Performance + Experiential Learning = You creating work
At other colleges, you can act in a play.
At UMF, you can also write your own script and direct its production.
At other colleges, you can perform in an ensemble.
At UMF, you can also write music for it.
At other colleges, you can study video game music.
At UMF, you can also collaborate to create your own game.
Experiential Performing Arts and Creative Writing challenge you to be the CREATOR, both solo and in collaboration. UMF welcomes all creative passions – from photography to programming, from poetry to animation, from scoring to screenwriting. If it’s compelling to you, it belongs at UMF.
The capstone experience for every performing arts major is the Project 300 course. For each student, however, their project is different, individualized to their specific interests and talents. For her capstone, Hailey Craig (‘20) chose to do hair and make-up design: “My goal was to take 2-Dimensional figures and environments and reflect on how they would appear in a 3-Dimensional setting on real human faces, creating inspired designs, not replications.” The result was dramatic and captivating project that included ten different looks, demonstrating her incredible creativity as well as exceptional technical skills.
Greg Baxter (’20) focused his Wilson research project on creating instruments that enable anyone, regardless of their experience, to create music by using different programming software such as MAX and Arduino. Initially, Greg found it quite challenging to create technology-based instruments as he had little experience with any form of programming and struggled to find the information he needed for his research. However, Greg quickly discovered that the professors at UMF “are willing to help every step of the way and they advocated for what I wanted to achieve.” With the support of Professors Steve Pane and Gustavo Aguilar, Greg was able to create six innovative instruments although sadly his final performance was cancelled due to COVID.
Founded in 2000, the Lawn Chair Pirates (LCP) are UMF’s premier improv group. The current head of the club, known as the LCP Czar -– or in this case the Czarina – is Twilight Smart-Benson (‘22). For Twilight, being a part of LCP has allowed her to be herself, “to have a good time, and make great friends. And it’s really helped improve my public speaking skills. We do the silliest stuff on stage, and that makes speaking in front of an audience way easier. With the LCP, I’ve found my group and place at UMF.”
The Bread and Puppet Theater workshop hosted by UMF was a unique experience for everyone involved. Not only was this workshop targeted at the UMF theater community but those outside of that community were welcomed to participate as well. As a theater major, Eliza Robinson (‘21) felt this workshop was a “wonderful enhancement opportunity” for her gaining an apprenticeship with the company for that following summer. After this workshop, Eliza felt that she “learned about the kind of performer and artistic contributor she wanted to be.”
UMF Experiential Ed Home Page
