Julie Lyn Barber

Literary Arts ; Performing Arts : Actor/Actress , Dance , Music , Theatre , Vocal

Dr. Barber is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre at Purdue University Fort Wayne where she is Head of Musical Theatre. She has received IAC grants to perform with the Hot Jazz Preservation Society in Indiana State Parks and Historic Sites, and to write and produce a new musical, Indiana Squirrel Stampede and two new children’s plays, The Elves and the Shoemaker and The Frog Prince, and to develop her original musical, Madwomen’s Late Nite Cabaret. She has written many stage ... view more »

Dr. Barber is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre at Purdue University Fort Wayne where she is Head of Musical Theatre. She has received IAC grants to perform with the Hot Jazz Preservation Society in Indiana State Parks and Historic Sites, and to write and produce a new musical, Indiana Squirrel Stampede and two new children’s plays, The Elves and the Shoemaker and The Frog Prince, and to develop her original musical, Madwomen’s Late Nite Cabaret. She has written many stage adaptations of fairy tales in the British panto style, which have been produced at the Minnetrista Faeries Sprites and Lights Festival (Muncie, IN), Nettle Creek Players (Hagerstown, IN) and IndyFringe (Indianapolis, IN). Two of her plays have won inclusion in the juried festival, DivaFest of Indianapolis: the ten-minute fable, Tamlane, and the one-act musical parody, Madwomen’s Late Nite Cabaret. Her musical Christmas Through the Ages played 3 consecutive Decembers at the Indyfringe Basile Theatre as well as in Florida.

As a stage director, her experience ranges from opera to children’s theatre, directing outreach productions for the Bloomington Early Music Festival of Indiana, and the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theatre in Carbondale, IL. Other directing credits include Working (American Heritage Theater Project, Portland, OR), Clue: The Musical (Farmland Dinner Theatre, Farmland, IN), and Guys and Dolls (Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY)

She has served as music director and choreographer for many schools and theatre companies in Oregon (American Heritage Theater Project, Cathedral School, Valley Catholic High School) and Indiana (Taylor Theatre, Muncie Civic Theatre, Monroe Central High School, Farmland Dinner Theatre), recently music directing Guys and Dolls at the Round Barn Theatre in Nappanee, IN, and choreographing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Western Kentucky University.

She is an AEA membership candidate, and has performed the role of “Berenice” in Cabaret Poe for it’s entire 10 year run with Q Artistry (Indianapolis, IN). She has played numerous roles in theatre and musical theatre productions in Canada and the United States, including Vancouver B.C.’s Theatre Under the Stars, Portland Oregon’s Northwest Classical Theatre Company, and Portland Center Stage. While in Portland, she co-founded the American Heritage Theater Project.

View less

MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST

Artist Style: Dance : Ballet , Folk ; Music : Americana , Big Band , Bluegrass , Choral , Classic Rock , Classical , Folk , Jazz , Opera , Pop , Seasonal , Wedding ; Theatre : Cabaret/Variety , Comedy , Drama , Musicals , Political ; Early Music

More Info

About My Work:

In addition to professional work in theatre I teach masterclasses, workshops and lecture recitals on various topics including vocal technique, musical theatre vocal styles, musical theatre repertoire, auditioning for musical theatre, dialects for actors, acting a song, breath support for singer/actors, singing while dancing, vocal techniques for actors, Spolin improvisation, musical improvisation, Baroque vocal ornamentation, and Baroque vocal repertoire.

Upcoming Events:

Dr. Barber is directing Hot ‘n’ Cole at Purdue University Fort Wayne in April, 2024, and directing/choreographing Cabaret there in November, 2024.

Pricing Information:

Negotiable

Education:

Doctor of Arts degree in music (vocal performance/stage direction), Ball State University, Muncie Indiana. Master of Music degree in opera and music theatre, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Bachelor of Music degree, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada. Elementary Executant Certificate, Ballet, Royal Academy of Dancing, Napean, ON Canada. Grade VIII Piano Certificate, Western Conservatory of Music, Canada. Workshops with Antonio Fava (Commedia dell’ arte), Paul Sills (Spolin improv), Ann Baltz (opera improv), and Early Music Specialists, Julianne Baird, Ellen Hargis, Christa Patton, Drew Minter, Ray Nurse. COVID Compliance Certificate. Somatic Voiceworks level 1-2-3. Estill (intro level 1, 2).

Affiliations:

Music Theatre Educators Alliance, Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective, Dramatists Guild, A.S.C.A.P., National Association of Teachers of Singing, Early Music America, Actors Equity Association (EMC), P.A.V.A Pan-American Vocology Association.

Awards:

Quarter finalist in the 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition.
E.V. Young Award for Outstanding Actor, Theatre Under the Stars, Vancouver, BC, 1995
Finalist for American Prize in Voice (Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award (opera and art song), multiple years
Audrey Rooney Bach Competition Encouragement Award (twice), Lexington, KY
Irma Cooper Award Numerous State and Regional NATS competitions first and second place wins
Ball State University Graduate Voice Competition
Ball State University Concerto Competition
Astral Career Grant from the National Association for the Advancement of the Arts
Homer Wickline and Conrad Seamen Memorial Grant from the Pittsburgh Concert Society.
Individual Artist grant from the Indianapolis Arts Commission.
Inclusion in juried festival, DivaFest (twice), Indianapolis, IN.
Inclusion in juried festival, Q Artistry Playwrights Festival, Indianapolis, IN