Arcadia University News

The University continues to expand its academic and extracurricular facilities, with more renovations to the Black Box Theater, esports hub, and Kuch Center. This summer, the Arcadia Foundation awarded a $91,000 grant to the University to renovate the Black Box Theater to support Arcadia’s growing...

Dr. Jonathan Shandell , associate professor of Theater Arts, was one of eight finalists for the Theatre Library Association’s George Freedley Memorial Award for his recent book, The American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era . The American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era...

For Theater Arts and Gateway/ACT 101 alumnus Wilfredo “Freddy” Amill ’18 , community, justice, and performance are inextricable. This year, Amill toured with Delaware Shakespeare, a professional theater company focused on educational programming for diverse audiences that can explore their shared...

Kathryn Petersen , associate professor of Theater Arts, is having her new play Chrysalis featured in Villanova's "Staged Reading" series on April 27 and 28. The play explores the story of 17th century naturalist and illustrator Maria Sybilla Merian and her daughter, Dorothea. After Sibylla Merian...

If all the world’s a stage, then the Arcadia University Theater is taking every opportunity to perform in creative spaces around campus– including Grey Towers Castle. For Hedda Gabler, which will run from March 28 to 31, they’re transforming the lobby, Dining Room, and Rose and Mirror rooms into...

Arcadia University Theater presents three diverse productions in the Spring 2019 semester at the Spruance Fine Arts Center Mainstage and Grey Towers Castle. Productions run Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. with matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Through March 3, students will...

Dr. Jonathan Shandell , associate professor of Visual and Performing Arts, discussed themes and the artist’s struggle during a reading and signing of his recent book, The American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era , on Feb. 13. The American Negro Theatre, a theater in Harlem during the...

Kevin Glaccum , adjunct professor of Theater Arts at Arcadia and artistic director of the Azuka Theatre Company, was interviewed by Philadelphia Magazine on Nov. 8. “LGBTQ&A: Kevin Glaccum” focused on Glaccum’s directorial work for Azuka Theatre’s Warplay production, which re-imagined Greek...

Dr. Jonathan Shandell , associate professor and co-director of Theater Arts, was featured in an episode of the "New Books on African American Studies" podcast. Dr. Shandell discussed his new novel, T he American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era , which unpacks the legacy of the American...

Dr. Wayne Morra , professor emeritus in the School of Global Business, was featured as an expert on energy efficiency in “Most & Least Energy-Efficient States,” an article published by WalletHub . Emphasizing environmentally conscious practices, Dr. Morra answered questions related to energy-...

Dr. Jonathan Shandell , associate professor of Theatre Arts, published his second book, The American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era , through University of Iowa Press. Dr. Shandell’s text is the first comprehensive analysis of American Negro Theatre (ANT), a historic group founded in...

By Nicole Gieselman ’19 Director, playwright, and Acting alumnus Josh Hitchens ‘07 has been sending shivers down spines with his original, autobiographical play Ghost Stories . Directed by Ryan Walter, the one-man show is comprised of six paranormal tales that have (literally) haunted Hitchens...

Arcadia Theater alumni Kishia Nixon ’15 and Trevor William Fayle ’13 will perform as leads in Sing the Body Electric , a Theatre Exile production showing through May 13 in Philadelphia. Written by Michael Hollinger and directed by Deborah Block, the play follows Jess (played by Nixon), a failing...

Award-winning playwright, actor, and educator Anna Deavere Smith portrays Stephanie Williams, emotional support teacher in Philadelphia, in Notes from the Field: Doing Time in Education, The California Chapter, a one-woman show featuring stories about California’s devastating school-to-prison...

Arcadia University Theater presents Sensitive Guys by MJ Kaufman, a timely show that discusses the issue of sexual assault on college campuses. The play follows the Men's Peer Education and women’s Survivor Support groups at fictional Watson College. The two groups are working together to end...

Faculty, alumni, and students from the University Theater Arts Program are scaring visitors at Eastern State Penitentiary as members of the Terror Behind the Walls team. At Eastern State Penitentiary, which transforms into Terror Behind the Walls each night around Halloween, Theater Costume Shop...

On Monday, Oct. 30, faculty, staff, and alumni representing Arcadia’s Visual and Performing Arts Department will be recognized at the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, a ceremony that celebrates Philadelphia’s diverse performing arts community. For the second consecutive year, Damien...