IU Theatre + Dance is pleased to bring in distinguished artists and scholars for its Collins Lecture series, providing insight, history, and the creativity of professionals to our students and greater Bloomington community.
Collins Memorial Lecture
Sam White - 2024 Collins Memorial Lecturer
Sam White
From Seven Mile to Stratford:
Shakespeare in Detroit
Please join us on January 20, 2024 for an enriching lecture by Sam White, an esteemed figure in the world of theater, international Shakespeare director, and founder of Shakespeare in Detroit, a nonprofit organization White founded in 2013 that produces live productions at various sites throughout Detroit in an effort to make the Bard’s work more accessible. With a profound passion for the works of William Shakespeare and a wealth of experience in directing his plays, White has garnered a reputation for her exceptional talent and artistic vision. Her expertise extends beyond borders, having directed productions on renowned stages across the globe. White will be returning to Indiana University later this year to direct the highly-anticipated production of Pipeline (February 29-March 8).
2024 Collins Memorial Lecture Details
JANUARY 20, 2024
COLLINS MEMORIAL LECTURE
12:00 pm
WELLS-METZ THEATRE
Post-Lecture Reception
1:30 pm
MEZZANINE LEVEL and GALLERY
RSVP Below
About Sam White
Sam White is the Founding Artistic Director at Shakespeare in Detroit, the pioneering classical theatre in Detroit. As a leading entrepreneur in the nonprofit sector in the city, she has won several awards and accolades for her groundbreaking work, including Crain's Detroit Business' 40 Under 40 Award. She has trained at the Michael Langham Conservatory at the Stratford Festival and served as an Arts Management Fellow at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Some of her directing credits include Twelfth Night at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, A Midsummer Night's Dream for The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. She most recently directed David Mulroy's translation of Sophocles' Antigone for the University of Michigan.
About Ralph L. Collins
Ralph L. Collins (1907-1963) was born in Eclectic, Alabama. He was educated at the University of the South, where he earned a B.A. in 1928, and at Yale University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1933. Before joining the Department of English at Indiana University in 1935, he did editorial work for Atlantic Monthly and taught one year at the University of Tennessee. At Indiana, he served as varsity tennis coach from 1940 to 1945 and as director of the Writers Conference from 1941 to 1948. He was named assistant dean of faculties in 1948, and vice president and dean of faculties in 1959.
As a teacher and scholar, Dean Collins was principally interested in the area of theatre and drama. He published articles in the area of theatre and drama, including many in Modern Language Notes, Philosophical Quarterly, Theatre Annual, and University of Kansas Review. For many years, he taught undergraduate courses in modern drama and in Shakespeare and a graduate seminar on George Bernard Shaw.
Even after assuming his many administrative duties, Dean Collins maintained his interest in theatre. For him, drama was not merely a form of entertainment. It was an intense presentation of behavior, a projection of gestures of mind and heart, and a searching analysis of motives and moral foundation. No static memorial could honor the memory of Ralph L. Collins as does this memorial lecture series.
The College of Arts