Susan Blackwell Visits USU As Part Of [TITLE OF SHOW] Run

[title of show], by Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowden, plays at the Caine Lyric Theatre from March 10-14 at 7:30 p.m. There is an additional matinee March 14 at 2 p.m.

This Tony Award-nominated, one-act musical chronicles its own creation as an entry into a new musical theatre festival and follows two struggling writers, Jeff and Hunter, who decide to create something new with the help of their friends. The show follows their creative journey as they write, perform, and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends, and artists. Above all, [title of show] is a love letter to musical theatre and the joy of collaboration.

Actress Susan Blackwell, who created and played a character based on herself in the original Broadway musical version of the show, will be hosting a talk back immediately following the performance on March 13.

Blackwell created and hosts the chat show Side by Side by Susan Blackwell on Broadway.com and launched the creativity podcast "The Spark File" with Laura Camien. She has appeared on multiple television shows, including The Blacklist, Younger, Law & Order, and Master of None. In addition to her creative accomplishments, she has worked in corporate and management for 20 years. Blackwell is a Macdowell Fellow and the founder of Susan Blackwell & Co., where she partners with teaching artists to apply creative and performance technique to real world challenges. She has created and led transformational development experiences for thousands of participants at Fortune 100 companies, world-class arts organizations, professional conferences, universities, and other institutions.

Michael Shipley, assistant professor of acting, voice, and speech in the Caine College of the Arts and director of the show, said Blackwell will participate in three events while she is here, including a three-hour workshop with students in the BFA acting program, the talk back, and a two-hour workshop and lunch with the Caine Scholars.

"My hopes for Susan's visit are threefold," Shipley said. "First, she has an extensive background in creating her own work as an actress, writer, and host. I hope her workshop will help our artists take control of their creative lives and careers rather than waiting to be 'discovered.' Second, I hope that bringing a successful Broadway artist to campus inspires our students to aim for larger markets. Last, I hope that having Susan at the performance will bring attention to the Department of Theatre Arts so that our audiences will see the type of work we're doing."

Cast includes: Brian Bohlender (Hunter); Bryson LaBar (Jeff); Camie Randall (Susan); Madison Archibald (Heidi) and Dallas Heaton (Mary).

Tickets for [title of show] are $13 adults, $10 seniors/youth, $8 USU faculty/staff and free for USU students with ID. For more information or tickets, contact the CCA Box Office in room L101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU's campus, call 435-797-8022, or go online to cca.usu.edu.

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