Program
Serenade
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Timber & Steel from Earth Suite
Dobrinka Tabakova (b. 1980)
Festive Overture, op. 96
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
Intermission
Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Featuring members of the MFA Acting and BFA Musical Theatre Classes at West Virginia
University with scenes from William Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet”
- The Prologue
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Suite no. 2, Mvt. 1: Montagues and Capulets
- Act 1, Sc.1 – The Prince orders peace in Verona; Benvolio comforts the melancholy Romeo.
- Act 1, Sc. 2 - Romeo and Benvolio are invited to Capulets’ party.
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Suite no. 2, Mvt. 2: Juliet, the Young Girl
- Act 1, Sc. 5 – At the Capulets’ party, Romeo meets Juliet.
- Act 2, Sc. 2 – Romeo scales the Capulets’ garden walls and see Juliet upon her balcony.
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Suite no. 2, Mvt. 3: Friar Lawrence
- Act 2, Sc. 6 – The friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet.
- Act 3, Sc. 1 - A fight on the street of Verona leads to death.
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Suite no. 2, Mvt. 5: Romeo and Juliet before parting
- Act 4, Sc. 3 – Juliet, forced to marry Paris after Romeo is banished from Verona, decides to end her life until the Friar comes up with a plan.
- Act 5, Sc. 1 – Romeo, thinking Juliet is dead, acquires poison to take his own life.
- Act 5, Sc. 3 – Romeo reaches the Capulet tomb ready to carry out his plan to join Juliet in death.
- Suite no. 2, Mvt. 7: Romeo at Juliet’s Grave
About the Artists
Maurice Cohn, music director
Acclaimed for his “depth, musicality, and expressive power” and for leading “sensational” performances with “exceptional colors,” Maurice Cohn stands at the forefront of a new generation of American conductors. A three-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, he became Music Director of the West Virginia Symphony with the 2023-2024 season. Musical highlights of his tenure in Charleston include the Symphony’s November 2023 collaboration with Mountain Stage, the revival of opera performances with the Symphony’s March 2025 production of Carmen, and expanding the orchestra through the hiring of over twenty new musicians.
In addition to his work with the West Virginia Symphony, Maurice conducts performances throughout the United States and abroad. Highlights of his 2025/26 season include debuts with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra with TwoSet Violin, Würth Philharmonic with Hélène Grimaud, and Brussels Philharmonic with Alexandra Conunova. Recent seasons have seen Cohn in debut engagements with the Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinů, Omaha Symphony, Utah Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony. He continues an ongoing relationship with the Colorado Music Festival and maintains a strong presence in contemporary music through collaborations with ensemble NEWSRQ and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.
Prior to moving to West Virginia, Maurice served as the Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Luisi, where he conducted notable performances including the world premiere of Mason Bates’s Philharmonia Fantastique and a concert version of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. He made his subscription debut in 2023, jumping in for Maestro Luisi on a program of Brahms, Antheil, and the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Snapshots. Maurice was also a two-time Assistant Conductor at the Aspen Music Festival, where he led the world premiere of Peng-Peng Gong’s Late Bells for Concertante Piano and Orchestra with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.
Maurice is the recipient of the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize and the Aspen Conducting Prize. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Oberlin Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College, where he studied History and Mathematics. He received a Master of Music in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music.
When not conducting or playing cello, you can find him reading mystery novels, playing tennis, or continually searching for the best podcast app.
Lee Blair, theatre director/Dramaturg
Lee Blair is an associate professor of Acting and Musical Theatre at West Virginia University. Teaching undergraduate and graduate acting, Lee Blair’s work in the classroom is Stanislavski-based with emphases in comedy, musical theatre and audition techniques. Lee also serves Director of Performance for the School, overseeing the Performance degree programs (MFA and BFA in Acting, BFA in Musical Theatre) as well as the theatre performance area in regard to Production (Mainstage, Lab Theatre, workshops and showcases).
As a production director for the School of Theatre & Dance, Lee has helmed past productions such as Airness, The Moors, Assassins, The Pirates of Penzance, Noises Off, Arabian Nights, Seminar, Lend Me a Tenor, Guys and Dolls, and Urinetown: The Musical among others. He has served a director for other academic units including Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, Fairmont State University (Fairmont, WV), and St. John’s University/College of Saint Benedict (St. Joseph, MN). Professionally, Lee has directed for West Virginia Public Theatre and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. He is an Associate Member with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
A 1995 graduate of the University of Florida with a Master of Fine Arts in Acting, Lee’s career as an actor has included professional work off and off-off Broadway as well as regionally for Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival, Emelin Theatre, Hippodrome State Theatre, Alhambra Dinner Theatre, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Destination Producing and West Virginia Public Theatre. He was recently featured on Episode 2 of Prime Video’s “A League of Their Own” as “Fish Man”.
Jessica Morgan, intimacy/fight director
Jessica joined the faculty of the School of Theatre & Dance in 2001 where she teaches movement for all levels of the BFA and MFA Acting Studios. She also serves as the fight director, intimacy director, and movement coach for all WVU mainstage productions. Recent projects include Carrie: The Musical, Indecent, Mud, Cloud 9, and The Three Musketeers. Her work in the classroom focuses on Viewpoints, Composition, experimental theatre, Laban Effort Qualities, character and neutral mask work, and stage combat. Jessica has had the honor to train with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, the Society of American Fight Directors, Intimacy Directors International, and Marcel Marceau.
Jessica works professionally as an intimacy director and fight director in Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia. She recently became the first Intimacy Director hired by both CATCO (Contemporary Theatre Company) and Cumberland Theatre working on productions such as Head Over Heels, 9 to 5, The Musical, and A Streetcar Named Desire. She is also the resident Intimacy Director for Vintage Theatre Company. Jessica’s work as a performer has taken her across the region. She was in staged readings of Not Someone Like Me, directed by Chris Sarandon, Zelda: Reflections of a Southern Belle at the Drama League Studio Theatre in NY, and as Tamora in Titus Andronicus directed by Jim Warren. Other favorites include Mrs. Crachit/Mrs. Fezziwig/Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol with West Virginia Public Theatre, Claire in Proof with Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and Amy in Putting it Together with Mountain State Repertory.
WVU Acting and Musical Theatre Students
- H’arrya Canty
- Jonnie Carpathios
- Faith Hargadon
- Sven Hargis
- Dwedee Victoria Kobbah
- Laura K. McKenzie
- Ethan Pante
Special Thanks
- Kate Brittingham
- Karlee Klitgaard
- Mary McClung
- Alan McEwen
Director’s Note
We attempt with our contribution to this event to not only support the story is told through Prokofiev’s beautiful ballet score but also succinctly presenting those “big” moments in Shakespeare’s tragic tale of love and loss in an effort to make a throughline of story that honors Romeo and Juliet.
About the Canady Chamber Series
The Canady Chamber Series, an important offering within the Curiosity Series, crosses genres to feature world-class musicians dedicated to collaboration and communication with fellow artists and audiences alike.
From classical to contemporary, these musicians interact with their peers onstage in ways only possible in a small group setting. Through the continued support of the Canady family, the College of Creative Arts & Media is thrilled to bring such exciting performances to our audiences, our students and our community.
To further our academic mission, WVU College of Creative Arts and Media students receive complimentary tickets to the Canady Chamber Series, and each artist directly interacts with our students through masterclasses hosted during their visit to campus.