APEX Hour at SUU

Southern Utah University
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Discussions with speakers at Eccles APEX, the premier lecture series at Southern Utah University.

  1. 31 Aug

    From the Poconos to the Anes Stage: Embracing Genre & Character with Jacob Dresch

    Key Takeaway 1: The Journey of a Regional Actor & Educator: Jacob Dresch details his path from high school band and community theater to earning a BFA at DeSales University, an MFA at UC Irvine under mentor Phil Thompson, and balancing professional regional acting with university teaching. Key Takeaway 2: Unpacking The Book Club Play: An inside look at playing Will, exploring documentary camera meta-dynamics in an intimate three-quarter-round space, and defending the value of popular culture alongside classical literature. Key Takeaway 3: Dual Roles in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Examining the memory-play structure of David Catlin's adaptation while navigating the tragic flaws, hubris, and moral complexities of Victor Frankenstein and Percy Bysshe Shelley Connect with SUU & The Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  2. 21 Aug

    Fire Extinguishers, Fast Zippers, and 65 Bodies: Behind the Scenes with Sarah McCarroll

    Key Takeaway 1: The structural mechanics of running a 65-person costume shop during peak build, balancing artisan craftsmanship with the daily logistics of wardrobe supervision. Key Takeaway 2: How historical clothing and silhouettes—from Victorian leg-of-mutton sleeves to corsets—function as social commentary and shape physical movement on stage. Key Takeaway 3: The distinction between costume design and costume technology, and the career advice that "there is no schedule but your schedule" when building a healthy life in the arts. Connect with SUU & The Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  3. 14 Aug

    The Art of the Character Actor: Nostradamus, Sipos, and Storytelling with Brian Gonzales

    A Lifelong Performing Career: Guest Brian Gonzales traces his journey growing up in Dallas and San Antonio, raised by a television crew chief father and a blues singer/director mother, leading to his Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Crafting Iconic Character Roles: An inside look at originating Babkak in Aladdin on Broadway and stepping into two distinct 2026 Randall Theater roles at USF: the explosive, comedic seer Nostradamus in Something Rotten and the delicate, pragmatic clerk Ladislav Sipos in She Loves Me. The Interconnected Theater Community: Reflections on lifelong artistic partnerships, working alongside close friends like director Alan Muraoka and actor Blake Henri, and navigating the shifts of regional theater. Connecting with the Audience: A deep dive into how actors read and respond to live audience energy, adjusting timing without losing the grounded emotional truth of a production. Connect with SUU & The Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  4. 10 Aug

    Finding Her Range: From Magnet Schools to the Shakespeare Stage with Kayland Jordan

    From Magnet School to the Stage: Guest Kayland Jordan discusses growing up in Dallas, attending specialized performing arts middle and high schools, and earning a BFA in acting in New York City. Unpacking Classical Character Depth: A discussion on bringing fresh humanity, grief, and comedic timing to iconic figures like Olivia in Twelfth Night and Horatio in Hamlet. Representation and Intentional Casting: Kayland reflects on working with open-minded directors, rejecting tokenism, and serving the core story rather than letting casting choices feel like forced statements. The Transformative Nature of Performance: Reflections on how collaborative rehearsal processes foster mutual trust, artistic growth, and genuine connections with live audiences. Connect with SUU & The Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  5. 5 Aug

    The Glass Shatters: Humanizing Shakespeare’s Tragic Antagonists with Blake Henri

    From the Ballfield to the Ghost Light: Guest Blake Henri shares how a high school injury and an unexpected moment alone on stage redirected his life path from sports and business toward a passionate, career-focused pursuit of classical acting. Depth Behind the Antagonists: A compelling discussion on breaking traditional performance stereotypes to discover grief, regret, and genuine human love in roles like Sir Toby Belch and Laertes. The War Correspondent of Troilus and Cressida: An inside look at transforming the classic truth-teller Thersides into an embedded modern media correspondent who reframes historical conflict for a contemporary audience. Mentorship and Supportive Connections: Reflections on the mentors, directors, and collaborative colleagues who opened doors, provided reality checks, and fostered a sense of home within the regional theater community Connect with SUU & The Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  6. 30 Jul

    From Comic Book Sketches to Shakespeare's Stage: The Artistic Journey of Walter Kmiec

    The evolution of an actor—from childhood comic book art and construction work with his father to mastering leading classical roles. A fresh perspective on approaching famous soliloquies as spontaneous, character-driven discoveries rather than grand, static recitations. Unpacking the duality of playing two vastly different figures—the introspective Prince Hamlet and the complex, satirical warrior Achilles—in the same repertory season. *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  7. 27 Jul

    From Spelman to Shakespeare: Choreographing Consent, Community, and Movement on Stage

    Show Notes From Competition Dance to Storytelling: Guest Sacha Comrie details her early career in commercial dance and her transformative education at Spelman College that bridged technical skill with narrative choreography. Understanding Intimacy Coordination: A comprehensive breakdown of how intimacy coordinators manage actor consent, boundaries, modesty garments, and movement choreography across theatrical and film sets. The Power of Community & Mentorship: Sacha reflects on the pivotal hands-on mentorship from industry pioneers like Ann James and Kaja Dunn that shaped her career transition into advocacy and intimacy work. Crafting USF's Engelstad Season: An inside look at coordinating intimacy and choreography for the 2026 festival productions of Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, and Hamlet. Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the USF 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  8. 17 Jul

    Designing the Stage: 23 Years of Scenic Magic with Jo Winiarski

    From Center Stage to Scenic Design: Guest Jo Winiarski discusses her transition from an undergraduate acting student at NYU to finding her true calling as a professional set designer and television art director. The Architecture of Repertory Theater: A deep dive into the physical mechanics of managing three distinct productions within the exact same theatrical footprint, featuring the logistical triumph of the She Loves Me turntable. The Core of Pure Creativity: A warm reflection on the internal drive to build and create, the external inspirations that spark artistic innovation, and why a simple black ink pen and a white notebook remain the ultimate creative tools. Functionality and Safety First: Why serving the structural needs of the script and ensuring physical safety on stage forms the unpretentious baseline for successful visual storytelling. Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival: Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex Book your tickets to the USF 65th anniversary season at bard.org *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

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About

Discussions with speakers at Eccles APEX, the premier lecture series at Southern Utah University.

Information

  • Creator
    Southern Utah University
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    163
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SUU Eccles APEX
  • Show Website
    APEX Hour at SUU