Tony Award-winning producer and UF alumnus John Arthur Pinckard has brought in an accomplished team to work with the UF’s School of Theatre and Dance.
Beginning May 18, the School of Theatre and Dance has been working with the producer and an entire production team on “Volleygirls,” an upcoming musical produced by Pinckard and a team of award-winning artists. The intensive four-week rehearsal period will lead up to four workshop performances premiering June 11.
According to Jerry Dickey, director and professor at the School of Theatre and Dance, the goal of the workshop production is to present a new work that is in an advance stage of development.
“This is the first time something like this has come to the school,” said Lauren Killer, a School of Theatre and Dance intern and production assistant.
Students of the college are receiving firsthand insight into the industry with a creative team hosting names such as Sam Forman, a writer for the Netflix hit series “House of Cards”; Eli Bolin, who wrote music for the children’s show “Sesame Street”; and Ryan Kasprzak, a choreographer featured on the popular television series “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“It is offering the students and the (School of Theater and Dance) community the chance to interact directly with industry professionals,” Killer said.
Rob Ackerman, a playwright and member of the creative team, decided that “Volleygirls,” originally a play, should be a musical. That decision ultimately led to its success, and it has since won several awards.
Now, UF’s School of Theatre and Dance takes on the task of recreating the musical with Pinckard, allowing the school’s summer season to turn into a time for development.
“This program is designed to allow the producers and creative team to see their work up and on stage, so that they can fine tune, edit, and see what else the show needs,” Killer said about the series. “It is also really exciting for some of the students involved at UF, because their work is helping to influence the development of the show.”
[A version of this story ran on page 10 on 5/28/15]
