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.
Next on Stage
OUR TOWN
Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually – in one of the most famous scenes in American theatre – die. Thornton Wilder’s final word on how he wanted his play performed is an invaluable addition to the American stage and to the libraries of theatre lovers internationally.
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.
News
Theatre Faculty
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
Dance Faculty
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
Theatre and Dance Staff
Anthony Sirk
Costume Shop Manager
asirk@purdue.edu
Anthony James Sirk (Costume Studio Manager) has worked in management positions...READ MORE
Affiliated Theatre Faculty
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
Tom Robson
Affiliated Faculty in Theatre
trobson@purdue.edu
Tom Robson received his Ph.D. in Theatre History, Theory, and Literature from Indiana University in 2011. Before joining Cornerstone...Read More
Christian Rogers
Affiliated Faculty in Theatre
rogerscb@purdue.edu
Christian Rogers, Ph.D., is Assistant Dean for Purdue Polytechnic in Indianapolis and...Read More
Theatre Graduate Students
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, ACTING
PAO 2192
- Isabelle Bushkov: ibushkov@purdue.edu
- Gianbari Deebom: gdeebom@purdue.edu
- Tyler Hepler: hepler13@purdue.edu
- Laila Matuk Molina: lmatukmo@purdue.edu
- Samantha Resnick: sresnick@purdue.edu
- John Reynolds: reyno1106@purdue.edu
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, COSTUME DESIGN
PAO 2135
- Caitlin Davey: davey5@purdue.edu
- Emily Rosolowski: erosolow@purdue.edu
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, LIGHTING DESIGN
PAO 2155
- Sierra Clark: clar1068@purdue.edu
- Lily Edwards: edwar593@purdue.edu
- Tatyanna Rodriguez: rodr1106@purdue.edu
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, SCENIC DESIGN
PAO 2135
- Eleanor Kephart: ekephart@purdue.edu
- Jiacheng Sun: sun1322@purdue.edu
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, SOUND DESIGN
PAO 2155
- Jacob Clouse: clouse12@purdue.edu
- Sujin Kim: kim4471@purdue.edu
THEATRE GRADUATE STUDENTS, TECHNICAL DIRECTION
PAO 2135
- Adam Gillette: gilletta@purdue.edu
- Natalie Kandra: nkandra@purdue.edu