The University of South Dakota

Our faculty maintains a commitment to excellence in education, research, and service, and to exploring new techniques and practices in the discipline. In the classroom, professors seek to individualize instruction and to maintain a close mentoring relationship with each student.

Timothy Case  Professor of Theatre  Coordinator, B.F.A., M.F.A. Design/Technology   Scene Designer & Scene Painter  605-677-5375  M.F.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1982 Home Page

Professor Tim Case has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1987. He coordinates the B.F.A. and M.F.A. design programs and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in scenic design, rendering, scene painting, and portfolio prep. Tim also teaches film appreciation and a variety of RDTN Telecourses through Continuing Education and is a recipient of the Belbas Larson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Professor Case, who frequently designs for the Black Rep of St. Louis, the Black Hills Playhouse, and other theatres in the area, has received a number of commendations from the American College Theatre Festival for his scenic designs at      The U.

Anthony Pellecchia Interim Assistant Professor of Theatre Light and Sound Design 605-677-5743 M.F.A., The Ohio State University

Anthony Pellechia, interim assistant professor of lighting and sound design, is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned an M.F.A. in design.

Patricia Downey Assistant Professor of Theatre Dance/Choreography, Director of Musical Theatre 605-677-6495 Ph.D. (ABD), University of Missouri, Columbia, 2007

Professor Patricia Downey joined The U Theatre faculty in 2007. She has earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a specialization in Theatre and Speech from Missouri Western State University, a master's in Theatre from Central Missouri State University, and a master's in dance from The Ohio State University. Currently, she is ABD from the University of Missouri-Columbia where she completed her course work for Ph.D. in Theatre. Her area of expertise is movement and dance. She has choreographed over 50 musicals in a variety of regional theatres and academic institutions throughout the Midwest. She teaches the musical theatre dance curriculum at USD as well as choreographing departmental productions. Her research interests are in the area of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Her professional affiliations include the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC), Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME), and the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD).  Professor Downey is a certified instructor of Stott Pilates.

Nanette Hofer Interim Assistant Professor of Theatre Voice and Acting for Musical Theatre M.F.A. and M.M., The University of South Dakota

Nanette Hofer, interim assistant professor of theatre, is a recent graduate of The University of South Dakota, where she earned a Master's in Music with a specialty in vocal performance and an M.F.A. in Theatre with a specialization in directing.

Eric Hagen  Chair and Professor of Theatre  Coordinator, M.F.A. Directing Specialization   605-677-5736 Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1988 Home Page

Professor Eric Hagen has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1987 as coordinator of the M.F.A. directing specialization. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in directing, stage combat, and stage management. Eric also serves the department as chair and  managing producer of University Theatre. His research interests include Viewpoints Theory and Tai Chi, both of which he applies to the training of the actor and director. He has produced and directed productions in New York and Minneapolis, and directs regularly for University Theatre. He regularly conducts combat workshops and serves as fight director for colleges and theatres in the area.

Priscilla Hagen  Professor of Theatre  Coordinator, B.F.A. Acting Specialization   Acting, Voice, Dialects  605-677-5734  M.F.A., University of Minnesota, 1981 Home Page

Professor Priscilla Hagen has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1987 as coordinator of the B.F.A. Theatre, Acting specialization. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in acting, audition technique, and voice/dialects, and she serves the production program as a dialect coach. As a member of Actors' Equity Association, Pris has worked at the Guthrie Theatre, The Shakespeare Festival at Monmouth, ME and appeared in a production of The Pelican at the Samuel Beckett Theatre in NYC. She has also worked in network television, commercials, print, and corporate videos. Pris is currently a voice-over artist for pullUin software, which creates interactive training modules for the healthcare industry.

Scott Mollman  Associate Professor of Theatre  Technical Director, Rigging 605-677-5738 M.F.A., Wayne State University, 2004

Professor Scott Mollman has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 2004. He coordinates the B.F.A. and M.F.A. programs in technical direction, teaches Tech I and Tech II, as well as metalworking, woodworking, motion scenery, and rigging. Scott has been Technical Director at the Omaha Theater Company for Young People, the Utah Musical Theatre Company in Ogden, Utah, and Assistant Technical Director at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer, South Dakota. He was also a motion control specialist for The Parade Company and a fabricator for Deep Drama Designs, both in Detroit. Scott won the Detroit Free Press Award for Theater Excellence in 2004 for his scenic design of Glengarry Glen Ross for The Hilberry Repertory Theatre.

Ronald L. Moyer  Professor of Theatre  Director of Graduate Studies  Theatre History, Dramatic History, Directing, Acting   605-677-5735  Ph.D. University of Denver, 1974 Home Page

Professor Ron Moyer has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1974. His duties in the department include those of Director of Graduate Studies, stage director, and teacher of undergraduate and graduate courses in theatre history and literature and text analysis. As a Shakespeare scholar, Ron also teaches Acting Shakespeare. Professor Moyer also instituted a theatre listserv for the department and completed a curriculum design project to integrate new technologies into the teaching of theatre history.

Roberta N. Rude  Associate Professor of Theatre  Movement for the Stage, Directing, Acting  605-677-5419 M.A., Trinity University, 1971 Post-graduate Professional Certificate, London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, 1970 Home Page

Professor Roberta Rude has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1992. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in acting, directing, and movement for the stage, she also teaches in the University Honors Program and directs departmental productions. Roberta is a member of Actors' Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, and she serves as Area Chair for Shakespeare on Film and Television for the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association. She is an active presenter at conventions in the areas of Women's Studies, Film Adaptations and Shakespeare on Film and Television.

Linda Wigley Scribner  Associate Professor of Theatre  Costume Designer, Stage Make-up, Costume Shop Manager   605-677-5740  M.F.A., University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1983 Home Page

Professor Linda Scribner has been a member of The University of South Dakota faculty since 1990. She coordinates the B.F.A. and M.F.A. costume design programs and serves the department as costume designer and costume shop manager. Professor Scribner teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in costume design, costume history, patterning, stage costuming, and stage make-up. Her research is centered on developing multimedia computer applications for use in the classroom.  

Staff

Sylvia, who joined our theatre family at The U in the fall of 1987, is department secretary. In addition to being a vital link in communications with students, alumni, theatre supporters, and the general public, Sylvia also works extensively with student registration, senior audits and purchasing for all departmental activities.

Adjunct Faculty

Professor Begley, who received a B.F.A. in Acting and M.F.A. in Theatre Directing from the University of South Dakota, is co-founder and co-artistic director of Discovery Movement Theatre (DMT) with his wife, Mary. DMT is a professional touring performance company which has shared its unique blend of mime, drama, and dance throughout the U.S. and in parts of Canada and Central America in schools, churches, and at art festivals. Brian is also a freelance director and actor in the region, an accomplished stage combatant, and coach of the USD Fencing Team.

Sandra Mollman, a playwright, composer, and actor, teaches Film Appreciation and Introduction to Theatre through Continuing Education. She studied music performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, theatre at the Practical Aesthetics Workshop in Burlington, Vermont and the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City. She received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, with an emphasis in literature/writing and music. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in English, Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in Theatre Directing at the University of South Dakota.