect the quality of our productions and our faculty. That has enabled us to bring in this professional theatre company, both for the educational benefit of our students and for the cultural enrichment of the entire community in the Danbury area.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe VPAC provides superior rehearsal space that you wouldn\u2019t typically find in New York, where rehearsals generally take place in a building separate from the theatre,\u201d McDaniel said. \u201cHere we have the whole package of leading-edge technical offerings in our rehearsal and performance space, all in the same facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

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McDaniel emphasized the educational benefits that WCSU theatre arts students will draw from the opportunity to observe first-hand the work of a professional New York theatrical company in staging a production of a Shakespeare play. She noted that all juniors and seniors in the WCSU theatre arts program will participate in a Shakespeare workshop conducted by members of the Aquila company, and Western students also will assist with technical support for the production, including Brionna Ingraham as assistant stage manager.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAn important reason that we were very interested in inviting a professional company to campus is to provide an opportunity for all our students to see their work,\u201d McDaniel said. The fact that Aquila Theatre, founded in London in 1991 and based in New York since 1999, retains a predominantly British company of actors offers exposure to a different type of theatrical training, she noted, and Aquila\u2019s mission in bringing touring productions to colleges and communities nationwide provides valuable perspective for Western students in experiencing opportunities to start out in the theatrical profession.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis interaction with a professional company provides an important confirmation that what we are teaching our students will be applied in the real world,\u201d McDaniel remarked. Performance in a touring production is a typical entry for Western graduates into the profession, she added. \u201cOur students will have the chance to gain insight into what a career in theatre really looks like and to recognize that entering the field takes many different avenues \u2014 it\u2019s not just about making it to Broadway.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s important to get a feel for what it\u2019s like to be part of a touring company and to perform before different types of audiences,\u201d Renninger said.<\/p>\n

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For the past 16 years, Aquila Theatre has been a leading producer of touring classical theatre, visiting approximately 50 to 60 communities in the United States each year to present two major productions. Past productions featured on tour and at New York sites including the Brooklyn Academy of Music have included a wide range of plays from classic Shakespearean and Greek drama as well as contemporary works. Under the program direction of founder Peter Meineck<\/a>, Aquila has been the theatrical company in residence at the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University. Established as a nonprofit organization, Aquila also conducts an extensive outreach program of theatrical workshops, master classes and other forms of educational enrichment offered at schools and universities in New York City as well as communities where Aquila tours.<\/p>\n

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McDaniel noted the WCSU collaboration with Aquila is part of a continuing initiative by the Theatre Arts Department to take advantage of the university\u2019s proximity to the vibrant cultural center of New York by building relationships in theatre circles. Last year Western theatre students performed as the featured choir in a production of playwright David Grieg\u2019s \u201cThe Events\u201d at the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, and they performed the same role in the play this spring at the New York Theatre Workshop in New York City.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese relationships with outside professional groups offer an important enhancement to our educational program,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very exciting for us to have Aquila here, and this year we\u2019ll be exploring what the nature of our relationship will be in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Renninger said the spirit of educational and artistic collaboration underlying the Aquila project at WCSU is consistent with the similar theme of collaborative work that the university seeks to inspire among art, music and theatre students who share the same building. The extensive and diverse program of events in the visual and performing arts scheduled at the VPAC during the 2015-16 academic year reflects the dynamic results of that collaboration, she added.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLast year was a time for getting comfortable in this setting, and this is the year for beginning to discover all that we can do here at the center,\u201d she said. \u201cThis will surely bring huge benefits for our students.\u201d <\/p>\n

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For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.
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