Every city has its own beat, an ebb and flow of energy much like the rhythms in different genres  of music.

Zoe Hardee combined her interest in both at UNC Greensboro, pursuing a double degree with a   BM in Jazz Performance and a BA in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning.  Dallas-born and raised in Wake Forest, North Carolina, Zoe had heard of the University’s prestigious and highly selective Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program from her high school band director and other students:

“I play guitar, piano, and upright bass.  The bass is my instrument of study here, and I studied with Steve Haines.  He  is one of the baddest cats I know, and I couldn’t have earned my bachelor’s degrees without him!” (more…)

As a choreographer and a performer, Jacob Brown’s path has already taken some twists and turns, and he says he is thankful for the School of Dance’s faculty members who have been with him every step of the way:

“My professors have been my mentors, and now they will be lifelong friends and colleagues.  People like Duane Cyrus, Clarice Young, and Justin Turnow—they are the reason I know that coming to UNCG was the right decision.” (more…)

Victoria Grelecki came to UNC Greensboro’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) with a passion for performing — a love of the arts that started when she was just five years old. It was nurtured by her parents and teachers and teachers as she twirled and acted on stages in her hometown of Concord, North Carolina.

Victoria says that passion now has a dance partner — perseverance:
“CVPA was a great fit for me because it pushed me in ways that I didn’t realize I needed. I have learned to be resourceful and resilient. I feel like the energy on this campus is that of strength and perseverance.” (more…)

Allison Hines has logged plenty of hours in the spotlight but decided her real calling was behind the scenes creating the tangible art that brings a story to life on the stage. When she started looking at colleges she was tenacious about finding one with a good Design and Technical Production program:

“I was accepted at UNC Greensboro, but I didn’t really know much about the University or what the vibe was like. I had emailed Chip Haas (School of Theatre Technical Director) asking him about a billion questions about the tech theatre Design and Technical Production program. He answered every one of them and invited me for a tour of the spaces. That solidified my excitement and wonder for this University.” (more…)

There’s nothing like a show on Broadway, and Hugh Hysell ’88 BFA likely had a hand in some of your favorites. The successful Tony Award winning actor, marketer, and producer has enjoyed a rich, varied career in show business – one he never imagined when he attended UNC Greensboro.

“I was looking for a theatre program that provided excellent performance training,” Hysell explains, “but I got so much more at UNCG. The faculty’s expertise with the job market, and the university’s liberal education, prepared me for the turns my career took.”

Such turns include: Hysell’s successful career with HHC Marketing, where he promoted more than 200 Broadway and Off Broadway shows and led Broadway Box to dominate all discount sales for the Broadway community; his establishment of TheMenEvent.com, the leading producer of LGBT social events in the nation; and his role as a founding member of the Off Broadway Alliance. Hysell now works as director of marketing for Broadway Records, a premiere record label in the industry that creates Grammy-winning Broadway cast albums and concert recordings.

None of this has kept Hysell from the stage and screen. His television credits include NBC’s “The Blacklist,” HBO’s “Divorce,” TLC’s “Suddenly Rich,” Amazon Video’s “After Forever,” and “Saturday Night Live.” He performed in “The All-Male Importance of Being Ernest” and “Villain De Blacks” in New York and has performed in countless Off Broadway productions in every state, thanks to regional productions and national tours. Hysell has also produced five successful Broadway productions, including “The Inheritance,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

Hysell’s success has not gone unnoticed. In addition to his Tony Award, he has received two Drama Desk Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, a Globes Award for “Best Small Budget Promotion in the World,” and a Gold Medal in Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Hysell is grateful for the role UNCG played in creating the foundation for his successful career – so grateful that in 2020, he established a testamentary gift in the School of Theatre, now part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The Hugh Hysell Scholarship Endowment will support rising seniors majoring in theatre and provide critical professional development opportunities before they enter the theatre world. These development opportunities will be focused on non-performance professions including marketing, directing, and producing.

“The School of Theatre develops your passion,” Hysell says. “Passion for the craft, passion for the impact theatre has on individuals and communities. UNCG encouraged me to find and nurture my passion so I could enjoy every turn my career took. I hope this scholarship will help aspiring theatre professionals to explore all avenues of this art and embrace whatever road their career may take.”