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Faculty, Connect 
Dramatic Action

Theater of Community festival challenges bigotry, bias and ideas of identity By Christine Byrd Can theater help us navigatethe real-life dramas created by bigotry, bias and our own sense of identity? The creators of Theater of Community believe it can. Running through the spring of 2025, the...
Alumni, Connect 
Widening the Lens

Assyrian-American director and writer Dalia Ashurina (drama, '17) hopes to change the perception of Middle Eastern women and culture By Greg Hardesty Dalia Ashurina grew up in the Central Valley city of Turlock, far from her Assyrian mother’s birthplace of Baghdad, Iraq. But one-quarter of...
Faculty 
Robert Cohen, the founding chair of the Department of Drama at UC Irvine passes

Robert Cohen (1938-2024) Claire Trevor Professor of Drama Emeritus Robert Cohen passed away on Nov. 15, 2024, at 86.  A towering figure in the theater world, Cohen was a founding faculty of the Department of Drama at UC Irvine. Cohen joined UCI in 1965 after earning his undergraduate degree from...
Faculty, Student 
‘9 to 5’ hits all the right notes

Department of Drama presents Dolly Parton’s hit musical with a message of equality Claire Trevor School of the Arts is preparing for a rollicking production of 9 to 5: The Musical, set to take the stage from Nov. 21-24 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Based on the 1980s film, this lively musical...
Faculty, Student 
Drama Costume Designers join the Art + Nature initiative at the Laguna Art Museum

Professor Holly Poe Durbin, fellow faculty, staff and students present a sustainable fashion show in collaboration with the Laguna Art Museum By Haily Lewis-Eastman On November 2, 2024, in collaboration with the Laguna Art Museum’s (LAM) Art + Nature initiative, Holly Poe Durbin, head of the...
Faculty 
Welcoming New Faculty at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts

Three new UC Irvine faculty members join the Departments of Art, Drama and Dance The Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) welcomes three new faculty members this fall: Na Mira (Department of Art), Yee Eun Nam (Department of Drama) and E. Macias (Department of Dance). Each faculty member’s...
Faculty, Student 
Arts & Interdisciplinary Success

Staged Reading of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia launches UCI Drama’s Emergent Series in Collaboration with the Beall Center for Art + Technology   By Joel Veenstra, Chair, Department of Drama   The University of California, Irvine, Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Drama kicked off its...
Alumni 
UC Irvine Alum Joe Wein Brings Survival Story to Newport Beach Film Festival

76 Days Adrift directed by Joe Wein ’91 to screen at the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival UC Irvine alumnus Joe Wein ’91 (B.F.A. theatre, B.S. psychology), will showcase his latest documentary, 76 Days Adrift, at the 25th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival on October 20, 2024. The film, executive...
Faculty 
Cats in Outer Space!

Zachary Dietz Brings CatStronauts! the Mews-ical to UC Irvine This summer, Zachary Dietz, professor in the Department of Drama, known for his work as a conductor and music director for Broadway shows like Mrs. Doubtfire, In the Heights, School of Rock and more, teamed up with drama students to...
Alumni 
Celebrating Alumni in the Arts

Alumni Appreciation Month at Claire Trevor School of the Arts August marks Alumni Appreciation Month at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA). This initiative honors the achievements of graduates in the fields of art, dance, drama and music. This year, we are excited to highlight...
Faculty 
Leading with Light

How Jaymi Lee Smith is shaping the future of graduate education at UC Irvine: A Q...
Faculty 
Professor Vincent Olivieri explains how sound travels for the Los Angeles Times

What caused the thumping of Inglewood music festival to disrupt so many? Blame the weather? Los Angeles Times By Karen Garcia | Aug. 10, 2024 Living in Westchester, Chris Bankoff said, he’s used to two types of noise: the occasional house party by Loyola Marymount University students, and the...
Student 
2024 Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship Recipients

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 UC Irvine Graduate Dean's Dissertation Fellowship (GDDF) recipients. The competitive fellowship provides financial support to graduate and doctoral students in the final stages of their thesis and dissertation research. This year...
Student 
2024 Medici Circle Scholars

UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts names eleven new Medici Circle Scholars UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2024 Medici Circle Scholars. Eleven scholarships were awarded to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. These scholarships allow...
Alumni 
UCI Arts names 2024 Lauds and Laurels recipient

UC Irvine Alumni Association to Honor Darcy Prevost M.F.A. ’09 with Distinguished Alumni Award Recognizing Darcy Prevost’s, M.F.A. ’09, exceptional contributions to the field of set and production design for theatre, film and television, the UC Irvine Alumni Association names Prevost the 2024...
Faculty 
Joel Veenstra to be the next Chair in Drama

Cultivating inclusivity, sustainability and well-being in theatre education The UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) has named Professor of Teaching Joel Veenstra as the next chair of the Department of Drama. He currently serves as the department’s vice chair of production and co-head...
Alumni 
Marching to New Heights

UCI alumna Jenn Colella M.F.A. ’02 earns Drama League nomination for Suffs By Chiara Guastella Jenn Colella (M.F.A./Acting ’02), is captivating audiences in the Broadway hit Suffs. The Tony-nominated musical, produced by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brings to life the inspiring...
Alumni, Connect 
The Sound of Success

A sound design company founded by UCI alumni is making waves in themed entertainment By Christine Byrd Even if you’ve never heard of Ears Up Sound Design, their work is heard by millions around the globe — from the music that sets the tone at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium to the soundscape of the...