UMW’s production of “Into the Woods” opens Friday, Nov. 2. Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

“Into the Woods” is a musical about a childless baker and his wife, who would do anything in order to have a child. After a run-in with a witch who claims she can help, they are sent on a journey through the woods to find four magical items: a slipper as pure as gold, a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, and hair as yellow as corn. While on this adventure they encounter many well-known fairy tale characters that have their own reasons for being in the woods. All of them are searching for something, but soon they come to realize that what they had all along might be better than what they find.

“Into the Woods” is a collaboration between James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim on the book and music, respectively. The two have worked together on multiple shows including “Sunday in the Park with George,” which won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985.  “Into the Woods” first premiered in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986. It later moved to Broadway in 1987 with Joanna Gleason as the Baker’s Wife and Bernadette Peters as the Witch. “Into the Woods” won Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book and Best Actress for Joanna Gleason in 1988.

“Into the Woods” will run through Sunday, Nov. 18. Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

UMW’s production of “Into the Woods” features Gary Richards, associate professor of English, in the role of the narrator, and Venitta McCall, professor of education, as the giant. The production is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert and choreography by Samantha Reynolds. Scenic design is by Associate Professor Julie Hodge and costume design is by Associate Professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound designs are by guest artists Jason Arnold and Tony Angelini. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

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News release prepared by: Jamie Wilson        

Over the course of his 52-year career, Rogers has sold more than 120 million records worldwide and recorded more than 65 albums, with 24 No. 1 hits. He has received hundreds of awards for his music and charity work, including three Grammys, 11 People’s Choice Awards, 18 American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music awards and five Country Music Association awards.

With hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Lucille” and “She Believes in Me,” Rogers boasts a multi-genre background, including jazz, folk, rock, country and pop.  The full program of the performance with the orchestra will be announced from the stage.

“We are honored to share the stage with an artist of his stature and know that the experience will be rewarding for all of us,” said Kevin Bartram, director of the orchestra.

Ticket prices start at $25 and can be purchased by calling (877) 743-5318 or by visiting http://www.myticketstobuy.com/event-details.php?event=310.

In its 40th year, the UMW Philharmonic has approximately 90 members from the Fredericksburg community and the university. For more information, go to http://philharmonic.umw.edu.

“Hedda Gabler,” set in Norway in the late 1800s, tells the story of George Tesman, a scholar and aspiring professor, and his new wife Hedda.  Hedda’s life with George has left her bored and dissatisfied, so when Eilert Lovborg, George’s academic rival and Hedda’s old flame, re-emerges as a successful writer, Hedda decides to stir up trouble. Little does Hedda know that her desire for an exciting life will lead to an end that no one could have foreseen.

Since the first performance in Munich, Germany, in 1890, “Hedda Gabler” has had numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad. The most recent Broadway production, revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company at the American Airlines Theatre in 2009, starred Tony Award winner Mary-Louise Parker in the title role. Ibsen’s works include “Peer Gynt,” “A Doll’s House” and “Brand.” The International Ibsen Award was established in his honor in 2007.

“Hedda Gabler” is directed by Helen M. Housley, associate professor of theatre. Scenic design is by Julie Hodge, associate professor of theatre; costume design is by Kevin McCluskey, associate professor of theatre; and lighting design is by David Hunt, professor of theatre. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

Senior Katie Rosinski won the Melchers Gray Purchase Award for her work "Housed"

The University of Mary Washington Department of Art and Art History announced the recipients of its student awards at the Thursday, April 5 opening of the Annual Student Art Exhibition at the duPont Gallery.

Senior Katie Rosinski of Ocean Pines, Md., was given the Melchers Gray Purchase Award for her work “Housed,” which will become part of the university’s permanent collection. Rosinski also was given the Anne Elizabeth Collins Award.

Hilary Galbreaith won the Emil Schnellock Award in Painting

Senior Hilary Galbreaith of Richmond, Va., was given the Emil Schnellock Award in Painting, for her painting “x:y.”

The following students received awards of distinction at the exhibition’s opening ceremony: senior Alexandra Atkeson of Falls Church, junior Christina Bendo of Leesburg, senior Elizabeth Botha of Reston and junior Jacqueline Stern of Locust Grove.

The event was judged by Rebecca Cross, owner and curator of Cross Mackenzie Gallery in Washington D.C., who selected works for the exhibition from more than 100 submissions.

The Annual Student Art Exhibition in the duPont Gallery is open to the public free of charge and will run through Sunday, April 20. Some artwork will be for sale.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Free parking is designated for gallery visitors in a lot across from College Avenue at Thornton Street.

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News release prepared by: Julia Davis

Amateur and professional artists are invited to use the grounds of Belmont as their own plein-air workshop.  Artists in all media are welcome, as well as photographers and those who want to enjoy the day as observers.  Picnicking on the grounds is also encouraged.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is a 28-acre estate and former residence of the artist Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne. The property, which is operated by the University of Mary Washington, is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Located at 224 Washington St. in Falmouth, Va., a quarter mile west of the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 17, it is open daily with an admission charge. The museum also serves as the official Stafford County Visitor Center.  For directions and other information, call (540) 654-1015 or visit the museum website at www.GariMelchers.org.

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News release prepared by: Michelle Crow-Dolby

Princeton Review’s top professors from left to right: Jeffrey McClurken (standing), Steve Watkins (seated), Beverly Almond, Gregg Stull (standing), Miriam Liss, Dan Hubbard (standing) and Warren Rochelle.

Seven University of Mary Washington professors have been named to the Princeton Review’s inaugural publication of “Best 300 Professors.” The list of best professors, announced Tuesday, April 3, features 300 teaching faculty members from 122 public and private colleges and universities.

Profiled in the publication are Beverly Almond, adjunct professor of English; Dan Hubbard, associate professor and chair of accounting and management information systems; Miriam Liss, associate professor of psychology; Jeffrey McClurken, associate professor and chair of history; Warren Rochelle, professor of English; Gregg Stull, professor and chair of theatre; and Steve Watkins, professor of English.

The Princeton Review partnered with MTV to choose “challenging and inspiring” educators from across the U.S. The publication is available in bookstores.

“We are thrilled to have seven professors recognized among the top in the nation,” said President Richard V. Hurley. “Our more than 350 talented and dedicated master teachers inspire our students daily, and their work in and out of the classroom underscores the university’s commitment to be the best public liberal arts and sciences university in the country.”

The profiles emphasize each professor’s dedication to student learning and his or her unique teaching style using examples from students and quotes from the professor.

“Many students say the school’s faculty ‘offer the highest quality learning experience possible for [their] tuition’,” according to UMW’s profile in the publication. “Maybe that’s because students believe that the faculty is ‘well educated’ and ‘have a superb grasp on the topics they are teaching.’ Remarks one student, ‘The professors are some of the brightest and best you could ask for…students have the opportunity for one on one time with professors for help in the classroom’.”

UMW’s professors are among 31 faculty from five Virginia colleges and universities, including the College of William & Mary, James Madison University, University of Richmond and Sweet Briar College. For the full list of professors, visit http://www.princetonreview.com/best-professors/.

Beverly Almond

In her 10 years at Mary Washington, Beverly Almond has taught countless students in art, Biblical, Appalachian and folklore literature. According to the Princeton Review: “Almond lets students take the lead. Instead of telling them the significance of a composition, Almond prefers they discover it for themselves.”

Dan Hubbard

 Dan Hubbard, a registered certified public accountant, has taught accounting at Mary Washington for more than a decade. According to the Princeton Review: “Every student is a ‘class of one’ for Professor Hubbard, who provides students with ‘a mirror of their own capacity.’ His approach is Socratic and student-centered; he rarely uses a textbook, but asks lots of open-ended questions.”

Miriam Liss

A licensed clinical psychologist, Miriam Liss’ research focuses on autism, developmental disorders and gender issues. She received the UMW Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award in 2005 and was a finalist in the SCHEV state award in 2006 and 2009. According to the Princeton Review: “She is a widely published author and has published with many undergraduate students who have worked with her on individual research projects, one of her proudest achievements.”

Jeffrey McClurken

 Jeffrey McClurken, the recipient of the Mary Washington Young Alumnus Award in 2003, teaches courses in 19th-century American social and cultural history, technology, gender studies and digital history. He is the author of “Take Care of the Living: Reconstructing Confederate Veteran Families in Virginia.” According to the Princeton Review: “His approach to teaching is both classical and modernist, ‘grounded in the importance of historical inquiry, the multidisciplinary nature of the liberal arts, and…key related beliefs.’ He works to involve students in classes as participants, leaders, and fellow learners, and believes that technology can play a key role in enhancing traditional pedagogical practices.”

Warren Rochelle

Warren Rochelle, coordinator of the creative writing concentration and an expert on science fiction and fantasy, is the author of several novels, including most recently “The Called.” According to the Princeton Review: “His creative writing classes cover a variety of different types of fiction, including fantasy, science fiction and short stories, and he starts each semester by asking people to write about their name and what it means. He emphasizes learning the ability to critique something constructively, and developing a technique and voice.”

Gregg Stull

Gregg Stull, an expert on funding, policy and First Amendment issues involving the arts, has received UMW’s Grellet C. Simpson Award, the Mary W. Pinschmidt Award and the UMW Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award. According to the Princeton Review: “His greater plan for students is to imbue them with a curiosity about the world, so that they will be ‘willing to wrestle with the challenging questions that are a part of being alive’.”

Steve Watkins

Steve Watkins is a recipient of a 2011-2012 Artist Fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. His books have won numerous awards, including the 2009 Golden Kite Award for Fiction from the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for “Down Sand Mountain.” According to the Princeton Review: “This straight-shooting teacher of 28 years, author of several award-winning and critically acclaimed works of both fiction and non-fiction, loves to find the interesting in people and to bring his own to the table.”

President Richard V. Hurley

The College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) is the largest professional organization of collegiate orchestra conductors across the country. The award honors individuals within member colleges and universities who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support the work of college and university orchestras.

National CODA President Anthony Holland said that Hurley “surpasses expectations as a supporter of the Arts and of his community. It is apparent that President Hurley has demonstrated extraordinary faith in the ability of the UMW Philharmonic to promote the institution as a community partner. He sets an example for all of us.”

The honor, given every two years at the association’s national conference, is the organization’s most significant award. Past recipients have included major financial donors, presidents of institutions, board chairs, department heads and fellow college, university and community musicians.

Bartram nominated Hurley for his extraordinary support of the orchestra program.

“Not only does he attend concerts, but he has continually recognized the program in public and in private to alumni and to perspective donors,” Bartram wrote in his letter to the nominating committee. “Community minded, he has also supported the Philharmonic’s annual July 4 concerts, and its upcoming PBS television special “A Down Home Christmas.”

Alex Jiménez, CODA’s national past-president described the award as a “collective ‘thank you’ from nearly 150 college and university orchestra conductors from throughout the United States to those who have done so much to support our programs.”

UMW’s ninth president, Hurley was inaugurated in September, 2011, after more than  three decades in higher education. At UMW for 11 years, he has twice served as acting president, as well as vice president and UMW’s chief financial officer. Active in the Fredericksburg community, Hurley established the Town and Gown Committee, which has strengthened the university’s relationships with the Fredericksburg area community. He serves as a director of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the board of the Rappahannock United Way, the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance and Virginia Partners Bank.

Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1964, offset lithograph, 30 x 38 inches © 2012, University of Mary Washington Galleries

The opening reception for “Making an Impression” was held Thursday, March 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Ridderhof Martin Gallery. The exhibition highlights prints from the UMW Galleries’ permanent collection of art, which includes works by Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the UMW Galleries will feature two lectures that will take place in Combs Hall, Room 139.

Eric Denker, senior lecturer in the education department at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will present the lecture “Ink, Wood, Copper Stone: Identifying the Techniques of Prints,” on Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m.  The presentation will focus on the origination, duplication and originality of prints and will include techniques and tools used in printmaking.

On Sunday, April 1 at 2 p.m., Gregory Jecmen, associate curator of old master prints and drawings at the National Gallery of Art, will present “Renaissance Innovations in Color Printing and Etching.” The talk will focus printing woodcuts in color and the intaglio technique of etching. Jecmen’s presentation is based on a future exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, “Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475-1540.” Both lectures are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is highly recommended to ensure adequate seating.

Salvador Dali, Don Quixote, undated, etching, 9 x 5 ¾ inches. ©2012 University of Mary Washington Galleries

The Ridderhof Martin Gallery is located on the Fredericksburg campus at the intersection of College Avenue and Seacobeck Street.  Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Free parking is designated for gallery visitors in a lot at the corner of College Avenue and Thornton Street. For directions and more information, call (540) 654-1013 or visit http://galleries.umw.edu.

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News release prepared by:  Julia Davis

Marc Chagall, Cirque a l’Etoile, 1966, lithograph, 25 ½ x 24 ½ inches. ©2012 University of Mary Washington Galleries

Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

The University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance will continue its 2011-12 season with a production of Ken Ludwig’s “Moon Over Buffalo.”  Performances will be Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens.

“Moon Over Buffalo” takes place in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1953.  Stage actors George and Charlotte Hay are performing “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Private Lives” in repertory at Buffalo’s Erlanger Theatre when they receive word that Hollywood film director Frank Capra plans to attend a matinee performance. Chaos ensues as the Hays prepare for Capra’s arrival in hopes of starring in his new movie.

“Moon Over Buffalo” premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on Oct. 1, 1995, and ran for 309 performances. Philip Bosco and Carol Burnett were nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and Best Actress in a Play in 1996 for their roles as George and Charlotte Hay. Ken Ludwig’s work has been performed on Broadway and in London’s West End. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has been nominated for three Tony Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards.

Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

“Moon Over Buffalo” is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance. Scenic design is by David Hunt, professor of theatre, costume design is by Kevin McCluskey, associate professor of theatre and lighting design is by Julie Hodge, associate professor of theatre. Wig design and fight choreography are by guest artists Kelly Calloway and Casey Kaleba. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

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News release prepared by: Carly Maalouf

Allison Long Hardy, Daydream, pen, graphite, colored pencil, India ink on paper, 2011, 38 x 26 inches

The opening receptions for both exhibitions were held on Thursday, January 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the duPont Gallery and the Ridderhof Martin Gallery. Anne Timpano, director of University Galleries, presented a purchase prize and $2,000 in awards at the reception for the “Mid-Atlantic New Painting 2012” exhibition. Admission is free to the receptions and exhibitions.

“Crowded Spaces” showcases the work of artist Allison Long Hardy, adjunct professor in the Department of Art and Art History at UMW. The exhibit explores the ebb and flow of crowds; how crowds exist, move and dissipate as a cohesive unit; and how communication travels through crowds. Hardy’s works of pen, graphite, colored pencil and collage were inspired by her recent residency at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Va.

Bongkyun Noh, Shore of the World, oil on canvas, 2011, 36 1/2 x 48 1/2 inches

“Mid-Atlantic New Painting 2012” offers a snapshot of the painting medium through the work of 17 artists, including David Barr of Falls Church, Va., Jason Bronner of Lock Haven, Penn., Cassie Clements of Huntington, W.Va., Eric Garner of Bethesda, Md., Allan Gorman of Upper Montclair, N.J., Anna Kell of Lewisburg, Penn., Jacqueline Levine of Arlington, Va., So Yoon Lym of North Haledon, N.J., Darren McManus of Lambertville, N.J., Andrew D. Moeller of Ridgewood, N.J., Bongkyun Noh of Centreville, Va., Radio Sebastian of Alexandria, Va., Sharon Shapiro of Louisa, Va., Gilbert Trent of Washington, D.C., Scott Turri of Pittsburgh, Penn., Michael Weiss of Baltimore, Md., and Naijun Zhang of Morgantown, W.Va. The exhibit is a representation of some of the current themes in painting. Claire Huschle, executive director of the Arlington Arts Center, will serve as juror of the exhibition. Active in arts administration in the Washington D.C. area, Huschle is the 2010 recipient of the AAUW Elizabeth Campbell Award for the Advancement of the Arts in Arlington.

Both galleries are located on College Avenue on the Fredericksburg campus and are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The galleries are closed during university holidays and breaks. Free parking for gallery visitors is designated in the lot on College Avenue at Thornton Street. For directions and more information, call (540) 654-1013 or visit http://galleries.umw.edu.

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News release prepared by: Brynn Boyer