you are here: macalester news > sourcebook

Drama and Dance

Beth Cleary

Women in Theater/Puppetry

Cleary is chair of the Dramatic Arts and Dance Department. She teaches feminist theater. She is currently researching African American performance under the 1930s Federal Theater Project and is co-authoring a book on the Buffalo Historical Marionettes of the WPA. She is also writing a book on playwright Naomi Wallace. In addition, she has writen on political performance from the 1960s and feminist dance performance dealing with incarceration. Cleary has worked with and studied the internationally known Peter Schummann and The Bread and Puppet Theater of Vermont. She is an authority on puppetry and poststructuralist theories of the body in performance.

Sears A. Eldredge

Drama/Masks/Asian Theater

Eldredge is conducting extensive research on World War II prison camps in Thailand and the theatre produced by POWs in the camps. As a result of his research, Eldredge recently wrote and produced the play, Return to Kanburi, based on the reconciliation between a British POW and his Japanese translator during World War II. He teaches a course on traditional and modern theatres of India, China and Japan. He has also written a book on mask improvisation techniques for actor training and performance called Mask: The Compelling Image.

Becky Heist

Dance/Choreography

Heist is the director of Macalester's Dance Program. Her graduate studies included work in theory and experiential learning with an emphasis in choreography and performance. As a Twin Cities choreographer and dancer for more than a decade, Heist's experience includes modern dance, musical theater and opera.

Daniel Keyser

Set Design

Keyser is the resident designer for the Macalester theater. He has researched the use of computers to assist in lighting and set design. In addition, he has designed sets for several Twin Cities' professional companies including Theatre in the Round and Theatre Mu.

Dale Ricardo Shields

Acting /African American Theatre History

Shields teaches courses in acting training, African American theatre and directing. A professional director, stage manager and actor, Shields has worked on-and -off Broadway at theatres such as The Joseph Papp Public Theatre, The Actors Studio, The New Federal Theatre and the Negro Ensemble Company. He has performed in numerous television programs and films.