Saint Louis University Visual and Performing Arts Department

We’re thrilled to celebrate our very own Nancy Bell, who has been named a LIVING LEGEND by St. Louis Magazine as part of its 2026 A-List Editors’ Choice Awards!

From the article, "Writer, educator, and theater artist Nancy Bell’s CV is a laundry list of incredible roles and contributions to the local and regional theater scene. When she’s not teaching the next generation of young artists at Saint Louis University, she can be found on the stage (this past season saw her as Miss Bates in The Rep’s Emma and leading the fearless crew of The Tempest in Shakespeare Glen as the sorcerer Prospero) or at the helm of buzzy productions like The Orange Girls’ The Half-Life of Marie Curie or the upcoming What the Constitution Means to Me at The Rep. Whether she’s tackling the familiar or bringing to life something completely new, wherever Bell goes, quality storytelling follows."

Congratulations, Professor Bell! We are proud to have Nancy leading our Theatre & Dance program as Production Coordinator—and even prouder to see her extraordinary contributions to the St. Louis arts community recognized in this way.

See all of the remarkable individuals and organizations honored in the 2026 A-List Editors’ Choice Awards at https://www.stlmag.com/alist/

📸 Kevin A. Roberts

Attention student musicians! 🎻🎺🎶

Looking for a way to get involved this semester? Wondering how you'll meet new people? Join one of our musical ensembles!

Whether you're a singer or instrumentalist, there's a place for you in the Music department at SLU. We offer students the opportunity to be a part of University Singers, Jazz Ensemble, String Orchestra, String Chamber Ensemble, and Concert Band.

ALL SLU students are invited to take part. You do not have to be a major or minor to get involved!

FUN FACT: A growing body of research demonstrates that sustained engagement in music supports mental and emotional health by reducing stress, improving mood, strengthening memory and concentration, and providing healthy avenues for emotional expression.

Sign up today at courses.slu.edu!

Photos by ProPhotoSTL

Beat the summer heat with a sweet treat! 🍦

The Departments of Visual and Performing Arts and Communication at Saint Louis University invite all majors, minors, faculty, staff, and friends to join us for an afternoon of fun, fellowship, and free Ted Drewes frozen custard (a St. Louis staple!). Stop by, grab a treat, and connect with members of the SLU community.

We’ll be gathering Tuesday, August 18, from 2 to 4 p.m. in front of Xavier Hall.

Everyone is welcome! Come enjoy some frozen custard and kick off the new academic year with us.

A new year brings a new crop of Billikens! 💙 We can't wait to meet our incoming students, but we're already starting to miss the incredible Class of 2026. Join us in celebrating the recent graduates from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts! 🎓

Hats Off to the Class of 2026 Hear about favorite memories, impactful professors, and future plans from the graduating students in the Department of Visual And Performing Arts at SLU.

Auditions and tech interviews are almost here! 🎭

Want to be part of our fall Main Stage Season? Whether you're interested in performing or working behind the scenes, we'd love to have you involved!

💛 Mary Jane by Amy Herzog, directed by Nancy Bell
A moving drama about a mother's resilience, hope, and the community that carries her through life's greatest challenges.

🕵️‍♂️ The 39 Steps, directed by Lucy Cashion
A fast-paced comedy packed with Hitchcock-style suspense, nonstop laughs, and over 150 characters played by just four actors.

Auditions and tech interviews take place in Xavier Hall on August 19 and 20. You don't have to be a Theatre major or minor to take part.

Email [email protected] for more information and to sign up!

Pictured, Naiyah Taylor, Nathan Koons, Emma Lyons and Damian Sapp in 1969 Terminal 1996, directed by Ana Kasten. Photo by ProPhotoSTL

Dr. Hughes isn't the only SLU faculty member performing in the pit at The Muny this summer—say hello to Carolina Neves, our valued Violin and Viola Instructor! 🎻

If you've already visited The Muny this season, you may have heard Carolina performing in Shrek or South Pacific. There are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy her musicianship in Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations and Meet Me in St. Louis, the final production of The Muny's 2026 season.

For tickets and more information, visit muny.org.

Dreaming of the stage? SLU Theatre & Dance auditions and tech interviews are just a month away! ✨

Join us August 19 and 20 from 6 to 9 pm to participate in the Fall 2026 productions of Mary Jane and The 39 Steps. You do not have to be a Theatre major or minor to get involved!

For more information, email [email protected]

📸 Pictured: Uju Emedo, Ashley Brooks, and Anna Soeder in Trojan Women, directed by Madelyn Purcell as part of IMMEDIATE THEATRE: An Emerging Directors' Showcase. Photo by ProPhotoSTL.

Professor of Music and VPA Chair Rob Hughes is spending another summer as a woodwind player in the pit at The Muny playing Hairspray, South Pacific, and Meet Me in St. Louis.

This marks his 30th and final season at the world-famous Muny in Forest Park, the world's best place to spend a summer. After Meet Me in St. Louis, he is retiring from the Muny, but not from playing. You will still be able to hear him at the Fox and other venues.

Congratulations, Rob!

It's time for another faculty spotlight!

This summer, Professor Bradley Bailey participated in a special panel discussion at the MoMA The Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of the museum's landmark exhibition, Marcel Duchamp. The exhibition—the first major U.S. retrospective of Duchamp's work in more than 50 years—explores the groundbreaking artist whose innovations transformed the course of modern and contemporary art.

Professor Bailey joined artists Alex Da Corte and Lynn Hershman Leeson for Duchamp Talks: On the Alter Ego, a conversation examining the many identities artists create and inhabit through their work.

While in New York, Professor Bailey also had the opportunity to reconnect with his friend, acclaimed contemporary artist Marcel Dzama.

We're proud to see our faculty contributing to conversations at one of the world's leading museums and engaging with artists and scholars who continue to shape the field of contemporary art. Join us in celebrating Professor Bailey! 🎨✨

For more information about the exhibit, visit https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5820

Congratulations to Aadi Kadam, a SLU alum who recently starred as Evan Hansen at Take Two Productions.

Aadi charmed SLU audiences in Fall 2024 when he performed the song "For Forever" from this beloved show, under the direction of Professor Stephanie Tennill. He also performed in SLU Theatre & Dance productions of Ride the Cyclone, Clue: The Musical, Our Town, Three Sisters, and more!

We are so proud of what our students accomplish during their studies and in their lives beyond SLU. Way to go, Aadi!

Huge congratulations to the incredible cast and crew of Dear Evan Hansen on a powerful, heartfelt run that moved audiences night after night.

Thank you for sharing this story with such honesty and care. Your work on and off the stage made this production truly unforgettable.