October 6, 2008

PROM, the original theater project that featured the collaboration of Drexel students and the New Paradise Laboratories, has been nominated for a Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre, Philadelphia’s awards for theater excellence and originality.  PROM was presented as part of our Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP) which brings professional performing arts companies to campus to work with students and to stage productions.  The shoe was nominated for Outstanding Choreography/Movement recognizing the work of director Whit MacLaughlin and co-director and choreographer Lee Ann Etzold.  This recognition is especially gratifying as PROM featured ten Drexel students who spent months learning and developing the choreography for this inventive production. The PROM nomination represents the first MPiRP production nominated for the prestigious Barrymore Award; over 100 professional theater productions were considered for this year’s awards.

At the Barrymore Awards presentation on October 6th at the Crystal Tea Room, many of the nominated actors and actresses will be attired in evening wear designed by our Fashion Design students. Our Design & Merchandising students will document the evening by photographing and covering the event for inclusion in next year’s D&M, the student produced magazine that accompanies our Annual Fashion Show.