FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 8, 2009
Contact: Sarah Perry
(662) 329-7119
sperry@pa.muw.edu

MUW Department of Music and Theatre chair returns from study abroad program

COLUMBUS, Miss. --Mississippi University for Women’s chair of the Department of Music and Theatre, William “Peppy” Biddy, recently returned from a trip to Arezzo and Torino, Italy, where he was overseeing and assessing one of the university’s newest degree to be offered.

The degree, which was approved in November 2007 by the IHL Board, is an MFA in physical theatre and is offered in conjunction with Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy.  Courses are primarily on the Arezzo campus, with modules offered in Torino, Berlin and Venice. In September 2009, 12 students from the inaugural class started the semester in Arezzo.

The MFA in physical theatre combines the study of movement/dance, Italian language, voice and music with the study of circus arts, techniques of the commedia dell’arte and contemporary mime/masks.

“Taking full advantage of its European setting, the Accademia has designed a program that brings together some of the most exciting and innovative artists and approaches to physical theatre currently available in Europe,” commented Biddy. “The program provides students with a high level of technical training for the actor, as well as a study of the aesthetic, historical and social contexts of the commedia dell’arte.”

For more information on this program, please contact William Biddy at (662) 329-7260 or at wbiddy@as.muw.edu.