ATHENS, Ga. – The department of drama at the University of Georgia has been invited to exhibit in the International Schools of Scenography Exposition at the Prague Quadrennial as a representative of outstanding United States student theater design.
One of the world’s most prestigious exhibitions of international design work, the Prague Quadrennial showcases achievements in theater design from more than 40 countries.
“For the 10th time Prague will become a place to confront the trends in World Theater, a place for meeting scenographers from all over the world,” said Sylvia Hillyard Pannell, design area head of the drama department. “In the spirit of the motto, ‘The Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Theater,’ PQ 03 will be a celebration of creativity encompassing the theater and visual arts.”
The U.S. entry will be comprised of the work of 23 invited school and university design programs. Each school has showcased its best work inside a trunk, and together the trunks will create a sculpture that will be opened and displayed in Prague, the Czech Republic, June 12-29.
On exhibit from UGA will be the work of 12 masters of fine arts theatrical design graduate students (Christopher Beineman, Ben Coolik, Kristine Curtis, Stephen Decker, Robert Fulton, Peter Gourneault, Joel Hodson, Jessica McDill, Cathy Parrott, Alicia Pinckney, Jennifer Pool and Sarah Turner) and seven graduates (Robert Durham, Kate Jones, Lauren Lowell, Jennifer O’Rourke, Donald Sanders, Scott Stevens and Korey Washington).
Together with Pannell, graduate students Sarah Turner and Jessica McDill have been invited to join the delegation of U.S. theater professionals who will attend the Prague Quadrennial and represent UGA as a part of the opening celebrations.
Pannell, McDill and Turner will also attend meetings where they will have the opportunity to interact with professional colleagues who will be representing their countries through the International Association of Scenographers, Theater Architects and Technicians. They will be in Prague June 10-15 then continue on to Budapest where they will meet with Hungarian theater artists from the State Opera and two regional theaters in the capitol.
In addition, they will visit Kecskemet and its restored Baroque theater and meet with its design staff. The delegation will then travel to Romania where they have been invited to participate in the summer theater festival in Sibiu and again meet with designers and theater professionals. Travels will end in Bucharest with meetings and performances at the National Theater of Romania.
“The department of drama at the University of Georgia takes pride in the extraordinary honor of having been chosen as a part of the USA’s most elite college and university design programs in participating in the Prague Quadrennial, the most important exhibition of theater design and architecture in the world,” said Pannell.
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