KU Theatre & Dance

06/02/2026

Summer Fun! Enjoy this alumni spotlight on KU Theatre alum Natalie Sparks! Natalie graduated from KU in 2024 with degrees in Theatre Performance and Illustration and Animation. She worked as the prop maker for the University Theatre from 2021-2024, which means she had a hand in most things prop-related for many of our shows! One of her favorite KU memories is when she created custom-made leather holsters for our production of Measure for Measure.

Currently, Natalie lives in Orlando, Florida and works at the Universal Orlando theme parks on the Art & Design team as a set dresser for Marquee events. “One of the big projects I worked on recently was being a part of building, installing, and striking the decor for Universal’s newest theme park, Epic Universe, for its very first Christmas. I mainly did a lot of scenic work on ornaments that we custom built.”

Natalie’s advice for incoming and current KU Theatre & Dance students:
• Utilize your time wisely! We all live in the same 24 hours and how you choose to spend it can be a huge difference when you’re applying to jobs.
• Building skills that can get you a leg up in whatever job you want after college is super important, second only to networking with people doing the job you want.

On your next trip to Orlando, be on the lookout for Natalie’s work! Rock Chalk, Natalie!!

2nd photo: hand-painted tree topper for Hotel Griffon at the Ministry of Magic
3rd: Wand shop garland at the Ministry of Magic
4th: Natalie with Grogu animatronic that she helped repair
5th: Natalie as a student in her element, aka the props shop at Murphy Hall

05/28/2026

Our annual Awards Ceremony is the culmination of all the creative, public-facing work and scholarship we do together in the Department of Theatre & Dance. It is the last time we gather as a community for the year and serves as our official close to the performance season. Enjoy these photos and memories of our Greek themed banquet.

Among the achievements by our seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students:

Maya Welde was awarded the Kilty Kane Award for outstanding contributions to the University Theatre. Maya’s KU credits include in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Pippin, Milking Christmas, and Cabaret, as well as numerous student-led productions and capstones. She also stage managed Corners Grove and was also president of Alpha Psi Omega.

Madi Seelye earned the Kuhlke Humanitarian Award for service to the Department. Madi performed in Pippin, Milking Christmas, and Cabaret as well as University Dance Company Concerts from 2023-2026. She shined in film and dance capstones as well. Madi served as exec team member for UDC and APO, including contributing heavily in the areas of Instagram and photography.

Sophia Harrison was awarded the Key Collaborator Award for contributions to the University Dance Company. The UDC’s President for the last year and a half, Sophia performed in the UDC from 2022-2026, as well as in senior dance capstones. Her professors said her leadership and inclusive spirit really helped the UDC ‘jell” this year. She also performed in the ensemble in Pippin.

The two student recipients of the Kilty and the Key together tapped their awards three times on the Crafton-Preyer Theatre stage to officially close our season. (See video in comments.)

Additional highlights: MFA student Katie Cooley and PhD student Alireza Mirzaeinezhad earned the Ethel Hinds Burch Outstanding Returning GTA Awards while MA student (and come August, a PhD student) Kitty Corum and MA student Thomas Jenson earned the Ethel Hinds Burch Outstanding New GTA in Theatre Award. PhD Candidate Sergio Alicea Román won the Joseph R. Roach Dissertation Research Award. Recent graduate Katelynn Arnold earned the Laura Louise Pryor Award. Seniors this fall, Chloe Pennington and Darryl Brundidge won the Brian Ten Eyck Davis Award and the Social Justice Award respectively. Now graduated dance student Elizabeth Wellman earned the Jump Start Award. The New Theatre Guild Scholarship honors went to Cade Nelson, Gillian Genardo, Morgan Tate, Natalie Loftus, and Zack Newkirk.

The Loren Kennedy Ambassadors were named: Sean Ingram (coordinator), Noah Hastings, Paige Katz, Kaylee Lempke, Syd Olson, Jordan Rasmussen, Alex Reimer, Jay Santee, Shia Schrock, Molly Stover-Brown, Morgan Tate, Dawson Welde (trainees), and Sofia Dunkelberger (emeritus). So many more awards were given out! We send special thanks our generous donors who have made our Department such a supportive, celebratory, and vibrant space.

The summer looks bright and will surely be full of fun challenges, but nevertheless we nudge our students, faculty, and staff to please look ahead and plan for fall, if you aren’t already. Take a second to jot down in your calendars or phones that our back-to-school Rally is Sunday, August 23. Look for more Rally announcements as the summer progresses.

Photo credit: Olivia Cairns

05/27/2026

The Department of Theatre & Dance mourns the passing of distinguished voice actor Tom Kane. Born Thomas L. Roberts, Tom completed his BGS in Speech and Drama at KU in 1984. May his memory be a blessing.

He also played Magneto and Ultron and worked on ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,’ ‘Kim Possible,’ ‘The Wild Thornberrys’ and much more.

05/20/2026

Dear Musical Theatre 310/410,
Sorry for the delayed post, but our social media admins needed a moment to recover from your powerful final performances. So true! So good! Profs. Michelle Miller and Jeremy Watson expertly led students through another successful semester, including lessons on activating their voices, acting and movement techniques, and solo and group work. Jeremy provided live accompaniment, as he does with all of the Department's musical theatre courses as well as ballet. Congrats to our students on a successful final presentation of songs (mostly) from the contemporary cannon! Way to finish out the semester on a high note!

05/19/2026

It was wonderful to see our friends from The New Theatre Scholarship Guild recently as they discussed the amazing philanthropy of their organization and presented five students with generous scholarships at our year-end banquet. Thank you! Congratulations to Cade Nelson, NTG Don Knotts Scholarship recipient; Gillian Genardo, NTG Penny and Bill Gamm Scholarship recipient; Morgan Tate, NTG Dodie Myers Brown Scholarship recipient; Natalie Loftus, NTG Richard Carrothers & Dennis D. Hennessy Scholarship recipient; and Zack Newkirk, NTG Jacqueline and Curt Stokes Scholarship recipient. Soar high, Jayhawks!

Rock chalk! We ❤️ New Theatre Scholarship Guild and their attendance at our banquet made the night even that more meaningful.

05/18/2026

Banquet Recap! Dozens of KU Theatre & Dance awards and scholarships were given out at the conclusion of spring term during our Baachae-themed Banquet! At that event our graduates were all given a standing ovation!🎓

Today we lift up the following theatre performance, dance, and theatre design majors: Maya Welde, recipient of the Kilty Kane Award for outstanding contributions to the University Theatre; Sophia Harrison, recipient of the Key Collaborator Award for outstanding contributions to the University Dance Company; Madi Seelye, recipient of the Kuhlke Humanitarian Award for humanitarian service to the Department of Theatre & Dance; Sofia Dunkelberger and Abby Boyd, co-recipients of the Elizabeth Sherbon Award in dance; and Sean Ingram, recipient of the Glenn Bickle Award in technical theatre. What a tradition of excellence! Please comment if your name is among those etched on one of these awards.

More Banquet congrats and posts to come. Stay tuned!

Thanks everyone for a great year and performing arts season!

📸: Olivia Cairns

05/15/2026

Congrats to Movement I taught by prof. Webster McDonald, co-taught with Christian Boudreaux, and Acting I taught by PhD Candidate/GTA Sergio Alicea Román! You did it! The Movement students used drumming, spoken word, and movement to devise and present work embedded with themes including labor, post-colonialism, and Black history and identity. Our Acting students expertly interpreted scenes from titles including Proof, The Glass Menagerie, Stupid F&**king Bird, and even a physically demanding scene from Zoolander. Finals week is nearly over, and we are sending a big ROCK CHALK to all of our hard-working and bright students!

05/14/2026

Sing loudly! Oh joy! It's the season to show off the culmination of student training through capstone performances. In Cooper Holmes' capstone project, Lovebird, he celebrated his love for musical theatre, showing off his and other students' talents through beloved songs that confront the complexities of hope, betrayal, and longing. Cooper is a senior theatre performance major, with a minor in dance. The one-night only musical r***e had guidance from prof. Michelle Miller with accompaniment by Jeremy Watson. Thanks all for the entertaining, heart-felt night. Special thanks to everyone who has sat and witnessed our students' capstones and finals! Audience support makes all the difference.

We send our very best as our grads prepare to take flight into the professional world! Rock chalk!

Photos contributed by Cooper Holmes and Michelle Miller

05/11/2026

Faculty News! Prof. Jane Barnette, along with her book Witch Fulfillment, will be featured at a Digital Lecture of the Last Tuesday Society, hosted by the Viktor Wynd Museum in London. Jane will talk to audiences across the pond Sunday, May 17 at 2pm (our time). RSVP encouraged. Please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/witch-fulfilment-the-witch-as-theatrical-type-jane-barnette-zoom-tickets-1982872781868 By registering and supporting this event, you receive access to the recording to watch on demand.

Jane is also among the Fellows being celebrated during the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities Fellows Symposium Tuesday, May 12. Congrats to her on her work creating a dramaturgical website for KU Theatre's production of The Laramie Project. The IDRH Fellows Symposium runs from 4-5:30pm in Watson Library, 3 West.

Ha! Way to go, Jane! Commendable efforts considering the hubbub of grading graduate and undergraduate assignments and KU Commencement! It just goes to show, the research never stops. A theatre historian and dramaturg, one of Jane’s areas of interest is the portrayal of witches on the stage and screen.