This spring, the Department of Visual and Performing Arts welcomed two guest speakers to their classes for various workshops and discussions. Read below to learn more about our wonderful visitors: Amanda O’Donnell and Katie Pustizzi!
Amanda O’Donnell:
O’Donnell received her BA in English and Theatre from the College of Wooster and her MFA in Theatre Education from Emerson College. She travels around New England to perform, write, and teach. Some past stage appearances include Pride and Prejudice (Charlotte), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), and Twelfth Night (Viola).
Arriving at Merrimack on February 16th, she taught students in the Theatre Arts program a stage combat course on the Rogers Center stage. Going over the basic techniques and fundamentals of safety for executing violence on stage, her 2-hour hands-on workshop was a hit among students.
For more information on Amanda, please visit her website.
Katie Pustizzi:
Pustizzi is an Interdisciplinary Movement Artist, mainly traveling in the greater Boston area and performing since 2012. She explains herself as interested in the “international exchange [of dance] as a form of artistic research and connection,” traveling internationally with various dance companies to explore this research interest. Her artistic dance intersects with social justice themes as she believes in using Art Activism.
On April 22nd, she visited VPA, and the greater College community of students, with back-to-back events focusing on her video project: Liquid Spine. Describing it as a “global dance series that explores the interconnectedness of our water systems through ecology and conservation.” There was a film screening, as well as a lecture and Q&A afterwards. The second half of her visit included a dance masterclass, in which she taught students the basics of dance, movement, and more.
For more information on Katie, please visit her website.
