BWW Student Center's School in the Spotlight: University of California, Irvine

Last year, BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theater website on the Internet, launched a comprehensive Student Database listing college and university performing arts programs across the country. This free service makes it easier for prospective students by showcasing programs searchable by schools, location, degrees and concentrations.

With the new school year in full gear, BWW has updated the fully-interactive Student Show Calendar with 2011-2012 student productions. We have also made it easy for schools to upload photos, videos, cast lists, articles and other media content for each of their shows. In addition, BWW will be combing through all content regularly and will launch weekly feature stories highlighting productions locally and nationally that have provided us with this extra content. ***

This week, we're excited to announce that The Drama Department at the University of California, Irvine, has earned a mention in BWW's School in the Spotlight! Housed within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, the Drama Department emphasizes an all-inclusive learning experience connecting the study of drama to historical, political and social components, as well as encouraging cross-disciplinary activities with other departments on campus. UC Irvine offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs with majors available in Theatre Arts, Acting, Musical Theater, Design (lighting, sound, costume and scenic), Directing, Literature, History and Theory, and Stage Management. UC Irvine also has the only PhD drama program in the country offered jointly with its sister campus, the University of California in San Diego.

Alumni from UC Irvine Drama have gone on to leading roles in Broadway and regional productions of such shows as 'Wicked', 'Jersey Boys', 'Follies', 'Hairspray', and 'Shrek'. The impresive list of alumni includes Jenifer Foote, Mark Bedard, Jesse Sharp, Perry Young, Quinn VanAntwerp, Alan Mingo, Jr., Andrew Samonsky, Teal Wicks, Jenn Colella, Michael Morgan, Eric Weaver, Ashley Moniz, Annie Nelson and Pippa Winslwo-Rolandelli. (For more alumni news, click here.) UC Irvine's busy production season began this year with the classic works, 'Waiting for Godot' and 'The Misanthrope'. Next on stage is the Christmas musical, 'Tinseltown Christmas', followed by 'The Merchant of Venice', 'Hello Again', 'Arcadia', 'Mother Courage and Her Children', 'The Annie Loul Project', and 'Dames at Sea'. For more information on these productions, and to buy tickets, please click here.

Congratulations to students and faculty at UC Irvine! Everyone at BWW wishes you continued success in the upcoming year!

(*** Schools: To add content and be considered for a BWW spotlight, search for your school in the Student Calendar and click on the show you would like to add content to. On the right side of the show listing, click on the appropriate link to the right to access the submission form. If you would like a hand submitting your content, please contact us at studentcenter@broadwayworld.com)

And in case you missed the news this week..Based on user demand, we're taking our commitment to arts education one step further with the launch of the BWW Student Center - High School Edition which now features upcoming show listings for more than 1500 high schools nationwide with more being added each week. Schools can register for 'enhanced' listings on the site - adding in photos, cast lists, videos, links and more. Productions that take advantage of this will receive highlights on our listing pages, extra editorial mentions and potential spotlight features. Read more about the Student Center - High School Edition here!

Questions/concerns/suggestions related to BWW's student center can be addressed to studentcenter@broadwayworld.com.

Photo of the production of 'Fetes de Nuit' courtesy of UC Irvine Drama Department