NR
Nicole Rivera
  • Theatre
  • Class of 2017
  • Newington, CT

Eastern Student Nicole Rivera of Newington Presents at Northeast COPLAC Conference

2016 Oct 27

Twelve students from Eastern Connecticut State University presented their research and creative activity at the Northeast Regional Research Conference of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) on Oct. 21-22. Hosted by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), eight colleges in the COPLAC consortium participated in the undergraduate conference.

Nicole Rivera '17, a Theatre major from Newington, delivered a oral presentation titled "Theatre Set Design for 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' the Musical." Rivera was mentored by Theatre Professor Kristen Morgan.

"My scenic design process was: research and analyze the play, write a reaction and concept, confer with the director, gather visual research, draft my ideas digitally and craft a scale model of the design," said Rivera. "I followed this process first with Shakespeare's original play before approaching John Guare and Mel Shapiro's musical adaptation. The resulting set displays two contrasting worlds: Verona as a provincial, urban town and Milan as the fictional capital of a modern Latin Empire. The design for Verona takes inspiration from project housing in Hartford and Willimantic while Milan takes its foundation from structures in major Latin cities. This transition from a familiar home setting to an imaginative Latin city will drive the major theme of 'Two Gentlemen of Verona': departing from one's home and experiencing the surrounding world, as well as all those who inhabit it. My design will take the stage in February 2017 at Eastern."

"We are here to showcase and celebrate the talent, insight, collaborative spirit and inquiry of students from our COPLAC campuses in the Northeast and to recognize the support and guidance they receive from their dedicated faculty," said MCLA President James Birge.

"Undergraduate research is one of the best aspects of an Eastern liberal arts education," said Carmen Cid, dean of Eastern's School of Arts and Sciences. "It provides our students the ability to develop their talents in a meaningful and successful career path. Those who present at COPLAC represent the leaders of tomorrow for Connecticut."

Established in 1987, COPLAC is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality liberal arts education in a public college setting. COPLAC represents a distinguished sector in higher education consisting of 30 colleges and universities in 28 states and one Canadian province. Eastern is Connecticut's designated public liberal arts university and joined COPLAC in 2004.