Wilkinson undergraduates discuss their involvement with the Shiwilu Project

Check out this video of Chapman undergraduate students discussing their involvement with the Shiwilu Project, specifically in the elaboration of a trilingual (Shiwilu-Spanish-English) dictionary.

As part of the SPAN 396 course (Fall 2010), taught by Dr. Pilar Valenzuela, Associate Professor of Department of Languages, students worked on Spanish and English versions and learned about linguistic diversity, differences in worldview and culture, and habitat. They also improved their knowledge of Spanish, which included learning vocabulary from the Spanish dialect spoken in the Peruvian Amazon.

The video was created by Paulina Bryant (Spanish and Film major).

Students learned that, "Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair"

Waltmar Theatre was overrun with murder, revenge, chains, and bloody cries as Chapman University’s Theatre Department hosted Shakespeare’s Macbeth this past weekend. Directed by Thomas Bradac, this production showcased the theatre department’s students’ talents.

This production of Macbeth is set in “Scotland, somewhere in the near future.” The empty theatre set alone gave me chills as I took my seat. A metal framework laced with long chains created dark crevices and multiple levels on the stage. The set itself just looked tortured.
Every inch of that framework was used throughout the play.

The first scene of the play set the mood for the rest of the play for me and fellow theater goers. An audience member said: “I love[d] the opening, and after that,
I was intrigued and wanted more.”

The dark and enticingly tragic atmosphere was accompanied by a captive audience. You could hear the collective audience gasps at points of intrigue during the play.
A definite attempt to modernize the “weird sisters” was not lost to me. The wardrobe and makeup gave the sisters a beautiful and repulsive side, literally. Perhaps inherent in our modern concept of evil, the sisters were adorned with tattered glittery garb and make up that gave half their face a youthful expression and the other half a haggard, time worn appearance. The sisters played by, Malia Wright, Katie Gunderson, and Nicole Javier were exceptional and really became a strong thread throughout the play.

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, played by Chris Voss and Kelly Rogers, respectively, was fascinating. I really felt their mutual passionate attraction and repulsion. An audience member remarked that they loved Lady Macbeth: “everything from her acting style to her look was intriguing...Very powerful!”

A fantastic turn out for the opening weekend bodes well for this production of Macbeth. With such incredible talent I look forward to the theatre department’s next production: Picasso at the Lapin Agile March 17-19, 24-26.

For more information about Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts visit www.chapman.edu/copa.
For tickets to future productions call 714-997-6519 or email CoPA@chapman.edu.

Wilkinson College STUDENT NEWS: Art Students in Italy for January Class

Liliana Leopardi and Eric Chimenti took their art students on a travel course to Italy called, Rethinking Renaissance Visual Culture.

They studied in Florence, Sienna, Venice and Rome.

Check out their blog for beautiful photos from all over Italy and read about what they and learned.

Wilkinson's Art Department!