Behind the scenes with assistant directors of “The Ballad of Maria Marten”

Elizabeth Riley & Ambrose Schulte

The UWM Department of Theatre’s next production, “The Ballad of Maria Marten,” opens this week and was directed by Robin Mello (Professor, Theatre). During the production, Mello was assisted by Elizabeth Riley and Ambrose Schulte, both juniors, who served as Assistant Directors. This experience included Mello connecting her student directors with Beth Flintoff, the playwright.

Hands-on experience for aspiring directors

Riley and Schulteare are aspiring directors who came to PSOA with a love for theatre. Collaborating with one another and Mello on “Ballad” proved to be a valuable experience and a positive steppingstone in their early careers.

Elizabeth Riley, a Theatre Practices major, once had dreams of being a performer but transitioned into directing upon finding that her true artistic passion is directing. The shift was validated at PSOA, where she got to shadow the directing side of other productions.

Riley’s love of collaboration in the theatre-making space has been a driving force in her desire to direct.

“One big thing about being a theatremaker is that there’s no room or time to be a solo act,” said Riley. “Being a director is often misunderstood as some sort of god in the theatre… The director’s job is to find a common vision among everyone involved in the production and turn it into a reality.”

Riley shadowed PSOA’s Fall 2023 production of “The Moors” and directed a piece for the New Play Festival in Spring 2024. While both opportunities paved the way for Riley’s work on “Ballad,” she said taking Ralph Janes’ (Teaching Faculty III, Theatre Education & Directing) directing class proved essential in her directing career.

“Working with Ralph transformed my mind as to how I see balance on the stage and how I interact with actors,” said Riley. “I had never thought about how theatre is a sculpture that you need to carefully form so that it makes sense in the audience’s mind.”

Schulte, also a Theatre Practices major, agreed that Janes’ directing class furthered their desire to pursue directing.

“It was really valuable to experience in that class how so much of theatre is what you experiment and try within the moment,” said Schulte. “What you’re doing with these people in that live space is living and breathing… That was really good to apply to this experience.”

Meeting with the playwright

Throughout the production of “Ballad,” Mello ensured that Riley and Schulte were well-researched and prepared, especially given the mature subject matter and 1800s timeline that are essential to the show.

The highlight of the research and planning process came when Riley and Schulte got to sit down with playwright Beth Flintoff. Both students described how this experience was not only personally fulfilling but ensured that they pursued this piece respectfully and accurately.

“So much of what a lot of people focus on when doing a play is ensuring your intent aligns with the playwright,” said Schulte. “Talking to [Beth] reaffirmed that we are on the right path and carefully handling the narrative.”

The experience of discussing the play with Flintoff was an essential part of Riley and Schulte’s creative process, further understanding the nuances of the play’s story.

For example, the main antagonist is discussed by characters but never shown on stage. She discussed this decision with Riley and Schulte, giving greater context into her creative process. Flintoff spoke of her time spent in the village of Polstead, where the events of the play occurred.

The insight not only positively influenced their work on the show but also helped them feel more connected to the individual whose work the show portrays.

“Talking with [Beth] showed just how genuine of a person and writer she is,” said Riley. “Some art that centers around tough subjects can feel insensitive… So, meeting the creative force and realizing she was doing it as a love story to the character showed how genuine she is.”

The three-person directing team fostered a strong collaborative relationship. While Mello is the most experienced director of the bunch, she was still open and accepting of the ideas that her student colleagues presented.

Riley and Schulte described how the three directors were able to “build off each other well,” ensuring that all ideas were heard and considered.

“I appreciate that if you have an idea that Robin is not immediately on board with, she will hear you out and let you defend your ideas,” said Schulte. “Getting the chance to play with other people’s ideas has been important.”

“The Ballad of Maria Marten” is on stage at Kenilworth Five-0-Eight and runs through April 6. For tickets and more info, visit the PSOA Event Calendar.

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

Master’s clarinet student performs Bitsch selection with UWM Symphony

Mauricio Franco

Last month, the UWM Symphony Orchestra performed in the Zelazo Center featuring clarinetist and first year master’s student Mauricio Franco. This concert served as the culmination of Franco’s achievement in the 2024-25 Concerto Competition held at the Peck School.

Concerto Competition

The Concerto Competition was a one-round competition with ten of PSOA’s greatest classical music minds competing for a solo performance at the Symphony Orchestra’s winter concert. As opposed to some other competitions that present contestants with a strict repertoire, Franco and his fellow competitors selected works themselves.

“I felt like I had a lot of freedom to choose something that was a bit more creative,” said Franco.

Franco performed alongside a piano accompanist for a panel of three judges, including the conductor of Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony.

The experience for Franco was a “nice change of pace” compared to other auditions as he was able to interact with and watch the judges’ reactions in real time.

Following the audition process, Franco said he was “shocked” to find out that he had won and set sights on his preparations for the eventual concert. Franco prepared alongside his instructor Todd Levy.

“He’s probably been the most beneficial relationship I’ve made at school,” said Franco. “What he’s presented to me has been an entire world of the instrument and artistry that I didn’t know before.”

While Franco feels that skilled musicians such as himself should bring a set of skills into their university studies, he often cannot help but be amazed at Levy’s guidance and skillset.

“There’s a certain level of experience you feel like you should have,” said Franco. “But sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store… The amount that I can learn is really amazing.”

February concert

For the eventual concert, Franco selected Marcel Bitsch’s Concertino for Bassoon (transcribed for bass clarinet) for the symphony to perform.

Franco selected this piece to expand the UWM Symphony’s repertoire, looking to break away from “mainstream” classical music.

“The UWM Symphony is fairly mainstream, most often,” said Franco. “You’re looking at composers like Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven… A shift into this kind of repertoire really stretched the ensemble.”

The intricacies of the piece not only stretched the ensemble but were also meant to expand the audience’s musical vocabulary both through the composition of the piece and Franco’s performance.

“I really looked into trying to delve into the colors and changing the sound of the instrument as much as possible,” said Franco. “I just wanted to feel like I’m stretching the possibilities of what I’m presenting to the audience.”

The concert, which also featured Brahms’ Serenade No. 1 in D Major and Weber’s Oberon Overture, among other selections, was conducted by Dr. Jun Kim (Associate Professor, Instrumental Conducting Director, Orchestral Activities, Symphony Orchestra, University Community Orchestra).

In preparing himself and the ensemble for the winter concert, Franco got the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Kim. Throughout this process, Kim and Franco collaborated to ensure success for the symphony, an experience that Franco felt was positive.

“I feel super comfortable in our collaboration, and I think that’s shone through to create a great musical experience,” said Franco.

Upon reflecting on the performance, Franco noted the success of the concert.

“The concerto was an unprecedented success, and the encore that followed was positively received as a calm, reflective ending to an exciting and unique performance,” said Franco.

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

docUWM’s “Brady Street” documentary previewed on WISN

Sean Kafer and students on WISN

“Brady Street: A Portrait of a Neighborhood,” a documentary feature created as part of UWM’s documentary film program docUWM was recently featured in a WISN article.

Sean Kafer (Teaching Faculty II; Program Director, docUWM) enlisted the help of students to film and create the documentary. Kafer, along with PSOA students Fantasia Coleman and Emanuel Zander, joined the WISN team ahead of the film’s premiere to offer a preview.

To learn more about “Brady Street: A Portrait of a Neighborhood” and docUWM, visit WISN.

Master of Music alum and conductor of Concord Chamber Orchestra featured in Shepherd Express

Photo of Concord Chamber Orchestra

Jamin Hoffman (MM 1990, Music) was recently featured in a Shepherd Express highlighting his work with the Concord Chamber Orchestra in Milwaukee.

Hoffman joined the orchestra in 1989 as a French horn player before putting his instrument aside to become conductor in 2004. In the Shepherd Express feature, Hoffman noted the importance of “camaraderie and joy in celebrating music together” as an important aspect of the Concord Chamber Orchestra.

To read more about Hoffman and the Concord Chamber Orchestra, visit Shepherd Express.

Film alum and indie film producer speaks at SXSW

On March 9, alum Kurt Ravenwood (BFA 2011, Film) spoke on a panel at media festival SXSW in Austin, Texas. Ravenwood discussed pursuing film production outside of New York and Los Angeles.

Ravenwood was one of the minds behind 2024’s “Hundreds of Beavers,” one of the year’s most popular and successful independent films. He is also a partner at SRH Marketing (Milwaukee) and an independent film producer. 

Theater department’s production of “Dames at Sea” reviewed by Shepherd Express

Set photo from Dames at Sea

Shepherd Express recently published a positive review of the PSOA Theatre Department’s production of “Dames at Sea.” 

The production was notable for its cavalcade of quick changes, something Shepherd Express praised. 

“The entire ensemble, save the sailors in their trademarked blue uniforms, was decked out in vibrant colors, each new piece in which they came out on stage showcasing yet another original design,” wrote Natalie Murray in her Shepherd Express review. “The costume team kept each individual looking individual while establishing a cohesion befitting that of a Broadway ensemble.” 

To read the full review, visit Shepherd Express. 

What it takes to create a ‘cavalcade’ of quick changes in “Dames at Sea”

Jason Orlenko works alongside a student in costume shop

Peck School of the Arts’ next theatre production, “Dames at Sea,” a pastiche on 1930s musicals, opens this Wednesday. The show is notable for its slew of quick changes that give students an experience that reflects professional theatre.

The process of quick changes

A quick change is when a character changes from one costume to another, typically between 30 seconds to a minute. In “Dames at Sea,” theatre students have been challenged to complete several quick changes, some in fewer than 20 seconds.

“We do quick changes a lot,” said Jason Orlenko (Assistant Professor, Costume Design). “Out in the professional world, they happen a lot in musical theatre… If you go out in the industry, you are going to have a lot of changes.”

Throughout the process of preparing costumes for the show, Orlenko and his long-time collaborator Dana Rochester (Teaching Faculty II & Area Head, Costumes & Stage Makeup), alongside their team of student costumers, have experimented with a variety of quick-change materials, including snaps, zippers, and magnets.

Student dresser works on "Dames at Sea" costume
Student dresser works on “Dames at Sea” costume | Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)

For example, Orlenko decided to sew a pair of shorts and a top together with a large zipper in the back. This allows the actor to walk into their costume as the wardrobe crew zips it up seamlessly.

“When designing things, I try to think about where those quick changes are going to happen and how I can design the costumes to accommodate that,” said Orlenko.

Quick changes are done throughout “Dames at Sea,” but many of them come near the end of the show, when the three female leads do what Orlenko describes as a “cavalcade of quick changes.”

The collaboration of quick changes

Alyna Williams
Alyna Williams | Photo by Brick D. Kyle

Sophomore Alyna Williams plays the head chorus member, Joan, in what is her first collegiate-level theatre production. Williams has great love and admiration for the process of quick changes, in part because of the collaboration that is necessary to do them properly.

“Quick changes are one of my favorite parts of costuming,” said Williams. “I think it’s amazing that costume and stage craft students can help us because not many programs do that.”

Williams describes how collaboration is achieved by communicating closely with the crew, something that she does both on and off stage to foster a positive environment.

“I believe in not having a divide between the actors and the tech crew,” said Williams. “It is important to build those connections because these are the people who are going to be consistently helping you… You want to make sure you are communicating and collaborating.”

Abby McBee
Abby McBee | Photo by Brick D. Kyle

Senior Abby McBee similarly communicates with the wardrobe crew to ensure they receive the respect and recognition they deserve.

While dressers stay out of the spotlight, they are essential to the quick change process. McBee understands this as her character, Mona Kent, has six costumes and eight quick changes.

“A lot of these costumes were hand-made for the show, which gives students in the costume department such great experience,” said McBee. “I think Peck does a really good job at making it a good environment rather than an extremely stressful one.”

Actor mentality for quick changes

Quick changes can be stressful for actors and dressers.

“As an actor, if we start to panic then it can go downhill,” said McBee. “I feel like it can pull you out of the show mentality. I find it important to stay focused on the scene while also being present in what is happening backstage.”

Senior Sophia Roth encourages a calm atmosphere backstage, understanding that it is important to stay in the moment of live theatre.

Sophia Roth
Sophia Roth | Photo by Brick D. Kyle

“Quick changes can get really stressful,” said Roth. “The main thing is knowing that live theatre is live for a reason. Things happen and it all will come together in the end… For me it is really about staying in character, staying calm, and letting the costumers do their work.”

In “Dames at Sea,” Roth plays Ruby, a small-town girl from Utah who comes to New York with Broadway dreams.

Roth’s quick changes in “Dames at Sea” are full circle to her stage debut. At nine years old, Roth was in “Mary Poppins” and saw quick changes for the first time, something she remembers fondly to this day.

“I was backstage, and I remember seeing the process of [Mary] getting changed,” said Roth. “I was absolutely enamored… Being able to experience that myself backstage feels very professional and very Broadway.”

Roth’s memories are just one example of the magic that quick changes bring to the experience of live theatre.

“Dames at Sea” opens on March 5, 2025, and runs through March 9, 2025, at the Mainstage Theatre. For more information and tickets, visit the PSOA events calendar.

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

Theatre student takes neurodiversity research to national conference

Theatre student Emily Lappano

Peck School of the Arts students are taught the importance of research in the arts. As an arts school within a leading research university, nearly all the art that students create comes as the result of thorough research.

Elizabeth Lappano, a junior studying Theatre Production, has taken her ongoing research project on equity and inclusion in the arts to great heights. Currently focused on aspects of neurodivergence, Lappano will present her findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2025 in Pittsburgh this April. This is the second consecutive year that Lappano’s research was accepted for the conference.

Lappano’s project

Neurodivergence has surrounded Lappano her whole life, as she “grew up in a community of disability.” Lappano has since been diagnosed on the neurodivergence spectrum, fueling her desire to pursue a project about neurodivergence in the performing arts.

“Neurodivergence is a spectrum where everybody has their own abilities and setbacks,” said Lappano. “It’s understanding that there are people similar to you. While you’re going to have your differences, you’re not alone in what you’re going through.”

Lappano’s project, “Neurodivergence in the Arts: How A Neurodivergent Brain Creates, Performs, and Designs,” includes research on famous artists who identify as Neurodivergent and their struggles and triumphs with the diagnosis. The project also interviews current PSOA students, including actors in an upcoming production.

“This project is trying to identify successful neurodivergent artists so people can feel that they are not the only ones suffering with the problems that can come with neurodivergence,” said Lappano.

This project aims to explore the ways artists create, perform, and design their work, investigating the relationship between certain functions of the brain and how those functions affect artistic expression.

Lappano, wearing a pink blazer, poses infront of a presentation that says, "Inclusivity and Accessibility in Theatre."
Lappano at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in 2024 | Submitted photo

Lappano has not only collaborated with her PSOA student peers but has worked with UWM’s Accessibility Resource Center and City University of New York (CUNY) Applied Theatre students who are researching how to properly facilitate theatre with neurodivergent students.

The project has been supported by Lappano’s mentor, Ralph Janes (Teaching Faculty III, Theatre Education & Directing), who has been working to improve accessibility and inclusivity in theatre for several years.

Lappano presented work at NCUR last year, focusing on visually impaired patrons’ experience in the performing arts. Returning to the conference is important to Lappano’s desire to spread the message of improving inclusivity in the arts.

“I think it’s such an important message that needs to be talked about,” said Lappano. “My experience isn’t going to be everyone’s experience, but I’m excited to talk about my experience and what other students have gone through.”

Research is essential to the arts

Throughout her time at PSOA, Lappano has been a strong example of how research is essential to the arts.

“Arts as we know it is often visual or performance-oriented,” said Lappano. “All the things that go on behind the scenes are built on research. Research allows us to evolve our pieces. It allows us to expand what we’re working on and make it deeper.”

Lappano will use her research in the theatre department’s production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” which centers on a character who appears to be neurodivergent. Lappano is responsible for the dramaturgy for the cast so they can approach this story with empathy and understanding. Plans are also underway for a display of Lappano’s research on famous neurodivergent artists and interviews with students and faculty who identify as neurodivergent or have worked closely with students on the spectrum.

Throughout her extensive research, Lappano credits faculty members Ralph Janes, Robin Mello (Professor, Theatre), Christopher Kurtz (Teaching Faculty II, Scenic Production), and Steve White (Associate Professor, Design & Production) for being helpful and supportive resources.

“My professors are some of the most accepting and open people I’ve ever met,” said Lappano. “They truly want to see their students succeed in any way possible… That support in Peck is so important because it helps you remember you’re not the only person fighting to succeed.”

As for Lappano’s project, she described that she does not see an endpoint. Instead, she hopes to continue her research to ensure that the arts change in tandem with the evolution of society’s understanding of neurodiversity.

“Our approach to inclusivity and accessibility needs to evolve over time,” said Lappano. “There are goals we can meet along the way, but there’s never that finish line that we can cross because we have to constantly change with our ever-changing world.”

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

UWM Alumni Association honors PSOA alums for lifetime and early career achievements

Side by side Head shots of Clayborn Benson and Victoria (Tori) Isaac.

Clayborn Benson (BFA 1987, Film; MA 2024, Public History) was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the UWM Alumni Association. Victoria (Tori) Isaac (BA 2021, Dance and Sociology; MA 2023, Sociology) received the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award.

Clayborn Benson ’87, ’24

Clayborn is an award-winning broadcast journalist, historian and community leader. After 39 years with Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV as a photographer, editor and producer, he retired in 2007 to focus on his second career as founder and director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Museum.

Benson, dressed in a suit, poses next to Dick Blau, whom has his arm around Benson/
Clayborn Benson, right, poses with Professor Emeritus of Film Dick Blau at the UWM Alumni Awards Evening. Benson earned the Lifetime Achievement Award and Blau was his nominator. | Photo by Elora Hennessey

Clayborn produced documentary series, including “Black Communities,” during his TV career and continues to tell the story of the Black legacy in Wisconsin as one of the state’s most influential voices. He serves on the board of the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin’s Historical Records Advisory Board. He also serves on the City of Milwaukee Street and Building Renaming Committee.

He is an emeritus member of UWM’s Alumni Association board and a past president of the Association of African American Alumni. Clayborn’s many awards include the Living Legacy Award from the city of Milwaukee, an Emmy-Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences regional chapter, the Hall of Fame Award from the Milwaukee Press Club and the Key to the City Award from former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. 

Victoria (Tori) Isaac

Isaac is an accomplished dancer, educator, and choreographer at Turning Point Dance Studio in Elmwood Park, Illinois. Her interests in dance and sociology developed as an undergraduate student at UWM.

Victoria received her award at the UWM Alumni Awards Evening, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
Victoria (Tori) Isaac, center, received her GOLD Award at the UWM Alumni Awards Evening. She is seen here with Chancellor Mark Mone and Alumni Board Chair Michelle Putz. | Photo by Elora Hennessey

During her time at UWM, Isaac participated in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, a program aimed at increasing the number of underrepresented students pursuing graduate studies.

This has led her to pursue a doctorate at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where she explores the Black community, education, and religion. Her work in the Chicago area explores the intersection between creative expression and community building.

Isaac performed and taught dance in Milwaukee for many years, focusing on hip-hop, tap, contemporary, and improvisation, including at Danceworks MKE and Signature Dance Company, as well as a lecturer at PSOA. She also collaborated with Maria Gillespie (Professor and Graduate Program Representative, Dance) to develop a movement education program for incarcerated youth.

UWM’s Alumni Awards reflect on the contributions and accomplishments made by the most exceptional UWM alums.

“The UWM Alumni Association is privileged to represent over 207,000 Panther alumni living in 110 countries around the world,” said Board Chair Michelle Putz in the UWM Alumni Awards Evening program booklet. “Our alumni make a difference in their communities both near and far, though we feel especially fortunate that more than 80% of graduates from the last decade have chosen to remain in the state of Wisconsin.”

Benson and Isaac were honored alongside other award recipients at the UWM Alumni Awards Evening at the Pfister Hotel in February 2025. Learn more about the UWM Alumni Awards on the University Advancement website.

Master of Music student takes First Prize at Columbus Guitar Symposium

Master of Music student Alberto Daniel Quintanilla recently won First Prize at the prestigious Columbus Guitar Symposium.

Quintanilla’s victory helps cement PSOA’s reputation as a leader in classical guitar education, as the Columbus Guitar Symposium is considered a “proving ground for the finest young guitarists,” according to Professor René Izquierdo. This achievement highlights both the excellence of UWM’s classical guitar education and Quintanilla’s exceptional artistry.

Three PSOA alums receive 2025 Nohl Fellowships 

Sarah Ballard, Alyx Christensen and Michelle Grabner

The Peck School of the Arts is once again well represented among this year’s Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships, with alum Michelle Grabner (BFA 1984; MA 1987) and alum/lecturer Sarah Ballard (MFA 2024, Cinematic Arts) receiving fellowships. Alyx Christensen (BA 2015, Art), as part of the artist collective Open Kitchen, also received a fellowship.

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists program awards funds for artists across a variety of visual arts fields. These funds aim to help artists create or finish work in the greater Milwaukee area.

For this year’s round of fellowships, Grabner was one of two recipients in the Established Artists category receiving a $20,000 fellowship. Ballard and Open Kitchen were among the three recipients in the Emerging Artists category receiving a $10,000 fellowship.

“The Nohl fellowship supports artists who have dedicated their lives to experimentation and the artistic imagination contributing to cultural discourse both locally and at large,” Grabner said.

Grabner has been a major name in both Wisconsin and American art for decades. She specializes in painting, ceramics, and cast metal.

“For 40 years, Grabner’s work has rearticulated familiar patterns and commonplace formal arrangements,” the Nohl jurors wrote, as reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

When asked about her work and the award, Grabner said she believes the Nohl Fund jurors “recognized [her] commitment to ideas and to experimentation” throughout her impressive and diverse body of work.

The Mary L. Nohl Fund seeks to amplify the work of underrepresented communities, a mission that resonates with Ballard.

“The fund’s mission reminds me of the importance of uncovering these overlooked stories and the possibility of connecting them to broader, collective experiences that resonate with contemporary ‘societal illnesses,’” Ballard said.

Ballard has been immersed in the Peck School of the Arts culture for some time as both a Master’s recipient and current lecturer in the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres (FVANG). Ballard said that the school’s community of artists has been a positive contributor to her work and success. 

“The support of the FVANG faculty and extended community was vital to my growth as an artist and played a significant role in my ability to apply for and receive the Nohl Fund award,” said Ballard. “The connections I’ve made here continue to inspire me and reinforce the importance of cultivating a supportive artistic community.”

Open Kitchen (OK) is a Milwaukee-based art collective founded in 2017 by Rudy Medina and Alyx Christensen with Alan Medina. Through events, installations, and a residency program, OK fosters public dialogue on food, identity, and ecology.

In 2020, OK became artists-in-residence at Lynden Sculpture Garden where they steward the Cultural Garden and Lynden Apiary, exploring methods of growing diverse foods and flora that integrate Indigenous environmental knowledge.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this year’s 22nd Nohl Fund competition drew 157 applicants with five individuals receiving fellowships. These five Milwaukee-based winners will be a part of a Haggerty Museum of Art exhibit in 2026.

In addition to Ballard and Grabner, two Nohl finalists also have strong PSOA connections. Assistant professor and alum Ben Balcom (MFA 2015, Performing Arts) was a finalist in the Established Artist category, while alum Michael Lagerman (MFA 2021, Art) was a finalist in the Emerging Artist category.

Sarah Ballard, Full Out, 2025 16mm > digital | 5.1 and stereo
Sarah Ballard, Full Out, 2025 | Photo via Nohl Fund
Michelle Grabner; Untitled, 2023
Michelle Grabner; Untitled, 2023 | Photo via Nohl Fund
Food assembled on a table
Open Kitchen; Milwaukee-masa-mole-mill! (Mmmm!), 2022 | Photo via Nohl Fund

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Alyx Christensen, who as part of Open Kitchen, also received a 2025 Nohl Fellowship

MKE Film Black Lens returns with PSOA alum curating lineup

Ty Williams

Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens series is programmed this year by Peck School of the Arts alum Ty Williams (BFA 2020, Film). Williams, who is also an assistant cinema manager, has worked with MKE Film since 2019 while he was a student at UWM. Before that, Williams worked at UWM’s Union Cinema.

The ongoing series is a favorite among viewers of all backgrounds but aims to showcase diverse identities and perspectives from the Black community. 

“The major goal of Black Lens is to highlight the fact that there are so many Black stories out there,” said Williams. “There are so many Black lives who have contributed to their communities… and their stories are important and deserve highlighting.” 

Williams described that Black Lens aims to highlight Black filmmaking on a global scale, with work from Black filmmakers across America, Europe, and Africa.  

Black History Month Film Series poster

When curating the lineup for Black Lens during Black History Month, Williams sought to select films from multiple genres, including romance, thriller, and documentary. He explains that this was done to ensure that everyone can enjoy a film this month, regardless of their genre preference. 

“I was looking at a lot of different types of films,” said Williams. “I wanted to create a group of films that are accessible to all types of people so that anybody who looks at the grouping of films has at least one thing they like.” 

This year’s lineup includes well-known films such as Do the Right Thing, Get Out, and Malcolm X. When asked about his personal favorite, Williams opted for Obsessed, a 2009 horror romance starring Beyoncé and Idris Elba. 

“I keep describing it as an elevated Hallmark movie,” said Williams. “It’s cheesy and corny, but it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day movie.” 

During Williams’ time as a PSOA student, he was involved with the Milwaukee Underground Film Festival (MUFF), where he first went through the process of curating a film festival lineup. During this time, Williams learned how to take an unbiased approach to film curation. 

“MUFF was a really good experience all around in getting to know how the film festival process works,” said Williams. “It really changed my perspective on looking at curating films as an art form, which I hadn’t previously considered.” 

As the February Black Lens lineup nears the halfway point, Williams reflected on how grateful he is that these films help bring people together. 

“The feeling of being out with people in your community and experiencing something together through the love of film is a really fun thing,” said Williams. “You get to share something with other people who you may or may not have ever thought that you would interact with.” 

To read more about Black Lens and their current Black History Month lineup, visit the Milwaukee Film website. 

Story by Jason McCullum ’25

Dance professor’s UWM-funded project featured in Milwaukee Magazine

Maria Gillespie performs in "Wild Tongue" with long-time collaborators Kevin Williamson and Nguyên Nguyên

Maria Gillespie’s (Professor, Dance; Graduate Program Representative, Dance) ongoing project “Wild Tongue,” which was funded in part by a UWM Advancing Research Creativity (ARC) Grant, was recently featured in a Milwaukee Magazine feature.

“Wild Tongue” stems from Gillespie’s decades-long collaboration and friendship with Los Angeles-based artists Nguyên Nguyên and Kevin Williamson. The ARC grant has allowed the trio to split their time between Los Angeles and Milwaukee to work on this piece.

“I moved from Los Angeles to Milwaukee in 2012,” says Gillespie in the Milwaukee Magazine feature. “There was culture shock, and there was climate shock for me. But I think more than anything it was leaving the chosen family of these two friends.”

To read more about “Wild Tongue,” visit the Milwaukee Magazine website.

To read further about Gillespie and the ARC Grant, visit the PSOA News & Stories website.

Film alum composes music for new Chicago play

Scott Cary (BFA 2014, Film) composed the music and lyrics for ‘Tales of the Ten,’ an adaptation of Boccaccio’s The Decameron. The play premiered on Feb. 11 as part of the New Works Festival at the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago.

Cary and playwright Dan Zellner will continue to develop the play for university productions.

To read more about “Tales of the Ten,” visit the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago website.

UWM String Academy student makes history at Bucks game

Heidi Barker - Violin Teacher UWM String Academy With Victoria and Danielle Washington

Victoria Crowley-Washington, a six-year-old violinist also known as the Wavie Princess Victoria, recently made history by becoming the youngest African American musician to perform the Black National Anthem at a Milwaukee Bucks Game.

“I get to inspire other people to play the violin—young people, grown-ups, kids, babies—all kinds!” Victoria said in a TMJ4 interview.

Crowley-Washington has only been playing violin for two years, studying with Heidi Barker (Lecturer, Pre-College Violin and Viola) at UWM’s String Academy.

“I think excitement is my main feeling about it,” Barker told TMJ4. “I’m so thrilled for her, thrilled that people get to hear her hard work, her music—just thrilled to be part of it myself.”

To watch the segment and learn more, visit TMJ4.