View the Curtain Call email newsletter.

School of Theater Arts Named for Trustee Ira Brind
It's a new name and a new chapter in the history of the School of Theater Arts, which has been recently renamed the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts. Named in honor of University trustee Ira Brind, his generosity and passionate love of theater are forces that will propel the Brind School to new levels of excellence and innovation in the years to come. Full story.

Charles Gilbert Appointed Director of Brind School
Following a lengthy and thorough national search, Charles Gilbert has been named director of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts, it was announced by Dean Lawn in May. Gilbert is the school's fourth director since its inception 26 years ago. Full story.

Caplan Center for the Performing Arts Celebrates Its Inaugural Year
The University of the Arts has closed the books on another academic year and as Dean Rick Lawn began his work in crafting Curtain Call, he thought that readers might enjoy learning about how the College made use of the new Ellen and Ronald Caplan Center for the Performing Arts. Full story.

Name a Seat Campaign at Caplan Center
Dean Rick Lawn is pleased to announce a new endowed scholarship campaign that encourages donors to name a seat in either the music recital hall or studio theater in the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Center for the Performing Arts. Full story.

College Collaborates on 'Does Your House Have Lions?'
"Does Your House Have Lions?" is a spectacular urban jazz/funk opera based on the epic poem/memoir by renowned poet Sonia Sanchez and re-imagined by composer Evan Solot, Composition Department Chair at the University of the Arts. Full story.

CPA Launches Alumni Mentor Program
We are excited to announce the Alumni Mentor Program (AMP), a new honors program designed to connect qualified juniors in the College of Performing Arts with working alumni in nearby cities. Many of our alumni have expressed interest in giving something back to the institution that helped them prepare for their professional careers, and AMP is designed to do just that. Full story.

International Activities at CPA
All three CPA schools continue to be engaged around the globe, working on partnerships and international recruitment. Full story.

CPA Partners with WHYY
The College is proud of its growing partnership with Philadelphia-based Public Broadcasting affiliate WHYY. The station’s relationship with the College has grown significantly this past year in large part because of its improved capability for remote-location programming. Programming from the schools of Dance and Music can regularly be found in the local television viewing guides and there is hope for more broad distribution in the future. Full story.

2009-2010 Performance Season
Planning for the upcoming performance season in the College of Performing Arts begins in January of the previous academic year, and the 2009-2010 season promises to be another exciting one. Email Dawn Reid to request a complimentary pass to any 2009-2010 CPA event for you and a guest. Full story.

Brind School Hosts KCACTF
The Ira Brind School of Theatre Arts hosted the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in January. This annual event is one of eight regional festivals held in preparation for the organization's national festival in Washington, D.C. Full story.

New Recordings To Be Released This Summer
Over the past year, faculty and students have been busy recording, mixing and editing two new School of Music student CDs featuring the Big Band (recently renamed the "Z" Band), directed by Matt Gallagher, and the Transfusion Ensemble, directed by Ron Kerber. These recordings will be released late this summer, but you can preview the recordings here.

School of Music Enhances Online Image
This year, the School of Music began an ambitious project to update faculty and program information on its web pages. These updates include enhanced and expanded music, video and photo content. Additionally, in an effort to reach a younger and wider audience, the school has also created a YouTube page with a growing collection of faculty and student video presentations. Full story.

Elizabeth Sokolowski Named New Head of Music Education
Following a thorough national search, the School of Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Sokolowski as assistant professor and head of the Music Education program. The School is now poised to move forward with several initiatives, including the much-discussed low residency MM degree program in Music Education. Full story.

School of Music Pays Tribute to Billy Z
Friends, colleagues and former students of the late Bill Zaccagni gathered last March at the University’s Levitt Auditorium for a celebration of the life and music of the former Big Band director. Full story.

CPA Faculty at Work
The College prides itself on employing working artists as faculty members, and the summer months often provide an opportunity for them to work as professionals outside the University. Full story.