Category: Department of Theatre and Drama

University Theatre presents Shakespearean rom-com, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

University Theatre opens “Much Ado About Nothing” this week, bringing William Shakespeare’s sparkling romantic comedy to the stage in a lively, student-driven production. The play centers on Beatrice and Benedick, two strong-willed characters who insist they have no interest in love or marriage — especially not with each other. As their friends scheme to push …

School of Education faculty and students recognized with 2026 Creative Arts Awards

Several faculty and students from the School of Education have been named as recipients of 2026 UW–Madison Division of the Arts Creative Arts Awards. The Creative Arts Awards recognize and support artistic research and outreach across campus, honoring artists, researchers, and students from a wide range of disciplines and creative practices. The School of Education recipients …

UW–Madison’s Espinosa wins award for social impact filmmaking

A film by UW–Madison’s Micha Espinosa, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Theatre and Drama, has been recognized with an Honorary Award for Efforts in Social Filmmaking at the Activists Without Borders Film Festival. The award spotlights films that advance social impact and honors filmmakers whose works deliver powerful messages regardless of …

Russell-Camara awarded grant for Moment Work teacher training

N’Jameh Russell-Camara, a teaching faculty member in the School of Education’s Department of Theatre and Drama, has been awarded a UW–Madison Academic Staff Professional Grant to attend the Tectonic Theater Project’s Moment Work Summer Institute in New York City. The intensive teacher training program — now in its 8th year — offers educators a deep dive into …

School of Education’s Conroy receives Distinguished Teaching Award

A faculty member from the UW–Madison School of Education has been named among the recipients of the campus-wide 2026 Distinguished Teaching Awards. Colleen Conroy, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Drama, received the Chancellor’s Inclusive Excellence Teaching Award, one of 13 honors recognizing outstanding teaching across the university. Conroy’s teaching focuses on voice, identity, and …

Madison third graders ‘Whoop it up’ with UW–Madison arts program

By Kari Dickinson Amanda Palmen’s third grade classroom at Crestwood Elementary School hums with restless energy. Students wiggle and whisper on the rug, buzzing with anticipation. Today isn’t just another school day — it’s Whoopensocker day. This afternoon, Shepherd Sightless and Nyame Imani, Whoopensocker teaching artists, are visiting the classroom, as they have for the past several …

Jenny Duarte Castillo from the School of Education’s Theatre and Drama major

The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals. Following …

Nicky Westerlund from the School of Education’s Elementary Education major

The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals. Following …

Why Wisconsin?

By Maggie Ginsberg, Division of the Arts They come for the lakes, and those starburst chairs coloring the Terrace at Memorial Union in John Deere green, Allis Chalmers orange, and sunshine yellow. They come to participate in the Wisconsin Idea, drawing on a rich legacy of research, innovation, and collaboration to build a brighter future for all. They …

University Theatre stages UW–Madison alumna’s award-winning play on Flint water crisis

By Kari Dickinson “cullud wattah,” a powerful and award-winning play by UW–Madison alumna and First Wave graduate Erika Dickerson-Despenza, is the latest production from University Theatre, opening Feb. 26. Set in 2016, the play unfolds 936 days into the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. When third-generation General Motors employee Marion is on the verge of a …