Tulane Department of Theatre & Dance

Tulane Department of Theatre & Dance News from Tulane's Department of Theatre and Dance!

✨Faculty Summer Spotlight: Professor Jenny Mercein✨Professor Mercein's summer started in New york City, directing "This ...
09/25/2026

✨Faculty Summer Spotlight: Professor Jenny Mercein✨

Professor Mercein's summer started in New york City, directing "This is Not Hansel & Gretel," written and performed by Christian Hege, in a sold-out three-show run at 59E59's East to Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Tulane student, Allie Smail, SLA '28, joined Professor Mercein in NYC serving as production assistant.

From there, the show crossed the Atlantic, landing at the legendary Edinburgh Fringe Festival. "This is Not Hansel & Gretel" was staged in the historic Banshee Labyrinth Theatre, a venue, widely known as Scotland's most haunted pub since the 1780s.

In August, Professor Mercein attended the National Sexual Assault Conference in Washington DC with Tulane Theatre & Dance alum Miranda Jo Kramer '21, and current Tulane SLA student Zoraya Rodríguez-Mowzoun '27. At the conference she co-presented an interactive workshop "Creating a Culture of Consent: A Workshop Inspired by 'Roleplay,'" with Miranda Jo Kramer.

This fall, catch her back in action: Professor Mercein is directing "Hurricane Diane", for the Department of Theatre & Dance mainstage production, this October. And catch a special film screening of Roleplay (2024, dir. Katie Mathews) on Tuesday, October 6th.

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Gabrielle spent the season as assistant stage manager for "Chicago" and "A Little Night Music" with Summer Lyric Theatre...
09/18/2026

Gabrielle spent the season as assistant stage manager for "Chicago" and "A Little Night Music" with Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane, running two productions while also maintaining her duties with the Tulane Marching Band. In her words: "Summer Lyric is something people wait all year for. I am so happy I could play an integral part in bringing two of the shows to life."

The wins were the ones only a stage manager would name: customized binders, and creating better paperwork templates. She got genuinely close to people she'd been passing in Dixon and McWilliams all year — the kind of thing that only happens when you're deep in a process together.

Another big highlight was making it back to town in time for Michael Batt's birthday, a day dedicated to honoring Tulane's patron saint of stagehands and stray cats.

The bigger shift was internal. Before this summer, Gabrielle wasn't sure stage management was the path she wanted. Now? "I love stage management more than ever and can't believe I questioned myself."

Up next, she's swapping the headset for the stage — Gabrielle is playing Diane in Hurricane Diane. You'll usually find her in the wings, so don't miss this one.

✨Faculty Summer Spotlight: Professor Sherrice Mojgani✨While on summer break, Professor Sherrice Mojgani was lighting som...
09/16/2026

✨Faculty Summer Spotlight: Professor Sherrice Mojgani✨

While on summer break, Professor Sherrice Mojgani was lighting some of the country's most exciting new work.

She designed lighting for the West Coast premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's "Purpose" at La Jolla Playhouse, then headed to Pittsburgh for CMU's ColLABo Workshop, developing a brand-new song cycle from the ground up.

On "Purpose", her favorite part of the process doubled as its biggest challenge: working closely with the director, stage manager, and lead actor to make sure the show's soliloquies landed seamlessly inside the larger production. The results didn't go unnoticed — the UCSD Guardian singled out her lighting designs for tracking the emotional pulse of the play scene by scene.

"Overhead, the family is illuminated by Sherrice Mojgani’s intimate lighting designs, which turn on and off in tune with the story’s emotional beats. As the family’s arguments get more and more intense, the chandeliers get brighter and brighter; as Naz breaks off to ruminate on his asexuality, he is lit solely by a pink spotlight that washes everything else out"
Tara Vatandoust UCSD Guardian, A&E Editor

This is the kind of work our students learn from every day — faculty who are actively designing, developing, and shaping new work on professional stages, then bringing that experience straight back into the classroom.

Up next for Professor Mojgani: the upcoming production of "The Carlisle Project" at Arts Emerson this May.

✨Student Summer Spotlight: Eliza Mullins✨Eliza's summer started in Lexington, KY — in the room where a brand-new musical...
09/14/2026

✨Student Summer Spotlight: Eliza Mullins✨

Eliza's summer started in Lexington, KY — in the room where a brand-new musical was born. Working with playwright Cavan Hendron and the creative team, she helped develop "Borden" from the ground up as Bridget, and got a rare look at what it takes to build a show before an audience ever sees it.

From there, she joined the ensemble of "Les Misérables" with , where each night, the cast would bring the house down singing One Day More; one of the most powerful and memorable moments of Eliza's summer.

She then brought it all home to New Orleans, performing as Fredrika Armfeldt in Summer Lyric Theatre's A Little Night Music.

Eliza credits Dr. Waringer with encouraging her to audition for "A Little Night Music" and helping her craft her Les Mis audition — the kind of mentorship that turns a student into a working artist. Her favorite moment of the summer? Singing "One Day More" every single night.

The experience only made her hungrier: Eliza's already signing up for theatre conferences to start auditioning for next summer.

First, though, she's staying close to home — Eliza is directing Tulane Performing Arts Society's "The Addams Family," running October 22–25 in the Lab Theatre. Tickets link in bio — come support her next chapter.

Plus, in June 2027, she'll play Olive Ostrovsky in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Le Petit Théâtre.

Quoting her friends at The Lexington Theatre Company: "Musicals make life better." 💛

Join us as we welcome Réunion Island-based theater company Tilawcis, sharing their latest work, Flamboyants!, at Tulane'...
09/03/2026

Join us as we welcome Réunion Island-based theater company Tilawcis, sharing their latest work, Flamboyants!, at Tulane's Dixon Hall Auditorium!

This work of documentary theater with music explores the remarkable intersections of Creole culture and identity between the geographically distant communities of Réunion Island, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico through music, storytelling, and gorgeous projections.

Five languages are spoken on stage, and nearly a dozen instruments are played, fusing maloya, bomba, and Mardi Gras Indians songs. The piece explores themes of memory, identity, resilience, connection, and cultural transmission through the prism of the Creole experience. It shines a light on the richness of Creole cultures and their capacity to overcome historical oppression.

TICKETS AVAILABLE through Alliance Française of New Orleans and is FREE for Tulane students showing their Splash Card.

What a great way to kick off the 2026-27 academic year!! Thank you to all our new and returning Department of Theatre & ...
08/25/2026

What a great way to kick off the 2026-27 academic year!! Thank you to all our new and returning Department of Theatre & Dance students who joined us at our Welcome (Back) celebration. We're looking forward to a year filled with creativity, collaboration, dancing, acting, directing, designing, and so much more.

ANNOUNCING THE TULANE THEATRE & DANCE 2026-27 SEASON From mythic comedy and small-town romance to groundbreaking origina...
08/24/2026

ANNOUNCING THE TULANE THEATRE & DANCE 2026-27 SEASON
From mythic comedy and small-town romance to groundbreaking original dance works and a beloved Broadway musical, our 2026-27 season celebrates unforgettable stories, bold artistry, and the next generation of performers and creators.
Performances take place across Tulane's stages, including the Lupin Theatre, McWilliams 300, The Lab Theatre, The Deming Pavilion, and Dixon Hall.

https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/theatre-dance/performances

This Friday, at 3:30 PM, join the faculty and staff of the Department of Theatre & Dance for a mix and mingle to kick-of...
08/19/2026

This Friday, at 3:30 PM, join the faculty and staff of the Department of Theatre & Dance for a mix and mingle to kick-off another superlative year of theatre and dance at Tulane!

Friday, August 21st
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Lab Theatre, McWilliams Hall

There will be snacks, chats, and a chance to reconnect with this tremendous community of artists. Hope to see you there!

We're closing TODAY!!! We've had an incredible run this week of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind! (Last night, we ...
04/26/2026

We're closing TODAY!!! We've had an incredible run this week of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind! (Last night, we beat the timer!) Please join us for one last show today at 2 pm. Admission is FREE! 104 McWilliams Hall.

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70 Newcomb Circle
New Orleans, LA
70118

Opening Hours

Monday 10:30am - 4:30am
Tuesday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 10:30am - 4:30pm

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