Department of Theatre and Dance

You are an actor. A dancer. A designer. A stage manager. An entertainment technologist. You dream, you direct, you create. This is where you belong.

GALINTHIAS

A new play by playwright Bennett Ayres, Galinthias is a clever, modern addition to the ancient myth of the midwife who delivered Alcmene’s son Hercules against the will of Hera, queen of the ancient Greek gods. When Xandra—caught up, like Alcmene, in the lascivious entanglements of the gods—seeks her out, the titular Galinthias, with her reputation for defiance in the face of the gods’ callous treatment of humankind, is determined to help however she can. Galinthias, Xandra, and Alcmene together undertake a quest that will test their commitment to each other and force them to ask just how far they would go to fight for freedom and control against the whims of those with power.

Dance Program

Dance with Purdue’s Dance Program and consider adding a major or minor in performance while developing your skills as a mover and creator. Courses in technique and creative process, as well as opportunities to perform original works in Pao Hall’s beautiful theatres, are open to all Purdue students regardless of their plan of study.

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Mercer Aplin

Clinical Assistant Professor, Audio Technology

maplin@purdue.edu

Mercer Aplin is a passionate collaborator on a wide range of domestic and international audio...READ MORE

Ashley Bellet

Assistant Professor, Costume Design

abellet@purdue.edu

Ashley is a professional costume designer and crafts artisan and has worked for The Santa Fe Opera...READ MORE

Quetta Carpenter

Assistant Professor, Acting

llcarpen@purdue.edu

LaQuetta Carpenter is a professional stage and screen actor, director, and playwright. She earned...READ MORE

Anne Damman

Visiting Assistant Professor, Acting

amdamman@purdue.edu

Anne is a professional actress and voice artist, with extensive experience on stage and screen. She holds an MA in Classical Acting from LAMDA, as well as an MA in Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism from Ohio State University...READ MORE

Rich Dionne

Chair, Associate Professor of Practice, Technical Direction

rdionne@purdue.edu

Rich Dionne is a professor of practice and technical direction specializing in scenery automation and show control systems. ...READ MORE

Joel Ebarb

Professor/Theatre

jebarb@purdue.edu

Joel Ebarb is a professor in the Rueff School of Design Art, and Performance, specializing in theatre design and production/costume design...READ MORE

Will Lewis

Assistant Professor, Theatre History, Literature, and Criticism

wwlewis@purdue.edu

Will Lewis is an assistant professor of theatre history, literature, and criticism in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance after serving as a visiting assistant professor of directing and performance from 2019-2022.READ MORE

Michael McNamara

Associate Professor, Lighting Design

mmcnamara@purdue.edu

Michael McNamara is the Faculty Lighting Designer for the Department of Theatre and Dance...READ MORE

Michael Meyer

Clinical Assistant Professor, Animatronics

mcmeyer@purdue.edu

Michael Meyer, born and educated in Germany, comes to Purdue as a clinical assistant professor...READ MORE

Devin Scheef

Visiting Assistant Professor, Scenic Design

dscheef@purdue.edu

A career educator in scenic design, Devin Pierce Scheef, MFA, joins the faculty of Purdue after serving most recently as the Assistant Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at the University of Central Oklahoma...READ MORE

Fan Zhang

Assistant Professor, Sound Design

zhan4748@purdue.edu

Fan Zhang is a critically acclaimed sound designer and composer for theatre, dance, film...READ MORE

Colin Dees

Dance Accompanist

cdees@purdue.edu

Colin Dees is a percussionist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist based in Lafayette, Indiana. As a musician in dance...READ MORE

Kathleen Hickey

Lecturer in Dance

hickey7@purdue.edu

A native to the Chicago area and currently based in West Lafayette, Indiana, Kathleen Hickey’s...READ MORE

Petur Iliev

Limited Term Lecturer in Dance

piliev@purdue.edu

Petur Iliev is a graduate of the Bulgarian National School of Dance Art and holds a B.A. from...READ MORE

Holly Jaycox

Associate Chair, Director of the Dance Program

hollyj@purdue.edu

Holly Jaycox is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and creator of community. Her work has been presented around the Midwest from Detroit to Minneapolis, from Iowa to Ohio. ...READ MORE

Vivian Kim

Lecturer in Dance

kim4828@purdue.edu

Vivian Kim, MFA, came to Purdue University from Boulder, CO. She stepped into the role of lecturer for the Dance Program within the Department of Theatre and Dance in...READ MORE

Joy McEwen

Limited Term Lecturer in Dance

jmcewen@purdue.edu

Joy McEwen, a limited term lecturer at Purdue University in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art and Performance is teaching Modern Dance 10100...READ MORE

Renee Murray

Lecturer in Dance

murra113@purdue.edu

Renee Murray is a Chicago native, dance artist, and educator. She received her MFA in Dance from California State University, Long Beach...READ MORE

Beth Daugherty

Operations Manager

bbessler@purdue.edu

Vince Lobello

Scenic Construction Supervisor

vlobello@purdue.edu

Anthony Sirk

Costume Shop Manager

asirk@purdue.edu

Anthony James Sirk (Costume Studio Manager) has worked in management positions...READ MORE

Andrea Weller

Administrative Assistant

alweller@purdue.edu

Jake Wood

Scenic Artist and Properties Manager

woodrl@purdue.edu

Lucy Yahr

Production Manager

lyahr@purdue.edu

Claire Mason

Affiliated Faculty in Theatre

cemason@purdue.edu

Claire Mason received her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May of 2021. Her area of expertise is...Read More