Friday, August 29, 2008
Dail named as Penn State
Behrend’s new director
By Evan Koser
arts editor
emksllo@psu.edu
With the passing of last
semester, we said goodbye to
professor and director, Dr.
David Jortner. Students - espe
cially you actors - meet your
new director and professor, Ms.
Chrystyna Dail. Dail received
her BA in Theatre Arts from
Pennsylvania State University
in 1998. Afterward, she
received her MA in Theatre
History and Criticism from the
University of Maryland, where
she also taught for several years
after finishing her education.
Living “outside the D.C.
area,” as she puts it,
for the past ten years,
she’s come back to a
job that encompasses
something she’s been
in love with for the
majority of her life
theatre.
“After seeing a
group called the
Children’s Theatre
Ensemble it made me
realize [theatre) was
something I’d pur-
Thus she
attended University Park to
obtain her BA in Theatre Arts.
“I had an amazing professor
[that] shifted my view on the
atre. It’s fine to understand the
technical aspects, but you also
need to understand the history.”
Indeed her interests include
researching Ukrainian theatre
history along with women and
witchcraft in American stage
performances. Dail has present
ed papers at various conferences
and has published an article
COO,* *,
The office of Educational
Welcomes all students, faculty,
awd staff to a mew awd excltlwg
Together we caw cowtlwue to create
aw ewviroruewt that proruotes
respect for while fos
terling carlwg relationships awd
crosscultural uwderstawdlwg
Office of Educational Equity and Diversity Programs
Division of Student Affairs
115 Reed Union Building
(814) 898-6111
Behrend.psu.edu/equity
email:Diversityßehrend@psu.edu
through Performing Arts
Resources on documenting
lighting design. Among the
accomplishments on her impres
sive resume is her archiving of
the Peggy Clark collection for
the Library of Congress.
Currently she is writing her dis
sertation, also for the University
of Maryland.
Simply icing on the cake. Dail
has her equity card. For those
who aren’t sure what that is. it's
a license that basically brands
someone as a "professional
actor”. And Dail certainly has
such experience under her belt
as well, performing in such
shows as The Bourgeois
“Theatre is the most easily adaptable
art form for *ll types of people. It can
reach across *ll boundaries [be they]
racial, ethnic, whatever. Everyone can
toil a story.”
-Chrystyna Dail
Director and professor
Gentleman and My hair Duty in
the Texas Shakespeare Festival.
Aside from acting, Dail has
obvious experience in both
directing and choreography. "I
grew up dancing." she
explained.
“As 1 slowly felt my brains
leaking out of my ears.” she
joked as she remarks on her
decision to come to Behrend.
“This position is perfect," she
said, “because it combines both
teaching and directing, which 1
Equity awd diversity
Prograrus.
ac.adem.ic uear.
throughout the carwpus.
Best wishes this
semester!
love.” One aspect of her plans
for the year as she teaches two
introduction classes (Intro to
Acting and Intro to Theatre)
include introducing her students
to diverse cultures.
“I'm interested in having stu
dents understand how culture
intersects with history: you can
learn a lot about any culture by
reading their plays."
“Acting is both: academic and
creative. [Students| learn more
about themselves and the art
form." As she commented
about the students this semester,
she advises that when students
walk through her doors they
lose any sense of "ego" they
might have. Everyone is a
first timer and. as she states
about acting, "you’re never
done learning." An actor is
always trying to better his or
herself. "Theatre is the most
easily adaptable art form for
all types of people. It can
reach across all boundaries
(be they] racial, ethnic,
whatever. Everyone can tell
a story."
For those students
interested in performing or
working as a stage-hand this
in this semester’s production,
look for the upcoming auditions
sometime around the third week
of September. This fall’s per
formance, The Dispute is a satir
ical comedy that takes a look at
love and infidelity and the "bat
tle of the sexes”.
lx"
E-mail Evan Koser at emksllo@psu.edu
Abi Cook, Charis euphonizes
Smith Chapel in last tour as group
Abi Cook and the Charis band. From left to right: Jamie "Mangoldcnfingers". Abi Cook. Brian
"Gramps" Vance. Charles "Oliver" Twist. Not pictured is drummer Derosa "Diva" Richardson.
In gray pinstriped pants and sandals. Ahi Cook
and the C'haris hand played their blend of ja/./.
blues, gospel, and rock to a group of Behrend stu
dents and the Erie community at the Smith
Chapel this past Thursday.
Cook played a set of 14 songs, blending multi
ple genres of low-key. rhythmic melodies with
her band. Charis (pronounced CARF.'-us). The
group, now broken up. consisted of one female
and lour men - Cook on keyboard and providing
vocals and the men on three guitars and drums.
The chapel treated the concert-goers to free
food, sandwiches and chips, before Charis went
on. Prior to starling. Cook greeted and talked with
members ol the audience. Around twenty people
made up the group of listeners.
Though there was a kind welcome, the concert
had a rough start as it was scheduled to start at
7:00 p.m. but did not do so until 7:40 p.m.
Students and other listeners had to sit though
more than til teen minutes of sound testing.
However, once the concert was on its way. there
were no serious interruptions.
Among the songs played was a popular song of
theirs. "Weightless", and covers of "It's Just The
Two of Us" by (inner Washington and "Music"
h\ Leela James.
Charis. which started as a ministry project, was
created by Abi Cook and Crystal Yexley. who was
absent lor I ami ly reasons. The two did not origi
nally intend to travel and perform, but simply
wished to record a CD. But. according to Cook.
Write for the ARTS page of
The Behrend Beacon
By Marius Yeaglev
Mill) writer
ni|OUl2u' psu.edu
The Behrend Beacon I
Marcus Yeahles/THK Hl IIRI NI) ItHACON
their faith led them to do live shows
The band, originally from Dayton. Ohio, trav
eled six hours by car to Behrend to give the con
cert. In the recent future. Cook will start a solo
tour apart from Charis.
The group released an FP in August of 2006.
Was It Not /.'. followed up by the full album.
Weightless, in 2007. They have a website at
http://enjoyeharis.com.
“Last words
are for fools
who haven't
said enough.”
Karl Marx