Sallyport - The Magazine of Rice University - Summer 2002

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Hitting the High Notes - Arts Spring 2002 VOL.58, NO.4 Hitting the High Notes When mezzo-soprano Andrea Jaber, 48, crossed the stage on Commencement Day, May 11, 2002, she marked a milestone not only for herself but also for the Shepherd School of Music, and in particular, her voice professor, Joyce Farwell. She is the first vocalist to receive a doctor of musical arts (D.M.A.) at Rice. Jaber confesses that a doctoral degree was the last thing on her mind when she took a temporary vocal coaching position at the Shepherd School in 1997. Besides, 25 years had already passed since she completed her master’s degree at Arkansas State University, and she had a family of three to raise as well. But her entrance into the D.M.A. program was by personal invitation from Farwell, who had been largely responsible for drawing up the doctoral requirements. It was an offer that Jaber could not refuse, saying she had always wanted to study with Farwell. “It is exciting to be the first to receive the D.M.A. in voice,” Jaber says, “but I’m too old to make Joyce famous.” Farwell is nonetheless “very proud” of her student’s achievements, considering that Jaber had to fit academic pursuits into an already demanding schedule. Jaber is married to Shepherd School associate professor Thomas Jaber, who is a vocal coach and director of choral ensembles. Their oldest son, Benjamin, is a sophomore horn major at the Shepherd School. —Tse-Ying Koh [ back to top ] Featured Stories | Through the Sallyport | On the Bookshelf | Who's Who Students | Arts | Scoreboard | Yesteryear | Previous Issues Copyright ©2002 Rice University http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2002/summer/arts/highnotes.html [10/30/2009 10:50:06 AM]
Stratford on the Bayou - Arts Spring 2002 VOL.58, NO.4 Stratford on the Bayou The stage at Hamman Hall may have been spartan, but once the Actors From The London Stage took the floor, there was no need for elaborate costumes or sets. Masterful acting combined with the potent imagery of Shakespeare’s Macbeth proved that any additional stage accessory probably would have been more a distraction than an enhancement. The reason for the simple sets and neutral costuming, explains associate director Bruce Alexander, was to allow audiences the opportunity to exercise imagination and not be confined to a designer-led perspective of the play. As Homer Swander, founder of the Actors From The London Stage, puts it, “We believe in play, in the power of Shakespeare’s words in performance, and in the rich possibilities created by the imaginations of the participating audience.” The five-actor team drew packed houses April 5–7, performing in an area of about 20 square feet, the rear border delineated by 10 chairs. Slim in number but not in craftsmanship and experience, they presented the full script of Macbeth, except for three lines that are not attributed to Shakespeare. Performing the play, however, was not the only reason for the actors’ visit to Rice. On campus from April 1, Bruce Alexander, Jane Arden, Tony Bell, Sam Dastor, and Charmian Gradwell also were involved in the classroom, teaching English and theatre classes at Rice and at the University of Houston. Alexander, who played the role of Macbeth, says the actors endeavor to show students how the words on the page are transformed into a play for the stage. After all, Shakespeare’s plays weren’t conceived as mere literary texts but were intended to be staged events. The actors also provided insight into the unique problem-solving challenges presented by such a production. The group’s visit to Rice was part of a seven-week touring schedule and was sponsored by the School of Humanities and co-produced by the English department, Theatre Program, and the Rice Players in association with the University of Notre Dame, the company’s U.S. base. Each fall and spring semester, Actors From The London Stage selects five actors from organizations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, and the BBC Shakespeare Series to tour American college and university campuses. The organization was conceived in 1975 by University of California at Santa Barbara professor Homer Swander, who had been taking students on theatre tours to England since 1967. Swander frequently went backstage after a performance to ask actors to come and address his class the following day. Few teachers had issued such invitations, and Swander found that the actors, given their experience and expertise, were unusually articulate about their work. In the 1970s, when http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2002/summer/arts/stratfordonthebayou.html (1 of 2) [10/30/2009 10:50:07 AM]
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