A new work of choreography by John Jasperse. A new play by Philip Kan Gotanda. A new take on a classic musical, Oklahoma! -- choreographed and directed for the UC Davis stage by Mindy Cooper.

These are among the offerings on the 2008-09 calendar for the Department of Theatre and Dance.

The department's mainstays are back: the THIRDeYE Theatre Festival, the Main Stage Theatre-Dance Festival and the film festival, with fresh material and fresh faces on stage and behind the camera.

Returning for a second year is Solo Explorations, a venue for thesis presentations devised by students from the interplay of their bodies and the students' conceptions of contemporary issues.

Also look for Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, directed by Patricia Miller, a graduating Master of Fine Arts candidate; and a play (not yet announced) directed by Candice Andrews, incoming M.F.A. candidate.

And, as a Valentine's Day treat, former department chair Peter Lichtenfels is scheduled to lead a free Sonnet Walk featuring the works of Shakespeare.

During fall quarter, Gotanda plans to direct #5 The Angry Red Drum, a work of his that is still in progress. Therefore, its production at UC Davis is being billed as a "first staging." Told in minimalist fashion,

#5 The Angry Red Drum is the story of two brothers separated in their youth. They meet again by chance and attempt to reconstruct the story of their lost brotherhood. Set in an apocalyptic world, #5 Angry Red Drum addresses the effects of war on our psyches and culture.

During the winter quarter, Jasperse plans the world premiere of a work created directed by him. No word yet on the theme or title.

Cooper's assignment during spring quarter is Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! -- a UC Davis Centennial event and a joint production with the Department of Music, to be presented in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

GRANADA ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

PHILIP KAN GOTANDA, a playwright, who, through his works and advocacy, has been instrumental in bringing stories of Asian Americans to mainstream theater around the world. His credits include Manzanar: An American Story, symphony and narration; After The War, set in San Francisco’s Japantown in the late 1940s when Japanese Americans returning from internment camps encountered a flourishing African American jazz scene; and the films The Kiss, Drinking Tea and Life Tastes Good.

JOHN JASPERSE, artistic director/choreographer, John Jasperse Company. The company, which performs worldwide, “aims to challenge and engage its audiences in rich and innovative aesthetic and intellectual experiences, thereby expanding the form of contemporary concert dance and its relevance to the greater culture.” His credits include Becky, Jodi and John; Misuse liable to prosecution; Prone; CALIFORNIA; just two dancers; Giant Empty and Fort Blossom.

MINDY COOPER, director, choreographer, performer and teacher, returning as a Granada artist-in-residence. She was last here in spring 2007, when she staged Urinetown: the Musical. Her other director/choreographer credits include Dracula: The Musical and Wrong Mountain on Broadway; Five Course Love off-Broadway; and Titanic, national tour. She has performed on Broadway in Chicago, Titanic, Beauty and the Beast, and Song & Dance.

For the season schedule, with dates, times, venues and ticket information, click here.