University of Miami Theatre

#UMiamiMT Alumni News: Congratulations to Maddy Wenig (BFA ‘24) who is starring as Regina George in Mean Girls at the Barbary Stage in San Francisco through May 30th! #GoCanesTheatre #AllAboutTheU

Closing out our 2026 Senior Spotlight series, we have Brek Dodson! #UMiamiTHA #GoCanesTheatre Hometown: Durham, NC UM THA Credits: New Brain (Lighting Electrician), Three Musketeers (Lighting Electrician), The Rover (Assistant Master Electrician/Light Board Op), Lucky Stiff (Master Electrician/Light Board Op), The Importance of Being Earnest (Master Electrician), The ThreePenny Opera (Assistant Lighting Designer), The Wolves (Assistant Master Electrician), Urinetown (Assistant Master Electrician), The Laramie Project (Assistant Master Electrician), Failure: A Love Story (Lighting Designer), Head Over Heels (Assistant Master Electrician), Almost, Maine (Lighting Designer), New Box, New Musicals (Lighting Designer), Seussical (Assistant Master Electrician), 12 Angry Jurors (Assistant Master Electrician), Titanic The Musical (Assistant Lighting Designer), Twelfth Night (Assistant Master Electrician), Young Frankenstein (Lighting Designer) Favorite BFA Memory: My apartment being the designated hang out spot has created so many happy memories. From planning birthdays (there are still balloons in my bathroom) to teaching people how to make brownies on a shared day off, or having everyone over after an opening night, I’m so incredibly lucky to have made so many friends here and to have a place we can all gather for shared moments of joy. Advice You Would Give to Your Freshman Self: Take it slow once and a while-you don’t have to do everything all at once!

#UMiamiMT Alumni News: Congratulations to Max Ilan (BFA ‘25) who is currently playing Aaron in The Prince of Egypt at the Argyle Theatre! #GoCanesTheatre #AllAboutTheU

Today’s very special Senior Spotlight features Mary Arledge! #UMiamiTHA #GoCanesTheatre Hometown: Jacksonville, FL UM THA Credits: Often recognized as the friendly face welcoming family and friends at the Jerry Herman Theatre, and my time here has given me the chance to be involved in so many aspects of production. I’ve served as Assistant Stage Manager (Rover), contributed to marketing for all productions over three semesters, and worked as Assistant Production Manager for two. Studying abroad in London broadened my understanding of theatre culture, and I’ve completed internships at the Adrienne Arsht Center and, most recently, Broadway Across America. Throughout my time in and outside the department, I’ve been able to try a little bit of everything and explore all the different sides of theatre. Favorite BFA Memory: My favorite UM Theatre memory has definitely been the Big/Little tradition. From being a Little and meeting my twin, Jordan, to watching our family grow, it’s been so special—and has made my time here truly meaningful. Advice You Would Give to Your Freshman Self: Embrace the unknown. Don’t spend so much time worrying about how things are supposed to go. Some of the most meaningful opportunities come from the unknown. It may feel intimidating at first, but those are the moments where the most growth happens.

Our final BFA MT Senior Spotlight features Macey Jurado! #UMiamiMT #GoCanesTheatre Hometown: Temple, Georgia UM THA Credits: Young Frankenstein(Inga), Titanic The Musical(Murdoch), Seussical(Mrs.Mayor), The Laramie Project(Amanda, Eileen, Lucy, Marge, Sherry A), Urinetown(Old Ma Strong), The Threepenny Opera(Ensemble) Favorite BFA Memory: It would be too hard to pick one favorite memory. All I can say is how grateful I am for everyone that was placed in my path. I cannot fathom all the events that had to occur that I would be in this place, in this moment, with all these amazing people. Biggest shoutout to my class who has made me laugh harder than I could have possibly imagined. Advice You Would Give to Your Freshman Self: Just say yes. Soak up every bit of information, opportunity, and time you have with the people around you. You’ll blink and you’ll be a senior.

Senior Gabby Parker is preparing to graduate with a BFA in musical theatre and a bachelor of arts in political science at the end of this semester. Her journey from childhood joy of holding concerts at home blossomed into pursuing theatre professionally, alongside an interest in government and public affairs. Read more about her path to graduation at the College of Arts and Sciences at the CAS News link in our bio!

This month, I had the opportunity to cover Young Frankenstein: The Musical at the University of Miami was such a fun way to see how much creativity and collaboration goes into a production like this. From rehearsals to live interviews, I got to go behind the scenes and see how more than 70 students worked together to turn this classic Mel Brooks comedy into a full-scale production—balancing performance, design, creativity, and a whole lot of chaos along the way. I also had the chance to speak live with one of the student actors @rodzguez about what it takes to step into the role of Frankenstein’s Monster and why this story still connects with audiences today. Between the comedy, the costumes, and the larger themes of identity and creation, this production was packed with personality—and so much talent. I’m honored to tell stories like this and highlight the incredible work happening at the UM Theatre Arts Department. #um #YoungFrankenstein #UMTV #UniversityOfMiami

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at the @jerryhermantheatre closes today. Tickets in @jerryhermantheatre bio. • Photographer: Alex Hooper • Director: Nicholas Richberg Associate Director: Jeni Hacker Choreographer: Christine Mazeppa Fight Director: Burton Tedesco Scenic Designer: Brandon M. Newton Assistant Scenic Designer: Alex Hooper Costume Designer: Marissa Wiles Co-Lighting Designer: Brek Dodson Co-Lighting Designer: Genny Wynn Sound Designer: Richard Reed

Did you hear?? Only 2 more performances of Young Frankenstein! 👀 See this hilarious, monstrously funny musical before it closes! 🧌 Saturday, April 25th. 2PM & 8PM 🎟 Tickets in bio #YoungFrankenstein #MiamiTheatre #MiamiArts #SupportTheArts #ThingsToDoMiami

In honor of Earth Day, here are some photos from our #UMiamiTHA traditional of Voice and Speech on The Beach! This annual Friday Lab is led by department chair and professor Jennifer Burke. We are so grateful to be able to do what we love on the beautiful beaches of Miami! #GoCanesTheatre #AllAboutTheU

Today’s Senior Spotlight features Ben Pollak! #UMiamiTHA #GoCanesTheatre Hometown: Brewster, NY UM THA Credits: Urinetown - Robby The Stockfish, Head Over Heels - Assistant Scenic Designer, Seussical- The Grinch, 12 Angry Jurors- Juror #6, Young Frankenstein - Ensemble Favorite UM THA Memory: My favorite memories, without a doubt, have been all the little things with the people I love. The “family dinners”, the board game nights, the jam sessions and the laughs shared. Before college, I was so terrified I wouldn’t find my people so far from the only home I’d ever known. The relationships I’ve made here and the way they’ve forever changed me has been such a profound blessing. Their support and love is my foundation that keeps me standing strong. It’s genuinely mind-boggling how quickly that time went, and the impact those little moments will have on me for the rest of my life. I am so grateful to graduate from UM with my chosen family by my side. Advice You Would Give to Your Freshman Self: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. There is so much possibility and excitement just waiting out there for you to find it. Also, this may be shocking to you, but YOU DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING! Learn! Learn from your faculty, learn from your peers, and learn from your own mistakes. and ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!

#UMiamiMT News: This Friday, we celebrated World Voice Day with a performance from some of our amazing junior BFA students! Thank you to @frostschoolum for welcoming our department to this amazing event. #GoCanesTheatre #AllAboutTheU Song: “Open The Door” from Bernarda Alba — Michael John LaChiusa Choreographed by: Isabella Litani Abouzeid Performers: Isabella Litani Abouzeid @isabella.litani.abouzeid Ellis Kennedy Smith @elliskennedysmith Kate Pawlowski @katepawlowskiii Jessi Ryan Kaplan @jessiryankap Valerie Golobic @valeriegolobic Gianna Dicks @gianna.dks Noa Harris @noa.harr1s Accompanied by: N.David Williams #worldvoiceday #musicaltheater