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West Virginia University at Parkersburg |
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NEWS |
West Virginia University at Parkersburg |
Spanish theatre expert to visit WVU Parkersburg this summer.
CONTACT: Dr. Nancy Nanney, chair of the Humanities
Division, 304-424-8361.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Spanish theatre expert will visit West Virginia University at Parkersburg this summer as a special consultant to a foreign language theatre project.
The college's Humanities Division has received a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council for a two-week residency by Dr. Francisco Cabello, associate professor of Spanish at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. He will serve as a special consultant to the division's Spanish Theatre Project.
The project is timed to coincide with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ dedication of 2005 as the Year of Languages. The project aims to help participants increase their fluency in Spanish, as well as develop a deeper appreciation for Spanish culture and, in particular, the historical forces that have helped to shape Spanish drama, noted Dr. Nancy Nanney, chair of the college's Humanities Division.
Originally from Spain, Dr. Cabello earned his master's degree in
English at Claremont Graduate University in California and his doctorate in
Spanish from the University of California at Davis. At Concordia College,
he teaches language, literature and drama courses in the Department of Spanish.
His students at Concordia regularly stage Spanish language plays as part of
their ongoing study of the culture, history, philosophy, and dramatic literature
of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Cabello was involved in the independent theatre movement in Spain and subsequently staged Spanish language dramas at universities in California, Texas, and Oregon. He has also researched and published articles on renowned Spanish dramatists.
He will assist with WVU Parkersburg's Seminar in Spanish (SPAN 295) which is being taught by Gusta Arrington during the college’s first four-week summer session. The class will meet from 6-8:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday, beginning June 6. The course will be taught in Spanish as an immersion experience. Enrollment is open to anyone who has had at least two semesters of Spanish. Those who speak Spanish as a native language or who have otherwise learned to communicate in the language are also welcome to enroll. Students will study Spanish culture, language, dramatic literature and theatre history and will produce a one-act play for the stage.
Dr. Cabello will help the seminar participants interpret and prepare for their roles. A free public performance of the play will take place on June 30th. Visual aids will be provided for non-Spanish-speaking audience members so they can follow the stage action. This is the first time that the college's Humanities Division will stage a play in a foreign language for a public audience. The division hopes to encourage the study of foreign languages in the community.
To further advance interest in Spanish theatre, Dr. Cabello will deliver a free public lecture, "Theatre of the 1990s in Spain: A Cultural and Historical Retrospective," at 7 p.m., June 14th, in the College Theatre, Room 1305. A reception will follow his presentation.
Further information about the Spanish Theatre Seminar is available by contacting Randy Oldaker, Foreign Language Department coordinator, at 424-8246; Dr. Nanney, at (304) 424-8361 or Carol St. Peter, Humanities secretary at 424-8301.
cd050305
For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Communications/Public Relations
(304-424-8203)
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