Theatre - Faculty
- Rob Gander
- Larry Walters
- Sue Klemp
- Michael Fernbach
- James Bernardi
- Michelle Spencer Davidson
- Matthew McKinney
- Bob Dillard
- David Seibert
- Carla Geib
Full Time Theatre Faculty
Rob Gander
775-682-6354
CFA 143A
Robert D. Gander
Rob Gander received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater and his Masters of Fine Art with an emphasis in Directing from the University of Montana in Missoula. For eight years Rob was a professor at Denison University, a highly selective liberal arts college located in Granville, Ohio. He joined the University of Nevada, Reno as an Associate Professor in the Speech Communication and Theatre department in the fall of 2007. He teaches courses in acting and directing, and serves as a director for Nevada Repertory Company.
Trained in the realistic mode of performance associated with the Stanislavksi System and the American Method, in recent years, his scholarship and creative activity has focused on style and theatricality. Recent scholarship explores the collaborative process of devising new work with playwrights.
Rob serves as the Artistic Director for Roundelay Theatre Company which has performed original work in both Chicago, and New York City. He is a member of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education and regularly serves as a respondent for the American College Theatre Festival.
In the fall of 2008 Rob will begin a four year term as the Chair of the Speech Communication and Theatre Department.
775-784-6917
CFA 144
Larry Walters, Associate Professor of Theatre, received his Bachelor of Education in Speech and Drama from Central Washington University in 1974, graduating 'with distinction.' In 1981, he received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon, and came to the University of Nevada, Reno, as an Assistant Professor. During Larry's tenure, he has designed (or supervised student designs of) scenery, lighting, or both for approximately 100 plays for the Nevada Repertory Company. He maintains professional affiliations outside of the university and works as a designer, technical director, and technician for theatre, opera, musical theatre and concerts, industrial and trade shows, as well as film and television productions. He is also Technical Director for the University's Performing Arts Series and the Reno Jazz Festival.
As current Chair of the City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission, Larry is active in the artistic matters of the community, including Artown, the Arts and Culture Commission Grants Panel, and consulting on civic performing arts facilities.
Professor Walters teaches Introduction to Theatre, Theatre Technology, Design Aesthetics and Drafting for the Theatre, Scenic Design, and Lighting Design, as well as practical courses dealing with all aspects of the planning and creating of scenery, properties, and lighting for the theatre. He has particular interest in all genres of public art and community arts issues, and is fond of most forms of jazz.
775-784-6541
CFA 145
Sue Klemp has been a Lecturer in the Speech Communication and Theatre Department since January, 2000. She completed a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre with a directing emphasis at the University of South Dakota in 1999. She also holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Sue teaches a range of classes including acting, directing, and children's theatre. As part of her creative activities, she directs at least one Nevada Repertory Company play each year. Productions have included: an all-female cast version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lysistrata, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Dancing at Lughnasa, Criminals in Love, Escape from Happiness, Wind in the Willows, Tartuffe: Born Again, and The School for Scandal. She also produced the School of the Arts Theatre, Music, and Dance collaboration of Footloose.
In 2001, Sue encouraged a handful of Japanese theatre students to mount a production in their own language. Following the production of The Beast is RED-AKAONI, members of the company formed a Japanese students theatre club called Wafu (Japanese style). Sue serves as advisor to the group and its projects. In addition, Sue has mentored two undergraduate research grantee projects and independent study activities in playwriting, directing, and script analysis.
A recent undertaking has been to revive the department's Children's Theatre course which is now producing a play for young audiences each spring semester. The company created by the class members performs on the UNR campus as well as at area schools. In addition to performing the play, members of the class gain leadership experience by sharing theatre games, exercises, and activities with classroom groups in the schools.
775-784-1432
CFA 146
Michael Fernbach received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon.
Michael is the Theatre Design and Technology Specialist in the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre, sharing the scenic and lighting design responsibilities, as well as designing all the sound and special effects that are required for the Nevada Repertory Company's season production. He also teaches classes in Theatre Sounds, Automated Lighting, and AutoCAD for the Theatre.
Designing lighting professionally outside the realm of the University is part of his creative outlet. Michael does lighting for a wide range of events including corporate events, concerts, dance, musicals, and special events locally and nationally.
He also works as a consultant and technical director for various performing arts groups throughout the community.
775-784-6659
CFA 142B
Dr. Jim Bernardi received his B.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno, his M.A. from the University of Oregon, and his Ph.D. from the University of Denver. He has been a member of the faculty of the Speech Communication and Theatre Department since 1972. He routinely teaches courses in beginning acting, experimental theatre, and theatre history, with special seminars on women and theatre, and contemporary British theatre.
In addition to teaching responsibilities, Dr. Bernardi is the Managing Director of Theatre. He has directed, designed, and/or acted in over a hundred productions at the university since joining the faculty. He also serves in the community theatres as director, designer, and actor.
He has co-directed annual theatrical tours to London since 1978 and supervised two USO tours of the Pacific Command for the Department of Defense. Dr. Bernardi has taught courses in the United Kingdom on three occasions as part of various study abroad programs.
Costume Shop Manager, Costume Designer
775-784-4657
CFA 20
Technical Director
775-784-6832
CFA 102 (Scene Shop)
Matthew McKinney is the new technical director and shop foreman for UNR theater department. He received his B.A. in Technical Theater and Design from California State University Fullerton in 2002 before attending the graduate program at San Diego State University. While in San Diego he had the opportunity to work at The Old Globe Theater before graduating Summa Cum Laude with a M.F.A in Technical Theatre & Design. He brings knowledge in scenery automaton, rigging, and advanced scenery construction techniques.
In addition to technical direction of all UNR theater productions and maintenance of the scene shop, he also supervises and teaches lab students various aspects of technical theater including: set construction, computer drafting, and stage management. He will also be teaching stage management, computer aided drafting, and advanced technical theatre.
Part Time Theatre Faculty
775-784-6123
CFA 143
Dr. Robert Dillard received his B.S. from Southwest Missouri State, his M.A. in Theatre from UCLA, and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He has been guest professor for Pacific States University at Brunel University in England and has spent two semesters with the Studies Abroad program at the University of London. He directed two USO/DOD performance tours to Germany and the Far East, and was an American College Theatre Festival honoree at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
He has acted and/or directed more than one hundred professional and academic theatre productions from Shakespeare to Sondheim. His professional affiliations include Actors Equity and NABET, and his academic honoraries are Alpha Psi Omega and Phi Kappa Phi. He is currently listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.
He teaches courses in acting, directing, playwriting, and related subjects.
775-784-6713
Dr. David Seibert earned his Ph.D. from the University of Denver, M.A. from San Francisco State University, and B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. He cam to the University of Nevada, Reno in 1975 and has held the rank of full professor since 1986. He was chair of the department of Speech Communication and Theatre from 1980 until 1996, and Co-Chair for Theatre from 1996 until the present. He has been a contributing teacher and scholar in both the Speech Communication and Theatre divisions of the department.
Dr. Seibert's teaching areas of emphasis in Speech Communication include communication research methods, argumentation, and persuasion at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has also taught communication theory, public speaking, and legal argumentation.
On the Theatre side he has taught acting, technical theatre, and has supervised the laboratory class that supports the productions of Nevada Repertory Company. He has frequently contributed to Nevada Repertory Company productions as an actor, director, and scenic designer.
His service contributions to the university include chairing the faculty senate and serving for many years on the admissions committee for the School of Medicine.
Theatre Support Staff
775-784-6839
CFA 155
