APEX Hour at SUU

• The Power of Authentic Mentorship & Legacy: Emily reflects on lessons learned from growing up in a working theater family, the value of kindness in the room, and taking up space as a physical actor[cite: 17, 18].
• Unpacking the Intimate Anes Season: An inside look at playing dual roles in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and navigating the complex, highly ambitious character of Ana in The Book Club Play.
• Self-Production and Solo Performance: Exploring how stand-up comedy and writing her solo show, Furious, taught Emily to embrace vulnerability, fail boldly, and create her own artistic opportunities.

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

• Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex
• Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

• The Dual Role of Production Leadership: Tanya breaks down her responsibilities as Festival Stage Manager supervising the department and as Artistic Associate collaborating on season selection, calendaring, and casting.
• The Nerve Center of the Festival: An inside look at how stage managers serve as the ultimate hub of communication between directors, actors, designers, and crew from early rehearsal to closing night.
• The Art of Calling a Show: A step-by-step walkthrough of executing a production—from running pre-show checklists and managing headsets to calling precise lighting, sound, and automation cues.
• Building a Supportive Artistic Community: Reflections on human-centered leadership, equity standards, and creating collaborative environments where artists and staff are set up for success.

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

• Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex
• Book your tickets to the 65th anniversary season at bard.org

***

Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

Key Takeaway 1: The Journey of a Regional Actor & Educator: Jacob Dresch details his path from high school band and community theater to earning a BFA at DeSales University, an MFA at UC Irvine under mentor Phil Thompson, and balancing professional regional acting with university teaching.

Key Takeaway 2: Unpacking The Book Club Play: An inside look at playing Will, exploring documentary camera meta-dynamics in an intimate three-quarter-round space, and defending the value of popular culture alongside classical literature.

Key Takeaway 3: Dual Roles in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Examining the memory-play structure of David Catlin's adaptation while navigating the tragic flaws, hubris, and moral complexities of Victor Frankenstein and Percy Bysshe Shelley

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

Key Takeaway 1: The structural mechanics of running a 65-person costume shop during peak build, balancing artisan craftsmanship with the daily logistics of wardrobe supervision.

Key Takeaway 2: How historical clothing and silhouettes—from Victorian leg-of-mutton sleeves to corsets—function as social commentary and shape physical movement on stage.

Key Takeaway 3: The distinction between costume design and costume technology, and the career advice that "there is no schedule but your schedule" when building a healthy life in the arts.

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

A Lifelong Performing Career: Guest Brian Gonzales traces his journey growing up in Dallas and San Antonio, raised by a television crew chief father and a blues singer/director mother, leading to his Broadway debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Crafting Iconic Character Roles: An inside look at originating Babkak in Aladdin on Broadway and stepping into two distinct 2026 Randall Theater roles at USF: the explosive, comedic seer Nostradamus in Something Rotten and the delicate, pragmatic clerk Ladislav Sipos in She Loves Me.

The Interconnected Theater Community: Reflections on lifelong artistic partnerships, working alongside close friends like director Alan Muraoka and actor Blake Henri, and navigating the shifts of regional theater.

Connecting with the Audience: A deep dive into how actors read and respond to live audience energy, adjusting timing without losing the grounded emotional truth of a production.

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

From Magnet School to the Stage: Guest Kayland Jordan discusses growing up in Dallas, attending specialized performing arts middle and high schools, and earning a BFA in acting in New York City.

Unpacking Classical Character Depth: A discussion on bringing fresh humanity, grief, and comedic timing to iconic figures like Olivia in Twelfth Night and Horatio in Hamlet.

Representation and Intentional Casting: Kayland reflects on working with open-minded directors, rejecting tokenism, and serving the core story rather than letting casting choices feel like forced statements.

The Transformative Nature of Performance: Reflections on how collaborative rehearsal processes foster mutual trust, artistic growth, and genuine connections with live audiences.

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

From the Ballfield to the Ghost Light: Guest Blake Henri shares how a high school injury and an unexpected moment alone on stage redirected his life path from sports and business toward a passionate, career-focused pursuit of classical acting.

Depth Behind the Antagonists: A compelling discussion on breaking traditional performance stereotypes to discover grief, regret, and genuine human love in roles like Sir Toby Belch and Laertes.

The War Correspondent of Troilus and Cressida: An inside look at transforming the classic truth-teller Thersides into an embedded modern media correspondent who reframes historical conflict for a contemporary audience.

Mentorship and Supportive Connections: Reflections on the mentors, directors, and collaborative colleagues who opened doors, provided reality checks, and fostered a sense of home within the regional theater community

Connect with SUU & The Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex

Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival:

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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex