APEX Hour at SUU

By Southern Utah University

Discussions with speakers at Eccles APEX, the premier lecture series at Southern Utah University.... more

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FAQs about APEX Hour at SUU:

How many episodes does APEX Hour at SUU have?

The podcast currently has 159 episodes available.

APEX Hour at SUU episodes:

July 30, 2026From Comic Book Sketches to Shakespeare's Stage: The Artistic Journey of Walter Kmiec
The evolution of an actor—from childhood comic book art and construction work with his father to mastering leading classical roles.

A fresh perspective on approaching famous soliloquies as spontaneous, character-driven discoveries rather than grand, static recitations.

Unpacking the duality of playing two vastly different figures—the introspective Prince Hamlet and the complex, satirical warrior Achilles—in the same repertory season.
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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 53min
July 27, 2026From Spelman to Shakespeare: Choreographing Consent, Community, and Movement on Stage
Show Notes
From Competition Dance to Storytelling: Guest Sacha Comrie details her early career in commercial dance and her transformative education at Spelman College that bridged technical skill with narrative choreography.

Understanding Intimacy Coordination: A comprehensive breakdown of how intimacy coordinators manage actor consent, boundaries, modesty garments, and movement choreography across theatrical and film sets.

The Power of Community & Mentorship: Sacha reflects on the pivotal hands-on mentorship from industry pioneers like Ann James and Kaja Dunn that shaped her career transition into advocacy and intimacy work.

Crafting USF's Engelstad Season: An inside look at coordinating intimacy and choreography for the 2026 festival productions of Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida, and Hamlet.
Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival:
Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex

Book your tickets to the USF 65th anniversary season at bard.org
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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 28min
July 17, 2026Designing the Stage: 23 Years of Scenic Magic with Jo Winiarski
From Center Stage to Scenic Design: Guest Jo Winiarski discusses her transition from an undergraduate acting student at NYU to finding her true calling as a professional set designer and television art director.

The Architecture of Repertory Theater: A deep dive into the physical mechanics of managing three distinct productions within the exact same theatrical footprint, featuring the logistical triumph of the She Loves Me turntable.

The Core of Pure Creativity: A warm reflection on the internal drive to build and create, the external inspirations that spark artistic innovation, and why a simple black ink pen and a white notebook remain the ultimate creative tools.

Functionality and Safety First: Why serving the structural needs of the script and ensuring physical safety on stage forms the unpretentious baseline for successful visual storytelling.
Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival:
Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex

Book your tickets to the USF 65th anniversary season at bard.org
***
Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 24min
July 09, 2026The Architecture of Heart: Directing Something Rotten with Alan Muraoka
A Journey Built on Shared Discovery: Guest Alan Muraoka traces his roots from a Southern California latchkey kid seeking structural camaraderie to winning the historic UCLA Carol Burnett musical theater scholarship.

The Invisible Engine of Musical Comedy: An inside look at balancing complex choreography and rapid character pacing under the tight engineering constraints of repertory festival tracking.

Balancing Slapstick with Sincerity: How refining performance notes to track the vulnerability and heartache of historical characters like Nigel Bottom creates a deeper, more impactful audience experience.

The Modern Mandate for Authentic Representation: Reflections on building spaces of profound emotional safety and introducing generation-defining milestones of intersectional visibility.
Connect with SUU APEX & the Uta Shakespeare Festival:
Discover upcoming speaker events at suu.edu/apex

Book your tickets to the USF 65th anniversary season at bard.org
***
Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 38min
July 06, 2026Unfolding the Box: 35 Years of Costume Design Mastery with Bill Black
Blending Art and Acting: Guest Bill Black shares how his background as a childhood actor, visual painter, and early sewist blended perfectly to build a lifelong career as a theatrical storyteller.

The Fundamentals of Design: A breakdown of the five core skill sets required of a senior costume designer, emphasizing script comprehension, human psychology, design fundamentals, and collaboration.

From Sketchbook to Flat Pattern: A look at the advanced dimensional mathematics required by drapers and hands-on production crews to translate simple lead pencil mock-ups into complex historical garments.

The Invisible Support of Wardrobe: Why a highly successful costume shouldn't distract the audience, but rather quietly support the actor's vulnerability and internal journey through structural adaptation.
Connect with SUU & The Festival:
This episode is part of a collaboration between SUU Eccles APEX and the Utah Shakespeare 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
...more
1h 23min
July 06, 2026Action-Driven Storytelling: From Batman Stunt Shows to the Utah Shakespeare Festival
Learning Theater as a Trade: Guest Geoffrey Kent details his unconventional path into classical theater, acquiring his performance skills through corporate murder mysteries, renaissance faires, and high-flying stunt shows rather than a traditional classroom setting.

The Architecture of Farce: An inside look at directing See How They Run and why structural choices—like compressing multiple acts together—are vital to keeping an audience completely hooked before an intermission.

Safety vs. Excitement in Fight Direction: A deep dive into how a risk assessor and Society of American Fight Directors certified teacher crafts dangerous-looking combat that remains perfectly safe for actors to perform eight shows a week.

The Instant Feedback of Comedy: A breakdown of how comedic timing requires an acute awareness of the audience, demanding that performers actively manage pacing without letting the room take over the production.
Connect with SUU & The Festival:
This episode is part of a special partnership between SUU Eccles APEX and the Utah Shakespeare 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
...more
1h 37min
July 06, 2026From Ashland to Cedar City: A Shakespeare Festival Baby Takes the Director's Chair
A Lifelong Theater Education: Guest Beth Lopes shares her journey growing up as a self-described "Shakespeare festival baby" and how seeing diverse, non-Western classics early on built her foundational worldview of storytelling.

The Crucible of Hamlet: An inside look into directing the 65th anniversary production of Hamlet at the Engelstad Theater, focusing on authentic human choices rather than strict character archetypes.

Ensemble Storytelling over Solos: Why building a deeply invested family dynamic for the Polonii and highlighting the multi-dimensional relationships of Gertrude and Ophelia makes tragedy more impactful.

The Syncing Heartbeats of Live Performance: A reflection on the vital, irreplaceable nature of live theater in an increasingly digital world.
Connect with SUU & The Festival:
This series is produced in collaboration with SUU Eccles APEX series. 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
...more
1h 29min
December 22, 2025 12/22/2025: Ben Hohman
Ben Homan, the properties director at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, joined us on the podcast. ***
Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 19min
December 22, 2025 12/22/2025: Bill Heyborne
Bill Heyborne, the dean of SUU's College of STEM, joined us on the podcast. ***
Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 33min
December 22, 2025 12/22/2025: Michael Howarth
Michael Howarth event details
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Eccles APEX Website: https://www.suu.edu/apex
...more
1h 25min

FAQs about APEX Hour at SUU:

How many episodes does APEX Hour at SUU have?

The podcast currently has 159 episodes available.