UCSB Theater and Dance

Celebrating Sean O’Shea 🎭

After 20 incredible years as UCSB Theater & Dance’s Academic Advisor, Sean O’Shea is retiring, leaving behind a legacy of mentorship, leadership, and dedication to generations of students.

Beyond advising, Sean’s impact on the theater community spans four decades as an actor, director, producer, fight choreographer, stage combat instructor, and Founder/former Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Shakespeare Festival.

Thank you, Sean, for your guidance, passion, and countless contributions to the department and the arts community. Wishing you all the best in this well-deserved next chapter!!

Enter the cosmos with “Particle Collider”! ☄️

Curated by Daniel Stein, this hour of artist-devised playlets brings together original student-created works that collide imagination, experimentation, and performance into one bold evening of theater. Expect inventive storytelling, unexpected worlds, and fast-paced creative exploration from emerging artists pushing boundaries onstage.

🗓 May 29, 2026 | 4:30 PM
📍 Studio Theater
🎟 Free Admission!

Come celebrate 9 years of creativity, collaboration, and collision!

Join us for a special Book Talk with Professor Vanessa Díaz as she discusses her book “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance” 🎤📚

From music and identity to activism and cultural power, this conversation explores how Bad Bunny became more than a global superstar, but a political and cultural voice for Puerto Rico and beyond.

🗓 May 13 | 11:00 AM–12:30 PM
📍 UCSB Old Gym (Red Barn)

Don’t miss this dynamic conversation on music, resistance, and representation!

Mark your calendars! We’re excited to present Standing Still, written by Melinda Lopez and directed by Risa Brainin, as UCSB LAUNCH PAD’s 21st preview production. Swipe through to learn more about the play and LAUNCH PAD!

🗓️May 13, 15, 16, 19, 21–23 | 7:30 PM and May 23 | 2 PM
📍Performing Arts Theater

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Join us for T&D Transfer Open House this Friday, May 8! We have a lot of fun things in store, so make sure to swing by! :)

Come to our upcoming Colloquium Talk with Dr. Olivia Sabee, Associate Professor of Dance at Swarthmore College!

Colloquium Talk: “Our Graceful Gallic Allies”: Dancing Liberty in the Age of Revolutions
🗓️ Tuesday, May 5 | 5-6 PM
📍 Dance Studio Theater, HSSB 1151

Congratulations to Professor Irwin Appel on receiving UCSB’s 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award! ✨🎭

For nearly three decades, Professor Appel has inspired generations of students through storytelling, performance, mentorship, and a deep commitment to bringing literature to life. His impact reaches far beyond the classroom, shaping artists, thinkers, collaborators, and future leaders across the arts and beyond.

UCSB Theater & Dance is proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of an educator whose passion, creativity, and humanity continue to leave a lasting mark on our community. 🖤💛

Step into a story of memory, movement, and longing that connect us 💫

Join us for Dancing at Lughnasa, a powerful and intimate production that captures family, societal change, and fleeting moments of joy.

📍 T&D West, 1507
🗓 May 1, 2, & 3 | 7:30 PM
🎟 FREE admission!

Reserve your seat and experience the magic of live theater 🎭

Join us for a film screening & post-screening talk of “Lives Beyond Motion” with filmmaker Keith Glassman, UCSB Theater and Dance Chair Brandon Whited, Emeritus studio professor Christopher Pilafian, and Dance Lecturer Andrew Pearson!

“Lives Beyond Motion,” an award-winning documentary written and directed by Keith Glassman, centers around an intergenerational and diverse group of men in contemporary dance. It explores and shares their stories of what attracted them to dance, preserving the legacy of these memorable artists.

Reserve your tickets now! Link in bio!

🗓️ Friday, April 24 | 3-5 PM
📍 HSSB Ballet Studio Theater

Today is Give Day at UCSB!

Art doesn’t just happen; it’s made possible. This Give Day, your support fuels creativity, empowers student artists, and brings powerful stories to life at UCSB Theater & Dance.

Every gift and donation helps provide hands-on experiences, builds confidence, and shapes the next generation of creative leaders. Be part of something bigger—give, support, and make an impact! 💛🖤