The god Dionysus, upset because no great poet remains on Earth, descends to Hades disguised as Hercules and stages a competition between the two poets to see who will return to Earth. But that's not all that will be remarkable about the production. It's among the first collaborations in the new Division of Performing Arts. Students from all three performing arts units will be working together to stage the play.
Dancers prepare for Dance Gala.
The Departments of Theatre Arts and Dance and the School of Music have worked together frequently in the past. Now, the division will give these efforts a structure-and create more performance opportunities for undergraduates. Professor David Nelson, head of the School of Music since 1991, was selected by the combined faculty of the three areas to direct the new division. Professor David Berkey in dance and Professor Alan MacVey in theatre arts will continue in their current positions, and Professor Kristin Thelander is the new director of the School of Music. David is well acquainted with the activities of each department in the division and will work with their chairs and director to stimulate and support the artistic and academic interaction of students and faculty across the division.