Programs and Collaborations
Butler International Theatre Exchange (BITE)
Founded in the early 2000s by Butler Theatre Chair John Green, “BITE” brought many guest artists from around the world to Butler University to work with Butler Theatre students and with artists throughout the Indianapolis community. BITE often took place for two weeks in May as an intensive workshop that culminated in a performance either at Butler or in locations around the city including the Indianapolis Museum of Art (now Newfields) and in the catacombs underneath the City Market in downtown Indianapolis.
BITE artists included artists from Italy, Australia, the UK, and Russia. Two BITE artists, Firenza Guidi of Italy and Alessandro Fabrizi, also of Italy, each returned later to direct mainstage productions during the school year. Additionally, some students who worked with BITE artists subsequently traveled to the artists’ home countries to continue training with them.
Christel DeHaan Visiting International Theatre Artist (VITA) program
The Christel DeHaan Visiting International Theatre Artist program began in 2011 and continues through this writing in Fall 2022. This unique program, funded by the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, brings an international guest artist to Butler Theatre to teach two courses for Butler Theatre students, direct or design a mainstage production, provide workshops to the students of Christel House Academy, and to provide workshops or talks with the local community.
The fall 2022 VITA is Bernardo Rey of Colombia. Past guests include Native American Mohegan theatre artist, Madeline Sayet, in 2020, Commedia Del’Arte expert Marco Luly of Rome, Italy in 2018, Marina Brusnikina of Moscow, Russia, in 2016, and the South African artistry of Michael Williams of the Cape Town Opera in South Africa in 2014. In 2011-2013, VITA artists included Tim Hardy of London, England, Kunju Vasudevan and additional Kathakali Dance-Drama experts from India, and the Balinese Theatre work of I Nyoman Sedana of Bali.
Prague Quadrennial (PQ)
Every four years (2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019), students and faculty have enjoyed attending and participating in the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (PQ). The PQ is globally known as a two-week event taking place every four years since 1967 in Prague, Czech Republic.
The city wide festival brings diverse forms of performance design from around the globe, showcasing performances, presentations, lectures, workshops, and displays. Performance Design is recognized and celebrated as an art form concerned with the creation of holistic performance environments which creatively respond to current issues of our world, ask important questions, and invite us to participate in unique moments.
Additional International Connections:
Over the years, Butler Theatre faculty have taken students on study/performance trips to London, New York, Italy, and Ireland. Faculty member Elaina Artemiev established the International Foundation for Theatre Education and Research IFTER which supported her yearly summer intensive trip to the Moscow Art Theatre School.
Each year, Elaina took students on a 5-week immersive trip to study in the conservatory setting of the Moscow Art Theatre School. Students typically saw twenty productions in Moscow, all of the cultural sites, and took a trip to St. Petersburg as well. This program was paused due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 and remains paused due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Leadership through the Arts Series
Dean Peter Alexander created this series featuring high level artists who came to Butler to give lectures and workshops for the Butler and Indianapolis communities. Notable Theatre artists brought in through this program include voice expert Kristin Linklater, director Anne Bogart, innovative movement expert Ralph Lemon, and many more.
JCA Signature Series
Dean Lisa Brooks created the JCA Signature Series which brings in notable artists who work with JCA students and often have a public presentation as well. Notable theatre artists include Nicole Brewer who led Anti-racist Theatre workshops, Anne Bogart and SITI Company who taught workshops and performed one of their productions, and Playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury whose play, We are Proud to Present… was directed by another Signature Series artist, Mikael Burke. Additional artists include Culture Clash, Rachel Chavkin, Leah Nanako Winkler, and more.
United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT)
The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is the umbrella organization for Theatre design, technology, architecture, management, and education. Each year students, staff, and faculty are able to attend the conference workshops, lectures, and presentations. Department of Theatre faculty, staff, and students have given workshops and presented design and technical work on this national stage and have had Butler productions included in the journals Theatre Design and Technology and Tech Expo. These trips inform and support students seeking careers in theatre areas other than performance.
Butler Theatre Camp
Butler Theatre under the umbrella of the Butler Community Arts School (BCAS) offered a one-week summer camp for middle and high school students from 2014-2019. And two summers offered an additional one-week Shakespeare summer camp. Butler Theatre offered an online camp in June 2020 during the pandemic and is looking to restart in-person camps in summer 2023.
Theatre Day
In the fall of 2015, LaKisha Cooper, Administrative Specialist in Theatre, organized “Theatre Day,” a day where high school students come and study with Butler Theatre faculty alongside Butler Theatre students.
The high school students learn what it is like to study theatre on the college level, have lunch with Butler students, and take a wide variety of classes in Theatre including how to apply to college theatre programs.
Theatre Day occurs on a Saturday in September and has continued through 2022, with September 2020 being off due to the pandemic. Typical Theatre Days include high school students from 5 or 6 different states as well as local Indianapolis-area students.