Callboard

Welcome to the student hub for auditions, productions, and rehearsal spaces. Check here throughout the academic year for important dates, forms, and course details.

Please note that CalNet login is required to view documents linked on this page.

Class Auditions & Interviews

Productions & Workshops

Production Labs & Run Crew

Student Rehearsal Space

Class Auditions & Interviews

Audition sign-ups for Spring 2025 acting classes will be posted here during the week of January 6.

For Theater 112: Voice & Speech, students must attend the first class session for a brief interview with the instructor, Jessica Berman. Students who are admitted to the course will be given permission numbers to enroll. The first class meeting is on Wednesday, January 22, 10am–12pm in Zellerbach 170 (enter through the stage door on the north side of the building).

General Guidelines & FAQs

Acting Class Auditions

Classes Requiring Auditions:

  • Theater 10 — Fundamentals of Acting I
  • Theater 109 — Fundamentals of Acting II
  • Theater 110A — Intermediate Acting: Scene Study & Style
  • Theater 110B — Intermediate Acting: The Power of Language
  • Theater 111 — Advanced Acting Studio
  • Theater 115 — Advanced Acting Company

Audition Guidelines:

Students will not be able to enroll in these acting classes before the beginning of the semester. Instead, starting two weeks before classes begin, students must sign up for auditions on the TDPS Callboard.

Auditions are held during the first class meeting of the semester. Students should confirm times and locations on the audition sign-up forms.

Prerequisites:

Theater 109 requires at least one semester of college-level acting training (or equivalent experience) and each subsequent class in the series requires an additional semester of college-level training or experience. If you don't know which acting level is appropriate, you may sign up for more than one audition.

Audition Preparation:

  • For Theater 10: Prepare a one-minute speech from a play, film script, or a selection of prose. Memorization of the piece is strongly encouraged.
  • For Theater 109, 110A, 110B, 111, 115: Prepare a one-minute monologue from a play. Memorization of the piece is required for these courses.

Enrollment:

After auditions, class rosters will be posted on the TDPS Callboard. If you are accepted into a class, the instructor will give you the permission number to enroll in the class. No one will be considered for these classes without an audition.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long should my monologue be?

One minute maximum. Be sure to time your piece. If you go over time limit during the audition, you may be asked to stop.

Do I need to memorize my monologue?

You have a better chance of getting into Theater 10 if you memorize your monologue. Memorization is required for Theater 109 and beyond.

Any tips for selecting my monologue?

  • Look for a speech from a play. Passages from other forms of literature, including poems, are usually not as strong. 
  • It is usually best for beginners to stick to contemporary pieces—generally pieces written after 1940.
  • Choose something you can relate to—probably in your general age range.

What are your tips for performing the monologue?

  • Remember to breathe.
  • Avoid accents.
  • Speak loudly and clearly enough for us to hear you.
  • Imagine whomever you are speaking to is standing or sitting in front of you and speak to that imaginary person.

How early should I arrive to my audition appointment?

If possible, please come 10 minutes before your appointed time in case we are running early. That will also allow you a moment to fill out the audition form if you were unable to complete it beforehand.

Can I skip a course in the acting sequence?

In general, it is recommended that you do the entire acting sequence in order once you arrive at UC Berkeley.

If you are trying to skip Theater 10 and go into 109, you should have at least one semester of college-level acting training or equivalent acting experience. Your monologue will have to reveal that training and experience to help you gain access to the class. 

If you are trying to skip Theater 10, 109, or 110A and go into 110B in the spring, you should have at least three semesters of college-level acting and voice training or equivalent acting experience. Your monologue will have to reveal that training and experience to help you gain access to the class.

What if I am a transfer student?

Transfer students are encouraged to begin their training at the appropriate level based on their studies in community college. It is recommended that you do the entire acting sequence in order once you arrive at UC Berkeley, unless you've had two or more semesters of college-level acting training in community college or equivalent acting experience.

When is the intermediate sequence taught?

Theater 110A is taught each fall; Theater 110B is taught each spring.

Do I need to perform a classical monologue for my 110A audition?

If you have taken Theater 10 or 109, you may use your contemporary monologues from those classes. You are not required to use heightened language or classical monologues.

What is the ratio of people who audition and people who are admitted?

It varies greatly from semester to semester. Often many more students audition than we have space for, so placing everyone is not guaranteed.

What if I don't get in to my preferred class?

Due to the large number of students who audition, it is not possible to get individual feedback from instructors holding the auditions. We strongly encourage you to try again the next semester.

Don't think of this as a wasted semester of training. Get involved in other TDPS classes that have a performance component. Audition for a TDPS workshop or production. Contact the Film & Media Department or student film clubs for acting opportunities, or audition for an on-campus production sponsored by one of many student-run performance groups.

If you would like to gain more experience off campus, organizations like Theatre Bay Area offer audition preparation workshops, and many organizations around the Bay Area offer theater classes. For an extensive list, please see the undergraduate advisor in 15 Dwinelle Hall.

Theater Class Interviews

Classes Requiring Interviews:

  • Theater 105: Movement for Actors
  • Theater 112: Voice & Speech
  • Theater 162: Fundamentals of Stage Directing
  • Theater 163: Stage Directing

Interview Guidelines:

All interested students must attend the first class meeting to be interviewed by the instructor for admission into the classes listed above. For class schedules, visit classes.berkeley.edu

Please be prepared to talk about your interest in the class and any relevant experience you have. Selected students will be given the Permission Numbers needed for enrollment.

Playwriting Enrollment Guidelines

To be considered for playwriting classes (Theater 139A & 139B), please submit a creative writing sample of up to 5 pages to the professor by August 15 for the fall semester or by December 15 for the spring semester. Include your name, year, major, phone number, and email address.

Submit your writing sample to Prof. Philip Gotanda in 15 Dwinelle Hall, or send it by email to joeozu@berkeley.edu

Accommodation Policy

All UC Berkeley students are invited to audition or interview for TDPS classes. If a disability-related accommodation is needed for a class audition, please contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor at least one week prior to the start of the semester.

For students in DSP, please contact your DSP specialist well in advance of the audition so there is time for the accommodation process and notify the department to make arrangements. Please ask DSP to also send disability accommodation notices for auditions to the Undergraduate Academic Advisor at least one week prior to the start of the semester.

Please note that some audition spaces are not readily accessible for those with mobility impairments. With advance notice, we are happy to make arrangements for an alternate venue.

Productions & Workshops

Performing in TDPS

  • Each semester, the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies  (TDPS) produces three to six performance works comprised of plays, dance concerts or showcases, and student-directed workshops.
  • While auditions are open to all UC Berkeley students, TDPS productions are curricular, and those cast must enroll in courses to receive credit commensurate with the time spent in preparation, rehearsal, and performance. 
  • Expectations, evaluative criteria, and grading standards are outlined below in Participant Rights & Responsibilities, and Sample Performance Syllabi.
  • Auditions for productions and workshops take place within the first few weeks of each semester. Sign-up forms will be posted here at least two weeks prior to the audition date. Callback and casting results will be posted below following the auditions. 

Casting & Course Guidelines

Casting Policies

  1. The Department is committed to educating Berkeley students in the artistic range of performance. For this reason, it is our policy to restrict casting to UC Berkeley students. Directors and Choreographers must receive prior approval from the Department Chair in order to cast from outside of the UC Berkeley student pool. To ensure fairness across the season, this request must be made as part of the initial proposal to the Department's Season Planning Committee, and must be made for all theater and dance productions. In rare instances, an emergency (illness, death in the family, injury) might result in the loss of a cast member, and the substitution of a non-student performer; in such cases, appropriate measures will be taken through consultation between the responsible Director/Choreographer, the Production Manager, the Chair of the Season Planning Committee, and the Department Chair.

  2. All cast members are required to enroll in units of the corresponding course for the production, commensurate with the time spent in rehearsals and performances; typically 2–4 units. Students with extenuating circumstances may petition for reduced unit enrollment through the Undergraduate Advisor. When necessary, credits may be undertaken through UC Extension. Professional guest artists (for example, faculty acting in the production, etc.) are not required to enroll. The maximum number of units available to participants will be determined by the Department, based on the production and level of participation.

  3. Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies majors may have a casting advantage from previous experience and training, but it should be understood that it is a competitive audition process and open to all UC Berkeley students.

  4. For the purposes of our casting policy, students from the following programs, with whom UC Berkeley has cross-registration programs, will be considered UC Berkeley Students:

    Cal State University, East Bay; Mills College; San Francisco State University; Sonoma State University; Holy Names University; John F Kennedy University; and Dominican University of California.

  5. While UC Extension students are able to enroll in TDPS courses associated with performance, the Fall Program for First Semester (FPF) does not generally allow students to enroll in elective courses, and therefore students of the program are ineligible for participation in production.

Participant Rights & Responsibilities

Production participation is a privilege, which carries responsibilities. Directors, choreographers, actors, dancers, designers, playwrights, and technicians unite for a finite rehearsal and performance period in order to create a performance work. A production’s success relies on the commitment of all involved. Once a cast, design team, collaborators, and crew have been selected, the absence of any team member is detrimental to the project. Such absences are unprofessional and unacceptable.

Responsibilities for Director/Choreographer

  1. Adhere to schedules for auditions, rehearsals, and performances as determined by the Production Manager.

  2. Maintain primary concern for the safety of the cast and crew.

  3. Ensure that students are registered for the corresponding course and for timely submission of final grades. Student Directors/Choreographers should work with faculty advisors related to enrollment and grading.

Responsibilities for Performers

Before you audition, learn all you can about the production:

  • Read the script and learn about the Director/Choreographer and what they have in mind for the production.

  • Confirm your availability for rehearsals and performances by reviewing published schedules, available on the Callboard and at auditions. Can you make the necessary time commitment? Do you have academic conflicts with required attendance dates?

  • Unless a student makes a written request of the Director or Choreographer at the time of the audition, it is assumed that the student will eagerly accept any role or assignment they are offered. Ensure you are clear about your availability and any conditions you are placing upon your audition because:

    1. Acceptance of a role in a TDPS production requires the participation in ALL scheduled rehearsals, photo shoots, designer appointments, technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals, performances and strike associated with the production.

    2. Participants must enroll in a corresponding course for units commensurate with time spent in preparation, rehearsal and performance.

    3. Declining an offered role without having made extenuating conditions known at the time of the audition forfeits the opportunity to perform in a TDPS production for the remainder of the semester and/or subsequent semesters, as determined by the Chair.

    4. A student who drops out of a production after having been cast is likewise ineligible for further casting that semester and/or subsequent semesters as determined by the Chair.

    5. Director/Choreographer will report violations (per #3 and #4) to the Chair in writing.

Grounds for Dismissal

A performer may be dismissed from a production for:

  • Unexcused absence or tardiness from any rehearsal or performance.
  • Inappropriate behavior as further outlined in course syllabi.
  • Failure to meet appointments with Designers/Directors or other Production staff.

The only excused absences from rehearsal or performance are:

  • Serious illness/accident.
  • Death in the family.
  • Natural disasters.

Mechanism for Dismissal of Cast and Crew

Any student who has shown cause for dismissal may be dismissed from the show. In some cases, particularly those involving unexcused absence, the student may be dismissed immediately by the relevant supervisor (Director, Choreographer, or Production Manager); in other cases, the supervisor may give one warning (written or verbal), with the understanding that a second offense will result in immediate dismissal. In all cases, the Department Chair will be immediately notified of the offense and reserves the right to dismiss a student from a production upon written recommendation from the appropriate supervisor. Students dismissed from a production will receive a failing grade in the relevant course and will not be eligible for casting in a TDPS production for that semester and/or subsequent semester(s) as determined by the Chair.

Sample Performance Syllabi

TDPS productions are curricular, often the culmination of advanced coursework within the department. In addition to department policies and posted Performer Responsibilities, course syllabi contain expectations, evaluative criteria, and grading standards for participants. Theater 180 and 181 for Berkeley Dance Project, Playhouse and Studio Productions are taken for a letter grade. Theater 171 for Workshops is taken Pass/No Pass. The evaluative criteria are the same for all productions, as is the expectation of perfect attendance.

Overview of Theater 180: Berkeley Dance Project

This class is designed for students who are seriously interested in performing dance on the concert stage. Involvement prepares students to perform in a highly produced dance concert called the Berkeley Dance Project. The course is designed to teach students about the process of dancing for a choreographer. This will involve: participating fully in all rehearsals and all required performances, contributing ideas to the creative process, and being open to choreographic strategies and methods. Students will be cast in up to three separate dance pieces. Each dance piece varies in scope and style depending on the themes and concepts being explored by the individual choreographer. Audition is required.

Overview of Theater 181: Playhouse and Studio Productions

This course operates as a large, complex performance lab, providing academic credit for performers and other specified participants in theatrical events produced by the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. Participants must enroll in at least one unit, and up to four units of 181, depending upon level of involvement and/or student preference, or as prescribed by the instructor of record. All course activities occur within a finite schedule, generally spanning eight weeks within a semester, culminating in ticketed public performances. This course may be taken multiple times for credit and may fulfill major and minor requirements.

Schedule:

This course meets according to the established rehearsal scheduled for a given production. Refer to the Master Calendar for your production available on the TDPS Callboard and provided by your Stage Manager. Note that specific call times on indicated rehearsal and performance dates will be set on a weekly or daily basis and will be communicated to you by the Stage Manager or Production Manager.

Attendance:

This is a course that requires full participation. Because sessions are part of the creative process, there is no way to make them up. Missing even one session to which you are called will affect the outcome of the work being created. Therefore, a perfect attendance record is the assumption for this course, which means on-time attendance to every rehearsal, and performance call indicated on the Master Calendar for the production, or at least to the calls provided by the Stage Manager for your particular role. Please consider this seriously before deciding to take this class. Perfect attendance is defined as being on time and present for all calls, and being ready to work at the call times. The only excused conflicts/absences are those presented by the student and approved in writing by the instructor prior to completion of callbacks. The only other excused absences from rehearsal or performance are serious illness/accident, death in the family, natural disasters. Students who are ill, or who are seriously injured, and are at risk of missing multiple sessions, must contact the instructors immediately to determine the course of action to be taken. Any students needing accommodation for observance of religious holidays are also responsible for contacting the instructor at the time of auditions.

Course Requirements and Evaluative Criteria:

Grades for this course will be based on evaluation of the factors listed below:

  • Maintaining a mature, responsible, supportive and communicative attitude towards fellow students, staff, faculty, and the project as a whole
  • Coming prepared and ready to work to all scheduled sessions, workshops, rehearsals and performances
  • Working diligently to fulfill the standards and objectives established by the director, whether a student, faculty member, or outside professional
  • Being responsive to student stage managers and staff, which includes checking email and voicemail daily
  • Timely and diligent completion of all assignments, cast responsibilities, off-book deadlines, scheduled costume fittings and required readings
  • Willingness to experience and apply new ideas and approaches, and learn new skills
  • Full participation and attention in discussions and notes sessions
  • Respecting the theatrical process, in rehearsal and performance, and being patient with its intrinsic challenges, including using any downtime in a productive way

Evaluative Procedures:

Theater is by nature a collaborative process. The teacher of record will communicate with production department heads, other faculty, student directors, and staff involved with the production to determine a student’s level of accomplishment, based on the above criteria.

Grading Standards:

A Exceptional and committed fulfillment of all the stated requirements; exhibiting a high degree of professionalism throughout the process, and respect for all of its elements and collaborators.

A- Exceptional fulfillment of a majority of the stated requirements, including prompt attendance and meeting all established deadlines.

B+ Solid fulfillment of the stated requirements, with occasional lapses in commitment or professionalism, or a less than perfect record of promptness and readiness to rehearse. Examples might include losing focus in some rehearsals, needing to be given notes more than once, or not using downtime to constructive purpose.

B Satisfactory fulfillment of the stated requirements, and an overall professional attitude. but fairly regular lapses in attention, judgement, or follow-through. Responds well to constructive criticism in most cases, and makes adjustments accordingly. Examples might include students who distract others from the smooth running or rehearsals, or are not ready to rehearse on more than one occasion.

C Students understand what is required of them, but often need to be reminded of their tasks and responsibilities, and/or can obstruct the smooth running of rehearsals or performances. Students don’t respond well to criticism, or only do so when pressed, and /or rarely take initiative beyond their basic tasks. Students may often be late to calls, or not meet off-book deadline.

Students who fail to maintain the standards of a grade of “C” will be dropped from the class and receive no credit.

Rehearsal Absence Policy:

  • 0 absences are allowed (beyond what has been established at the time of your audition and acceptance of the role).
  • Promptness is required. Being ‘on time’ means being present and ready to work at the designated call time. Arriving at the call time is equivalent to being late.
  • Please refer to the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Performer Responsibilities posted on the Callboard and acknowledged at the time of the audition. If you do not have a copy for yourself, please ask the instructor for a copy.

Performance Absence Policy:

  • 0 absences are allowed
  • Promptness is required
  • Please refer to the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Performer Responsibilities posted on the Callboard and acknowledged at the time of the audition.

Accommodation Policy

All UC Berkeley students are invited to audition for TDPS productions and workshops. If a disability-related accommodation is needed for an audition, please contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor at least one week prior to the start of the semester.

For students in DSP, please contact your DSP specialist well in advance of the audition so there is time for the accommodation process and notify the department to make arrangements. Please ask DSP to also send disability accommodation notices for auditions to the Undergraduate Academic Advisor at least one week prior to the start of the semester.

Please note that some audition spaces are not readily accessible for those with mobility impairments. With advance notice, we are happy to make arrangements for an alternate venue.

Auditions for Spring 2025 Productions & Workshops

  • Update: Auditions for Lysistrata have been rescheduled for December 9, with callbacks on December 10. In-person auditions are preferred, but there will be a Zoom option (at a different time) for students who are unable to attend in person. Audition sign-up forms will be available on this page on November 25 by 10am. 
  • Auditions for all other productions will be held in the first two weeks of the semester in January. Sign-ups will be available on this page at least two weeks in advance.
  • Refer to the dropdowns below for general information and dates for each production.

Studio Production: Lysistrata

Lysistrata: A Woman's Translation

By Drue Robinson

Adapted from the play by Aristophanes

Directed by Timmia Hearn DeRoy

Spring 2025 Studio Production

About the Play:

Sex. Gender wars. A woman(person)'s right to choose. Topics as old as time.

Drue Robinson adapted Aristophanes' classic comedy into contemporary verse, blending heightened language and 21st-century sensibilities to explore the power of the sex strike. Our production will investigate, challenge, and queer the binary concept of a gender war presented in the text, while simultaneously exploring the long and remarkable history of real-life sex strikes that have taken place through time and across space.

Now set in a fictional, futuristic, drag-influenced underground bar, this production provides an opportunity for performers and audience alike to address issues of bodily autonomy, sexual and gender agency, and what we are willing to sacrifice (collectively and individually) in the face of continuous war.

Production Dates:

Auditions:

  • Monday, December 9, 2024
  • 5:30pm–10pm
  • Zellerbach Playhouse
  • In-person auditions are preferred, but there will be a Zoom option (at a different time) for students who are unable to attend in person.

Callbacks:

  • Tuesday, December 10, 2024
  • 6pm–10pm (by invitation)
  • Zellerbach Playhouse

Rehearsals:

Performances:

  • March 6–9, 2025
  • Zellerbach Hall, Room 7

About the Director:

Timmia Hearn DeRoy is a practitioner and scholar of social justice-based theatre and film. She directs, writes, produces, dramaturgs, and teaches. She was a founding member of the Trinidad and Tobago PRIDE Arts Festival, former Director of the School for the Arts at the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, the Caribbean’s oldest theater company, and former Marketing Manager at the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival. She works in areas of post-colonial theater practice, transnational feminist praxis, and Disability Justice, and engages in community-oriented and social change focused theater across the Diasporas to which she belongs.

Timmia has taught both acting and playwriting in Trinidad and Tobago as well as the United States and Nepal. She additionally has worked as a new script development consultant in both theater and film, and provides dramaturgical frameworks that decolonize scripts and directing practice. Timmia holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Yale University.

Commitment:

A TDPS Studio Production is a considerable time commitment that requires 3–4 units of course credit (Theater 181) and rehearsals 5–6 times per week (generally Monday–Friday, 6pm–10pm, and some Saturdays). Not all students will be called for every rehearsal, but participants will be expected to be available for each rehearsal unless they have listed it as a conflict.

Production Calendar Draft (CalNet login required)

Casting Overview:

Lysistrata: A Woman's Translation, as we will examine it, is an exploration of the idea that "everything is sex, except sex, which is power." It is an analogy and a lewd joke. It will ask its performers: who/what is screwing you? And what power do you have to not be screwed (or be screwed on your terms). The nature of the play is highly physical. The play is also in rhyming verse. Heightened language combines with physical humor and sexually explicit gesture to create what will be a celebration of sexual liberation and self determination as much as a rebuke of war and violence of all kinds.

We are looking for performers of all genders, sexualities, abilities, races, ethnicities, and desires to audition for any and all roles you find interesting.

Instead of "men" and "women" this show has characters who are "sex workers" and "warmongers." The sex worker characters all will perform some dance moves and be interested in creating drag-inspired "genderfuck" personas.

Characters:

  • Actor 1: Lysistrata — The titular character. Loves verse and sexual innuendo. Physical acting necessary. Will perform lewd moments. Desirous of creating a revolutionary drag-inspired persona.
  • Actor 2: Calonice / Athenian Delegate — Can perform both empowered sex worker, and representative of the war-obsessed state. Calonice is the lead performer at the Acropolis club.
  • Actor 3: Lampito / Women's Leader / Third Old Woman — Powerful feminine energy. Plays strength, empowerment and a lot of sex jokes. Physical performer.
  • Actor 4: Ismenia / Theola / Athenian Delegate — Can perform both somewhat ditsy sex worker, and representative of the war-obsessed state.
  • Actor 5: Myrrhine — An unsure convert to the revolution who, over the course of the play, becomes a leader in it. Excited to design a revolutionary drag-inspired persona. Intimacy choreography a necessity. Interested in playing with (sexy) fire (figuratively).
  • Actor 6: Woman from Corinth (no lines) / First & Forth Old Woman / Alexis — Plays various sex-worker roles, from old to young. Comfortable and excited to develop a drag-influenced drag persona.
  • Actor 7: Woman (no lines) / Second & Fifth Old Woman / Phoebe — Plays various sex-worker roles, from old to young. Comfortable and excited to develop a drag-influenced drag persona.
  • Actor 8: Magistrate — One of the lead representatives of the war-obsessed state. Oozes militaristic power. Total politician. Total asshole.
  • Actor 9: Men's Leader / Third Old Man — A now-old representative of the war-obsessed state. Gave their life to the military and to concepts of nationalism. Now has to deal with being useless to the state.
  • Actor 10: First & Fourth Old Man / Herald — Capable of playing both old and young representatives of the state.
  • Actor 11: Second and Fifth Old Man / Cinesias — Capable of playing both old and young representatives of the state. Intimacy choreography necessary. Lewd and sexually explicit character

Audition Requirements:

Please prepare two monologues of approximately one minute each: One in verse and one that is full CAMP (exaggerated, absurd, etc). Please make them contrast in some way.

A link to audition sign-ups will be available here by Monday, November 25 at 10am.

Playhouse Production: Berkeley Dance Project

Berkeley Dance Project

Directed by Lisa Wymore

Choreography by Philip Agyapong, SAMMAY Peñaflor Dizon, and Leyya Mona Tawil

Spring 2025 Playhouse Production

Overview:

Celebrating our diverse and vibrant community of dance-makers, Berkeley Dance Project 2025 will feature new pieces choreographed by, and in collaboration with, Leyya Mona Tawil (guest artist), SAMMAY Peñaflor Dizon (alumna and guest artist), and Philip Agyapong (faculty). The concert will also feature student-created pieces selected from our Fall Choreography Showcase and from submissions by student dance groups.

  • Philip Agyapong will choreograph a dance piece that reflects the communal bonds within Ghanaian traditional societies through significant life events such as birth, puberty rites, and death. It will emphasize the value of personhood and highlight themes of community building, belonging, and shared responsibility. 
  • SAMMAY Peñaflor Dizon's work explores ecofeminism, ritual, and radical joy while honoring ancestral practices rooted in earth-based traditions. With a pulse on the outgoing patriarchy—how can we practice matriarchal wisdom, honor womb medicine, and ultimately embody a sovereignty that keeps us in reciprocity with the land and each other?
  • Leyya Mona Tawil will be creating a choice-based choreography called Happy Days (Finale) for an ensemble of dancers who will describe time through movement and vice versa. It will be performed as a glorious finale to a fictional dance that began that morning. 

Production Dates:

Auditions:

  • Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (6pm–10pm)
  • Bancroft Dance Studio (2401 Bancroft Way)

Rehearsals:

Performances:

  • May 1–4, 2025
  • Zellerbach Playhouse

About the Choreographers:

Philip Agyapong is a passionate dance educator and researcher from Ghana, currently based in California. He has a deep background in African dance, having studied various traditional forms from the Ga-Adangbe, Ewe, Fon, Akan, and Dagomba cultures of West Africa at the University of Ghana. Now teaching in tertiary institutions across the Bay Area, Philip specializes in African Neo-Traditional, African Popular, and Contemporary African dance, blending theory with practice. Performances with renowned groups like Diamano Coura West African Dance Company, West African Music and Dance Company, Yameci Dance Company and Afro-Urban Society further shape his rich experience.

SAMMAY Peñaflor Dizon(she/they/siya) is a TDPS alum and could not be more excited to return to her alma mater by way of BDP. A queer Filipinx American choreographer, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural producer from the City of Carson—she dances to the inevitability of duality and embodies a politic of refusal shaped by The Bay. Rooted in the fundamental knowing that dance connects the earth and ancestral realm, Dizon’s work has received support from the California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Family Foundation, and Rainin Foundation among others. They have been commissioned by ODC Theater, Dance Mission Theater, and Yerba Buena Gardens Festival among others. In 2020, they received an Izzie Award for Special Achievement in Dance alongside equity-driven BIPOC choreographer collective Dancing Around Race. This year, they were in residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts with mentoring artist Okwui Okpokwasili and Casa de Cultura SoMovimento with Body As A Crossroads in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Dizon is a proud 2024 recipient of the Gerbode Special Award in the Arts: Dance & Movement. She holds a BA in Media Studies and Sociology from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Choreographic Inquiry from UCLA. www.sammay.art

Leyya Mona Tawil [Lime Rickey International] is an artist working with sound, dance, and hybrid transmissions. Tawil is a Syrian, Palestinian, American engaged in the world as such. Her performance and social practice works have been commissioned throughout Europe, the Arab world, and the states. She is the founding director of Arab.AMP—a platform for experimental music, live art, and ideas from the SWANA diaspora and our allied communities. Tawil is on the curatorial team of the Arab American National Museum (Dearborn), Southern Exposure (SF), Daring Dances (Ann Arbor) and also directs TAC Temescal Art Center (Oakland).

Casting:

Dancers of all racial, ethnic, gender, sexuality, and dis/ability identities are encouraged to audition. All bodies and neuro-abilities are welcome.

  • Philip Agyapong will be looking for 10 students, preferably those with some prior dance background. The choreography will focus on exploring West African movement systems, drawing from traditional and contemporary styles.
  • SAMMAY Peñaflor Dizon is looking to work with at least 5 dancers—dependent on auditions—preferably trained in both modern/postmodern and diasporic forms. Dancers must be willing to try new things, take risks, and contribute to a culture of care. Strong freestyling/improvisation skills, and training in street dance/club styles (e.g. house) or other dances of the African diaspora a plus.
  • Leyya Mona Tawil will be looking for dancers who are willing to experiment with alternate ways of learning and doing and thinking about what we call "performance"—folks who are comfortable with choice-making in real time, and who carry humility. Dancers will need to be happy with floor work, awkward stillness, and power moves. Depending on who self-selects into that vortex, Leyya will be happy with as few as 5 and as many as 17 dancers, with a preference for an odd number. This is a lights 'n' tights kinda thing with no props and simple costumes. Original score (recorded).

Commitment:

Berkeley Dance Project is a considerable time commitment that requires 1–3 units of course credit (Theater 180) and evening/weekend rehearsals 2–4 times per week. Participants will be expected to be available for each rehearsal unless they have listed it as a conflict in advance.

Production Calendar Draft (CalNet login required)

Audition Details:

Prepared material is not necessary for the audition. Come ready to move fully, and showcase your performance skills and creativity. Dancers will be released from the audition once they have been seen by all of the choreographers. 

A link to audition sign-ups will be available here by January 7. 

Student-Directed Workshop: Top Girls (Act I)

Top Girls (Act I)

By Caryl Churchill

Directed by Olivia Freidenreich

Spring 2025 Theater Workshop

Production Dates:

Auditions:

  • Monday, January 27, 2025 (Time TBD)

Rehearsals:

  • February 3–24, 2025 (Monday–Friday, 6pm–9pm)
  • Tech: February 25–26, 2025 (6pm–11pm)

Performances:

  • February 27–28, 2025

About Workshops:

As performance laboratories, workshops provide opportunities for student directors, choreographers, and writers to develop ideas and put them into practice. Workshops focus on language and performance with minimal design/technical elements. The process consists of three weeks of rehearsals and two evenings of public performances.

About the Play:

Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls is an honest, brutal, and punchy work that questions the influence of capitalism on feminist ambitions. This workshop will produce Act I, which is a dynamic stand-alone scene wherein women from centuries past exchange stories at a dinner party. Their overlapping, witty dialogue unearths experiences from different cultures and time periods. In their discussion of motherhood, love, and independence, the women humorously spar, sharply contrast, and vulnerably connect with each other. In just one conversation, they offer a cacophony of perspectives on womanhood.

About the Director

Olivia Freidenreich (she/her) is thrilled to culminate her time at Cal by collaborating with fellow students on a TDPS workshop of Churchill’s brilliant Top Girls. Olivia has been the assistant director for two TDPS productions: Wintertime (dir. Chris Herold) and Everybody (dir. Susannah Martin). This year, she directed John Patrick Shanley’s Outside Mullingar (ANTI) and two operas for the Handel Opera Project: Antonio Caldara’s The Card Game and William Ludke’s Job. Her directorial debut was a Disney/Marvel Studios pilot production about Black Widow. In 2025 she will direct Mozart’s The Magic Flute. 

Characters:

  • Marlene: a fabulous, curious, and empathetic woman. A recently-promoted marketing executive of “Top Girls” employment agency and host of the dinner party. Social, lively, and ambitious.
  • Isabella Bird (1831–1904): an adventurous, hard-working woman who, on the recommendation of her doctor, traveled extensively for thirty years of her life. A devoted sister. Fierce, sharp, and worldly.
  • Lady Nijo (born 1258): an Emperor’s courtesan, later a Buddhist nun who wandered on foot every day for twenty years. Optimistic, determined, and elegant.
  • Dull Gret: a brusque, courageous, and quietly powerful woman. She’s the subject of Bruegel’s 1563 painting Dulle Griet, which depicts her leading an army of women fighting their way through hell. Coarse and droll.
  • Pope Joan: a studious, compassionate woman who is fascinated by philosophy and theology. While disguised as a man, she is believed to have been Pope from 855 to 857. Was an infant prodigy who devoted her life to learning.
  • Patient Griselda: a romantic, sincere, dedicated woman from European folklore. A doting wife as described in Chaucer’s “The Clerk’s Tale” of The Canterbury Tales. Warm and graceful.
  • Waitress: a dutiful server at the restaurant. A non-speaking role.

Commitment:

TDPS Workshops require 1–2 units of course credit (Theater 171) and rehearsals for 3 1/2 weeks (generally Monday–Friday, 6pm–9pm). Participants will be expected to be available for each rehearsal unless they have listed it as a conflict on their audition form.

A full production calendar will be posted here before audition sign-ups open in January.

Audition Details:

Audition details will be available here by December 2024. 

A link to audition sign-ups will be available here by January 7. 

Student-Directed Workshop: Stop Kiss

Stop Kiss

By Diana Son

Directed by Kira Wefers

Spring 2025 Theater Workshop

Production Dates:

Auditions:

  • Monday, January 27, 2025 (Time TBD)

Rehearsals:

  • March 10 – April 7, 2025 (Monday–Friday, 6pm–9pm)
  • Tech: April 8–9, 2025 (6pm–11pm)

Performances:

  • April 10–11, 2025

About Workshops:

As performance laboratories, workshops provide opportunities for student directors, choreographers, and writers to develop ideas and put them into practice. Workshops focus on language and performance with minimal design/technical elements. The process consists of three weeks of rehearsals and two evenings of public performances.

About the Play:

This nonlinear play follows Callie and Sara, two women who develop romantic feelings for one another. When the two women are subjected to a lesbophobic attack, the pair face numerous structures of violence, interrogation, and identification. In conjunction with the director’s Honors Precis, this production will interrogate the perpetrating function of the memorialization of this fictional anti-lesbian violence, and explore how to “queer” this complex “lesbian” narrative and reimagine it for a queer audience without simply re-presenting an oppressive and violent reality on stage. 

About the Director:

Kira Wefers (she/they) is a director, choreographer, and filmmaker working on her Honors Project in Directing in the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Department here at UC Berkeley. In addition to her directorial studies, they have worked on numerous shows with the student-run theater group BareStage Productions, including Spring Awakening (Director/Choreographer), Cabaret (Choreographer), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Director). They are passionate about blending narrative with experimental theater using collaborative theater practices, and are most excited to continue the journey of discovery their research has begun throughout the theater-making process.

Commitment:

TDPS Workshops require 1–2 units of course credit (Theater 171) and rehearsals for 3 1/2 weeks (generally Monday–Friday, 6pm–9pm). Participants will be expected to be available for each rehearsal unless they have listed it as a conflict on their audition form.

A full production calendar will be posted here before audition sign-ups open in January.

Audition Details:

Audition and casting details will be available here by December 2024. 

A link to audition sign-ups will be available here by January 7. 

Production Labs & Run Crew

Participating in TDPS productions in a technical capacity generally requires completion of Theater 60: Introduction to Technical Theater and Production. Following the introductory course, additional work may be pursued in Theater 167, 168, and 169. See below for enrollment instructions. Additional information about production and design courses is available here.

Course Information & Enrollment Instructions

THEATER 167, 168, 169

Theater 168: Technical Theater Shop Practice

Students can enroll directly into Theater 168 via the enrollment system.

Pre-requisite/Co-requisite:

Successful completion of, or concurrent enrollment in Theater 60: Introduction to Technical Theater and Production is required.  Transfer students who received waivers for Theater 60 may need to receive permission numbers to enroll.  If you are unable to enroll, please contact Jamila Cobham, Production Manager, for enrollment assistance: jamilacobham@berkeley.edu

Five lab options will be offered in Spring 2025:

In the enrollment system, search for Theater 168 and select one of the labs listed below based on your availability and interest. Labs begin during the week of September 16th, 2024.  

Scenery Labs:

  • Lab 1 - Scenery Lab - Mondays and Wednesdays - 2-5pm
  • Lab 2 - Scenery Lab - Tuesdays and Thursdays - 2-5pm
  • Lab Instructor: Robin Maegawa

Lighting Labs:

  • Lab 3 - Lighting Lab - Wednesdays and Fridays - 2-5pm
  • Lab 4 -  Lighting Lab - Tuesdays and Thursdays -  2-5pm
  • Lab Instructor: Dio Ramirez

Costume Labs:

  • Lab 5 - Costume Lab - Mondays and Wednesdays - 2-5pm
  • Lab Instructor: Denise Umland

Please direct questions to Jamila Cobham, Production Manager, jamilacobham@berkeley.edu

Theater 167: Technical Theater Run Crew and Theater 169: Technical Theater Advanced Practice

Theater 167 and 169 are not listed in the class schedule because they require an individual course number for enrollment. Lab preferences must be submitted in the semester prior to intended enrollment to get onto the course list. Seats may be available at the beginning of the semester for those not on the list, though it is not guaranteed. It is imperative that you read and understand the syllabus and schedule for your intended course. See below for details and links.

Please direct questions to Jamila Cobham, Production Manager, jamilacobham@berkeley.edu

Preference Submission for Theater 167 

Prior to submitting your preference form, please read the syllabus and production schedules linked below under Forms and Schedules.

  • Completion of this preference form will place you onto the waitlist in the order received.
  • Submission of preferences for a course does not guarantee enrollment; seats are limited in each semester.
  • Your submission will be confirmed via an email from the Production Manager. In the email you will receive an individual course permission number for enrollment and your lab assignment.
  • If additional information is required after submitting your preference form, you may be asked to meet with the Production Manager.

Preference Submission for Theater 169

Schedules and shop assignments should be arranged with the lab instructor before completing the preference form. Please email the relevant lab instructors below. 

Once your advanced Technical Theater assignment is approved, please complete the preference form. Once completed, your assignment will be confirmed via an email from the Production Manager. In the email you will receive an individual course number for enrollment. 

Forms & Schedules

CalNet login is required to view the files below:

Student Rehearsal Space

Regretfully, due to limitations of both staffing and space availability, we cannot make any of our spaces available to student groups or individuals not currently enrolled in TDPS courses.

Requirements for TDPS Studio Use:

  • Anyone currently enrolled in a TDPS class may use Zellerbach Rooms 7, 170, 133, 135, and 413 for course-related work only.
  • Dwinelle B30 is only available for students currently enrolled in classes in Durham Studio Theater. B30 should only be used for course-related work.
  • ALL Students must reserve/book each space in advance via Skedda. Students are not allowed to use a TDPS space without a reservation. Failure to comply with this rule will result in loss of privileges and other disciplinary actions as warranted.
  • Studio spaces are only available for student bookings Mondays through Fridays from 9am - 8:30pm. 
  • Book a maximum of 1 hour per use to ensure fellow students have access.
  • Abide by all posted Space Use PoliciesFailure to abide by these policies will result in loss of privileges and other disciplinary actions as warranted.
  • Please do not consume food or beverage inside the studios.
  • Students using studios in Zellerbach must check in with the Stage Door attendant and show their Cal ID upon arrival, and check out with the attendant when finished using the space.

Book Studio Spaces at tdps.skedda.com

  • ALL Students must reserve/book each space in advance via Skedda. Students are not allowed to use a TDPS space without a reservation. Failure to comply with this rule will result in loss of privileges and other disciplinary actions as warranted.
  • Studio spaces are only available for student bookings Mondays through Fridays from 9am - 8:30pm.  
  • First time using Skedda? Register an account.
  • Please use your berkeley.edu account to sign up and not personal email accounts.
  • Only students currently enrolled in a TDPS course may register. Skedda bookings will be audited against class rosters. You must include your TDPS Course number, reason for your booking and the full names of any additional attendees.
  • Students may book available spaces up to seven days in advance.
  • You will be asked to check in via email or the Skedda app to confirm your use of the space. This check in is available starting one hour before your booking. If you do not check in within 30 minutes of your booking's start time, your booking will be automatically removed and you will need to create a new booking.