APEX Hour at SUU

Southern Utah University
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  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

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

  1. 2d ago

    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

  2. Jul 17

    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

  3. Jul 9

    The Architecture of Heart: Directing Something Rotten with Alan Muraoka

    A Journey Built on Shared Discovery: Guest Alan Muraoka traces his roots from a Southern California latchkey kid seeking structural camaraderie to winning the historic UCLA Carol Burnett musical theater scholarship. The Invisible Engine of Musical Comedy: An inside look at balancing complex choreography and rapid character pacing under the tight engineering constraints of repertory festival tracking. Balancing Slapstick with Sincerity: How refining performance notes to track the vulnerability and heartache of historical characters like Nigel Bottom creates a deeper, more impactful audience experience. The Modern Mandate for Authentic Representation: Reflections on building spaces of profound emotional safety and introducing generation-defining milestones of intersectional visibility. 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

  4. Jul 6

    Unfolding the Box: 35 Years of Costume Design Mastery with Bill Black

    Blending Art and Acting: Guest Bill Black shares how his background as a childhood actor, visual painter, and early sewist blended perfectly to build a lifelong career as a theatrical storyteller. The Fundamentals of Design: A breakdown of the five core skill sets required of a senior costume designer, emphasizing script comprehension, human psychology, design fundamentals, and collaboration. From Sketchbook to Flat Pattern: A look at the advanced dimensional mathematics required by drapers and hands-on production crews to translate simple lead pencil mock-ups into complex historical garments. The Invisible Support of Wardrobe: Why a highly successful costume shouldn't distract the audience, but rather quietly support the actor's vulnerability and internal journey through structural adaptation. Connect with SUU & The Festival: This episode is part of a collaboration between SUU Eccles APEX and the Utah Shakespeare 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. Jul 6

    Action-Driven Storytelling: From Batman Stunt Shows to the Utah Shakespeare Festival

    Learning Theater as a Trade: Guest Geoffrey Kent details his unconventional path into classical theater, acquiring his performance skills through corporate murder mysteries, renaissance faires, and high-flying stunt shows rather than a traditional classroom setting. The Architecture of Farce: An inside look at directing See How They Run and why structural choices—like compressing multiple acts together—are vital to keeping an audience completely hooked before an intermission. Safety vs. Excitement in Fight Direction: A deep dive into how a risk assessor and Society of American Fight Directors certified teacher crafts dangerous-looking combat that remains perfectly safe for actors to perform eight shows a week. The Instant Feedback of Comedy: A breakdown of how comedic timing requires an acute awareness of the audience, demanding that performers actively manage pacing without letting the room take over the production. Connect with SUU & The Festival: This episode is part of a special partnership between SUU Eccles APEX and the Utah Shakespeare 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. Jul 6

    From Ashland to Cedar City: A Shakespeare Festival Baby Takes the Director's Chair

    A Lifelong Theater Education: Guest Beth Lopes shares her journey growing up as a self-described "Shakespeare festival baby" and how seeing diverse, non-Western classics early on built her foundational worldview of storytelling. The Crucible of Hamlet: An inside look into directing the 65th anniversary production of Hamlet at the Engelstad Theater, focusing on authentic human choices rather than strict character archetypes. Ensemble Storytelling over Solos: Why building a deeply invested family dynamic for the Polonii and highlighting the multi-dimensional relationships of Gertrude and Ophelia makes tragedy more impactful. The Syncing Heartbeats of Live Performance: A reflection on the vital, irreplaceable nature of live theater in an increasingly digital world. Connect with SUU & The Festival: This series is produced in collaboration with SUU Eccles APEX series. 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

  7. 12/22/2025

    12/22/2025: Ben Hohman

    Ben Homan, the properties director at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, joined us on the podcast. *** Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

  8. 12/22/2025

    12/22/2025: Bill Heyborne

    Bill Heyborne, the dean of SUU's College of STEM, joined us on the podcast. *** 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
    157
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SUU Eccles APEX
  • Show Website
    APEX Hour at SUU