Brittany Bara has been named theatre director at Southern Arkansas University, said Dr. Helmut Langerbein, dean of the College of Liberal and Performing Arts.
“I’ve rarely seen that search committees, administrators, and students unanimously agree on one candidate as their top choice as it has been the case with Brittany,” Langerbein said. “We look forward to her bringing her talents, experiences, and ideas to SAU and Magnolia.” She will start in the fall.
“I have a diverse theatrical background,” Bara said. “While primarily a performer, I have also worked as a teacher, coach, director, and behind the scenes as a General/Company manager. I am excited to put all the many facets of my professional knowledge into to the Theatre program at SAU – to ensure that the students get the rigorous training a BFA degree requires and our field demands, while building the SAU name and reputation within the Arkansas theatre community and beyond. As the Director of Theatre, I am committed to creating an active learning environment, fostering rich, meaningful work that enriches the lives of students and the community.”
Bara taught acting, directing, voice and movement, and musical theatre performance at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her MFA in Performance Pedagogy at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Bara also served as a teaching assistant at Carnegie Mellon University.
As an actor, she has performed in such theatre productions as Into the Woods, Les Miserables, The Full Monte, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Always, Patsy Cline. She has also worked and interned as a house manager, general manager, and in marketing, and participated in conference presentations, lectures and workshops around the country.
This year’s theatre schedule includes Next to Normal, Sept. 27-Oct. 7, 2018; Antigone, Nov. 8-17, 2018: Unexpected Tenderness, Feb. 14-23, 2019, and Sister Act, April 11-20, 2019. Tickets can be purchased at the door, online at www.showtix4u.com, or by calling (870) 235-4263.
SAU offers a BFA in Theatre and a BFA in Musical Theatre, established in 2015. SAU Theatre also offers students travel experiences, such as trips to New York City and to Broadway. Find out more about SAU’s Performing Arts and Theatre department, visit https://web.saumag.edu/theatre/.
