Announcements – Department of Theatre and Dance

Adjunct Professor Parul Shah Named United States Artist Fellow

thelinal — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:06:31 +0000

Department of Theatre and Dance Adjunct Professor Parul Shah has been selected as a , one of the most prestigious national honors awarded to artists working across disciplines in the United States. As part of the fellowship, Shah will receive $50,000 in funding, recognizing her significant contributions to dance, education, and cultural discourse.

United States Artists is dedicated to supporting artists unconditionally, guided by the belief that investing in artists strengthens the cultural and social fabric of society. Through this fellowship, the organization affirms the importance of artists’ voices in broadening perspectives, fostering dialogue, and enriching public life.

A , choreographer, and educator, Shah spent more than twenty-seven years creating work that confronts cultural narratives and hierarchies that diminish the dignity of South Asian women. Drawing from the rich tradition of North Indian classical dance, her choreography embodies resistance, artistry, and personal agency. Her works center stories of women who push against boundaries, whose labor, histories, and voices have too often been overlooked or erased.

“Rooted in the storytelling traditions of Indian classical dance, my body becomes a vessel where memory, resistance, and transformation intertwine. Through gesture, I give voice to forgotten narratives.”

-Parul Shah

Trained in India by the late, groundbreaking choreographer Kumudini Lakhia, Shah developed a distinctive movement language that expands Indian dance technique while challenging male-dominated and Eurocentric frameworks. Her work has been presented at major venues including City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Asia Society in New York City. Equally committed to education and community engagement, Shah teachers while pursuing a doctoral degree in Dance Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where her research and pedagogy emphasize embodied practice and critical inquiry to disrupt dominant narratives.

Shah’s selection as a United States Artist Fellow honors both her artistic excellence and her sustained commitment to cultural equity, education, and social impact.

Quilt Keepers Threads Montclair’s Community Tapestry into Powerful Play

phillipsam — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:48:34 +0000

By Ilmar Vanderer

Published December 17, 2025 at 3:00 AM

Last updated December 17, 2025 at 8:20 AM

MONTCLAIR, NJ — In a town long synonymous with cultural depth, civic engagement, and artistic daring, an ambitious new theatrical work is bringing Montclair’s past vividly into the present by placing community voices center stage.

More than a play, is a living archive — a deeply collaborative, community-driven work shaped through listening, learning, and honoring the stories of those who built and sustained Montclair across generations.

The production, which debuted December 15 and runs through December 17 at Vanguard Theater Company, weaves together oral histories, intergenerational memory, and imaginative storytelling to illuminate the legacy of Montclair’s historic Fourth Ward — widely recognized as the heart of the town’s Black and Brown cultural life.

The culmination of a multi-year collaborative effort, was spearheaded by performer, producer, and theater professor Janeece Freeman Clark, founding artistic director of Vanguard Theater Company. At its core, the play explores a simple but profound premise: every neighborhood holds an ongoing story — a tapestry stitched together from the experiences, struggles, and triumphs of its residents.

For the creative team, translating deeply personal narratives into shared public performances offered an opportunity to build empathy, challenge dominant historical narratives, and amplify voices too often sidelined or forgotten.

“This neighborhood was shaped by migration, segregation, resilience, and community care,” Freeman Clark told TAPinto. “Its stories reflect broader American histories that are frequently under-told.”

At a time when rapid development, technological acceleration, and cultural shifts leave little room for reflection, serves as a reminder that storytelling not only preserves the past — it safeguards identity for the future.

“Audiences aren’t just invited to watch,” Freeman Clark said. “They’re invited to recognize the humanity behind the history, and to consider how the past continues to shape our present and future,” Freeman Clark said.

“Quilt Keepers” marks a first-time collaboration among Vanguard Theater Company, ��vlog, and The New Jersey Play Lab — three institutions united by a shared commitment to meaningful storytelling and purposeful community engagement.

The partnership grew out of ��vlog’s BA Theatre Studies program, led by award-winning director and theater professor Jessica Silsby Brater. The program emphasizes the connection between what unfolds onstage and the world beyond the theater walls.

“When Jessica described her community-based theater course — embedding students directly in communities to research, listen, and write from lived histories — it immediately aligned with Vanguard Theater’s long-standing interest in telling the Fourth Ward’s story through an intentional and ethical process,” Freeman Clark said.

“The BA Theatre Studies program developed the idea of new play commission partnerships with the New Jersey Play Lab in 2022,” Silsby Brater explained. “The program focuses on the relationship between what happens on stage and what happens in the world around us, so we wanted to partner with New Jersey professional theaters to build connections in the artistic community.”

For students, participation meant more than studying theater — it meant learning Montclair’s history directly from those who lived it.

“Our goal is to develop artist-citizens,” Silsby Brater said. “Students who understand their role as change-makers and who are grounded in the communities around them.”

At the heart of the play are two young friends, fictional characters Tala and Nilo, whose curiosity opens a door into the lives of Montclair’s “quilt keepers” — elders, families, and neighbors whose experiences reflect migration, redlining, immigration, resilience, and the pressures of gentrification.

The quilt serves as both literal and metaphorical framework: individual pieces stitched together to form something collective, resilient, and enduring.

In transforming lived histories into theater, questions of authenticity naturally arise: how much creative reshaping can occur while still remaining faithful to the original storyteller’s truth?

Rather than strict verbatim theater, adapts real stories into a fictional structure — a choice that allowed for theatrical freedom while preserving emotional and historical integrity.

“The project grew from deep listening,” Freeman Clark said. “Accuracy and authenticity are the foundation. But we wanted to create a piece that felt like memory — layered, intimate, and alive.”

In 2023, commissioned playwright Dania Ramos conducted oral history interviews with community members, while Vanguard high school students participated in the research process, ensuring that community voices shaped the work from the ground up.

Those whose stories informed the script were invited to early readings and feedback sessions, ensuring trust, accountability, and care throughout development. New Jersey Play Lab dramaturgs Cheryl Katz and Kaitlin Stilwell supported the process, helping refine the work with clarity and ethical rigor.

“Theatricality becomes a vessel, not a distortion,” Freeman Clark said. “Our responsibility was to translate emotional truth — not embellish it.”

For Aminah Toler, Montclair’s Fourth Ward councilor and a lifelong resident with deep family roots in the neighborhood, the play carries profound personal meaning on multiple levels.

She hopes inspires audiences to become more deeply invested in their communities — to listen, reflect, and ask meaningful questions.

“My wish is that people walk away with a stronger understanding of how African Americans helped shape Montclair,” Toler said. “Despite enormous challenges, this community persevered and thrived. That story deserves recognition.”

Toler believes the play opens space for dialogue across generations, allowing younger residents to understand the struggles that shaped the town they inherited, while older residents see their histories honored onstage.

“Storytelling bridges generational divides,” she said. “It reminds us what makes Montclair such a gem — and why protecting that legacy matters.”

She also hopes the model travels.

“My vision is that other towns create their own ‘Quilt Keepers,’” Toler said, “so communities across New Jersey can better understand how deeply interconnected our histories really are.”

For the collaborators, success will not be measured by applause alone — but by the conversations and connections that linger long after the curtain falls.

“These stories aren’t just footnotes,” Freeman Clark said. “They belong to the people who shaped this town, and they deserve to be honored with care, respect, and visibility.”

Through a shared appreciation for the nuggets of wisdom, life lessons, and inspiring stories contained in the play, Freeman Clark hopes the production connects people who might never otherwise cross paths.

“We want audiences to leave with a deeper understanding of how personal histories shape collective identity,” she said, “and with a renewed responsibility to listen, remember, and protect the stories embedded in the places we call home.”

If You Go

WHEN Monday, December 15 through Wednesday, December 17, at 8:00 PM each day

WHERE Vanguard Theater Company, 180 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042

MORE Tickets (Students $15, Adults $20) at

Dance Students Take Part in Global Celebration of Dance Education Laboratory’s 30th Anniversary

thelinal — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:26:18 +0000

On Wednesday, September 20, students in Kristen Bell’s freshman dance class joined a worldwide celebration of the by creating a , a collaborative project that blends improvisation, composition, and community.

This year marks DEL’s 30th anniversary, and to honor the milestone, the organization is spearheading the creation of 30 MSCs across the globe. ��vlog was invited to participated by DEL founder Jody Arnhold and the DEL Team, joining an international network of dancers and educators marking this special occasion.

The session was facilitated with the support of students Vicky Batista and Caitlyn Scott, both , along with adjunct faculty member Susan Pope, a specialist in dance education. Live accompaniment on drums and piano was provided by musician Glen Fittin.

A DEL Movement Sentence Choir combines two powerful ideas: Rudolf Laban’s iconic movement choirs, which are large groups moving together in harmony, with DEL’s ‘movement sentences,’ which are short phrases built from two or more action words. For Bell’s clas, the guiding words were:

“Weave. Spin. Expand.”

-Facilitators of the Danced Education Laboratory creating a Movement Sentence Choir

After warming up and engaging in improvisational exercises that encouraged connection and awareness, students developed their own movement sentences. They then learned a choreographed phrase by Caitlyn Scott, before collaborating in small groups to create additional phrases. These sections were woven together into a complete MSC, performed collectively by the end of class.

The culminating moment featured all dancers joined in a static, connected shape, as a visual representation of unity and artistry.

DEL, known for its transformative teacher training programs, emphasizes the artistry of teaching while centering equity and justice in dance education. Each participant in the event received a t-shirt with the message “Dance for Every Child” – a reminder of DEL’s mission and vision.

This class highlighted the creative journey from improvisation to composition, as students moved from spontaneous exploration to the shared act of building and performing a finished piece.

Germán Martínez Wins Prestigious Princess Grace Award in Theater

thelinal — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:46:54 +0000

��vlog alumnus Germán Martínez has been named a 2025 recipient of the Princess Grace Award in Theater, one of the nation’s most distinguished honors for early-career artists. The award includes an unrestricted cash grant of $15,000, given directly to the artist.

Presented by the Princess Grace Foundation–USA, the award upholds the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco (née Grace Kelly) and her lifelong commitment to advancing the arts in the United States. The Foundation supports exceptional early-career talent in theater, dance, and film through transformative grants, and continues to nurture and champion Princess Grace Award winners throughout their careers.

A proud son of immigrant parents, Martínez is a Honduran-American, award-winning freelance theatrical sound designer based in the NYC/NJ area. He earned his degree in Sound Design from Montclair State in 2018. Known for his ability to collaborate with bold playwrights and bring new stories to life, his work has been featured at leading venues including Lincoln Center Theater, Atlantic Theatre Company, American Repertory Theatre, Repertorio Español, and George Street Playhouse, among many others.

Follow his work on Instagram at .

marcus d. harvey Played the Role of “Reggie”

thelinal — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:06:16 +0000

marcus d. harvey, Assistant Professor in the , played the character of “Reggie” in Dominique Morrisea’s Skeleton Crew at on Hilton Head in South Carolina.

Synopsis: At the start of the Great Recession, one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit is on shaky ground. Each of the workers have to make choices on how to move forward if their plant goes under. Shanita has to decide how she’ll support herself and her unborn child, Faye has to decide how and where she’ll live, and Dez has to figure out how to make his ambitious dreams a reality. Power dynamics shift as everyone is torn between doing right by their family, and by the red tape in their office.

marcus d. harvey is an award-winning performer, writer, director, educator, and cultural strategist. A first-generation college and graduate school graduate, he holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, an MA in Dramatic Writing from NYU, and dual BAs in Dramatic Arts and Performance Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill.

He has performed on stage with companies including the National Black Theatre, The Old Vic, Triad Stage, and PlayMakers Rep, with appearances in both film and television. As a playwright, his works include homegrown, Are We Not Men?, and baba: a black boy’s cry. His upcoming play a bright light, addressing mental health in Black and Latin communities, will premiere at Passage Theatre in 2025.

As a director, marcus has led productions for the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Lean Ensemble, and The Working Theatre, among others. He has taught at institutions including NJCU, Franklin & Marshall, and Marymount Manhattan College, and is a noted August Wilson specialist.

He also serves as an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging consultant, partnering with organizations such as Lean Ensemble and NY Classical Theatre to advance inclusive practices in the arts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

thelinal — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:09:43 +0000

The Department of Theatre and Dance recently produced Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, setting the standards and rules of modern musical theater. In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination, and the promise of a new land.

Director’s Note:

It’s 2025 and let’s face it, this show did not age well. So, how do we make it work for our audiences today? What do you do? You change the point of view of the story told. I wanted to challenge the original and see what would happen when you explored the story from Laurey’s point of view. I was curious to see what would happen when you explore the idea of having a choice to control your narrative vs. doing what would be expected of you. I was curious about what it meant to be a woman at this time and the complications that brought. I’m eager to highlight the text of this piece instead of getting caught up in the romanticized feel of it. The themes of choice/no choice, isolation/community, and animosity between two parties at the turn of the century are still things that society is dealing with at present. This show will never go away, so we might as well figure out a way to make it work for us.

-Francine Espiritu

Photos:

Children’s Theatre Tour Spring 2025

thelinal — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:38:59 +0000

Performance Description

Message from the Playwright:

Splitting Hares is a heartfelt, fast-paced, ensemble comedy. It makes Aesop’s classic archetypal characters more endearing by giving them larger than life personalities. It still captures the moral lessons instilled by fables; while also acknowledging the complex world a younger audience will be applying those lesson to. The humor is charming and witty but never moves out of the grasp of a younger audience. Despite the characters becoming more rounded, the play doesn’t betray or insult its source material. It seeks to honor the intention these stories were created with while making them applicable to a nuanced and varied world.

Director’s Note:

With the rise of children’s accessibility to technology and the vast amount of information available on the internet, it is more important than ever to make children aware of context and nuance in what they read and hear. Splitting Hares demonstrates the importance of questioning rumors and information you hear, practicing critical thinking when deciding your perception of situations, and being kind to people because you never know what is going on behind the gossip surrounding them.

Childhood is a formative age where people begin to feel the need to label and define themselves. We hope to transform this process into one that opens children’s eyes to all of the possibilities of who they can become- including using their percieved ‘weaknesses’ as a superpower. In this, they also learn the value of teamwork and appreciating the qualities that make their peers special. What makes characters different can often be what makes them able to help each other.

Logistics

This show is best suited for grades k-3rd (we may make exceptions for middle school students)
Our maximum audience size is 150. This is also dependent on the size of the space, age of students and where the performance is being held. The performance is roughly 35 minutes long. There is an option to include a 10 minute talkback at no additional charge.
We ask for no sound interruptions for the duration of the performance unless it is requested by the performers.
We need access to the space at least 15 minutes prior to the performance start time for setup and 15 mins after for breakdown.
Please note that our tour will be able to travel to schools no more than 30 minutes away from ��vlog.

Live in Living Color Collective Presents:

thelinal — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:13:23 +0000

On Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 4:00 pm, Live in Living Color Collective Presents: Taking the Stage. The performance will celebrate and uplift the voices of color in our community.

The Live in Living Color Collective (LILCC) was created to help BIPOC student performers build a community where they feel safe, valued, and seen. LILCC is here to build students up so that they are confident in what they have to offer the world as artists, and is a space where students can feel a little less alone in their shared experiences and celebrate our differences. LILCC is also instrumental in educating and building a bridge between students, faculty and non- BIPOC peers.

The 60-75 minute free showcase will take place in Life Hall 1200.

The Executive Board of the student group includes:

President: Diogo Ramirez
Vice President: Genesis Harper
Treasurer: Trever Lavine
Secretary: Lexi Tabor
PR Chair/Media: Gabriella Flores
Event Coordinator: Adrian Colon Burgos

Set List:

Opening – “Live In Living Color,” from Catch Me If You Can
Directed/Choreographed by Lexi Tabor
Amelia Diaz- “Carrie” from Carrie
Directed by Amelia Diaz
Ansel Brasel, Mei Tulagan – “Best Friend” from Bare
Directed by Ansel Brasel & Mei Tulgane
Amelia Diaz, Tenda Kavuma – “I Will Never Leave You” from Sideshow
Directed by Ameila Diaz & Tenda Kavuma
Izzy Ramirez – “Astonishing” from Little Women
Directed by Izzy Ramirez
Gabriella Flores, Lexi Tabor – “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago
Original Broadway Choreography by Bob Fosse
Trevor Lavine – “For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen
Directed by Trevor Lavine
Mei Tulagan – “Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis
Directed by Mei Tulgane
Tenda Kavuma – “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” from Grease!
Directed by Tenda Kavuma
Genesis Harper, Diogo Ramirez – “Move On” from Sunday In the Park With George
Directed by Genesis Harper & Diogo Ramirez
Adrian Colon-Burgos – “Maria” from West Side Story
Directed by Adrian Colon Burgos
Emilee Johnson – Losing My Mind” from Follies
Directed by Emilee Johnson
Naomi Serrano – “In My Dreams” from Anastasia
Directed by Naomi Serrano
Maria Rivera – “I Put A Spell On You” by Nina Simone
Directed by Maria Rivera
Gabriella Flores – “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story
Directed by Gabriella Flores
Izzy Ramirez, Trevor Lavine – “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop Of Horrors
Directed by Izzy Ramirez and Trevor Lavine
Lexi Tabor – “I Don’t Know His Name” from She Loves Me
Directed by Lexi Tabor
Mandie Nico Perez – “The Life Of The Party” from The Wild Party
Directed by Mandie Nico Perez
Closing – “Color My World” from Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Directed/ Choreographed by Adrian Colon-Burgos

Crew: Lighting Designed by Peter Papangelopoulos

Contact for more information about Live in Living Color Collective

University Faculty Co Author Book

thelinal — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:55:50 +0000

Four ��vlog faculty members co authored the textbook, in connection to their .

The authors are: Dr. Phoebe Farber,�� Dr. David Strobbe, and Doug Chapman all from the Theatre and Dance department, and Dr. Chris Parker from Classics and General Humanities.

Igniting the Spark: Activating Your Creative Mind is a guide to unlocking and nurturing your creative potential. Through a series of thought-provoking chapters, it explores key elements of creativity such as open-mindedness, imagination, and inspiration, offering readers practical insights on how to tap into their inner creativity. The playful freedom of daydreaming and intuitive insights that fuel innovation are also included, and each chapter gives information on the creative process, making it a great resource for artists and entrepreneurs to bring creativity to life.

��vlog Recognized Among Top Dance Programs in the U.S.

thelinal — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:32:09 +0000

��vlog’s dance program has been named one of the best in the country, according to a recent ranking from . The university’s highly regarded Department of Theatre and Dance received recognition for its comprehensive curriculum, skilled faculty, and vibrant student performances.

The ranking, which highlights leading dance programs across the United States, places Montclair State among the top institutions for aspiring dancers and choreographers. The university offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, combining technical training with a strong focus on artistry, innovation, and performance. With access to state-of-the-art facilities and numerous performance opportunities, Montclair State continues to stand out as a hub for artistic excellence in the dance world.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance program combines a conservatory-based approach to training with a liberal arts curriculum to prepare students for extraordinary lives and careers as professional dancers. The intensive course of study is based on anatomically sound, sequential technique to train dancers in modern dance, ballet, jazz, African dance and hip-hop. Its proximity to Manhattan attracts an outstanding full-time faculty and prominent guest artists who work closely with students each semester. With Manhattan just 30 minutes away, students connect with both world-class dance productions and numerous internship opportunities.