Hollins University

Senior Thesis Production: The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals
2025-11-14 00:00 - 2025-11-15 23:59 (America/New_York) | Hollins Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Blim, Book by Nick & Matt Lang
Originally produced by StarKid Productions
Directed by Gwyn Lloyd ’27
Produced by Too Many Hats Theatre Company ’26

When: November 14-15 at 7:30 pm and November 15 at 2 pm

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: Everything in Hatchetfield seemed normal until people began singing… Then, they began dancing… And now, a musical pandemic is sweeping the entire city. It’s up to Paul (an average guy who doesn’t like musicals) and his friends to stop this musical apocalypse and fight for humanity’s future.

Free and open to the public. Reservations not yet available.

Janet Crawford - The Coaching Advantage: A Leader's Game-Changing Superpower: Subtle Shifts. Extraordinary Results
2025-11-17 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: November 17th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: Coaching isn’t an extra skill for leaders—it is the key to unlocking performance and building trust. In this interactive session, participants will discover how adopting a coaching mindset can transform everyday conversations into opportunities for growth, agency and empowerment. Through practice and reflection, we will learn practical techniques to listen beyond the what to the who, share reflections that shift perspectives, and ask questions that spark insight. Participants will gain skills to elevate their leadership, drive extraordinary results, and create greater ease in one’s day.
Speaker Bio: Janet Crawford is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation, and the founder of Extra Ordinary Living—dedicated to embracing sustainable change. Prior to launching her private coaching practice, she spent 18 years in healthcare executive leadership. Janet partners with clients to maximize human potential—releasing what no longer serves them, building on existing strengths, and embracing new ways of leading, working, and living.

FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates
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Reimagining Medea (downtown performance)
2025-12-06 19:30 - 20:30 | Ursula’s Cafe, 511 S Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA, 24011, United States
Reimagining Medea written and directed by Dr. Anuradha Marwah
Performed by THEA 250

When: December 6 at 7:30 pm at Ursula’s Cafe (Downtown Roanoke)
December 8 at 7:30 pm on the Hollins Theatre Main Stage

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: In the course ‘Reimagining Medea: Participatory Theatre’, which involves the making of a performance-in-the-round of Euripides’ play with student actors, we propose to investigate the proto-feminist underpinnings of the classical play for its relevance in today’s time and age. The performance is built via a series of workshops in which the actors explore modes of connecting with the audience through a deep introspection of their own responses to the mythic characters. Viewing contemporary concerns through the lens of the universal themes of tragedy, we aim at a fuller understanding of social and political issues around us and reaffirm theatre as one of the most effective workshops for democracy.

Reimagining Medea
2025-12-08 19:30 - 20:30 | Hollins Theatre

LeeRay Costa - Grounding Your Leadership in Contemplative Practice
2025-12-10 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: December 10th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: Research tells us that self-awareness and relationality are critical components of effective leadership. Yet the constant change and overwhelming expectations that leaders experience daily can make embodying such qualities challenging. In this workshop we will explore how grounding your leadership in contemplative practices can increase presence, self-awareness, compassion (for self and others), connection, and resilience.
Speaker Bio: Trained as a feminist cultural anthropologist, Dr. LeeRay Costa currently serves as Executive Director of the Batten Leadership Institute, and Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies / Anthropology at Hollins University. She is co-editor of the book Contemplative Practices and Acts of Resistance in Higher Education: Narratives Toward Wholeness (Routledge, 2024). Her current interests include engaging spirituality, contemplative practices, and creative expression in the service of leadership, human flourishing, and transformative social change.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Kismet Loftin-Bell - Power Moves: Navigating Priorities, People & Purpose With Strength
2026-01-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Goodwin PDR
Date: January 13th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Goodwin PDR, Moody Center, Hollins University
Note: the first 20 people to sign up will receive a free copy of the Clifton Strengths book and a code to take the assessment for free. This requires pre-registration.
Workshop Description: This is not your typical soft skills session. Power Moves helps women understand how to use their natural talents (via CliftonStrengths) to set priorities that matter, navigate tricky collaborations, and transform conflict into connection. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of direction, empowered communication tools, and a personal “Power Move Map” they can use daily.
Speaker Bio: Kismet Loftin-Bell currently serves as the Women’s Leadership Program Associate at High Point University in High Point, NC, supporting the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s L.I.F.T. Fellowship—a transformative leadership development program that serves over 130 college women. She is a certified CliftonStrengths Coach, John Maxwell 360° Leader facilitator, and alumna of Hollins University.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Vanessa Priya Daniel - Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning & How We Can Show Up for Them
2026-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Talmadge Recital Hall, Bradley
Date: March 12th
Time: TBD
Location: Keynote presentation – Talmadge Hall, Hollins University; Book Signing following presentation – Lewis Reading Room, Wyndham Robertson Library, Hollins University
Joint event: Leading EDJ and BLI Leading Together series
Description: In this keynote presentation, Vanessa Priya Daniel, author of Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning (Random House, 2025) will share the superpowers women of color leaders use to create winning strategies that drive meaningful change for all. She will also address how we remove the roadblocks that make leadership treacherous for women of color. Daniel’s presentation draws upon 25+ years of experience as an organizer, founder, and funder of over 100 women of color-led organizations. Additionally, her presentation is informed by over 45 interviews she conducted with many of the best and brightest women of color leaders in U.S. social justice movements and philanthropy, while completing her new book.
Speaker Bio: Vanessa Priya Daniel is an author, organizer, and award-winning leader for racial and gender justice. She has worked in social justice movements for twenty-five years as a labor and community organizer and funder. Her first book is Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning (Random House, 2025). She founded and served for 17 years as executive director of Groundswell Fund, a leading funder of women of color-led grassroots community and electoral organizing. She is a recipient of the Smith College Medal, was featured by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of fifteen “Influencers” who are changing the nonprofit world, and was recognized by Inside Philanthropy as one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Players in Philanthropy.” Daniel has written for The New York Times and other publications.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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She Kills Monsters
2026-04-09 00:00 - 2026-04-11 23:59 | Hollins Theatre
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, directed by E.B. Smith

When: April 9-11 at 7:30 pm and April 11 at 2 pm

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Content Warnings: Strong language

Admission: $10 general admission. $5 for non-Hollins students. FREE for Hollins students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are not yet available. Email boxoffice@hollins.edu to reserve complimentary tickets.

“She Kills Monsters” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Jeanine Stewart - AI Meets Human Intelligence: Navigating the Multi-Cognitive Workplace
2026-04-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: April 20th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30 PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (Event Space)
Description: As managers and executives integrate AI tools into workplaces with a goal of boosting performance, they’re discovering unexpected challenges where artificial intelligence meets human cognition. This intersection creates new forms of workplace stress and requires fresh approaches to team development. Drawing on neuroscience research and applied psychology, we will consider some practical approaches for supporting leaders and their teams as organizations navigate this dynamic technological transformation.
Speaker Bio: Jeanine Stewart is a neuroscientist, executive coach, and former C-level executive who specializes in the intersection of AI, neuroscience, and leadership. She works with executives at major global organizations to help them master adaptive leadership in environments where human and artificial intelligence must collaborate effectively. Dr. Stewart has developed the NeuroMighty™ framework, which focuses on how human brains work in synchrony with one another and how to build core brain strengths that optimize team performance.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Abrina Schnurman: Exploring the Leader-Follower Dynamic for Purpose-Driven Results
2026-05-11 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: May 11th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30 PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: While traditional leadership discourse has centered on leadership style or capacity, followers play a significant role in co-creating culture and outcomes. This talk adds to the leadership development toolkit by examining the dynamic intersection of leaders and followership as a framework for cultivating purpose-driven organizations and enhancing collective engagement.
Speaker Bio: Abrina Schnurman has been a core faculty member of the Batten Leadership Institute at Hollins University since 2004, where she teaches courses in leadership studies. She holds Executive Certificates in Leadership and Management from Harvard and the University of Virginia. She is also a licensed professional counselor.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Commencement 2026
2026-05-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Berglund Center, 710 Williamson Rd NE, Roanoke, 24016, United States
More information regarding the comprehensive schedule for Commencement Weekend, including the featured speaker, will be provided in early March.
