SCHOOL of DANCE
Karole Armitage '71 (Ballet) was nominated for the Outstanding Choreography award at the 2008 Drama Desk Awards, for “Passing Strange.”
Choreographers Ivy Baldwin '97 (Contemporary Dance) and Ursula Eagly presented “Meet Cute: Grotesque Ingénue,” April 30 at 7 p.m. at the New Museum Theater in NYC. Following the performance, curator Sarah Maxfield led a discussion with the choreographers, exploring the artists' fascination with the simultaneous presentation of “beauty” and “the beast.” Ivy has been described by the “New York Times Magazine” as a choreographer who is helping to define an entire generation of choreographers in NYC. She has recently received grants from the Dugas Family Foundation (2008), the Trust for Mutual Understanding (2008), and the Karen and William Tell Foundation (2007, 2008, and 2009). She is also a recipient of the 2008 Bogliasco Foundation Jerome Robbins Fellowship in Dance at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts and Humanities in Bogliasco, Italy, and a 2008 ArtistNe(s)t Residency at the George Apostu Cultural Center in Bacau, Romania. Ivy received a commission from Dance Theater Workshop's Commissioning and Creative Residency Program for her newest work “Bear Crown,” which premiered at Dance Theater Workshop in March 2009. www.newmuseum.org/events/320
Eowyn Barrett '07 (Contemporary Dance) is currently dancing with BodyVox Too, as an original member. He just finished an independent show with fellow UNCSA alumni Lauren Edson '01 (Contemporary Dance) in December in Portland, OR.
Ian Spencer Bell '96 (Ballet) premiered new choreography at a studio showing at New York City Center Studios in New York City on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
Zane Booker '87 (Contemporary Dance) is the artistic director of The Smoke Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative (SLJ), a nonprofit dance theater production company in Philadelphia which strives to be a catalyst for conversation concerning HIV/AIDS. The company has recently performed at the the third annual World AIDS Day Event, Northeastern University, the KWANZA celebration of Kujichagulia, and the Mummers Day Parade. On January 10, SLJ celebrated its third year producing the annual Studio Performance and Panel Discussion, held at the University of the Arts. Dr. Ted Corbin, Dr. Lisa Bowleg, and MacArthur Award recipient Dr. John Rich led a discussion about black men's health, followed by a performance of choreography by SLJ company members Lindsey LaFountain, Justin Bryant and Maya Johnson, and special guests Michael Thomas and Tommy Waheed. In February, SLJ was presented by Philadelphia Dance Projects, and premiered Zane’s “Seven Stories of Love and Other Human Mysteries,” with music composed by Mike Pietrusko. In March, SLJ performed for the Veterans Association in celebration of Black History Month, and at the Garden State Dance Festival at the Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts with guest artist Camille Brown '01 (Contemporary Dance). Zane and Camille are two of the four choreographers featured in the Philadanco Spring Concert “New Faces,” April 30-May 3 at Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. SLJ will have its first international performance on June 6-7 at the Festival International DansEncore in Canada (www.festival-encore.com). In addition, the company will complete its first residency at Swarthmore College during the first two weeks of August. Zane will conduct master classes this summer at Broadway Theater Project (Tampa, FL), Howard University Dance Intensive (Washington, DC), Savage Dance Company Intensive (Sykesville, MD), and Peridance Philadanco Workshop (New York, NY). www.liliesandjade.org.
Grady Bowman '03/'05 (Contemporary Dance) is an ensemble member in the Broadway musical “Billy Elliott,” and was featured in the “On the Rise” section of the January 2009 edition of “Dance Magazine.”
Sarah Bumgarner '06 (Contemporary Dance) was an ensemble member for the national tour of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” from September '07 through March '08. She is currently playing Victoria in the national tour of “CATS.”
John Byrne '01/'03 (Contemporary Dance) is the creative director and choreographer for a new project for SONY in New York City. He will be working with classmates Purdie Baumann ’99 and Brittany Marcin’99 (Ballet). www.bizbash.com/newyork/content/editorial/e14308.php
Kenneth Carter '85/'87 (Ballet) married Amber Rae Noga, of Nashville, TN, in May 2007. After a professional career that included dancing with Nashville Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, and teaching at Duke University, Kenny graduated from NC State University in May 2005. Kenny and Amber live in Ormond Beach, FL where he is the Director of Career Services at WyoTech-Daytona and she is an Associate Veterinarian at Cat Care Clinic.
Mia Cunningham '83 (Ballet)'s career will be celebrated on May 15, during a performance of “Othello” by North Carolina Dance Theatre, with whom she concludes an illustrious performance career this year after dancing for 18 seasons with the company. “Mia is the quintessence of what Dance Theatre is all about. She is brilliant in her diversity of dance styles,” said NCDT President and artistic director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, “She has spark and a wonderful spirit. She is a unique dancer, and Dance Theatre will really miss her.” Mia is a native of Texas and has danced with the San Antonio Ballet, Zurich Ballet, various concert groups in New York City and toured with Stars of the Soviet Ballet. Her tenure at NCDT, which began under the direction of Salvatore Aiello, has included unforgettable roles in ballets by dance legends Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Agnes de Mille, Alonzo King and Jacqueline Buglisi. Bonnefoux, Aiello and NCDT 2 director Mark Diamond created iconic roles for her in ballets such as “Cinderella,” “Nutcracker” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.” www.ncdance.org
Uthman Ebrahim '01/'06 (Acting/Contemporary Dance) is a dancer with Rebecca Kelly Ballet in New York City.
Jenna Fakhoury '03/'07 (Ballet/Contemporary Dance) recently became a full time member of the Shen Wei Dance Arts company. The company was at Duke University for two weeks in January for a residency. Shen Wei was the choreographer for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Elly Kendrick Fryer '98 (Ballet) is currently living in New York City, where she has lived for almost six years. She has danced with the American Contemporary Ballet, Naganuma Dance, and MELD Danceworks, and received opportunities to tour with Upstate New York Ballet, Los Angeles Dance Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Montgomery Ballet. She also taught ballet and jazz for three years at Norwalk Dance Academy in Connecticut. Four years ago, Elly got certified to teach Pilates through the internationally renowned Stott Pilates. She is fully certified in mat and apparatus, and has taught for the last three years at Pilates on Fifth and Manhattan Plaza Health Club. She married Scott Fryer over three years ago, and they have an amazing son, Andrew, who turned one year old on December 6th. Elly is currently enjoying motherhood and teaching Pilates part time.
Robin Gilbert '81 (Ballet) has been a principal dancer with BALAM Dance Theatre since 1992. She will be featured in the role of Sita in the company’s free performance of their signature work “Ramayana - Abduction of Sita,” May 3 at the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Festival in NYC. www.balamdance.org
Cara Hagan '02/'05 and Mackenzie Hagan '02/'05 (Contemporary Dance) are the Artistic Director and Managing Director for 87 Dance Productions, which will host its Dance and New Media Mini Tour in Winston-Salem (May 2-3), Durham (May 16-17) and Greensboro, N.C. (May 23). They will be presenting performances of the critically acclaimed multimedia work, “One Woman Show,” and 87's newest film, “Folding Over Twice” (a segment of which was named “Dance Magazine” Video of the Month – view it here). Along with the performances, there will be a discussion on how new media has changed the way people experience dance, and workshops about modern dance, creating movement for film, and the technical aspects of multimedia work. For more information, full schedules and to purchase tickets in advance, go to www.87danceproductions.com.
Paola Hartley '91/'92 (Ballet) starred in “Rubies” and “The Four Temperaments” during Ballet Arizona's summer performances, “All Balanchine.” Since joining Ballet Arizona in 1998, Paola has originated featured roles in Ib Andersen's “Amoroso,” “Indigo Rhapsody,” “Brandenburg Concerti,” “Go With It!,” and “Play.” She has been cast in a variety of principal roles including “Eugene Onegin,” “Giselle,” “Swan Lake,” “Coppélia,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “La Sylphide,” and “The Nutcracker.”
Barbara Javors '97 (Ballet) directed the McCullum Dance Company in their spring dance show, “Above and Below” at the McCullum Fine Arts Dance Academy on April 2, 2009.
Janice Lancaster '97/'01, Katie Swords '98/'01 and Adrienne Westwood '03 (Contemporary Dance) have all been accepted to the graduate dance program at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA, starting in June 2009. This very intense one-year program includes a semester studying in Europe, and also encourages its students to remain working artists in the field. The program will conclude in the summer of 2010.
Dance artist Janice Lancaster '97/'01 (Contemporary Dance), projection designer Adam Larsen '98 (Cinematography), and musician Jason Daniello will present “Black Whole” on Saturday, April 25 at Food Lion Skate Park in Asheville, N.C., in conjunction with The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and sponsored by the City of Asheville, Moog Music, and Centering on Children. The performance will be an immersion in video, sound and dance exploring the connections between life and landscape through image, sound and movement. Also dancing in the performance are Katie Dorn '02/'05 (Contemporary Dance) and Kathleen Hahn '96/'01 (Ballet/Contemporary Dance). Janice and Adam will also lead a three hour introductory workshop on Sunday, April 26, on the philosophy and technique of integrating multimedia into dance performance, exploring the synthesis of moving images and performance, and demonstrate basic video camera technique for multimedia use. More information on both of these events is available at www.blackmountaincollege.org - Click here for flyer. Janice is originally from Oxford, NC and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. She has had the pleasure of dancing as a guest soloist for Shen Wei Dance Arts, as well as dancing with Abby Chan, Satoshi Haga, Aynsley Vandenbroucke Movement Group, and co-founding VIA Dance Collaborative. Her recent commissions include the 2007 Bessie Schönberg Choreographic Residency on the Yard in Martha’s Vineyard and two works for the Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company of Chicago. www.janicelancaster.com
Mark Land '78 (Ballet) joined Wachovia in 2000 where he currently serves as Vice President and Managing Director of the Wachovia Center for Planned Giving. Prior to his current role, he served as a Philanthropic Advisor providing consultative services for non-profit institutions and philanthropic individuals. Mark’s experience also includes Charitable Advisor for the Triad Region of North Carolina, where he was responsible for the overall management of individual charitable trusts and institutional relationships. Mark has more than 20 years of experience working with not-for-profit institutions. Prior to joining Wachovia, he served as Senior Consultant with the fundraising firm Whitney Jones, Inc., working with not-for-profits throughout North Carolina. He was Director of Alumni Relations from 1991 - 1997 at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and he served as Director of Individual Giving and Director of Development for the School of Filmmaking during the school’s successful $25 million “Creating Our Future” capital campaign.
Emery LeCrone '05 (Ballet) has performed with Morphoses and is currently rehearsing with Ballet Neo. She is also re-staging her own work for Ballet Builders' New Choreographers on Point competition. Following graduation, Emery joined the North Carolina Dance Theater, where she dance in works such as Balanchine's “Serenade,” “Faust,” and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto;” Dwight Roden's world premiere of “Tantrum;” and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's “Carmina Burana.” She was was featured in the December 28th issue of the “New York Times” – see the article here.
Ashley Lindsey '07 (Contemporary Dance) is in his second season with the Jose Limon Dance Company. Since graduating, Ashley has also performed with The Wes Veldink Movement, VIA Dance Collaborative, and Tony award winning chorographer Hinton Battle on the film “Bolden!” He recently performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and presented two new works in the Bermuda festival, which received rave reviews from the “Royal Gazette.”
Karola Luttringhaus '94/'99 (Contemporary Dance)'s alban elved dance company, in collaboration with Reynolds High School, presented “WINGSPAN #6” on April 22nd, 2009, at Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem. www.albanelved.com Click here for flyer
Heather Maloy '91 (Ballet)'s “Stranger,” inspired by the Luminescent Orchestrii and the current musical movement called “Gypsy Punk,” was featured on UNCSA’s Spring Dance Concert, May 8-11, 2008. On June 26-28, 2008, Heather’s Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance presented “Elvis & other men,” a show celebrating the dynamic power of the male dancer by featuring an all-male repertoire and bringing together nine men from companies such as Pittsburgh Ballet, Balletmet, Nashville Ballet, and North Carolina Dance Theatre. Heather also teaches locally at Center Stage Dance Studio in Arden, NC where her students have been accepted into and attended programs at American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Florida State University, and UNCSA, and have performed in the Terpsicorps production “Alice,” as well as in Heather’s original choreography at both the Festival of North Carolina Dance and at the Stevens Center, under the auspices of the Center Stage Performing Company and the newly-formed Terpsicorps Junior Company. On August 7-9, Terpsicorps presented “Hurricane & other forces of nature” at the Diana Wortham Theater in Asheville, NC The show features the Asheville premiere of Heather’s award-winning “Hurricane,” which she created for Ballet Nouveau Colorado's 21st Century Choreographic Competition in April, in which she took third place. Costumes for the piece were done by Asheville’s premiere fashion designer, R. Brooke Priddy '97/'98 (Visual Arts). The program also featured Salvatore Aiello’s “Afternoon of a Faun,” the Terpsicorps favorite “Couch Potatoes,” and the world premiere of Heather’s “The Second Line,” a collaboration with New Orleans parade musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina, created as a statement of hope for the future and a celebration of rebirth. www.terpsicorps.org.
Rebecca Massey Wiley '92 (Ballet) was a guest artist at UNCSA during the winter term. Founder and artistic director of Piedmont Dance Conservatory and Piedmont Dance Theatre (PDT), Rebecca received her training on full scholarship at UNCSA, the School of American Ballet in New York City, and the Hungarian National Ballet Academy in Budapest. In 1992, she became a full time company member of American Ballet Theatre and was featured as a soloist dancer in ballets such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” “La Bayadere,” “Othello,” “Fall River Legend,” “Rodeo,” “Fancy Free,” “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes,” and “Leaves are Fading.” While in New York, she also made appearances with The Stars of New York City Ballet. At the North Carolina Dance Theatre, she served as company teacher and coach for the 2001-2003 seasons. She was also ballet mistress for the NCDT's second company. As artistic director of PDT, Rebecca has choreographed a full length “Nutcracker,” created an original full length ballet entitled Pirates, prepared an educational outreach program featuring “Peter and the Wolf,” and was granted rights from the George Balanchine Trust and Foundation to stage “Serenade” in 2004 and 2006.
Kelly Maxner '94/'00 (Contemporary Dance/Directing) and the UNCSA high school drama program gave a spectacular performance on April 30 of Shel Silverstein's “The Giving Tree" in collaboration with The Special Children's School and Easton Elementary School's West African Drumming Ensemble (led by Colin Tribby '84/'04 (Percussion)). See the article in the Winston-Salem Journal
Megan Moose '98 (Ballet) owns Precision Pilates in Gastonia, NC, a fully equipped classical Pilates studio. They offer private and semi-private classical Pilates sessions through mat and equipment training.
Peter Pucci '81 (Contemporary Dance) has been named the 2009 Artist of the Year and received the ArstWestchester Arts Award at a luncheon celebrating the Awards on April 3. Peter was also awarded the 2008 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography, for Signature Theater's production of Charles Mee's “Queens Boulevard,” for which he was also nominated for a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreographer. He currently has several works in progress. His ballet, “Episode,” created for the Dance Theater of Harlem, premiered at McNeese University in Lake Charles Louisiana on February 7, 2009 as part of the Dance Theater of Harlem’s spring tour. On February 28 he premiered another new ballet, “Shine,” at the Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York. In addition, Peter is currently at work on a new production of Euripides’ “Ion” at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C. under the direction of Ethan McSweeney. Peter is also an adjunct professor and artist-in-residence at Manhattanville College.
Felicia Sanders '78 (Ballet) is on the faculty of The Oregon Ballet Academy in Eugene, OR, where she teaches Pre-Ballet and Modern. After leaving UNCSA, she went to Holland where she spent two years at the Rotterdam Dance Academy studying various forms of dance including modern, jazz, and flamenco. From 1980-1984 she danced in Switzerland performing classical, neoclassical and modern works. She returned to Holland and joined the Rotterdam Dance Group and worked with a wide variety of cutting-edge choreographers, including Stephen Petronio, Yoshiko Chuma, Ton Simons, Job Sanders and Shusaku Takeudi. Since moving to Eugene in 1995 she has danced with Robin Bryant and Dancers, LCC Dance Dept., Dance Theater of Oregon, Donna Briggs and Cara Makaanson. She has also choreographed for Dance for a Reason, Swine Dive, Oregon Dance Project and Dance Umbrella of the South Coast of Oregon. She regularly teaches creative dance for children in conjunction with Young Writer's association, Yea! Days and Imagine That Summer Adventures.
Kathleen Scott '01 (Ballet) is a freelance stage manager and lighting designer for professional dance companies and theatre in New York City. She has also recently stage managed several operas at Carnegie Hall, and has worked on the New York Festival of Song and the Moab Music Festival in Moab, Utah. As a performer, Kathleen has danced with Incidents Physical Theatre and Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, and is a dancer, puppeteer, and tour manager with Hudson Vagabond Puppets.
Helen Simoneau '98/'01/'02 (Contemporary Dance) was recently awarded 1st Place for Choreography and 3rd Place for Dance for her solo “The gentleness was in her hands” at the 13th Internationales Solo-Tanz-Theatre Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. An evening of her work was presented in association with Joyce SoHo on April16th-18th in NYC with fellow alumni Tammy Carrasco '07, Hope Plumb Davis '99/'01, Lindsay Fisher '02, Catherine Miller '99, Manelich Minniefee '00, Adrienne Westwood '03 (Contemporary Dance) and Gena Mann '99/'02 (Ballet/Contemporary Dance), with music by Jonathan Melville Pratt '01 (Voice) and lighting by Carrie Wood '02 (Lighting Design). Helen's work has recently been performed in France, Vienna, and Germany and will be performed this summer at the Athens International Dance Festival in Greece, at the American Dance Festival (MFA Thesis), at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (inside/out), and at Tangente in Montréal. Click here for flyer
Deirdre Smith Gilmer '92 (Contemporary Dance) recently moved to to Asheville, NC from New York City. She is a certified Anusara Yoga instructor and Yoga Alliance Certified teacher, and currently teaches at the Mountain Area Health Education Center and One Center Yoga, as well as the American Dance Festival in Durham, N.C. Deirdre danced professionally in New York for the last thirteen years, and taught on the faculty of the dance departments of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Long Island University, and Ballet Arts at City Center. She was also on faculty at the World Yoga Center, Shri Yoga, The Yoga Room, and Yoga Mandali studios. Deirdre continues to visit New York, as she directs the creative movement program and begins a new yoga program for children in the Imagine Early Learning Centers.
Katie Swords '98/'01 (Contemporary Dance)'s piece “When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars” was performed by VIA Dance Collaborative at Dance New Amsterdam as part of the annual APAP conference on January 11, 2009. The piece imagines a world of involuntary desperation.
Jeffrey Sykes '06/'07 (Ballet) is currently a dance student at The Juilliard School, and has attended summer programs at Chautauqua Ballet and Houston Ballet.
Vanessa Valecillos '96 (Ballet) joined Ballet Nacional de Caracas under the renowned director Vicente Nebrada at age fifteen. After graduating from UNCSA, she joined Southern Ballet Theater. She relocated to Chicago in 1997, where she has performed with the Lyric Opera in 14 of its productions, including a principal role in “La Traviata.” Valecillos is currently a dancer and founding member of Luna Negra Dance Theater, and also serves as the dancers’ representative to the Board of Directors.
Stephanie Waddell '04/'07 (Contemporary Dance) is a dancer and performer living in New York City, studying with Allen Forbes.
Sarah Hayes Watson '07 (Ballet) is currently dancing with North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte, since September 2008. She was a trainee with NC Dance Theatre for the 2007-2008 Season.
Christopher Weisler '06 (Ballet) is now dancing with Dutch National Ballet.
Adrienne Westwood '03 (Contemporary Dance)‘s “Lullaby in Surrealism” is drawing attention from the New York dance press. She was recently interviewed by dance writer Eva Yaa Asantewaa. The piece was created last summer by way of The Dream Project, in which over 100 people participated in the creative process by attending the launch party, visiting the blog (www.virb.com/viadance), taking the dream survey and going to an open rehearsal. Inspired by the paintings of Renee Magritte, “Lullaby in Surrealism” investigates the artists' sleeping lives, harnessing the imagery of dreams and realizing those disparate, mystical, often alarming worlds onstage. The piece was performed in September at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York, danced by Gudbjorg Arnalds '05, Daniel Charon '96, Lindsay Fisher '02, Cheri Paige Fogleman '01/'03, Janice Lancaster '97/'01, Seth Miner '06/'07, Dawn Poirier '00, Katie Swords '98/'01 (Contemporary Dance), Bryan Campbell, Beth Edwards, Renee Kurz, and Anna Schon, with sound design by Jim Briggs III, costume design by Renee Kurz, lighting design by Carrie Wood '02 (Lighting Design), set design by Seth Easter '04 (Scene Design), and projections by Adam Larsen '98 (Cinematography). “Lullaby” will again be performed at Jacob's Pillow in August 2009 (exact cast TBA).
Eric Yow '96/'97 (Contemporary Dance) is founder of Yow Dance company in Orlando Florida. www.yowdance.org
SCHOOL of DESIGN & PRODUCTION
John Bartley '85 and Eric Ludacer '98 (Lighting Design) are currently working on Cirque du Soleil’s production of “Love” at The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas. “Love” is a celebration of the music of The Beatles, featuring original master tapes creatively remixed by Sir George Martin and Giles Martin, and a cast of 60 international artists.
Brian Sidney Bembridge '97 (Scene Design) and John Langs '96 (Acting) were featured in the February 2009 edition of “American Theatre,” talking about their work on the world premiere of “I Am My Own Wife” at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre last September. They will re-mount the show at the REP at the University of Delaware this fall. Brian and John also recently worked together on the world premiere of “Battle Hymn” with Circle X Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Brian designed sets and/or lights for over 20 productions in 2008, including the world premieres of Naomi Izuka's “After A Hundred Years” at Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN, “Five Fingers of Funk” at The Children's Theatre Company (also in Minneapolis), and “Funk It Up About Nothin'” at Chicago Shakespeare; The Pittsburgh Public's production of “Radio Golf,” the final play of the August Wilson Cycle; and his Joseph Jefferson nominated designs for “The Good Bye Girl” and “Meet Me in St. Louis” at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, IL. His design of “Dolly West's Kitchen” for Timeline Theatre Company was also nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Non-Equity Award for Scene Design. Brian was interviewed for a feature article in the May 2008 issue of “Projection, Lights and Staging News,” and for the “Talk Theatre in Chiacgo” podcast alongside fellow designers Todd Rosenthal and Jack Magaw – listen here
Jamie Call Blankinship '81 (Stage Management) has worked as a stage manager for opera companies including San Francisco Opera, Spoleto Festival, U.S.A., The Washington Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Anchorage Opera, Augusta Opera, Charlotte Opera, and Piedmont Opera. She has also served as a rehearsal director for the 1994 World Cup Opening Ceremonies and project manager for Francis Coppola’s “Secret Journal” at Zoetrope Studios. At the Jack Morton Production Company, Jamie worked as executive producer on corporate meetings and events for Bell Atlantic and Lifetime Television Upfronts. She has also worked as a producer at Production Group International (PGI) for corporate client meetings and events including GE Laundry Launch Proposal and Pitch, Bell Atlantic, United States Telephone Assoc., Travel Industry Association, International Amusement Parks and Attractions Assoc, and America’s Community Bankers. As a line producer at PGI she has worked for Mobil Gas Corporation and the American Society of Travel Agents. As a production manager for Gail Stern and Associates, Jamie’s credits include numerous corporate events for Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems. She is a member of American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Actor’s Equity Association (AEA). Jamie joined the Stage Management Program faculty at UNCSA in 2005.
David Castaneda '90 (Lighting Design) is the lighting designer for “Irena’s Vow,” a new play by Dan Gordon and directed by Michael Parva at the Walter Kerr Theatre; previews began March 10.
Hannah Clayton '06/'07 (Visual Arts) is a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
Kevin Cwalina '97 (Scene Design) and his company Eight Hands High Inc. (www.8handshigh.com) designed the new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame NYC Annex as well as the new Radio City Christmas Spectacular arena tour. In addition to working as a lead associate at Eight Hands High, Kevin has been working to obtain his Yoga Teacher certificate at the Asheville Yoga Center.
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton DeSimone '96 (Visual Arts) joins UNCSA as a case manager and human services practitioner in Disability and Counseling Services. Gwen received her Sociology degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has approximately 5 years of case management experience. Gwen will serve as the primary point of contact for faculty and staff to express concerns about a student and will also consult with families, faculty, administrators, and Health Service medical providers regarding student mental health issues and treatment options.
Aiden Dillard '99 (Visual Arts)'s new movie “Special Angelz” screened at the historic art deco Tower Theater in Miami during The Borscht Film Festival in December. “Special Angelz” stars Ted Vernon with humorous guest appearances by photographer Jipsy Nefarious and artist Bert Rodriguez. Aiden was interviewed about the movie for the Miami arts blog Artlurker – read the interview here
CeCe Disharoon '04 (Sound Design) was the sound engineer for Piedmont Opera’s production of “Light in the Piazza” in October at the Stevens Center. Other alumni who participated in the production were wardrobe mistress Alice Barsony '84/'85/'99 (Visual Arts/Costume Design), properties mistress Jennifer O'Kelly '93 (Scene Design), draper Lisa Weller '83 (Costume Design), and orchestra stage manager John Horsman '79/'80/'08 (Stage Management/Performing Arts Management).
Brad Fields '87 (Technical Production) was the lighting designer for the Twyla Tharp World Premiere at American Ballet Theatre, featuring alumni Gillian Murphy '96 and Maria Riccetto '99 (Ballet) and School of Dance dean Ethan Stiefel. The piece was inspired by an ABT-commissioned score by composer Danny Elfman.
Danielle Foushee '92 (Visual Arts) is the membership and development coordinator of the Friends of McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in Grand Junction, Colo. Previously, Danielle was the art director and brand manager at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, and has also taught at the University of Southern California, UCLA, the Art Center College of Design, Otis College of Art & Design, and Utah State University. Her clients have included BRC Imagination Arts, The Boston Conservatory, Sega/GameWorks, Myriad Pictures, Nike, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and Chronicle Books. Danielle received her MFA in Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art and her Bachelor of Environmental Design from North Carolina State University. www.mcinniscanyons.org
David Gibson '90 (Lighting Design) is a partner and senior consultant with SIA Acoustics, an acoustical design and consulting firm with a focus on performing arts, live performance and media production facilities. SIA was founded in 1989 and is based in New York City with an additional office in Los Angeles. Beyond design and consulting, they also have a special events group focused on technical design and direction of acoustically challenging special events. The company is also known for developing SIA-SMAART, the industry-leading acoustical measurement software system.
Mark Grossman '95 (Lighting Design) is living near Oaxaca, Mexico, working on constructing a cob cottage, implementing rainwater harvesting techniques, solar heating and cooling, permaculture and much more. Visit oaxacacobcottage.blogspot.com to see photos and read more about Mark's building process.
Emme Hall '08/'09 (Costume Technology) is the costume manager and design assistant at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. On October 9-10, 2009, Emme will be driving a class 5 unlimited baja bug in the 4th Annual Powder Puff Race for the Cure in Barstow, CA, to benefit the Cedar Sinai Women’s Breast Cancer Research Center. The race is sponsored by the Mohave Off-Road Racing Enthusiasts (MORE) and Royal Purple Synthetic Oils. Emme’s goal is to raise at least $5000 and find at least one corporate donor to match that. Visit www.moreracing.net/powderpuff09 for more information, or www.dulcedelechracing.blogspot.com to contribute.
Alexander Isley '80 (Visual Arts) had work selected for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in November 2008. He also recently completed a term as President of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) New York.
Robin (Vose) Jenkins '00 (Stage Management) served during the 2007-08 season as a board member and program committee chairperson for the Fluvanna County Arts Council in Virginia, where she worked with a small committee booking musical artists for their facility. She had the pleasure of working with a representative from East Coast Entertainment in Richmond,VA, and together they booked 13 acts, both local and national, for the 2008-09 season. Robin married her husband, Jim Jenkins, on December 14, 2005. Jim is a semi-retired technical director and master carpenter.
Christopher Keene '01 (Stage Properties) had his production design for “LEAR ReLoaded” (a deconstruction of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” by Scot Lahaie) featured in “American Theatre” Magazine (January 2009). In the article, “The Case For Live Movies” by Kirby Malone and Gail Scott White, Keene’s design is cited as an example of “an adventurous multimedia Shakespeare adaptation.” The production previously received a nomination for Outstanding Projection Design and an award for Outstanding Lighting Design from the Metrolina Theatre Association. Keene is the designer and technical director at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC.
Conrad Kochek '99/'00 (Visual Arts) is currently the senior designer of marketing at “Interior Design” magazine, where he began working in August 2007.
Rebecca Lesesne '05 (Visual Arts)'s eco-fashion line, RebeccaSL, joined forces with AuH2O to have a fashion show at Fontana’s in New York City on Thursday February 19th, featuring spring items made entirely from recycled materials.
Meredith Lidstone '97 (Technical Production) has happily returned to Dutchess County, NY, and is thrilled to be back at Blackwalnut, a commercial union shop specializing in scenery for network and cable television. Prior to returning to Blackwalnut, she was a layout carpenter at Global Scenic Studios in Bridgeport, CT where she built very tiny sets for cruise ships. Aside from work, Meredith is involved on a regular basis with the Delancey Street Foundation, a non-profit re-educational organization (www.delanceystreetfoundation.org).
Angus MacLachlan '76/'80 (Visual Arts/Acting)'s play “Stone” will be filmed by John Curran (“The Painted Veil”) and will star Robert De Niro and Edward Norton. Filming begins in May in Detroit.
Michel Marrano '05 (Sound Design) has joined Blazing Music+Sound, a division of Trailblazer Studios in Raleigh, as a sound engineer, working primarily on mixing and sound design for the company’s broadcast TV work including "Jon & Kate Plus 8" and "18 Kids and Counting." She will also serve Blazing’s advertising agency, film and video game clients. Michel comes to Blazing Music+Sound from Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, where she was the resident sound designer for three years. While at Playmakers, she also taught sound design at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has held positions in sound design and audio supervision at East Carolina University’s Loessin Theatre, Triad Stage in Greensboro, and Vermont’s Weston Playhouse Theatre. Michel holds bachelor’s degrees in theatre and sociology from the State University of New York at Geneseo. After earning her M.F.A. in sound design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she did a residency with Aura Sound Design in London, where she also worked at the Royal National Theatre and several West End playhouses. www.blazingmusicsound.com
Emilie McGann '01 (Stage Management) and Kyle Schoenfeld '01 (Technical Direction) were married on Feb 29, 2008.
Kristen McGinnis '93/'94 (Visual Arts) is one of “Traditional Home” magazine’s “20 Young Interior Designers to Watch” in the April 2009 issue – view it here
Brendan McNally '78 (Technical Production)'s book “Germania” was reviewed by USA Today - read the review here
Leslie Mott Varela '82 (Visual Arts) is living in France sculpting and painting. www.leslie-varela.com
Brandon Kahn '06 and Barclay Stiff '00 (Stage Management) were assistant stage manager and production stage manager on “Farragut North” at the Atlantic Theatre Company (off-Broadway) in November. Following that, Brandon was the production stage manager for The Huntington Theatre Company (Boston) production of “The Corn is Green,” directed by Nicholas Martin and starring Kate Burton. Barclay and Brandon then came together again to stage manage the Broadway production of “Mary Stuart” at the Broadhurst Theatre (previews began March 30, opened April 19), which has been nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play.
Jennifer O’Kelly '93 (Scene Design) is the President of the Downtown Arts District Association in Winston-Salem, NC.
Shayna Parker '01/'03 (Scenic Arts) curated an exhibit of painting, drawing and sculpture by Ricky Needham, Ryan Britts and John Bryan, May 23-July 19, 2008 in the Gateway Gallery at The Enrichment Center in Winston-Salem, where Shayna is visual arts specialist. Music for the opening night reception was presented by The Enrichment Center Percussion Ensemble, led by music alum Aaron Bachelder '89/'97 (Percussion/Music Composition).
Aaron Pennington '08 (Visual Arts) received a grant from the Maryland Institute College of Art to work on a series of public art portraits in Baltimore.
Alexandra “Alex” Phillips '06 (Visual Arts) is presently taking part in the AICAD NY Studio program in New York City (nysp.aicad.org). While there, she is working as a studio assistant for Chloe Piene (www.chloepiene.com/work.html), conducting research on materials and processes.
Rupert Ravens '73 (Visual Arts) is the owner and curator of Rupert Ravens Contemporary, the newest and largest commercial art gallery in Newark, NJ. The gallery, which opened in October 2007 with its inaugural exhibition “Sanctuary,” occupies a 30,000-square-foot warehouse on Market Street. www.rupertravens.net
Sarah Greene Reed '90 (Visual Arts)'s work was seen in “a lotta bit,” a solo exhibition of her digital collages, June 7 - July 5, 2008 at Moody Gallery in Houston, Texas. Sarah was also featured in the June 2008 issue of “Houston” magazine, in an article titled “Flash in the Scan: A digital doyenne lights up the summer arts scene!”
Judith Schoenfeld '91 (Stage Management) is the production stage manager on “Next to Normal,” an original musical with music by Tom Kitt and books & lyrics by Brian Yorkey, that features Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer (previews began March 27 at the Booth Theatre; show opened April 15). She was also stage manager for the show when it was at off-Broadway last year at 2nd Stage; Mary-Mitchell Campbell '92 (Piano) was the musical director of the off-B’way production. Judy was the 1991 Sarah Graham Kenan Scholar at UNCSA. She has worked on and off Broadway since graduation, and was PSM on the Tony Award-winning show “Grey Gardens.” She also has worked at major regional theatres (including Greak Lakes Theater Festival, where she worked with Gerald Freedman) and Spoleto Festival USA. She is married to D&P alumnus Steve Shelley '77 (Lighting Design).
Christopher Scholl '05/'06 (Scene Design) began work in January as the assistant director of development for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at DePaul University in Chicago. Prior to that, Chris worked for the Goodman Theatre, as an institutional giving assistant in the development office.
Sarah Searcy '05 (Visual Arts) recently obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and anthropology with university honors from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. During the course of her studies, she has interned with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington, DC, and was the recipient of a William R. Kenan, Jr. Fellowship to the Penland School of Arts and Crafts in Penland, NC. Sarah was also recently awarded a Fulbright-Nehru fellowship to India, where she will be teaching English and conducting research on traditional art practices. Click here to view Sarah’s “Double Bird,” 5 x 7 inches, encaustic on canvas
Stephen Sell '82 (Stage Management) is the operations manager at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
David Sexton '06 (Lighting Design)'s recent work includes “Who Do You Love” at Richmond Shepherd Theatre, “Hotline” at Williamstown Theatre Festival Workshop, “Cinderella” at Berkeley Ballet Theater, “Ethiopian Tattoo Shop” with Prometheus Theater Group, and the Circle & Square Festival with Mud As Man Productions.
Matt Sherman '07 (Stage Management) is assistant stage manager at Orlando Opera Company.
Layne Sizemore '05 (Visual Arts) won the A. Doren Memorial Student Award for $250 at the 2008 Exposure Photo Biennial, a juried photo exhibition, presented by the Center for Visual Artists – Greensboro. The exhibition was on display from January 11 – Feb. 28, 2008.
Scott Swimmer '77 (Visual Arts) founded DrumsForCures, an organization dedicated to cancer awareness and making both traditional and alternative health resources available to best assist survivors, after his son Mason (now 19), survived bone cancer. DrumsForCures produces drumSTRONG, an annual, multicultural, musical charity designed to give the local medical, integrative and holistic health entities and specific cancer societies an opportunity to display their missions and methods. All funds raised are donated to local and national cancer initiatives. They are also organizing a national network of percussionists to bring rhythm into children's hospitals and clinics, to demonstrate its unifying, healing and entertainment values. www.drumstrong.org - the power is in your hands
Charlotte Townes '05 (Visual Arts) is showing her work in a five-person Senior Honors Thesis Exhibition, “the rethinkery,” March 24-May 10 in the John & June Allcott Gallery at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Melissa Vartanian '02 (Technical Direction) and her fiancé Vache Mikaelian won the “The Morning Blend Throws a Wedding!” contest from WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, WI. The wedding will take place at the Titanic Exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum on May 15th. Viewers can vote on different aspects of the wedding each week by visiting www.themorningblend.com.
SCHOOL of DRAMA
Danna Acheson '02 and Timothy Kiefer '06 appeared in the two character play “Last Train to Nibroc,” March 28th through April 26th at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, directed by Rob Ruggiero, longtime artistic associate of Dean Gerald Freedman and UNCSA guest director. www.cincyplay.com/shows/Details.aspx?performanceNumber=4306
Michael Daniel Anderson '06 starred in “Bell, Book, & Candle” at Triad Stage (artistic director fellow alum Preston Lane '92). This spring Michael and Amanda McCallum '07 star in “Comedy of Errors,” “Othello,” and “The Three Musketeers” at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. “The Three Musketeers” features fight choreography by faculty member Dale Girard and alum Joe Isenberg '06.
Diedrich Bader '87 provided the voice of the Caped Crusader in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” a new animated series which debuted on December 19 at 8 p.m. on the Cartoon Network. He got his role as Batman after working with dialogue director Andrea Romano on “The Batman, “The Zeta Project” and “Batman Beyond.”
Coe Bethea '03 is currently on the 10th National Tour of “Chicago,” as the Mary Sunshine understudy and a swing.
Jeff Burroughs '96 launched The 9Thirty Theatre Company in December 2007, with the vision of becoming New York City's premier multidisciplinary eco-theatre, by providing unparalleled programs that would nurture both emerging artists and our environment. 9TTC hosted a presentation at Shetler Studios during UNCSA's annual Giannini Weekend, which included a performance of Anne Versluis '06/'07 (Contemporary Dance)'s “I Fall in Love Everyday”, danced by her and Dale Harris '02/'06 (Acting/Contemporary Dance), and a reading of Sarah Haught '05 (Directing)'s “The Life of Bees” (later re-titled “Collapse”) by Stacy Salvette '04 and Ashley Morris '07. The company recently presented “A Fresh Assortment,” a collection of four one-act eco-works, at the Seaport Cultural Space during Earth Week, April 22nd-25th. www.9ttc.org
Anna Camp '00/'04, fresh off her starring role on Broadway in “Equus” opposite Daniel Radcliffe, will join the cast of Alan Ball's hit HBO series “True Blood.”
Steve Coulter '81 was named by Tyler Perry as head writer and executive story editor for both of Perry's television series, “House of Payne” and “Meet the Browns.” He recently appeared at the Alliance Theatre in the world premiere of “26 Miles,” a the new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Quiara Alegría Hudes, who also wrote the book for “In the Heights” (recipient of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical). Steve also stars opposite Will Janowitz '00 in the PBS film “The People vs. Leo Frank.”
Dane DeHaan '04/'08 made his Broadway debut this past November, understudying Haley Joel Osment in the revival of David Mamet's “American Buffalo.” He then made his off-Broadway debut in the highly praised world premiere of Dan LeFranc’s “Sixty Miles to Silver Lake,” off-Broadway at the Soho Repertory Theatre. Most recently, Dane played a 16-year-old Elvis impersonator in the prestigious Ensemble Studio Theatre's “End Days,” directed by Lisa Peterson. He also guest starred as Vincent Beckwith in the October 21 episode of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” entitled “Lunacy.”
Nadiyah Dorsey-Quander '01 owns and manages her own children's store “O Baby Organics” in Winston-Salem, NC. The store features green products for babies and small children.
Nick Dothee '05 performed a solo concert of his original music on February 23 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in NYC.
Quincy Dunn-Baker '05 appeared in Tracey Scott Wilson's “The Good Negro,” March 3 - April 19 at New York's Public Theater.
Uthman Ebrahim '01/'06 (Acting/Contemporary Dance) is a dancer with Rebecca Kelly Ballet in New York City.
Ruth Eglsaer '03 coordinated Theatre Communications Group's benefit on April 20, celebrating the 25th anniversary of “American Theatre” magazine. Click here for flyer
Jennifer Ehle '88 and her husband Michael Ryan recently welcomed a new daughter, Talulah Ryan, into their family.
Tim Eulich '03 was fight coordinator for the February 19 episode of FOX’s “Bones,” entitled “The Princess and the Pear.” He also played the Black Knight character.
Jay Freer '83 recently directed “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” at The Lovett School in Atlanta, where he is the director of fine arts.
Paloma Garcia-Lee '08, daughter of Teresa “Terri” Garcia '77 (Ballet), moved to New York City’s upper west side in September, and made her EQUITY Broadway debut on November 14, in Andrew Lloyd Webber's “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Majestic Theatre. At age 17, she is the production’s youngest cast member in fifteen years. Paloma recently has joined the Broadway National Tour of “Phantom” and will be performing with them until July 5. For tickets, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com and select US Tour.
Jerzy Gwiazdowski '04 wrote the comedy “Proximity,” which launched out of Sonnet Repertory Theatre's 2007 Collaborative Series. Now a full-length piece, the production was directed by Wendy McClellan '96 (Directing) for a workshop featuring Jerzy, Todd Loyd '00 (Directing), Mando Alvarado '01, Adam Guerra '07, and Sarah McCafrey '97/'01. Mark Karafin '07 (Directing) was assistant director/stage manager. D&P alumni on the production staff included Laura Fabian '06 (Scene Design), Ren LaDassor '07 (Costume Design), and Rachel Gilmore '05 (Lighting Design).
Deann Halper '84 is the executive director of Aglet Theatre in Taconic, CT. The Aglet Theatre will be participating in the 2009 Berkshire Theatre Festival.
Ryan Hill '03 (Directing) is the assistant dean and general manager of the UNCSA School of Dance. He portrayed Mother Ginger in the UNCSA production of “The Nutcracker” to sold out houses at the Stevens Center, Dec. 6 thru 14. Previously, Ryan worked as the producing associate to Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller at The Producing Office (Broadway producers of “In the Heights,” Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” “High Fidelity,” “Avenue Q,” Baz Luhrman’s “La Bohéme,” “RENT” and many other award winning shows) in New York City. During his tenure, Ryan was the line producer for the “Broadway’s Back” Press Conference for the Broadway League and the Actor’s Fund 125th Anniversary Gala. Ryan also produced the star-studded benefit concert presentations of “Working” and “The Secret Garden” for the Actors Fund of America and Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation. As an event producer, Ryan was responsible for the opening night and TONY celebrations for “In The Heights” as well as the Broadway opening of “High Fidelity” and the London and Las Vegas openings of “Avenue Q.” Ryan is on the Junior Board for the Vineyard Theatre. He has an Arts Certificate from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.
Garland Michael “Elliot” Hudson '76, director and technical director for Centreville High School in Fairfax County, VA, was elected President of The Virginia Theatre Association at the 2008 State Convention in Reston, VA. He will serve as President for a two year term. He has served on the board of directors of VTA for the past 14 years.
Marc Damon Johnson '93 plays Ogun Size in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “The Brother/Sister Plays” trilogy, playing through June 21 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. www.mccarter.org/tarell/
Bianca LaVerne Jones '98 appeared as Hannah, Rose, and Aggy in the world premiere of Pultizer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel's new play, “A Civil War Christmas,” Nov. 26- Dec. 21, 2008 at the LongWharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. Bianca holds a BFA from the SUNY-Purchase Acting Conservatory, and has also attended the Yale School of Drama.
Mark Karafin '07 (Directing) directed Shakespeare's “Much Ado About Nothing” for the Oberon Theatre in New York, with performances February 12-28, 2009. The cast included Jordan Brown '07 as Claudio and Jake Lacy '08 as Conrad; D&P alumna Kathleen McAllister '08 (Costume Design) was the costume designer. www.oberontheatre.org/much-ado-about-nothing/
Julia Klein Knight '93 performed her one woman show “MILK” under the direction of Brad Calcaterra at The Studio in New York City. She also played the role of Emily on the September 23 season opener of NBC's “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and was seen in the play “Hot Flashes” at the Fringe Festival, in the Milagro Theatre. Her poetry was published through the Poetry Salon Series at the 122 Premier in Harlem.
Lance Kramer '05 is the founder and artistic director of Studio Five Productions, which began as Artists in Action Productions in 2001. In October, SFP will produce Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind” in Los Angeles. www.studiofiveproductions.org
John Langs '96 (Acting) and Brian Sidney Bembridge '97 (Scene Design) were featured in the February 2009 edition of “American Theatre,” talking about their work on the world premiere of “I Am My Own Wife” at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre last September. They will re-mount the show at the REP at the University of Delaware this fall. Brian and John also recently worked together on the world premiere of “Battle Hymn” with Circle X Theatre Company in Los Angeles.
Jim Lauderdale '79 won the award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 10, with his album “The Bluegrass Diaries.” Jim also won in this category in 2002, with “Lost in the Lonesome Pines,” a collaboration with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. On April 15th, Jim was be featured in a benefit concert for Tennessee Rep at Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Tenn., hosted by Doyle and Debbie, with Greta Gaines, Adam Hood and special guest Shelean Newman. The event also includes a silent auction of unique items from the music industry. www.tennesseerep.org/benefit_concert.php
Anthony Mackie '97 plays Tupac Shakur in the film NOTORIOUS, which opened in theatres on January 16th. NOTORIOUS is a biography of the late rapper Christopher Wallace a.k.a. Biggie “The Notorious” Smalls. Check out Anthony’s interview with ComingSoon.net .
Angus MacLachlan '76/'80 (Visual Arts/Acting)'s play “Stone” will be filmed by John Curran (“The Painted Veil”) and will star Robert De Niro and Edward Norton. Filming begins in May in Detroit.
William “Billy” Magnussen '07, who stars on “As the World Turns” as Casey Hughes, guest starred as Cody Larson on the December 10th (“Sweetie”) episode of NBC’s “Law & Order.”
Josh Manning '98 is the industry liasion for the the 1st Annual IndioBravo Filipino Film Festival (www.indiobravo.org), which will take place in New York City on June 11-14. The Opening Night will be on Thursday, June 11th, at the Museum of Modern Art, followed by an after party. On June 12-14, the festival screenings will be at the Visual Arts Theater. The lineup features 15 critically-acclaimed full-length features and 11 shorts that are some of the most critically-acclaimed Filipino films of the last few years. Josh is a graduate of The William Esper Studio. He appears alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in the Will Ferrell Comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Josh founded Jericho 7 Films (www.Jericho7films.com) in 2008 after riding 5,000 miles across Canada and the U.S. on a motorcycle. He is currently in pre-production on two films involving motorcycles, both of which he will appear in.
Joseph “Joe” Mantello '84 directed Rodgers and Hart's “Pal Joey” for Roundabout Theatre, November 14 - February 8 at Studio 54.
Kelly Maxner '94/'00 (Contemporary Dance/Directing) and the UNCSA high school drama program gave a spectacular performance on April 30 of Shel Silverstein's “The Giving Tree" in collaboration with The Special Children's School and Easton Elementary School's West African Drumming Ensemble (led by Colin Tribby '84/'04 (Percussion)). See the article in the Winston-Salem Journal
Thom Miller '05 appeared opposite Dan Butler (Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe from “Frasier”) in Ira Levin's “Deathtrap,” Oct. 29 - Nov. 16, 2008 at Northern Stage in Vermont.
Ashley Morris '07 is featured as Francine Carruthers, the leader of the Pranksters, in Sesame Workshop’s highly anticipated return of its classic children’s series “The Electric Company” (pbskids.org/electriccompany). The new series, designed to combat the literacy crisis, has been re-energized with 35 half-hour episodes for today’s media-driven generation. The series launched on PBS on January 19 with a special two-hour sneak peek marathon, before it began its regular weekly timeslot on Fridays on January 23 (check local listings). Ashley’s off-Broadway credits include Edith in Charles Bush's “Die Mommie Die,” Isabel in “Paper Dolls,” “Sea,” and “Lysistrata New.” Her regional theatre work includes Juliet in John Langs’ “Romeo and Juliet” and Clown in “Five Clowns” at the American School in Singapore. On television, Ashley had a guest roll as Harmony on “Ugly Betty.” Her film credits include Maggie in “Be Good Daniel” and an upcoming role in “Sundays in Fort Greene.”
Thomas “Sean” Murray '89 's Cygnet Theatre Company recently signed a long term lease with the state of California to become the new resident theatre company in the Old Town Theater in Old Town San Diego State Historical Park. Sean just completed a $1 million campaign to raise the funds to renovate the theatre with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems and new lobby, restrooms and box office. Cygnet Theatre now has a $1.5 million dollar budget and over 2,500 subscribers. Sean recently directed the Southern California premiers of “Love Song” and the San Diego premiere of “The History Boys,” and is now directing “Bed and Sofa” through the end of May. www.cygnettheatre.com
Henry Pankey '74 was the keynote speaker at the 28th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Noon Hour Commemoration, January 21 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Henry is a nationally acclaimed author, motivational speaker, educator and education consultant. www.henrypankey.com
Ciera Payton '04/'08 played Effie in the Lifetime original television movie “Midnight Bayou,” opposite Faye Dunaway and Jerry O'Connell. The movie premiered on March 28th on the Lifetime network. Ciera also appeared as an undercover detective in Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail.” Ciera recently just completed a short film “The Way Home” written and directed by Faythallegra Coleman, which will be previewed on the CW network on May 11. www.cierapayton.com
Christy Pusz '01 joins Linda Lavin, Jayne Houdyshell, and Peter Bartlett in Paul Rudnick's “The New Century” with the Lincoln Center Theater Company, March 20 - June 15 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. The show is directed by Nicholas Martin, UNCSA guest artist and the artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Christy also guest starred as Laurel Andrews in the December 9th episode of “Law & Order: SVU,” entitled “Smut.”
Bridget Regan '04 was featured in November in a Winston-Salem Journal article, talking about her new leading role as Kahlan Amnell in the series “Legend of the Seeker” - read all about the new series and Bridget’s experience at UNCSA here .
George “Ashley” Robinson '04 stars in the world premiere of the musical “Giant,” adapted from the novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Edna Ferber and the 1956 film starring James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. Ashley plays the role of Jett (the James Dean part). “Giant” plays April 28 thru May 31 at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA – read about it here
Lorna Scott '79 plays Bob Saget's neighbor, Monica, in the new ABC series “Surviving Suburbia.” She also appeared as Janice in the 2008 summer blockbuster “Wanted,” starring Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.
Daniel Stewart Sherman '98 appeared as Simeon Cabot in the highly praised revival of Eugene O'Neill's early classic “Desire Under the Elms” starring Brian Dennehy and directed by Robert Falls, January 17 – March 1 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The production has since moved to Broadway, opening at the St. James Theatre on April 27. It has been nominated for two 2009 Drama Desk Awards, for Outstanding Music in a Play and Outstadning Set Design of a Play.
Bryce Flint-Somerville '97 has the distinction of being the very first person killed in the vampire move “Twilight.” He also appears in “The Waiting List,” which premiered in April at the Phoenix Film Festival and will screen in August at the Washougal International Film Festival.
Gaye Taylor-Upchurch '05 (Directing) is assistant director to Sam Mendez for the Bridge Project, a collaboration between the Brooklyn Academy of Music and London’s Old Vic Theatre (Kevin Spacey, artistic director). Mr. Mendez directed Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” and Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” with noted English and American actors Simon Russell Beale, Richard Easton, Rebecca Hall, Josh Hamilton and Ethan Hawke, amongst others. The two plays were performed in repertory at BAM from January 2 - March 8, and will be at the Old Vic, May 23 - August 15.
Wesley Taylor '08 won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, and was nominated for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical by the Outer Critics Circle, for his Broadway debut performance as Franz in the 80’s rock musical “Rock of Ages” at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Wesley was also called the “Scene Stealer of the Week” by Time Out New York - read the article here. After graduating last May, Wesley was seen alongside fellow alum Dane DeHaan '04/'08 at the Eugene O'Niell Theatre Center in “Myth” starring Tony award winner John Lloyd Young, and then originated the role of Evan in the world premiere of “See Rock City” at Barrington Stage Company. From that, Tony award-winning composer William Finn asked Wesley to perform new material in his concert, entitled “Songs by ridiculously talented composers and lyricists you probably don't know, but should.” The concert was done at Barrington Stage and Joe's Pub. Wesley reprised his role in “See Rock City” for the National Alliance of Music Theatre (NAMT) festival alongside Tony nominee Hunter Foster, before joining “Rock of Ages” for its off-Broadway run at New World Stages. In December, he performed a duet with “Spring Awakening's” Skylar Astin in the “Bound for Broadway” concert at the Kaufman center. Wesley has recently landed the role of Lucas, Wednesday's boyfriend, in the pre-Broadway workshop of “The Addams Family,” starring Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia; Terrence Mann '78 will play Wesley’s father. Wesley was hired for this role by the show's musical director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell '92 (Piano). The workshop will take place this summer, followed by a run in Chicago before its anticipated Broadway opening next April.
Alan Toy '71 (Directing), since moving to Santa Monica in 1979, has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows as an actor, including "The Aviator," “Brothers and Sisters,” “Alias,” Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Kansas,” “Matlock” and "In the Line of Fire." Alan got his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cal Arts, and a Masters degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. He is currently the associate director of UCLA’s Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, where he creates and runs internet mapping projects. One, called SNAP (Specific Needs Awareness Planning), will be a voluntary disaster registry for vulnerable residents of LA County. He is a dedicated civil rights activist and is currently president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and also on the national ACLU board of directors.
Jeremy Webb '94 was featured as the schoolmaster in Washington D.C.'s Signature Theatre production of “The Visit,” starring Chita Rivera and George Hearn. The Kander & Ebb musical, with book by Terrence McNally, is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1956 tragicomedy. The production was directed by Frank Galati and choreographed by Ann Reinking. Charles Isherwood wrote “... Jeremy Webb a standout as the schoolmaster, the last man fighting for Anton’s life...” in his May 31 review in The New York Times.
Shad Willingham '90/'92 accepted a teaching position at Tulane University teaching acting, voice and speech. He will direct one production each academic year, this year’s being “Lend Me a Tenor.” This summer he will direct a production of “Barefoot in the Park” at the Summer Repertory Theatre of Sonoma County (www.summerrep.com), and in November and December he will direct a production of “Ham for the Holidays,” which he wrote, at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa (www.6thstreetplayhouse.com). As an actor, Shad recently closed a very successful run of “The Seafarer” at the Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans, and just finished working with John Goodman as his private vocal coach for the revival of “Waiting for Godot” on Broadway.
Ira David Wood III '66/'70 joins his daughter, Evan Rachel Wood, and son, Ira David Wood IV, for a special production of Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet,” May 15-17 at Theater In The Park in Raleigh.
SCHOOL of FILMMAKING
Brad Baker '03 (Directing) won an Emmy Award last summer as producer of the Best Sports Program – Feature or Segment, for a television feature he produced, titled “Remembering #21.” He was nominated for the Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Art and Sciences’ National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter. This was an especially challenging project for Brad as it was a memorial for murdered Redskins player Sean Taylor, whom Brad knew personally. The Emmy was awarded on June 14 in Washington, DC. Click here for picture
Rebecca Shlapack Baker '03 (Producing) was recently accepted into the Marriage and Family Therapy Master's Program at Virginia Tech. Becky will start classes in September.
Chad Benton '97 (Directing) directed the short film “Women's Work,” which screened at Comic Con 2008, GirlFest, New Orleans Film Festival, Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, Charlotte Film Festival, Moondance International Film Festival, Danceswithfilms, the San Francisco Black Film Festival and AFI FEST 2008. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, Chad was raised on a myriad number of Air Force Bases across the East Coast. In addition to directing films, Chad has worked as a commercial actor, sound mixer, boom operator, and even playing the Charader for Mark Burnett's internet game show, “Goldrush.”
Aaron Dunson '08 (Cinematography) won the ASC Heritage Award for cinematography on the film “Asphyxia.”
Mark Freiburger '05 (Directing)'s “Dog Days of Summer” was released on DVD on April 21. Mark is currently working on his second directorial feature, based off the novel “Jimmy” by best-selling author Robert Whitlow. Click here for an exclusive interview with Mark at Move Room Reviews.
Marco Garcia '08 (Cinematography) won a 2008 DGA Student Film Award for his film “1915.” The award, presented in December at the 14th Annual DGA Eastern Student Film Awards ceremony in New York, included a trophy and a $2500 cash prize. “1915” has also been named one of nine finalist films in the Narrative category of the 36th Annual Student Academy Awards, which will be awarded on June 13 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Golden Theatre in Beverly Hills.
Steven Gonzales '98 (Editing) is the head of post production at the UNCSA School of Filmmaking, where he has also held positions as a post production techincal instructor and visiting faculty artist. He he has been profiled in several technical books on film editing, and cited as an innovator in the MPEG’s “Editors Guild Magazine” and the ACE’s “Cinema Editor” magazine.
Alyssa Hill '07 (Art Direction) is an art department coordinator for television and film with IATSE Local 871 in California. During the 2008-09 season she worked on CBS's "The Unit."
Jody Hill '99 (Screenwriting)'s new film “Observe and Report,” starring Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, and Anna Faris, was released in theatres nationwide on April 10. Read about Jody, the film and the “North Carolina Posse” here. Jody and editor Zene Baker '98 (Editing) hosted a preview screening of the film at UNCSA on March 27. Appearing in the film are Celia Weston '73 (Acting), Ben Best '99 (Directing) and Danny McBride '99 (Directing). Tim Orr '98 (Cinematography) was the director of photography and Matt Petrosky '00 (Cinematography) was a camera operator.
Projection designer Adam Larsen '98 (Cinematography), dance artist Janice Lancaster '97/'01 (Contemporary Dance), and musician Jason Daniello will present “Black Whole” on Saturday, April 25 at Food Lion Skate Park in Asheville, N.C., in conjunction with The Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and sponsored by the City of Asheville, Moog Music, and Centering on Children. The performance will be an immersion in video, sound and dance exploring the connections between life and landscape through image, sound and movement. Also dancing in the performance are Katie Dorn '02/'05 (Contemporary Dance) and Kathleen Hahn '96/'01 (Ballet/Contemporary Dance). Janice and Adam will also lead a three hour introductory workshop on Sunday, April 26, on the philosophy and technique of integrating multimedia into dance performance, exploring the synthesis of moving images and performance, and demonstrate basic video camera technique for multimedia use. More information on both of these events is available at www.blackmountaincollege.org - Click here for flyer. Adam is a New York based international artist, projection designer and filmmaker originally from Asheville, NC. Projection designs include: Hal Prince's “LoveMusik” (Broadway); the world premieres of “The Women of Brewster Place” (Alliance Theatre & Arena Stage) and “Christmas Carol 1941” (Arena Stage), both directed by Molly Smith; “Carmina Burana” and projection coordinator for “Dancing Joni” (Alberta Ballet); “From the House of the Dead” (Canadian Opera Company); “Lily Plants a Garden” (Mark Taper P.L.A.Y.); Gorecki's “Symphony No.3” (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra); “Quartet” (Aspen Santa Fe Ballet); numerous productions with both Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and the Fulton Opera House including the world premiere of “The French Lieutenant's Woman”; and most recently “big,” a collaboration between the Atlanta Ballet and Big Boi from Outkast and “The Gospel at Colonus” at the Herod Atticus theatre in Athens. He is currently self-producing a feature length documentary on autism entitled “Neurotypical.” www.hum-bar.com
Brian Melton '06 (Cinematography) recently finished filming “The Christians” in Chicago with Robert Belushi (Jim Belushi's son).
Erin Peters '05 (Editing and Sound) received a Primetime Emmy Awards Certificate (click here for image) for her work as the assistant editor on Bravo’s “Top Chef: First Impressions.” The show won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming.
Steven Phares '02 (Editing and Sound) was nominated for Golden Trailer Awards in two categories: Best Action TV Spot, for “The World” trailer for “Resident Evil: Extinction”; and Best Drama TV Spot, for the “Good” trailer for “The Great Debaters.” Steven's company, InSync Advertising, also received nominations for Best Drama Trailer (for “3:10 to Yuma”) and Best Comedy TV Spot (for the “Money” trailer for “Sicko”).
Jesse Pilkes '08 (Directing) was named one of three finalists for the 2008 Teen Book Video Awards, sponsored by the Nielsen/Kirkus Review. She was flown to New York City in October to premiere her video for Carrie Ryan’s book “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” at the Tribeca Cinema before an audience of book and film industry guests. Jesse’s crew included cinematographer Jeremy Grant '08 (Cinematography), editor Sal Caino '08 (Editing and Sound), production designer Steven Rambousek '06 (Film Design/Art Direction), and composer Kim Planert '08 (Film Music Composition).
Paul Schneider '98 (Editing) made his directing and screenwriting debut at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival with “Pretty Bird” starring Billy Crudup and Paul Giamatti. The story was written by Zene Baker '98 (Editing); Daniel Stewart Sherman '98 (Acting) appears in the film. “Pretty Bird” was nominated for the festival’s Grand Jury Prize. Paul appears in Jane Campion’s “Bright Star,” which recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and will appear in Sam Mendes’s “Away We Go,” which will have a limited US release this summer before screening at the Edinburgh Film Festival. He also appears as Mark Brendanawicz on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.”
Patrick Siler '03 (Directing)'s company, Sycamore Productions, presented its second production of “Shakespeare in the Raw” in November at the Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill, NC. “Shakespeare in the Raw” is a high-voltage staging of Shakespeare's uncut text, designed to put the emphasis of the play on the words by stripping away all unnecessary props, costumes, sets, actors, and rehearsal time. Their mission is to work their way through the plays in the order that Shakespeare wrote them, growing along with the work. www.sycamoreproductions.org
SCHOOL of MUSIC
Alexander Adams '04/'07 (Guitar) is the co-founder of Bird on Wire Recordings in Atlanta, Ga., where he now works as a recording engineer, music producer, and composer/songwriter.
Marylin Ball Brown '69 (Voice), Stephen Chandler '65 (Voice), Arturo Ciompi '67/'73 (Clarinet), Barbara Efland Delon '67 (Voice), Georgyn Geetlein '69 (Voice), Bruce Moss '67/'71 (Piano), Sandie Plexico Salvaggio-Walker '67 (Voice), Rebecca Troxler '68/'69 (Flute), and John Williams '67/'71 (Voice) returned to the School of the Arts on October 19th to celebrate the legacy of Rose Bampton, former voice teacher and Metropolitan Opera star, in a matinee recital that consisted of songs, arias, duets and trios.
Greg Barz '82 (Voice), associate professor of ethnomusicology and anthropology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville was nominated for a Grammy Award this year in the “Best Traditional World Music” category as producer of the CD, “Singing for Life: Songs of Hope, Healing, and HIV/AIDS in Uganda” released by Smithsonian Folkways Records.
Michael Bellar '92 (Piano)'s AS-IS Ensemble is an improvisationally eclectic, alt-jazz group that has formerly been the house band at the world-famous Blue Note jazz club in New York City and performed at such venues as Avery Fischer Hall, the Kennedy Center, the JVC and Bell Atlantic Jazz Festivals. Recent performances include the Pre Release Show for the new CD “Turned On Turned Up,” March 19 at Sullivan Hall in Greenwich Village; and the “open up and say wah tour” in April, opening for John Scofield at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, opening for Jacob Fred Jazz Odyessy at the Pour House Music Hall in Raleigh, and playing a set at Rockwood Musical Hall in New York City. Upcoming performances include Loft 910 in Brooklyn, the Winston-Salem Jazz Co-Op, Salem College, and the Creekside Cultural Center in Lenhartsville, PA. www.myspace.com/michaelbellar
Kofi Burbridge '79/'81 (Flute) was mentioned in the January 2009 edition of “Downbeat,” in a review of Jimmy Herring's CD “Lifeboat.”
Mary-Mitchell Campbell '92 (Piano) is the musical director of the Broadway-bound "The Addams Family," scheduled to open next spring. She is the founder of ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty), an arts-based non-profit designed specifically to help combat worldwide childhood poverty and connect artists who wish to share their talents with children who can benefit from artistic encounters. www.asteponline.org
Cameron Carpenter '00 (Organ) was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday on October 28th, talking about his desire to transform people’s perception of the organ and organ music - Read the story here
Richard Chappell '70 (French Horn) is Master Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy. He enlisted in the Navy Music Program and graduated from the Armed Forces School of Music in May 1982. His first tour of duty was with Navy Band Orlando where he served as French horn instrumentalist and librarian. Since reporting for duty as French hornist in 1985 with the United States Naval Academy Band, his duties have included tape archivist, drum major, minor property supervisor, supply chief, and chief in charge of fiscal. In addition to his current musical duties with the concert band, ceremonial and marching units, he is serving as supply division chief. His awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy Good Conduct (six awards), and National Defense Service Medal (two awards).
Judith Cloud '75 (Voice) is the recipient of the third prize in the Second Annual Sorel Medallion in Choral Composition. Her winning composition “Mesa Songs” for choir and Native American flute, drum, and rain stick was performed by Voices of Ascension, Dennis Keene conductor, in a concert at Zankel (Carnegie) hall on October 29. Cloud's most recent compositions include “Four Sonnets of Pablo Neruda, Set 1 and 2,” for soprano and piano, which were performed at The Eastman School of Music's fifth annual “Women in Music Festival” and in a concert “Women's Work” presented by the Society for New Music in Syracuse, NY in March. Judith's setting of Stephen Tapscott's Neruda poem translations was mentioned in the August issue of “Opera News.” “Anacreontics” for chorus and guitar, commissioned by the Hobart and William Smith Colleges ensemble Cantori under the direction of Robert Cowles, was premiered in April. Other compositional activity includes the song cycle “Night Dreams” (Margaret Atwood), commissioned by the Strempel-Beaudette duo, and “Words from an Artist’s Palette”, commissioned by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. Judith is also a mezzo soprano soloist, and sang the mezzo solos in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Flagstaff Symphony, Elizabeth Schulze conductor, on April 17. She also recently performed the role of Lady Fortescue in a reading of the musical “A Murder Is Foretold” (DeBlasio/Holland) presented by Villain Theater in New York City. A CD recording of works for solo voice is planned for May, with a release by Summit Records.
John Coffey '73 (Bassoon) is the assistant conductor for the North American Tour of Marion Caffey's “3 Mo' Divas.” www.3modivas.com
Jennifer DeLatte '04 (Voice) played Jessie Chambers, the would-be love of D.H. Lawrence's life (and model for the character of Miriam in his breakout novel, “Sons and Lovers”) in Jefferson Performing Arts Center's production of “Scandalous.” The Louisana Times-Picayune gave the show a rave review.
Carolyn Dorff '93 (Opera Performance) was featured in the Thursday, March 19 edition of the News Journal (Ohio). Carolyn is a member of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra and will be performing “Dr. Suess' Green Eggs and Ham”. Guest conducting (and mentioned in the article) is Robert Franz '90/'92 (Oboe/Conducting).
John Ellis '92/'93 (Saxophone) released his fourth record, “John Ellis and Double-Wide; Dance Like There's No Tomorrow” on Hyena Records. In the “Downbeat” magazine review of the work, John Corbitt wrote, “Ellis writes engaging compositions” and “The saxophonist's playing is rich and personable, whether on his preferred tenor, which growls and sings, or playing bass clarinet, which he unveils on the sweet, low-key ‘Prom Song.’” Of their gig at the Jazz Standard last May, Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote, “Double-Wide’s sound is bright and clever, a mixture of new jazz with old rhythm and blues and parade music; it’s a kind of pop-art remake of Southern vernacular.”
John Fadial '83/'87 (Violin)'s ensemble, The Stanislas Sextet, will be at Queens University of Charlotte on April 11, 2009 (Easter Weekend). John is now an associate professor of violin at the University of Wyoming.
Daniele Lorio Fedak '96/'00 (Voice) took first place in a Grieg Competition sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. in December 2007. The competition featured young artists studying at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., performing music by Edvard Grieg in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the renowned composers death. The winner receives an all-expense paid trip to Norway.
Madeline Frank '71 (Violin) led the Bermuda Festival Chamber Orchestra in “Bermuda’s 400th Anniversary Concert Celebration, (1609-2009), Concerti Through the Ages” on Feb 24, 2009 at 8pm at St. Paul's Church in Paget, Bermuda. Four Centuries of music were played with Bermudian soloists Adrian Ridgeway, performing the Poulenc Organ Concerto; Nancy Smith, performing the Reinecke Flute Concerto; Kent Hayward, performing the Mozart Horn Concerto in E flat Major, K495; and Gaynor Gallant, performing the Marcello Oboe Concerto in D Minor.
Kenneth Frazelle '74 (Piano) was interviewed by Fred Childs on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” in a national broadcast on Friday, Feb. 27. Ken also performed a new Piano Trio.
Nathan Fuhr '95 (Bassoon)'s band Demonshaker returned from the Baltics to perform at Berlin's Tanznacht Festival on December 8th. The group was part of the festival's finale and performed in an industrial tunnel space creating a urban sound of “epic dimensions”.
Nathan Jubal Fulks '92/'95/'97 (Violin), visiting assistant professor of music at Luther College, gave a faculty violin recital on February 28 in the Noble Recital Hall of the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music on the Luther campus (www.luther.edu). He performed Bach's solo sonata in a minor on baroque violin, as well as music by Brahms, Elliott Carter, Mario Davidovsky, and Luther composition faculty member Brooke Joyce. Nathan has performed as a soloist with orchestras in New York, North Carolina and Michigan and has been heard on National Public Radio's “Performance Today.” He has performed chamber and orchestral music at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, and with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. As a recitalist, he has appeared at numerous summer festivals and concert series in the United States and has toured extensively in Europe with orchestras and chamber groups. A winner of national honors from the American String Teachers Association and the National Federation of Music Clubs, Nathan has been awarded fellowships with Aspen Music Festival's Contemporary Ensemble and the New York Institute and Festival for Contemporary Music. In addition to his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the School of the Arts, Nathan holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Click here for headshot
Josh Gates '04 (Music Composition) performed an original commissioned work for cello and percussion with Andre Emelianoff, Juilliard faculty, on May 6 at Merkin Hall in New York.
Kimani Griffin '06 (Guitar) performed Sergio Assad's “Aquarelle”on both NPR's “From the Top,” a radio program that showcases the country's finest pre-collegiate classical musicians, and PBS's “From the Top at Carnegie Hall,” the televised version of the program. The radio program was recorded in January at the Nazareth College Arts Center in Rochester, N.Y., and the Carnegie Hall performance was taped in March and aired in June. Kimani currently attends the Schwob School of Music at Columbus Sate University, Ga., studying with Andrew Zohn '88/'91 (Guitar). He also competes as a speed skater on the national level, and recently received an endowment from the U.S. Olympic Committee to train for the sport in Utah. www.fromthetop.org.
Evan Hause '97 (Percussion)'s entire opera “Man: Biology of a Fall” is available for viewing online. The Synopsis (summary), full personnel, press, video link and more can be found at www.manbiologyofafall.com.
Erica Johnson '94 (Organ) performed a recital on the 1800 Tannenberg Organ in Old Salem together with her husband, trumpeter Daniel Davis, on December 10.
Thomas Kikta '84 (Guitar) is the director of classical guitar and an assistant professor of music technology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is also the president of Digital Dynamics Audio Inc., a post-production and compact disc manufacturing company in Pittsburgh. Thomas has recorded Leonard Bernstein and Pepe Romero, and worked professionally with David Tanenbaum, Sharon Isbin, Manuel Barrueco, Ricardo Cobo, the Aspen Music Festival, and the New York Philharmonic.
Kendra Preston Leonard '92 (Cello) has been awarded a 2009 Visiting Fellowship from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University to conduct research for a project on American composer Louise Talma.
Sarah Levin '74 (Double Bass) is the recipient of the 2008 YWCA Cape Fear Women of Achievement Award in the arts, announced May 22 during a banquet at the Burney Center at UNC-Wilmington. Sarah is the chorus and drama teacher at South Brunswick High School.
John Mangan '91 (Guitar) has been appointed the new vice president and dean of The Curtis Institute of Music. John will oversee the academic, musical studies, and performance curricula, as well as all areas relating to students and faculty. He succeeds Robert Fitzpatrick, who retires in May after a twenty-nine-year tenure at Curtis. For the last seven years, John has held administrative and teaching posts at Yale University, most recently as assistant dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and lecturer in the history department. From 2002 to 2006, he worked in undergraduate academic and student affairs at Yale, as dean of Jonathan Edwards College, long regarded as Yale's music and arts residential college. A classical guitarist with extensive performing experience, John holds a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music and a Ph.D. in History and Education from Columbia University. Read the full press release here.
Elizabeth Martin '01 (Voice) has moved to Atlanta where she is an actress, model, and hip-hop dancer. She has recently appeared in videos by Fergie, Trisha Yearwood, and Alan Jackson.
Atli Orvarsson '98 (Film Music Composition) wrote the score for two major motion pictures that came out in 2008, “Vantage Point” and “Babylon A.D.” He also provided some additional music for “Iron Man” and “Frost/Nixon.” More recent projects include the score for Mimi Leder's latest film, “The Code,” starring Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas; the music for “The 4th Kind,” a psychological thriller starring Milla Jovovich; “Thick as Thieves” for Millennium Films; and some additional music for “Angels & Demons.” Atli has also been nominated as the Breakout Composer of the Year by the International Film Music Critics Association.
Sara Pardo '06/'07 (Voice) was featured in March as the soprano soloist in Samuel Barber's “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” on a concert entitled “Places of the Heart” with the Enid Symphony, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. She was conducted by fellow alum Douglas Newell '74 (Voice), currently in his 26th year as the executive and musical director of the Enid Symphony Orchestra.
Kendria Perry '02/'06 (Piano) is a graduate student in arts management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, where she was the recipient of a $40,000 Academic Scholarship. She is also a Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Scholarship recipient, a William Zimmerman Scholar, and a recipient of the 2007 Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Kendria developed a passion for political advocacy while at UNCSA as a student. She is a strong advocate of funding for the arts, and has lobbied in Washington for more than $33 million in funding for the US Department of Education’s arts programs. Upon graduation, Kendria served for a year as a special assistant to US Senator Elizabeth Dole. Last July, she was crowned Miss Pennsylvania 2008, and went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant at Planet Hollywood Casino, Las Vegas, in January; her platform was "Art Works!," an arts-in-education initiative.
Patrick Richard '87 (Trumpet) was featured in the January 22nd edition of the “Winston Salem Chronicle,” as one of 300 Army soliders who participated in the “Spirit of America 2008” performance in Rochester, NY and Worchester, Mass.
Michael Shell '98/'01/'02 (Voice) directed the annual production of fully staged and costumed opera scenes with orchestra for Webster University's Opera Studio, January 23-25 at Winifred Moore Auditorium. He also directed UNCSA's Undergraduate Opera Scenes for the 2009 winter term.
Steven Sherrill '67/'71 (Trombone) has been with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1987, making him the longest serving Assistant Librarian in the orchestra’s history. Steve reorganized and modernized the orchestra's library by being the first person in his position to enter the music collection into a computerized database; the first to use computerized music notation, having prepared several new editions, arrangements and transpositions for the orchestra; and the first to set up a website for the orchestra’s musicians. Steven also established a website dedicated to the interests of orchestra librarians, and for over ten years now has served as webmaster for the Major Orchestra Librarians' Association (MOLA). He has recently produced a series of video tutorials on the operations and methods of orchestra librarians. In his early career with the orchestra, Steven prepared music for the Robert Shaw Workshops at Carnegie Hall, and was one of two orchestra librarians serving at the 1996 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies. He has served three music directors and he has contributed to the support and orientation of five assistant conductors at the ASO, as well as numerous managers and instrumentalists of the orchestra. He has also served the ASO as assistant personnel manager and artist assistant. At Georgia State University, he presented a seminar sponsored by the American Music Center on the subject of music preparation and notation for composers. He has represented the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at seven conferences of the Major Orchestra Librarians' Association. His early musical training was on piano and, later, on trombone and bass. His graduate studies were in music theory at Georgia State University. Most of his early career was spent in the recording studio where he was a music copyist and orchestrator. In addition to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera, the Fox Theater, and the Alliance Theater, Steven has written and prepared music for numerous musical organizations including orchestras, bands, chamber ensembles, and choruses across the U.S. and abroad. Click here for photo.
Jonathan Sidden '95/'04 (Voice) recently performed the role of the Stage Manager in the Southeastern premiere of Ned Rorem's opera “Our Town.” He also sang the role of King Kaspar in “Amahl and the Night Visitors” with Piedmont Opera. Jonathan was a resident artist and New Century Fellow at the famed Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. While at the Academy of Vocal Arts he worked with Christofer Macatsoris, Bill Schuman, Danielle Orlando, Tom Krause, and Laura Ward, and with Metropolitan Opera coaches Howard Watkins and the late Walter Taussig. He was a semi-finalist in the 2008 International Wagner Competition. Jonathan was a Regional Finalist in the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeastern Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was recently honored by Yale University as a Distinguished Music Educator for his work with the public schools.
Gary Simpson '82 (Voice) sang Hollaender and Scarpia with the Statni Opera in Prague, Czech Republic, Scarpia with the Seattle Opera, Iago in concert in Vero Beach and Sweeney Todd with the Augusta Opera. Gary also sang the Brahms Requiem with the South Dakota Symphony. He will be in Seattle 2009 for the Ring and again in Augusta for Scarpia. In the 2006/2007 season, Gary sang the title role in Der Fliegende Hollaender with the Menaus Opera Festival in Brazil, directed by the renowned director Christoph Schlingensief. He joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera and was heard as both Tonio and Alfio in the Stephen Lawless acclaimed Pagliacci/Cavalleria Rusticana with the Palm Beach Opera. Gary also sang Falstaff with the Stadt Theater Hagen in Hagen, Germany. Gary sang the live radio broadcast of Amfortas in Parsifal with the Seattle Opera, Donner in Das Rheingold with L’opera Montreal, Kurvenal in Tristan und Isolde and Hollaender in Der Fliegende Hollaender with Hawaii Opera Theater. Gary made his debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Scarpia in Tosca: the Goetz Friedrich 300th performance of the production. He has performed the role with such Opera Divas as Diana Soviero, Deborah Voigt and Mara Zampieri. Gary also spent two seasons fighting fire with the US Forest Service in New Meadows, Idaho, and has no scars but lots of stories about that. Gary is married to Katherine Olsen, and has a sixteen year old daughter named Jennifer and a Bichon Frisee named Baz. He currently lives in Orlando.
Shannon Snapp '69 (Cello) is the artistic director and cellist of Alcyon Chamber Ensemble, a mixed ensemble of string quartet, clarinet, horn and piano. Based in the Boston area, she brings live chamber music to communities and public and private schools through educational residencies and concerts throughout New England. Shannon is also certified as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and combines her work in music with a practice in Geriatric Care Management.
Katherine Taylor '07 (Violin) has been a member of the National High School Honors Orchestra, the Virginia All-State Orchestra, the Sewanee Symphony, the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra, and Western Piedmont Symphony, the Charlotte Philharmonic, and the Salisbury Symphony. She has also served as associate concertmaster of the Senior Regional Orchestra and the Ash Lawn Opera Festival Orchestra. She performed with and managed the Divertimenti String Quartet for two years in her hometown of Charlottesville, VA. Additionally, she has served as xoncertmaster of the Charlottesville High School Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of Charlottesville/Albemarle. Katherine has been a part of orchestral performances in Orlando, Chicago, Columbus, Myrtle Beach, Boston, and in various cities throughout Virginia and North Carolina. She joined the staff at UNCSA in July of 2007 and is currently the receptionist in the School of Music.
David J. Thomas '02 (Voice) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education at Old Dominion University. He has been teaching English Composition and Rhetoric, Linguistics and ESL. He holds faculty appointments at Old Dominion University, Virginia Wesleyan College and City University of Seattle.
Perry Townsend '87 (Composition)'s Capstone disc “no suggestion of silence” is currently in release through Arkivmusic. To order the new release, go to www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Name/Perry-Townsend/Composer/12218-1.
Michelle Trovato '03 (Voice) sang the role of Helena in Britten’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” March 27 – April 5 at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA. The performance was part of the 2008/09 Young Artists Program at Seattle Opera, for which Michelle was one of ten singers chosen out of more than 630 who applied. She then returned to Opera Colorado as a last-minute replacement to sing Despina in “Cosi fan tutte” with the Ensemble Artists and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for the student matinee performance. Michelle is a winner of the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Grant Awards, a foundation that offers financial support and mentoring to young singers over the course of three years. She was selected from more than 200 singers to be one of the sixteen finalists in the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition. As a Career Bridges winner, she sang in a gala concert on May 19 at the Essex House in New York City in honor of Speight Jenkins and Julius Rudel. Michelle names Marion Pratnicki and James Allbritten as her greatest influences at UNCSA: “Marion was not just a voice teacher, she also coached and helped with interpretation of my repertoire and set me going in the right direction for the roles that I sing now. Maestro Allbritten’s passion for opera and choral music was a huge influence.”
Heather Wible '06 (Oboe) has been awarded the second oboe position of the Erie Philharmonic in Erie, PA.
Bill Withem '03 (Film Music Composition)'s one-act opera “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” premiered at Michigan State University's Concert Auditiorium on March 27 and 28. Read more about Bill and the opera at www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-2784-into-the-unknown.html.
Pastor David Zeuschner '76 (Trombone) accepted the call of Lutheran Chapel of the Cross (Missouri Synod) in October 2008. He replaces Reveren David Wood, who recently retired, after serving Chapel for 23 years. David, the oldest son of a career Air Force sergeant, was born on Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya. After graduating from the School of the Arts, David then worked two decades for a broadcasting equipment manufacturer, before receiving his Divinity M.A. in 2001 from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He and his wife Ruth have two children, Patrick, who is stationed in Iraq with the National Guard, and Kari, a member of the U.S. Army stationed at Walter Reed Hospital. Click here for photo.
Andrew Zohn '88/'91 (Guitar) has served on the faculty of Columbus State University, where he founded and directs the annual Guitar Symposium and Competition, since 1999. He also currently serves on the faculty of the Guitar on the Mediterranean Festival in Cervo, Italy, and the Guitare Lachine Festival in Montreal, Canada. www.andrewzohn.com