News: Transformations Alumni Newsletter
(For more news from the Department of Dramatic Art, visit our DDA News page.)
Transformations
A newsletter devoted to students, faculty, and alumni of the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art
November 1, 2012
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Greetings from Chapel Hill as we near the end of the first term! As always, we are grateful for all the support you have given us and the confidence you have shown in the work we are doing here.
Alumni based “Ground Up Theater” kicked off the year again with Almost Maine and conducted workshops for the cast and majors- you can come home again! The Lab! Theatre and DDA student production are producing as fine a season as we have seen! The 2012-13 season includes a cast devised retelling of Alice in Wonderland, Alice: A devised Alice in Wonderland project, Jon, Not Just Mere Mortals: A series of short plays, La Casa de Bernarda Alba, Baby Blue and July House: In Rotating Repertory. Both of these plays were written by students here at UNC; John May and Patrick Robinson respectively. DDA Mainstage produced Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of the tale of Eurydice. Directed by PATP graduate student Nathaniel Claridad, our undergraduates took this production to new heights in the Kenan Theatre. Faculty and PRC member Kathy Williams will direct the final show of our DDA Mainstage season, Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks. At the turn of the 19th Century, Saartjie Baartman (known as the Venus Hottentot) was taken from her home in Africa and brought to England, where she was exploited and exhibited for her bodily proportions-something of a shock to the Europeans of the time. This play tells the story of Baartman's rise to fame, and her fall from it.
Our second Lillian Chason Theatre Arts weekend was a huge hit with Charisse Greene spending three days with our undergraduates in a Shakespearean dialect and speech intensive workshop. We are so grateful to the Chason family and friends for this ongoing commitment to our students and the memory of Lillian.
MFA Costume Technology students Adrienne Corral, Leah Pelz and Denise Dietrich participated in the United States Institute for Theater Technology- South East design/tech competition and all won one of the six prizes awarded this year for their work. Taught by Judy!
We are well into PlayMakers Repertory Company 2011-12 season that includes: Red, a world premiere adaptation, commissioned by PRC of The Imaginary Invalid, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live radio Play, A Raisin In The Sun and Clybourne Park in rotating repertory. We will end our main stage season with the musical Cabaret, directed by PRC Producing Artistic Director Joe Haj and featuring performance artist Taylor Mac as the infamous emcee.
PRC has received an Artistic Excellence Award from the National Endowment for the Arts for a second year in a row. PlayMakers is the only producing organization to receive an award this year! We have also been awarded a significant grant to support our production of A Raisin In The Sun from the North Carolina Arts Council. We are building substantial educational and outreach programs around this production. Since its inception, we have served over 100,000.00 North Carolina middle and high school students with our Student Matinee Series.
The second year of our three year artistic development grant from the Mellon Foundation was a tremendous success as we brought SITI Company to campus for a six week residency. SITI created the new work Right You Are If You Think You Are which they will add to their repertory. SITI will return to UNC this spring as part of a co-commissioned project that will be part of the campus wide celebration of the anniversary of The Rite of Spring. The creative energy and innovative approach to supporting artists at the cutting edge of our craft has garnered a great deal of positive attention and put UNC/PRC/DDA in dialog with some of the most original companies in the international theatre.
In Alumni news we hear from Catya McMullen: I wanted to let you know that I just won the Samuel French OOB Short Play festival with a short play; ”Missed Connection” that I wrote for LAB! Theater's first ever 24 hour play festival in 2011. The play was selected out of 950 scripts and was performed at Theater Row this week (the cast included UNC alum Allison Altman!). As one of the six winners, the play will be published by Samuel French! (I think UNC will be credited for its original production in the publication). And of Beth Hyltonwho has recently signed to Everyman Theatre's Resident Acting Company. Beth was most recently seen as Sarah in Everyman Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies. She has also appeared at Everyman in the award-winning All My Sons, Filthy Rich, and And a Nightingale Sang. She will be seen next as Ivy in August: Osage County, Everyman’s inaugural production at its new location on Fayette Street.
We are so appreciative of your gifts and that you think of us. Again, we thank you for your support and send our best regards.
McKay Coble ’79, ’81
Chair
Resident Designer
Alumni, Friends and Supporters , please contact DDANewsletter@gmail.com to update and share your information.
For MFA Alumni updates please see: Acting | Costume Production | Technical Production
RECENT ALUMNI HEADLINES:
Catha McMullen (‘11)
Catya just won the Samuel French OOB Short Play festival with a short play, ”Missed Connection” that she wrote for LAB! Theater's first ever 24 hour play festival in 2011. The play was selected out of 950 scripts and was performed at Theater Row this week (the cast included UNC alum Allison Altman) As one of the six winners, the play will be published by Samuel French.
Catya has another piece in the upcoming Estrogenius festival, which will also be published in the festival anthology, and her play, ”Lullaby” was performed last month at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, directed by Carolina alum Jaki Bradley.
Kelen Coleman (’06)
Kelen will guest-star in an upcoming episode of Fox’s The Mindy Project. After much success on NBC’s The Office, Kelen most recently had a recurring role on HBO’s The Newsroom and is set to recur this season on the CW’s Hart of Dixie. She will also co-star opposite Josh Cooke in TV Land’s sitcom pilot Brothers-in-Law.
Beth Hylton (MFA ’01)
PlayMakers Rep and UNC alum, Beth Hylton, has recently signed to Everyman Theatre's Resident Acting Company. Beth joins ten other noted actors in Everyman’s Resident Acting Company. Everyman Theatre draws on its Resident Company of professional actors when casting for productions each season. The Resident Company establishes a special intensity born of working together season after season to create vivid, dynamic, and layered relationships on stage.
Beth was most recently seen as Sarah in Everyman Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies. She has also appeared at Everyman in the award-winning All My Sons, Filthy Rich, and And a Nightingale Sang. She will be seen next as Ivy in August: Osage County, Everyman’s inaugural production at its new location on Fayette Street.
Alumni News
B.A./ B.F.A
Michael Stewart Allen michaelstewartallen@verizon.net
Annie Alvarez(’02) anniealvarez17@yahoo.com
Amy Amerson (B. A. '97) lives in Los Angeles and works consistently in film, television, and theatre. Her most recent credits include "Drake and Josh" and "My Name Is Earl". She is also very proud of her work in the Alchemy Theatre Company's production of Neil Labute's "Autobahn". She continues her studies with Gary Imhoff, Richard Lawson, and Milton Katselas at The Beverly Hills Playhouse.
Mark Ariail (’95) MarkAriail@Alumni.unc.edu
Amanda Axelrod ( amanda.j.axelrod@gmail.com) will be attending Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in August, 2010. She is interested in entrepreneurship, arts administration and arts education policy.
Marshal Ballew marshallballew@charter.net
Laura Blake (Drama and Psychology ’99) lauramblake@hotmail.com
Kyle Beaulieu was accepted for graduate study in the highly competitive Trans-Atlantic Master's program at Chapel Hill and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin!
Lisa (Bowers) Bohn (BA '96) lisabohn@mac.com
Bekah Brunstetter ‘04 saw her new play, Oorah!, premiere Off-Broadway (2009) at The Atlantic Theatre, alongside plays by David Mamet and Sam Shepard.
Bekah Brunstetter was accepted into the NYC 2008 Ars Nova Play Group http://arsnovanyc.com/.
Travis Chamberlain and Perry Silver continue to perform with The Fabulous Entourage. http://www.fabulousentourage.com/
David Chapman (BA Highest Honors '03, davidfchapman@gmail.com) has been named a Fall Directing Fellow of the Drama League. Four Fall Fellows are chosen every year from a large applicant pool; program alumni include Tony-, Obie- and Drama Desk-winning directors, artistic directors, and professors around the country.
Jessica Coleman(’99) ajessicac@earthlink.net
Kelen Coleman has booked a leading role in a CBS pilot called "Big D"
Erin Cottrell('97) Erin lives in Hollywood with her boyfriend, Dan, and their black cat, Sanchez.
Kimball Crossley (’81 – Dramatic Art and Broadcast Journalism) is a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, lives with his wife and daughter in Phoenix, Arizona.
Holly Derr recently directed “The Front Page” theA.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training Program.
Dana Dobreva (’06) danadobreva@yahoo.com or dana@thefourthworldlab.org
Meg Dyer Dombro (formerly Meg Dyer) (‘Dramatic Art and Political Science ’94) MegDombro@verizon.net
Sonya Dowhaluk (BA '03) married Roger Bridges on August 4th, 2007 in Cary, NC. Attendants included Courtney Temple and Erin Binkley (both class of '01). Rick Young (also a DDA alum) officiated. Roger and Sonya live in Takoma Park, MD while Sonya finishes her masters degree in lighting design at the University of Maryland.
Mellissa Egan has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on "All My Children" on which she has been a regular for the last three years.
Serena Ebhardt (’88) sebhardt@earthlink.net (see David zum Brunnen) Serena Ebhardt/David zum Brunnnen www.EbzB.org
Josh Evans (‘07) studied at Michael Howard Studios in New York City with Olympia Dukakis, Polina Klimovitskaya, and was asked back to become a member of their Premiere Second-Year Program. Stage credits in New York includes Richard Greenburg’s The Maderati, The Emerging Artist Theatre’s Illuminating Artist’s Series, Ted’s Head, and In Private: An Evening with Hollywood Icons. Josh’s films can be seen in summer festivals this summer and on youtube.
Lori Evans (Union name: Lori Evans Taylor '97)
Adam Farabee recently appeared as Davey in "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, directed by Les Waters. This fall, Adam will begin the actor training program at The Juilliard School.
Rhiannon Fisher (Drama and English ’03) rararox33@hotmail.com
Justin Flexen ('07) jflexen@gmail.com
Adam Gerdts (‘00) works for Kenan-Flagler Business School as Regional Director of Development.
Jonathan Grant(’95) jgrant@wmace.com
Charles Greer (’81) cgreer@triad.rr.com
Jennifer Guerra (BA '04) “For anyone who might be interested in what my fantastic UNC DDA degree has done for me, i've moved on to a slightly different acting venue. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in May of 2007 and will be now appearing in many a courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia.” JG Megan Ketch has been admitted into the NYU MFA acting class of 2011 meganketch@yahoo.com
Jess (Kehler) Grove (’02) JessK0203@verizon.net Randy & Jess Grove, 10109 Nightingale Street, Gaithersburg, MD 20882, home 301-253-8906, Jess cell 717-487-0979 JessK0203@verizon.net Production Manager at Round House Theatre. Please keep in touch! Love to all, Jess
Barbara Harrison is working with the Lark Play development Center as their Artistic Programming Intern and with Manhattan Theatre Club as their Marketing Intern. She recently directed Domestic Mastermind, by Alison Adams, that ran at The Barrow Group Theatre as part of The Network One-Act Festival. She also directed a reading of Annah Feinberg’s new play, Medusa Cuts Her Hair, at Manhattan Theatre Club in Studio 2 (featuring fellow alums Shane Zeigler and Christine Mottram). That was followed by directing Tommy Smith’s The Wife with May Adrales at the Interbborough Repertory Theatre.
Cameran Hebb - Recent graduate, Cameran Hebb is completing dual internships on Los Angeles with the Casting Agency Aquilawood and the Talent Agency Herveygrimes. Cameran plans to locate in NYC this fall.
Olivia Henderson (’05) olivia.henderson@gmail.com
Jennifer Horowitz jen.horowitz@gmail.com.
Julie George Howard (Dramatic Art and Women’s Studies ’02) swimcapt@hotmail.com teaches high school theatre in Greeneville, NC and loves it!
Jan (Fent) Johnston (Also known as Mary Jeanine Fent in those days - MA '77) janjwog@gmail.com “Where are my long lost buds??? Write ME!!!
Megan Ketch is working with Kate Middleton (Guy Olivieri, Dann Wheeless, Amy Heidt) and Ground Up Productions.
Natasha Pancholi Khatod (‘01)
Thomas Kingsley is working for Disney Theatrical Productions, as part of their International Production Department assisting in the mounting of overseas productions of the Disney shows.
Dan Kois (Dramatic Art and Creative Wrtiting '96) dankois@hotmail.com
Whitney LaPlante will enter the Harvard School of Education for the Masters in Arts Education program this fall
Patrick Link 's ('07)
Chris Locklear ('05) is currently living in Los Angeles, CA and working for Abrams Artists training to be an agent.
Jonathan Luby chariots75@msn.com
Julia McManus Love (83) julialove99@aol.com
Fred Lloyd (’76) “I would love to know the hereabouts of any of the graduates from my time in the DDA.”
Amanda (Pringle) Malo (’94) apringle311@hotmail.com
Tim Matson (’05) tjmatson@gmail.com
John McGrew('03) is currently playing music and acting in short films and musicals in NYC. Music can be found here: www.johnmcgrewmusic.com
Tracie Merrill(’95) traciemerrill@gmail.com
Kate Middleton was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for her performance in Avow. "For those who don't know... Ground UP Productions a Non-Profit that is based in the West Village. Our mission is to revive old works in unique ways and bring new works to life, all the while embracing our Southern roots and representing the true South in NYC!" -Kate Middleton
Sophie Cathro Mitchell (formerly Sophie Cathro 2000) sjmitchell@gmail.com
Gregory Porter Miller ('92 or so, really '04, but who's counting?) recently played Stephen in Patrick Marber's "Dealer's Choice" at the American Theatre for Actors
Michelle Muscatello “I am a meteorologist and reporter for WPRI/WNAC-TV (the CBS and Fox affiliates) in Providence, RI. I recently completed a 3-year distance learning program through Mississippi State University to earn a Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology. have forecasted and reported on hurricanes, blizzards, tornados and everything in between and have appeared on the CBS Early Show and CBS4 News in Boston. My husband, WPRI Sportscaster Pete Lucas, and I recently celebrated our 2nd Anniversary. You can get more information, including my bio and clips of my broadcasts by going to our station's website at www.wpri.com
Sarah Spencer Northey has been accepted into the exclusive Couples and Marriage Therapy program for graduate studies at the University of Maryland.
Guy Olivieri (’99) guy_olivieri@hotmail.com www.GuyOlivieri.com
Natasha Pancholi http://www.rangeviewproductions.com/photos_stories.html
Mac Rogers was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for his play, Universal Robots.
Maureen Rottschaefer (’94) mrottschaefer@hotmail.com
Lauren Shepard (’05) lmshep@gmail.com
Amy Stewart (BA '98)alstew7@yahoo.com Amy Stewart (Amy Lynn Stewart, professional name) completed the Journeymen Program @ the Warehouse Theatre w/ Jack Young through SETC; graduated from UCSD in 2004 with a MFA in Acting; played the lead in Hazard County @ Actor's Express; played Mrs. Van Buren in a co-production of Intimate Apparel @ Indiana Rep. and Syracuse Stage. She worked at Florida Studio Theatre playing Abby Drake in Fiction.
Kate Stratton has been accepted on full scholarship to Yale Divinity School, in addition to her acceptance from Manhattan's Union Theological Seminary
Carey Sveen BA '03: Carey Sveen is re-entering school in August 08 for Invasive Cardiovascular Technology and she continues to sew constantly. carey@careysveen.com
Haley Swindal (BA '08) recently sang to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops and a lineup of incredible singers for the New York Pops Gala honoring Frank Sinatra. She sang "Fly Me To The Moon" with the amazing standards and jazz singer, Steve Tyrell.
John Tasker Double-Major Sociology/Drama, BA '65. Probably would have to count my UNC Drama as a Minor for the newsletter category. Was in the Graduate program, Drama for the '65-'66 year, but had to go to work and did not finish. “For my message, I want to publicly thank Dr. Russell Graves as being the Professor who most influenced me positively during my years at Carolina. This would include technical theatre, my teaching experience at NC Central University Drama Dept. ('66-'67), writing in his Thesis Course, and life in general. While I did not stay in theatre as a career, the lesson of "attitude" and creative curiosity encouraged and taught by Dr. Graves has served me well and I have thought of him quite often over the years. His teaching proved to be applicable in any field. I consider myself lucky to have been exposed to the man and I am grateful.” John Tasker
Jenny Teachey (’99) bikinigirl99@hotmail.com
Ed Thomas (’74) ethomas2@triad.rr.com
Charlie Todd http://www.improveverywhere.com/ I appeared on the "Today Show" on 2/19. He lives in Manhattan where he teaches and performs improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Charlie recently made a pilot for NBC based on the work of his website ImprovEverywhere.com. He was recently profiled in the pilot episode of Showtime's This American Life series. And his Improv Everywhere site has gone global http://www.improveverywhere.com/2008/01/24/improv-everywhere-global/. Charlie was featured in a video for The Onion News Network: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/controversial_tell_all_book He can be reached via his website: http://www.improveverywhere.com/contact/ PS: You might enjoy this prank video Charlie Todd directed for Yahoo!
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3472742. Charlie Todd’s latest Improv Everywhere mission: 50 Improv Everywhere agents created an art gallery opening on the 23rd Street subway platform in Manhattan. Check it out:
http://improveverywhere.com/2009/03/18/subway-art-gallery-opening/
Improv Everywhere’s book, CAUSING A SCENE, comes out on May 19.
David zum Brunnen (’86) dzbjr@earthlink.net EbzB Productions signs with Alkahest Artists and Attractions: EbzB Productions, based in Apex, NC has signed with Alkahest Artists and Attractions, U.S.A.'s first lecture concert and booking management agency founded in 1896.
Hollis Wansley (’06) is studying this fall at Michael Howard Studio as a One-Year Conservatory student Josh Evans ('07) is also at the Studio.
David Whalen "Just finished THE WINTER'S TALE at The Folger W/Blake Robison directing. Wanted to let you know I'm filming a pilot for CBS/PARAMOUNT Television for next 2 weeks. Next week I start rehearsals for the World Premiere of SPEAK AMERICAN at City Theatre written & directed by Academy Award Winner Eric Simonson (www.citytheatrecompany.org) for details. Then I play Fr. Flynn in DOUBT, followed by Rochester in JANE EYRE (www.picttheatre.org), and Oberon/Theseus in A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre (www.ppt.org).
Currently, I'm teaching Acting at Carnegie Mellon's School of Drama along side these performances."
Michele White- Lawler (‘90) 704-499-8900 annegg@aol.com
Brandon Wilson (B.A.) - This June, author/adventurer Brandon Wilson (UNC-CH '73) and his wife Cheryl will set off to trek the recently formed Via Alpina (red route) 1200+ miles from Trieste, Italy to Monaco. The 161-stage hut-to-hut trail combines existing long-distance routes through eight countries. Their high-altitude trans-Alpine expedition is expected to last four months. Upon completion of the trek, Wilson will write a new book, his fourth, to help preserve and promote the discovery of mountain cultures and peace thru trekking.
This is Wilson's tenth long-distance ultralight world trek, the longest since his 2600-mile peace walk from France to Jerusalem in 2006. His book chronicling that adventure, Along the Templar Trail, was recently named a Book of the Year Finalist by ForeWord Magazine, a leading literary reviewer.Wilson is an official partner of the Via Alpina organization. Current gear sponsors include GoLite and Gossamer Gear. For more details, visit http://www.pilgrimstales.com/upcomingadventures.html
