Jennie and Jason Brown are the proud new parents of a beautiful baby girl. Here’s Jennie’s announcement: “Welcome to the world, baby Naomi! Our baby girl was born last Tuesday, May 7th, weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz. In the five days since then, she’s braved two ambulance rides, three hospitals, and major lung surgery. She’s recovering miraculously in the NICU, and we’re counting down the minutes until we get to bring her home.”
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Last summer Dr. Harold Oaks was notified that the national organization, Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA-USA) was naming an award in his honor. He served as President of TYA-USA for 8 years and also served as President of the International Association of Theatre for Children & Youth (centers in over 70 countries) for three years. One Theatre World festival was held last week in Cleveland May 8-10, 2013, where the first award was given. As Brother and Sister Oakes are currently serving a mission in Washington D.C., they were given special permission to attend. Friday morning at the Membership Meeting, the first Harold Oaks Award was given. Brother Oaks was able to help make the presentations to the People’s Light & Theatre Co (Malvern, PA) and to Joette Pelster – a long time TYA Board member and Managing Director of the Coterie Theatre (Kansas City, MO). He felt honored to have such a “Service to the Field” award carry his name. It will continue to be awarded each year to an outstanding Theatre Company and an Individual working in the field. Brother and Sister Oaks were also able to see many dear friends with whom he worked over the past 40 years. They were especially pleased to visit with former BYU student and past TYA-USA President, Megan Ann Rasmussen (pictured below with Brother and Sister Oaks).
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Kyle Stapley went to Southern Utah this past weekend on a student film shoot. Students were filming a capstone project under the working title “Without a Rope”, being directed by Nick Dixon, produced by Willem Kampenhout, with Gary Groth serving as the DP. Kyle was sent by the department to supervise as this shoot was very dangerous. The film is based around rock climbing and involved students filming actors on the side of a cliff. Kyle was happy to report that everyone was incredibly prepared and very safety minded. There were no accidents or close calls and the shoot went off without any issues.
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Janet Swenson is the costume designer for Tuacahn’s production of Mary Poppins. The show, with over 300 costume designs, will have its Tuacahn premiere on May 30 and will run until October 2. MDT alum Mindy Smoot Robbins is in the lead role. DeLaney Westfall, who recently played Christine in our production of The Phantom of the Opera, is the Mirror Mary and Mary understudy. We have two TMA design students interning at Tuacahn’s costume shop this summer, thanks to Janet’s mentoring: Angela Robinson and Lyndi Mecham. Come have a “jolly ‘oliday” at Tuacahn this summer! Visit Tuacahn.org for tickets. Below is a group of “Chatterboxes” from “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!”
