Chair
Jayna Brown Chair, Professor
Department Faculty
Deidra Braz Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice
Ali Kenner Brodsky Adjunct Lecturer
Kate Burton Professor of the Practice of the Arts
Michelle Bach-Coulibaly Senior Lecturer
Constance Crawford Adjunct Lecturer
Sarah dAngelo Assistant Professor, DUS
J Dellecave Assistant Professor of the Practice
Nancy Dunbar Senior Lecturer Emerita
Clifton Dutton Adjunct Lecturer
John Emigh Professor Emeritus
Rebecca Gibel Adjunct Lecturer
Spencer Golub Professor Emeritus
Renee Surprenant Fitzgerald Lecturer
Leon Hilton Assistant Professor
Avery Willis Hoffman Professor of the Practice
Julia Jarcho Associate Professor, Head of Playwriting
Aileen Wen McGroddy Writing is Live Festival Creative Producer, Adjunct Lecturer
Kym Moore Professor
Talley Murphy Visiting Assistant Professor
Iván Ramos Assistant Professor
Patricia Seto-Weiss Assistant Professor of the Practice, Head of Dance
Sydney Skybetter Associate Professor
Deborah Salem Smith Adjunct Lecturer
Julie Adams Strandberg Distinguished Senior Lecturer Emerita
Barbara Tannenbaum Distinguished Senior Lecturer
Elmo Terry-Morgan Associate Professor Emeritus
Paula Vogel Professor Emerita
Richard Waterhouse Adjunct Lecturer
Patricia Ybarra Professor, DGS
Department Staff
Jo Bynum Student Affairs Manager
Ron Cesario Costume Shop Manager, Lecturer
Alexander Eizenberg Sound Designer, Audio & Video Engineer, Lecturer
Alex Haynes John Street Studio Technical Director, Lecturer
Timothy Hett Technical Director, Lighting Designer, Lecturer
Alex Nurkin Academic Events and Facilities Manager
Max Ramirez Associate Technical Director
Chris Redihan Academic Department Manager
Barbara Reo Production Director, Stage Manager, Lecturer
Fran Romasco Costume Shop Coordinator
Brianne Shaw Communications & Audience Services Manager
Laura Stokes Performing Arts Librarian, University Library
Brown/Trinity Program Faculty
Shura Baryshnikov
Head of Movement, DGS, Associate Professor of the Practice
Angela Brazil Director of MFA Programs
Associate Professor of the Practice,
Rachel Christopher Assistant Professor of the Practice
Curt Columbus Artistic Director of Trinity Rep, Professor of the Practice
Brian Mertes Head of Directing, Professor of the Practice, Sophia Skiles Head of Acting, Associate Professor of the Practice
Brown/Trinity Program Staff
Jeremy Chiang Technical Director
Michael Cline Technical Supervisor
Anne Harrigan Production Manager
Sammi Haskell Production Coordinator
Jill Jann MFA Academic Coordinator
Sue E. Perlmutter Fund for Dance
The dance program is honored and grateful for the support of the Sue E. Perlmutter Fund for Dance.
The Sue E.Perlmutter Fund brings visiting choreographers, dancers, and musicians to Brown University annually for the benefit of dance scholarship and for the enjoyment of students, faculty, and the general public. The Fund was established in loving memory of Sue E. Perlmutter P’06 by her husband, Marc E. Perlmutter ’74, P’06, as a lasting legacy to Sue, her love of dance, and her commitment to the joyful celebration of life through movement.
Sue Perlmutter (1952-2015) was born in Philadelphia and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut before obtaining a Masters degree in Education at Tufts University in 1975. She loved music and the arts and had a particular passion for Jazz Dance throughout her adult life, both as a student and a performer. “She had a smile that lit up the studio and a contagious zest for life,” one of her instructors has observed, and “flew into class like Tinkerbell, sprinkling her positive fairy dust amongst us all.” Trained as a teacher, Sue taught Jazz Dance to American, Japanese and Southeast Asian students at several schools, including The American School in Japan, while living as an expatriate with her family in Hong Kong and Tokyo for seven years. Sue also valued diversity and, after returning to New York in 1993, she pursued her interest in learning and teaching about different world cultures while working as a cross-cultural acclimation specialist with clients moving to and from the US. The Sue E. Perlmutter Fund for Dance was established by her husband of forty years, Marc ’74, and her children Dara and Eric ‘06 in loving memory of Sue and as a lasting legacy to her lifelong study of dance.
Polarity Trip
originated out of TAPS 1348 - Contemporary Dance
Studio Project
Choreography
Colin Stilwell
Performers
Students from TAPS 1348
Edie Fine ‘25, Abby Cohen ‘24, Zoe Ubamadu ‘24, Nat Mitchell ‘25, Maya Silver-Lewis ‘25, Dri deFaria ‘26
Costume Designer
Fran Romasco
Music
“Gestures” by Benjamin Koppel, Paul Bley, Thommy
Andersson, Marilyn Mazur, and Peter Nilsson
“Conjunction for C.B.” by Wayne Horvitz
“Spress Theyself” by Nate Smith
“Algobench” by Barre Phillips and György Kurtág Jr.
The dancers and I collaborated to create movement material and spatial design that explored the different directions the body and the body’s energy can move-soft/sharp, tension/release, even/distorted, balanced/ off-balanced, projecting outward/inward, connections with self/others.
The Ego Death
originated out of TAPS 1338 - Advanced FlexN
not performed on Saturday, April 13
Choreography
Deidra Braz Performers
Students from TAPS 1338
Jordan Gracia ‘24, Norah Kisakye ‘24
Costume Designer
Ron Cesario
Music
“Somewhere In My Memory” by John Williams
Eckhart Tolle voiceover
“Ego Talkin” by Saint Harison
A Glitch in Reality
originated out of TAPS 1338 - Advanced FlexN
only performed on Saturday, April 13
Choreography and Performance
Jordan Gracia ‘24
Costume Designer
Ron Cesario Music
“Yosemite” by Iniko
Jordan has choreographed a solo performance with guidance by Professor Deidra Braz. In this particular piece, Jordan was asked to use the tools, foundation, and movement of what he has learned working with her over the last 3 semesters along with his previous experience in Dance while also using improvisational techniques learned in class.
Or So I’ve Heard
originated out of TAPS 1348 - Contemporary Dance
Studio Project
Choreography
Laila Franklin in collaboration with the dancers
Performers
Students from TAPS 1348
Autumn Tilley ‘26, Bryanna Pajotte ‘24, Abby Cohen ‘24, Alicia Joo ‘26, Gabriella Nightingale ‘24, Catherine Winger ‘24
Costume Designer
Ron Cesario
Music
“Transcendence” by Alice Coltrane
“Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser” by Milton Nascimento
Re:group
originated out of TAPS 1000 - Intermediate Dance
Choreography
J Dellecave in collaboration with the dancers
Performers
Students from TAPS 1000
Bahar Birsel ‘25, Dre Boyd-Weatherly ‘26, Edith Burris Katcher RISD ‘26, Chloe Casturo-Burnette ‘27, Shannon Constantine PhD ‘29, Avery Espiritu ‘27, Ayoola Fadahunsi ‘25, Alden Forbes ‘24, Jordan
Gracia ‘24, Martina Herman ‘26, Jessica Ji ‘24, Neleh
Kay ‘27, Sophie Levine ‘25.5, Saswata Majumder ‘27, Moana Marx ‘27, Annabelle Nickoll ‘27, Simone Olivier ‘26, Anakin Petruccelli ‘27, Ishani Sharma ‘25, Willa
Sheehan RISD ‘26, Tatiana von Bothmer ‘27, Lauren Ward ‘27, Victoria Yang ‘26
Costume Designer
Fran Romasco
Music
“Batismo” by Populous and RIVA
“Grey” by Kölsch
Frahm
originated out of TAPS 1348 - Contemporary Dance
Studio Project
Choreography
Shura Baryshnikov in collaboration with the dancers
Performers
Students from TAPS 1348
Bryanna Pajotte ‘24, Abby Cohen ‘24, Zoe Ubamadu ‘24, Catherine Winger ‘24, Gabriella Nightingale ‘24, Nat Mitchell ‘25, Maya Silver-Lewis ‘25, Edie Fine ‘25, Dri deFaria ‘26, Alicia Joo ‘25
Costume Designer
Shura Baryshnikov
Music
“Sonar,” “Because This Must Be,” and “Hammers” by Nils Frahm
| 3
E.V.O.L
Capstone
Choreography
Sky McAllister ‘24
Performers
Ameerah Battle ‘24, Natalie Chang ‘24, Arushi Kalpande ‘24, Sky McAllister ‘24, Aziza Alford ‘25, Vicky Chen ‘25, Celine Ma ‘25, Claire Yang ‘25, Nicole Sanchez-Soto ‘26, Sophia Wang RISD ‘26
Costume Designer
Sky McAllister ‘24
Music
“E.V.OL (So Gone feat. Monica)” by J. Skyyy
“So High” by Doja Car
“Stretch You Out (feat feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie) ” by Summer Walker
“close with desires” by Teo Glacier
“Last Time I Saw You” by Nicki Minaj
This piece serves as J.Skyyy’s debut rap performance and a culmination of the training and learning completed in the TAPS & Music departments. Created in recognition of all of the different phases of a love story and the cycles that love goes through, it was choreographed based on Sky’s own experiences. Dedicated with love towards Z.T.T. for inspiration, with special thanks to Professor Lumumba-Kasongo, Professor Braz, and Professor Seto-Weiss for consultation.
Shorelines
originated out of TAPS 1344 - Advanced Ballet with Repertory and TAPS 1970 - Independent Reading and Research
Choreography
Patricia Seto-Weiss
Media and Projection Design
John Crawford Performers
Students from TAPS 1344 and TAPS 1970
Kristine Carrillo ‘25, Vivian Chan ‘27, Ariana Clark ‘24, Abby Cohen ‘24, Dri deFaria ‘26, Isabella Delionado ‘26, Ella Gillen ‘27, Brynn Goggins ‘24, Maddie Goldsmith ‘26, Ilana Greenstein ‘24, Natalia Ibarra ‘24, Morgan Lo ‘25, Wen Jian PhD ‘28, Kyle Kavully ‘27, Nadia Mazonson ‘27, Smita Rajan ‘24, Claudia Spelman ‘24, Emily Twitchell ‘26, Rebecca Weng ‘27
Costume Designer
Ron Cesario
Music
“Winter” from The Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter
Shorelines is a collaboration between Patricia Seto-Weiss (Brown University) and intermedia artist John Crawford (University of California, Irvine). The work was developed for students in TAPS 1344 (Advanced Ballet with Repertory) and TAPS 1970 (Independent Study). The piece takes inspiration from the New England coastline and incorporates video footage from locations in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York State. It is set in three sections— Hurricane, Calm, and Call for Preservation—that correspond to the three movements in Max Richter’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons Recomposed.
Choreographer Bios
Shura Baryshnikov (Frahm | 3) is a movement artist who works broadly across dance, theatre, and opera. Performance, choreography, and directorial credits include projects with Hartford Stage Company, Emmanuel Music, Trinity Repertory Company, Boston Lyric Opera, Khambatta Dance Company, Urbanity Dance, Odyssey Opera, The Gamm Theatre, and Betsy Miller Dance Projects, among others. Shura has co-founded a number of dance projects, including the Contact Improvisation research and performance ensemble Set Go and the contemporary dance project Doppelgänger Dance Collective. She is an Associate Professor of the Practice in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University and Head of Physical Theatre for the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs in Acting and Directing. Shura is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the American Guild of Musical Artists, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Deidra Braz (The Ego Death) was born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Dance has been an integral part of her life since the age of 6, introducing her to the meaning and feeling of passion, artistic expression, and allowing her the opportunity to travel across the world to perform and teach. Performing in shows at The Shed, the Park Avenue Armory under the direction of Peter Sellars and touring to places such as Australia, Romania, New Zealand, & Paris to name a few.
Deidra is known for her “Waving” style, her Flexn solos and incorporates aspects of other dance genres she learned as a student in college. Deidra has personally traveled to Africa in particular to Johannesburg, South Africa, Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya using the opportunities to witness the most beautiful aspects of the roots of African dance culture and has been inspired to bridge the gaps of New York street dance and African dance. Over the last few years, she has continued to grow in her artistry, collaborating with other
artists to create in different ways and is currently teaching Dance at Brown University within the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Department.
John Crawford (Shorelines) is an intermedia artist, performance director and systems designer. Engaging directly with the transformational technologies of our time, he creates performances, immersive environments and interactive experiences through embodied interaction. His artistic projects are performed in theatres, exhibited in galleries and presented as immersive installations, featuring creative exploration of environmentalism, climate justice and community engagement. His work investigates how the human desire to transform our environment is unleashing destructive forces that endanger the world and everything in it, including ourselves.He is Professor of Intermedia Arts at University of California, Irvine, where he teaches in the Dance Department and directs the Embodied Media Research Group, featuring a range of projects, courses and collaboratories that integrate socially engaged artmaking with connected design thinking and emergent media production. He previously was Associate Dean in UCI’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts and has served in many other campus leadership roles. Active as an intermedia artist since 1992, Crawford has shown his work across North America and in Asia, Europe and South America, and frequently has been a visiting artist and researcher at universities and other venues in the United States, Europe, China, Japan and India.
J Dellecave (Re:group) is an interdisciplinary performancemaker, scholar, and educator concerned with how bodily experience intersects with external fields of social, cultural, and political knowledge. J has had a lifelong career in dance and experimental performance. They were awarded their PhD in Critical Dance Studies from the University of California, Riverside; MA in Performance Studies from New York University; and BFA in Dance from Temple
University. J’s performances have been presented at Center for Performance Research, The Brick, AUNTS Rockaway Edition, HERE Arts Center, Dixon Place, University at Buffalo, San Diego State University, Tucson Fringe Festival, Pieter Performance Space, and MIX Queer Experimental Film Festival. J’s professional production credits include work with New York City based performers KJ Holmes, Jen Abrams, Julie Mayo, Jenny Romaine (Great Small Works Visual Theater Company) and Philadelphia theater provocateur Greg Giovanni (Big Mess Theater and Big Mess Cabaret). J’s writing has appeared in Radical Teacher, Performance Matters, Dance Chronicle, Routledge Companion to Butoh Performance, Women & Performance and itch Dance Journal. J is currently Assistant Professor of the Practice of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University. More information at http://jdellecave.com.
Laila J. Franklin (Or So I’ve Heard) is a dance maker, performer, teacher, archivist, and writer based in the territory of the Massachusett and Pawtucket peoples (Boston, Massachusetts), by way of unceded territory of the Nocotchotonk and Piscataway peoples (Washington, DC.) Her work extends from lineages of black and queer experimental dance makers, with a particular interest in postmodern improvisation practices and aesthetics, and dance theater. Her performance credits include projects with Michael Figueroa’s Ruckus Dance, Miguel Gutierrez, Dr. Christopher-Rasheem McMillan, and Melinda Jean Myers. Laila’s choreography has been presented through Public Space One (IA), Loculus Collective Sideways Door Festival (MA), Brooklyn Art Haus (NY), Movement Research at The Judson Church (NY), Bates Dance Festival Works In Progress Showing (ME), Lion’s Jaw Dance and Performance Festival’s The Thing (MA), Brown University (RI), and the Boston Conservatory. Laila is currently an artist in residence at the Boston Center for the Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance Performance from The
Boston Conservatory and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Iowa. She is a proud alumnae of Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC.
Sky McAllister ‘24 (E.V.O.L) is a senior at Brown University double concentrating in Biology and Theater Arts & Performance Studies (Dance) on the Pre-med track. Sky has always had a knack for dance, with studies focused mostly in the hip-hop, broadway, and house styles. Since coming to Brown however, Sky has also received training in ballet and Flexn styles and even joined campus groups such as Impulse Dance Co., Mezcla, Tempo Performance Co. and the Poler Bears. Sky has performed in World of Dance with the Level Dance Family and as part of Creative Reaction Dance Co., the latter currently ranking #1 in the USA and 3rd in the World! When not dancing, you can find Skyler spending time with CupcakKe (the cutest service dog in the world), spending time with family & friends, studying for the MCAT or playing video games on the PS5.
Patricia Seto-Weiss (Shorelines) is Head of Dance and Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University. Since coming to Brown in 2018, she has introduced several curricular ballet classes into the course catalog, ranging from introductory to advanced offerings. Seto-Weiss has created several original choreographies for the department since 2022. Prior to Brown, she has presented work at the Juilliard School (Music Division), Columbia University (Department of Music), and The Ailey Citigroup Theater. Her work has also explored connections with visual art and architecture. She has collaborated with painter Annegret Hoch and sculptor Susanne Thiemann in New York and Germany.
Colin Stilwell (Polarity Trip) a former Doug Varone and Dancers company member, continues his relationship
teaching and setting repertory on their behalf. Before dancing with the Varone company, Mr. Stilwell worked with esteemed dance artists and choreographers in New York City, including Dance by Neil Greenberg, Roseanne Spradliin, Netta Yerushalmy, Bill Young/Colleen Thomas Co., and Jon Kinzel, among others. He was honored to work with Trisha Brown in developing dance material for the Opera Da Gelo a Gelo, collaborate with German performance artist John Bock in Lecker Puste and Lecture, work with playwright, director, and multi-media artist John Jesurun in Shadowland, and dance with the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Minnesota Opera. He has taught at numerous colleges and universities in the U.S., including Purchase, Hofstra, Hunter College, Princeton, and Barnard, and his choreography and dance films have been performed and viewed at Aunts, Dixon Place, Hofstra University, Roger Williams University, Providence College, and Hunter College. He is a faculty member at the Newport Ballet Academy and is an adjunct professor of modern/ contemporary dance at Salve Regina University. Mr. Stilwell has an MFA in Dance from Hunter College and a BFA in Dance from Purchase College and is a certified massage/ bodywork therapist. Website: colinmoves.com | Instagram: cali_gold7
NEXT AT TAPS
WRITING IS LIVE
new plays in progress by brown mfa playwrights
May 1 - 5
Leeds Theatre | Ashamu Dance Studio
83 Waterman Street
writingislive.com
tickets.brown.edu
Writing is Live is made possible through support from an endowed fund for the Adele Kellenberg Seaver ’49 Professorship in Literary Arts
Lowry Marshall, a beloved Professor, mentor, and a leading figure in the world of theatre passed away on October 8th at the age of 79. Her life was marked by a profound dedication to the arts, education, the theatrical community, and her family.
Lowry was born on May 20th 1944. From her youth onward, she became an active participant in democracy, civic duties, and volunteerism. No one quite took life by the reins like she did. Her first stage role was as Sally Cato McDougal in Auntie Mame at Dock Street Theatre. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre from the University of South Carolina in 1966. She later completed her Master’s in Theatre (Directing) at the same institution in 1975. She earned an MFA from The Asolo Conservatory of The Florida State University, in 1981.
Throughout her career, Lowry made a name for herself as an accomplished director, writer, and educator. She tirelessly shared her knowledge and insights with students at Brown University, where she served as a dedicated Professor in the Department of Theatre, Speech, and Dance, now Theatre Arts & Performance Studies. Her commitment to her students and the art of theatre left an indelible mark on educational and artistic communities, helping to create Brown University’s Playwright’s Summer Festival, as well as being a co-founder of the Brown/RISD/Trinity Consortium MFA. These institutions produced works that would go on to win Tony, Drama Desk, and Pulitzer Awards in drama and more
Lowry’s passion for the theatre extended beyond the classroom. She co-authored and directed numerous
In Memoriam
acclaimed theatrical productions, including Filler Up and Waiting for the Termite Man, which garnered praise not only in the United States but also on international stages. Her work with Deb Filler in Filler Up took them from New York City to Sydney, Australia, and across various venues in Canada, Berlin, and New Zealand. Lowry’s commitment to storytelling and performance was evident in her projects, such as Lisa Kron’s 2.5 Minute Ride, The Musical Winter’s Tale, and The Dark Lady Project .
Her dedication to the art of theatre extended to her contributions as a dramaturg, dialect coach, and a casting consultant. Lowry was not only an artist but also a scholar and teacher, delivering lectures, workshops, and panel discussions. She shared her expertise with the theatre c ommunity and aspiring artists, inspiring them to reach new heights in their craft. She was given the Pell Award for Excellence in Performing Arts in 2013.
During the last four years of her life, Lowry lived with Stage 4 cancer, showing remarkable resilience in the face of a terminal diagnosis. She loved spending time with family and friends, and is survived by her two sons, Taylor and Logan, who were an extreme source of pride, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren
Lowry Marshall’s legacy is felt not only in her artistic achievements but in the thousands of lives she touched and the minds she enriched. Her influence on the world of theatre and education will continue to resonate for generations to come.
Department Staff
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Barbara Reo
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/ LIGHTING DESIGNER: Tim Hett
THEATRE TECHNICIANS: Rowan Cookman, Tylar Jahumpa, Abigail Wang
STUDENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS: William Benjamin '23.5, Ari Cleveland '25, Sophia Decherney '25, Sierra Riley '24, Lizzy Steeves '25, Olivia Sydnia St Bernadette Taylor '26
ASSOCIATE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Max Ramirez
SOUND DESIGNER / AUDIO & VIDEO ENGINEER: : Alex Eizenberg
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT: Sophie Rockwell '26
JOHN STREET STUDIO TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Alex Haynes
JOHN STREET TECHNICAL DESIGN ASSISTANTS:
Noah Medina '23.5 Josephine Miller '24, Cleo Petty '23.5, Abby Schindell '25, Sofia Tazi '26, Navaiya Williams '25
COSTUME SHOP MANAGER: Ron Cesario
COSTUME SHOP COORDINATOR: Fran Romasco
COSTUME SHOP ASSISTANTS: Evangeline Bilger '23, Charlotte Knutsen '26, Beatriz Plum Luard '26, Sky Robinson '25, Kayla Walford '26
DEPARTMENT MANAGER: Chris Redihan
STUDENT AFFAIRS MANAGER: Jo Bynum
ADMINISTRATIVE/MARKETING ASSISTANT: Dri de Faria '26
EVENTS AND FACILITIES MANAGER: Alex Nurkin
BECKER PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY STUDENT LIBRARIANS: Marielle Buxbaum '24, Maureen Klaiber '27
CUSTODIAN: Achim C Tah
COMMUNICATIONS & AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER: Brianne Shaw
FRONT OF HOUSE AND BOX OFFICE ASSISTANTS: Maya Kelly '27, Tyrone Killebrew II '24, Grace Martin '26, Tate Oliphant '25
