Guest Artist Residencies and Master Classes
The Performing Arts programs at DeSales University are firmly committed to the idea that our students should be exposed to and interact with professionals in their field. To that end, through the generosity of our Arts Angels, we regularly bring major industry figures to campus for residencies and master classes. Recent visits include:
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Award-winning scenic designer John Lee Beatty visited the campus on Thursday, April 12, 2012 for "An Afternoon with John Lee Beatty"at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. Hosted by Will Neuert, the resident scenic designer on faculty in the Theatre Department at DeSales, Mr. Beatty took part in an informal discussion with performing arts students discussing his professional journey and his career as one of the worlds most renowned theatrical designers. In addition, Mr. Beatty brought samplings from his extensive and extraordinary portfolio to share with the students.
 Tony-award winning actress Victoria Clark visited the division of performing arts on December 2, 2011. Ms. Clark held a masterclass for theatre students in the intimate Schubert Theatre of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, then took time to answer students questions and perform a few songs for the audience. Ms. Clark won a 2005 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the play The Light in the Piazza. She has also appeared in such Broadway productions as Sister Act, Guys and Dolls, and Titanic.
 Santo Loquasto, one of the world’s most preeminent designers, visited DeSales in March 2011 to appear in "An Afternoon with Santo Loquasto." The informal student forum featured a Q&A session detailing Mr. Loquasto’s nearly half a century of award-winning designs for theatre, television, film and ballet.
Credits include premiere productions as Fosse and Ragtime, and major revivals including 110 in the Shade, American Buffalo, and Inherit the Wind. Film credits include Mighty Aphrodite, Bullets Over Broadway, and Big. He has received 15 Tony Award nominations for his work as either costume or scenic designer and has won three times. He has also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design three times and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design once. Mr. Loquasto has been a production designer for many of Woody Allen’s films and has been nominated for the Academic Award for his design for Bullets Over Broadway and Radio Days.
 Award-winning Broadway and cabaret artist Liz Callaway appeared on campus in November 2010 as the featured guest in "An Afternoon with Liz Callaway". With credits such as Miss Saigon, Cats, and Merrily We Roll Along, Ms. Callaway has appeared in major Broadway productions working with great composers and directors such as Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Trevor Nunn. She concluded her appearance by singing "Meadowlark" from The Baker’s Wife, "Memory" from Cats, and the Academy Award-nominated song "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia.
 Emmy Award winning comedy writer Alan Zweibel visited campus in March 2010 as the headliner for the Tenth Annual Student Film Festival. He presented a master class for TV/Film majors and then appeared on stage for a “Writer’s Studio” interview as a keynote to the festival. Before the opening night screening, he announced his choice for “Best of Show” of the festival entries. An original “Saturday Night Live” writer, Alan Zweibel has won multiple Emmy, Writers Guild of America, and TV Critics awards for his work in television which also includes “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” (which he co-created), “Monk,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
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 In January 2010, Alberto Del Saz, Artistic Director of the Alwn Nikolais Foundation taught master classes and gave lectures on the artistic genius of Alwin Nikolais. He spent two weeks re-staging Nikolais' signature work of choreography entitled Tensile Involvement on our dance majors. Our majors were able to perform this work alongside the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company's performance at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem, Pa. They will perform it again in the annual Dance Ensemble Concert and will perform it in 2011 in NYC at Hunter College's Sharing the Legacy Project.
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 Tony Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical, and star of Broadway’s Next To Normal, Alice Ripley, appeared in “An Actors Studio with Alice Ripley” in November 2009. Discussing path and process, Ripley shared insights about training, the creative process, and professional endurance. Accompanied by Steven Chicurel, she closed her performance by singing musical theatre and contemporary rock covers. |
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 Iconic American actress Francis Sternhagen was on campus in October 2009 to perform a one-woman show and conduct a Q&A session with Theatre, TV/Film and Dance students. Ms. Sternhagen has a long association with the Performing and Fine Arts department where two of her sons majored in theatre. During her nearly 60 year career, Ms. Sternhagen has worked extensively on stage and in television and film. The two-time Tony Award winner’s Broadway credits include Steel Magnolias, Equus, and On Golden Pond. Ms. Sternhagen recently appeared in the feature film Julie and Julia starring Meryl Streep and her current role on The Closer adds to a long list of television credits including Cheers and Sex in the City. |
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 Mary Rae Thewlis, producer and unit production manager for the Law and Order franchise and trustee of the Director’s Guild of America was on campus in September 2009 to present a master class in “Production in the TV Industry” for the advanced production film students. Using trailers from the series, she discussed how the TV production process advances from script to screen and discussed avenues for career building and networking in the profession. |
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 Veteran film actor and comedian Leslie Nielsen headlined the Ninth Annual Student Film Festival. Nielsen was on campus Friday, March 27, 2009 and hosted a Q&A session with Theatre and TV/Film students in the Schubert Theatre in the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. Nielsen also appeared that evening at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage of the Labuda Center for a Q&A with the assembled audience prior to the 8:00 showing of the Student Film Festival.
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 Tony and Emmy Award winning actress and Broadway legend Elaine Stritch presented An Afternoon with Elaine Stritch during which she performed and conducted a Q&A with students. Ms. Stritch's credits include roles in seminal productions of Call Me Madam, Pal Joey, Show Boat!, Sail Away and Company. Television and film credits include Woody Allen's September, Monster-In-Law, The Cosby Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun and 30 Rock. |
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 Legendary actor, comedian and comedy writer Chevy Chase, one of the original cast members from Saturday Night Live spent a day on campus hosting a master class on comedy sketch writing and a Q&A with students. He also headlined 7th annual Student Film Festival. |
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 Gary Powell, professional composer, musician and arranger, presented a master class on breaking into the music industry. Gary's accomplishments read like a Who's Who catalog of family entertainment. He has composed, arranged and produced music for 125 musical albums and videos which have sold some 45 million units across 47 countries. All have been produced in his Austin, Texas recording studio Powell Studio Productions. |
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 Philadelphia-based hip-hop teacher/choreographer and Artistic Director of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Rennie Harris was on campus to audition and set a piece to be premiered on the 2009 Dance Ensemble Concert. Harris founded his company based on the belief that hip-hop is the most important original expression of a new generation. He is a powerful spokesperson for the significance of "street" origins in any dance style. |
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 The LEVYdance company was in residence in January 2009 to set a work on dance majors to be presented during the 2009 Dance Ensemble Concert. One of Dance Magazine's "Top 25 to Watch" in 2004, Levy's choreography has been presented at The Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater, the American Dance Festival, Zellerbach Playhouse, ODC Theater, the Cowell Theater, Dance Place, the Joyce SoHo, the Lobero Theater, and the Galvin Playhouse. |
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 The internationally renowned She Wei Dance Company spent two weeks in residence on the DeSales campus in November 2007 setting a new piece on the company and choreographing a piece on DeSales dance students for the spring 2008 Dance Ensemble Concert. Choreographer Shen Wei is the mastermind behind the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics' Opening Ceremony. |
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 Legendary director, actor, writer producer Peter Bogdanovitch conducted a Q&A with students and headlined the 8th annual Student Film Festival. Bogdanovitch has directed over 20 feature films including The Last Picture Show, What's Up, Doc? and Paper Moon. He is widely known from his recurring guest-starring role on the HBO's The Sopranos. |
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  Sid Ganis, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and his wife Nancy Ganis, an independent writer and producer, hosted a reading session of student scripts and provide critical feedback during a campus visit in April 2008.
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 Cabaret and recording artist Jim Van Slyke visited campus in March 2008 to perform live in the Dance Ensemble Concert in a work choreographed by then dance faculty member Kristin Fieseler and to conduct master classes with the musical theatre performance classes. Hailed as "one of the most beautiful voice in cabaret" Jim Van Slyke has sung on concert stages across the US and Europe. Stage credits in leading roles in both opera and musical theatre include The Barber of Seville, Forever Plaid, Rent, Tommy, Annie Get Your Gun, A Chorus Line, Wicked and Thoroughly Modern Millie. |
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