Sing, dance, set and spike. Introducing “Volleygirls.”

May 18, 2015

Students at the University of Florida School of Theatre + Dance will have the unique opportunity this summer to work on “Volleygirls,” a new musical currently in development by a team of award-winning artists and producers, including UF School of Theatre + Dance alumnus and two-time Tony Award-winning producer John Arthur Pinckard.

The  School of Theatre + Dance will be working closely with Pinckard and the entire production team for four weeks that will culminate with four workshop performances of the musical June 11-14. The workshop performances will be held in the Black Box Theatre in the Nadine M. McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion on UF’s campus. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. June 11-13 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 14.

“The School of Theatre + Dance is thrilled to host this special residency as part of our Summer Repertory Theatre program,” said Jerry Dickey, school director. “This musical gives our students a unique opportunity to work on an original composition that is in its latter stages of development for the theatre. In doing so, they also have the chance to work with stellar guest artists and three commercial theatre producing organizations, all with significant past productions on Broadway and in professional theatres, film and television. I envision this project as a significant step in the process of turning our summer season into a time for the development of significant new works for theatre and dance.”

In “Volleygirls,” Kim Brindell, once a world-class volleyball athlete before she choked at the Olympics, is asked to revisit the very sport that shattered her. She must take charge of a team of wide-eyed, misfit, high school girls and turn them into a successful team. In the process, Kim overcomes a neurotic PTA mom, the insecurities of the girls and her own fears to become a winning coach.

“Volleygirls” began as a play commissioned by Craig Slaight and Carey Perloff for the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. After seeing it on its feet, playwright Rob Ackerman realized the play needed to be a musical. Years of development led to a smash hit production at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2013 where it won “Best of Fest” and “Best Ensemble Performance” honors.

Tickets to the workshop performances of “Volleygirls” are $17 for the general public, and $13 for students, UF faculty/staff and senior citizens. Tickets are available through the University Box Office located at Gate 1 of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, by calling 352-392-1653 or visiting ticketmaster.com.

To learn more about the UF College of the Arts, please visit www.arts.ufl.edu