Newsletter Archives

Summer, 2005

Greetings, Friends!

Our 41^st Season of Festival Playhouse was a celebration of The Playwright: Modern, Emerging, and Classical. In the Fall, we began with THE THREEPENNY OPERA by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill  (Modern), directed by myself with Vocal and Musical Direction by music professors James Turner and Tom Evans. In addition to our first major collaboration with the Music Department in several years, we achieved another first – an “All Fine Arts” production, as we also collaborated with Art (Professor Tom Rice designed the video sequences), as well as the German Department (Professor Jennifer Redmann worked with the cast on German history and also arranged for the visit of Brecht scholar Professor Marc Silberman to give a lecture and participate in a post-play panel). In Winter, for the first time ever, we produced A STUDENT PLAYWRIGHTING FESTIVAL (Emerging) on our main stage. There were two evenings of 6 BY 10 (fully staged 10-minute plays), STAGED READINGS OF ONE-ACT PLAYS, and a staged reading of the full -length play, ALISON SHIELDS by Joe Tracz (a 2004 graduate of Kalamazoo College and recently recognized playwrighting regional winner in the 2005 American College Theatre Festival). There were also playwrighting workshops, and feedback sessions with audiences, local, and professional playwrights. All told, we produced six different performances of 13 plays written by seven different student playwrights in four days! All plays were free. We closed in Spring with THE ROVER by Aphra Behn - (Classical), directed by Kalamazoo College theatre arts professor Karen Berthel. Behn was the first major female playwright writing in the English language, and, as has become her custom, Karen and her cast certainly did wonders with speaking that language. In addition to the decorative Carnival setting by Professor Lanny Potts, the show also featured some of the most detailed and splendid period costumes in our recent history by guest artist costumer K.C. Kozminski. THE ROVER deservedly received a sparkling review from the Kalamazoo Gazette. In addition to the mainstage shows, our “best and brightest” were featured in our Senior Performance Series, which was topped by Taras Berezwosky’s strong production of Strindberg’s MISS JULIE in the Dungeon Theatre. This year was also a TERRIFIC year for student designers: seniors Rachael Weisman (Costumes – THREEPENNY) and Robert Brown (Lights –SPF and ROVER) really thrived in their assignments as did Mike Sabourin (junior – Mask Design for ROVER), and sophomores Sarah Fuhrman (Scenery - SPF), Tim Krause (Sound – ROVER), and Michael White (Sound – THREEPENNY and SPF). Sophomore Andrea Visco also received an ACTF citation for stage-managing THREEPENNY. And for the first time since Felicity Hesed in 1996, sophomore Tyler Greene broke into the semi-final round of the ACTF Irene Ryan acting competition!

We also had some tremendous guest artists this year! In September, in conjunction with the University Theater of Western Michigan University, our students saw a lecture and performance from renowned hip-hop theatre artists, Will Power and Daniel Banks, and also participated in a workshop. In Winter, as part of the STUDENT PLAYWRIGHTING FESTIVAL, we engaged African American playwright and Broadway actress, Ms. Oni Faida Lampley to serve as the main respondent to student writing). Ms. Lampley also gave a workshop in the Playwrighting course, visited Senior Seminar, and had lunch with theatre arts majors. In Spring, Dr. Von H. Washington of the WMU Multicultural Theatre program returned to teach Introduction to African American Theatre A very special treat in Spring was when K theatre alums Jordan Klepper (K01) and Mark Piebenga (K’02) visited from Chicago with their professional Improv and Sketch comedy team, American Dream. They performed in the Dungeon Theatre with the student Improv group Monkapult.

  Finally, in Spring term, as part of our continuing service learning initiative with Kalamazoo’s teen center, The Ark, senior Taras Berezowsky taught an after school Shakespeare class at Millwood School in Kalamazoo

NEXT YEAR'S SEASON: “The World is Our Stage: A Season of International Theatre” exemplifies the college’s commitment to the experiential, international, and multicultural dimensions of Kalamazoo College. With the exception of THE IMAGINARY INVALID, none of these plays has ever before been produced in Kalamazoo. The mainstage plays are from contemporary India, contemporary South Africa, and Neoclassical France. In addition, we are presenting two world premieres, both award winning scripts, written by recent Kalamazoo College alumni. And as always, we continue to feature the work of our "best and the brightest" in our SENIOR PERFORMANCE SERIES, young artists who support the great tradition at Kalamazoo College of students creating their own theatre.

1. CATCH-86 a one man show about Chernobyl and the Ukraine, written and performed in both English and Ukrainian by Taras Berezowsky (2005 graduate of Kalamazoo College). A project that started out as a 2004 Senior Honors Project, which was then expanded to include recent political events in Ukraine, Taras returns to us as part of the Festival Playhouse Guest Artist Series. Through funding from the Dorothy U. Dalton Enrichment Fund, the Festival Playhouse Guest Artist Series is committed to providing culturally diverse art absolutely free to the Greater Kalamazoo Community. Co-sponsored by the First-Year Experience of Kalamazoo College. Friday, Sep. 23, 2005.

  2. NAGA-MANDALA (Play with a Cobra) by Girish Karnad. Directed by guest artist professional film and stage director from Calcutta, Suman Mukherjee. The play combines two traditional Indian oral tales, but also touches on issues of women’s lives in the context of contemporary Indian culture, as well as the continuing significance of storytelling in the society. Co-sponsored by the Center for International Programs of Kalamazoo College. Nov. 10-13, 2005.

  3. PHENOMENON OF DECLINE, a one-act play, by Joe Tracz (2004 graduate of Kalamazoo College). Tracz's play has already won first place in the 2005 American College Theatre Festival Region III New Playwrights Program One-Act Play competition. PHENOMENON is about a writer attempting to deal with the disappearance of his twin brother in a swamp during their childhood. We have been invited to produce the play at ACTF at Illinois State University in January 2006. Friday & Saturday, Jan. 6 -7, 2006

  4. SORROWS AND REJOICINGS by award winning South African playwright Athol Fugard. One of his very latest plays (2001), it takes place after the funeral of a white South African writer who has had a daughter by his black South African lover while being married to a white South African woman. Although the present time is the current post-apartheid South African society, through flashbacks, the burden of the past and current racism forces all four characters to confront each other painfully with honesty and love. Co-sponsored by the African Studies Program of Kalamazoo College. Feb. 9-12, 2006.

  5. “The Imaginary Invalid" (Le Malade imaginaire) by Moliére. This classic comedy of the French Renaissance has been delighting audiences for over three hundred years. As always, Moliére writes with both great wit and insight into the human condition in this story of Argan, the hypochondriac who battles both his doctors and his family in trying to keep control of his household, May 18-21, 2006.

PLUS WE ARE DOING EIGHT (the most ever) student directed or senior performance projects:

WINTER & SPRING 2006: THE SENIOR PERFORMANCE SERIES

“Scenes from Caryl Churchill” directed by Lisa Ludwinski
“Homebody” by Tony Kushner, performed by Lauren Sprenger
“The Flying Doctor” by Moliére, directed by Vann Lee
“The Love of Don Perlimpin” by Federico Garcia Lorca, directed by Zoë Marshall-Rashid           
“Keep Tightly Closed in a Cool, Dry Place” by Megan Terry, directed by Trent Pancy
“Mud” by Maria Irene Fornes, directed by Jess Stuenkel
“The Medea Project” by Euripides, 2 different versions, directed by Liz Goodson & Lauren Russo

  As always, Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College gratefully acknowledges the support of the Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation.

  THE BIGGEST NEWS WE HAVE IS my close friend and wonderful Director of Technical Theatre & Design Professor Lanny Potts has been asked to become the Associate Provost of the College for the next three years (Lanny is so good at everything he does that this may have been inevitable). Normally, I would be worried sick about replacing someone of Lanny’s caliber. But in this case I’m thrilled to announce that our new Director of Technical Theatre is Jon Reeves, who has extensive professional experience in scenery, lighting, sound, and just about everything else one could imagine (including stage combat and weapons building). Lanny will still be around to teach Lighting, give advice and help students on individual projects, but our productions and courses are in the extremely capable hands of Jon Reeves!

  OK – let’s get to those K Theatre Alumni Network updates!
00s: LET'S START WITH OUR RECENT GRADUATING CLASS of 05: As you can see from above, we have already hired Taras Berezowsky as a Guest Artist for next year to perform his one-man show CATCH-86, and to direct PHENOMENON OF DECLINE!…Diane Blumenfeld already has an acting job lined up at the Fringe Festival of Minneapolis…Matt Cameron  has been hired as an acting intern for the next six months at the Festival Theatre in St. Croix, WI …04: Stephanie Burrough directed TWELFTH NIGHT with the Prenzic Players and is also working at Comedy Sportz in Rock Island, IL … After finishing her 6 month acting internship at Festival Theatre in St. Croix, WI (last newsletter!), Emily Campbell acted in LEND ME A TENOR for Square River Productions in the Detroit area. Emily will also direct Taras Berezowsky’s CATCH-86 for us this Fall! … Jack Cardinal checked in that he spent summer of 2004 building a house for his mom! … Max Cherem  wrote from Nepal that “there never seems to be enough time in the day!” to do his interview-based research  for his  Fulbright grant … Also on a Fulbright, Nora Hauk had an amazing year in Korea, teaching English in Andong. We also produced Nora’s plays NORTH WIND and GYPSY TONGUES (co-written by Taras Berezowsky) in our STUDENT PLAYWRIGHTING FESTIVAL… Shena Mathew worked this past year for Project Seed, traveling to different elementary schools to teach mathematics, using the Socratic method…Matt Pieknik and Lanie Wieland spent six months hiking the Appalachian Trail! … What a year for Joe Tracz! We performed his plays ALISON SHIELDS and PHENOMENON OF DECLINE as part of our STUDENT PLAYWRIGHTING FESTIVAL. The former got a very positive critique from ACTF Vice-Chair of Playwrighting Phylis Ravel, while, the latter won first prize for one-acts in the New Playwrights Program  in the 2005 ACTF Regional Festival. So we’ve subsequently been invited to give it a full production at next year’s ACTF (we’ve hired Taras Berezowsky to direct it) and if that wasn’t enough, PHENOMEON also received a staged reading at The Goodman Theatre where Joe was a Literary Intern this year, assisting Rebecca Gilman and Robert Falls on their new world premiere adaptation of A DOLL HOUSE. Joe also worked at Northlight, TAG, and Chicago Dramatists in one very busy (and heady) year of Chicago theatre! We’re  very proud of you, Joe! … Klayvaughn Williams wished us the best from his first year at Princeton Theological Seminary – likewise, Klay!  …  03: Timo Aker had a very busy year, directing PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE for International Academy High School (Anna Fleury, Theatre Director), performed in THE FAN, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at various Cleveland theatres, worked at the House of Blues, and continues to study Meisner… P. Alex Dodge is in an English Lit PhD program at Indiana University where he still finds time to do improv with a group called Full Frontal Comedy …Wa-Louisa Hubbard had a great year as an apprentice at Performance Network in Ann Arbor and is now the summer intern coordinator (Louisa has already helped some of our current students) …Nicholas Kessler  is the Managing Director of  WhiskeyBee Productions which produced an all female staged reading of ROMEO & JULIET in NYC (directed by Gretchen Beesing and featuring Liza Bielby). Nicholas also spent 9 weeks touring schools all over the East coast  with The Hampstead Players,  an educational theatre company … After working for the Kerry campaign in various capacities this year,  Jyl Ream has a new job in Toronto, coordinating international programs for a non-profit called Leaders Today…In April Sue Semaan a new job in Operations at New Victory Theatre in Times Square (part of The New 4snd Street Group), after working part of the year at TCG…Danny Ward continues to write, act, edit, and direct in NYC. His recent screenplay, CLEVELAND was given a reading at the Sally Johnson Studio (I also downloaded one of Danny’s short videos which was hilarious)! And his cousin is coming to K in the Fall! … 02:  After  spending part of the year in NYC in which she acted in Gretchen Beesing’s all female ROMEO & JULIET, we hear  Liza Bielby is back in China studying Sichuan Opera and also involved in German-Chinese cross cultural performance … Noah Goldsmith acted in the film, BETTER THINGS, worked on GOLDA’S BALCONY, NIGHT MOTHER. and TRYING (among others), produced THE GERMANS IN PARIS (Off-Broadway), and has optioned a new play, HARVEST that will open O-B in January, 06 ,…. Joe Hamlin had a great first year in the MFA program in Technical Direction at Yale and is now back for the summer as Production Manager at Great Barrington Stage in MA … Jessica  Hoff  had a very busy year as Executive Director of Tangerine Arts Group in Chicago. To name just a few, she produced i, an audio documentary about CTA, acted in LETTERS/X. and directed the world premiere of Aaron Lipke’s HARVEST. In Fall, she will produce the Tangerine Family Circus (starring Felicity Hesed). She was also promoted to Financial Loan Officer for Multifamily Housing. Somehow, through all of this, Jessica was invited back to K by the Alumni Office for the Now and Forever program, indeed an honor…Ashley Frantz Jones is in Chicago, where she is a marketing assistant at The Goodman and also a part-time nanny…Kelly McDonald spent most of the year as APM at Northern Stage and has just started at Hartford Stage where they were so impressed with her broad background in her interview, that they created a special position just for her combining production and marketing!… Fabulous holiday card featuring all of the Parker siblings, including Eddie! … Mark Piebenga was the Americorps Leader for Project Yes in Chicago, performed at Improv Olympic and Second City as well as various festivals, directed CYRANO at Noble Street Charter School,, and, with Jordan Klepper, has been a member of the very successful improv and sketch comedy team AMERICAN DREAM (they came back to K in April to do a show in the Dungeon with Monkapult)! Mark will be in western Ireland come end of summer! …. Kristala Pouncy got called back for over 20 theatres at UPTA this year, got five solid offers, and wound up this summer at Theatre at Monmouth, (ME), earning points towards her AEA card  while performing Bianca in SHREW, various roles in GRAPES OF WRATH, and Catherine in LE BETE.  In Fall, she’s off to Birmingham Children’s Theatre in AL where she will be doing Belle in BEAUTY & THE BEAST. Yay, Kristala! …01: Dana Ambrose spent almost two years teaching at Project Yes in Denver, then began a Masters in Elementary Education, but still found time to act as Adrianna in COMEDY OF ERRORS…Gretchen Beesing will enter NYU in the FALL to pursue an MSW. Gretchen directed an all female staged reading of ROMEO AND JULIET for Whiskey Bee Productions (producer Nicholas Kessler) at the Studio Theatre in Theatre Row in April (Liza Bielby was one of the actresses!)  … Margie Cangelosi continues to stage manage up a storm in Chicago, including a gospel show, and THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES at the Writer’s Theatre. And Margie’s younger brother Terry begins at K in the Fall! … Anna Fleury is the Theatre Director at the International Academy High School in Bloomfield Hills, MI , where she directs the school plays, coaches workshops and the Theatre Club, and designs all technical aspects (wow)! She also still finds time to lead Theatre Enrichment trips to Stratford, and still performs, most recently as Puck in a community production of MIDSUMMER .… Sarah Huckabay checked in from Guatemala, where she did some translating work for Habitat for Humanity. In Chicago, where she still teaches Spanish, Sarah was dialect coach and translator for TAG’s production of Aaron Lipke’s HARVEST… Cassandra Johnson is now in NYC and an editor at TCG (I’ve read her stuff in American Theatre magazine – very impressive)!… It would be hard to imagine how things could be going any better for Jordan Klepper in the improv and sketch comedy worlds of Chicago. Check out the rave reviews from the Chicago press on this website for Jordan’s “talk show host character, “ Mark Kluge, on the “Late Night Late Show”: http://www.latenightlateshow.com/. Jordan is also now a member of the Second City touring team, and he & Mark Piebenga brought their improv and sketch comedy team AMERICAN DREAM to K in April, where they performed in the Dungeon with Monkapult!… Allen Krause is working on some Augusto Boal techniques now in the Peace Corps in Cameroon! … After living in LA, Jeff Lung was back in Illinois this past year  so he could be even closer to the Cardinals’ debacle in the World Series (Jeff, I had the same problem with the Yankees in the LCS)! … Rocky Russo received tremendous reviews from the LA press for his performance in the leading role of Sam Shepard’s FOOL FOR LOVE at Theatre 68 in Hollywood this past Fall …  Justin Thomas will complete his MFA in Lighting Design at University of Maryland in December and continues to design up a storm in the DC area. Recent shows include CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS at Woolly Mammoth Theatre and A TALE OF A TIGER at Rorschach Theatre… We welcome Jody Weinmann to K-TAN! Jody is in grad school at the Art Institute in Chicago. Before that, she worked for Americorp's Children of the Future program in Columbus… 00: One of the most enjoyable things that Lanny Potts and I did last summer was when we went to see Devin Brain’s adaptation of Tennyson's IDYLLS OF THE KING in Chicago. This year, Devin was the youngest person ever invited to join the Hypocrites Theatre Company for which he co-directed A CHRISTMAS CAROL RADIO BROADCAST, Devin also directed RAGNAROK for the Tantalus Theatre Group… As I write this (June), I am very much looking forward to attending the wedding of Felicity Hesed  to Andrew Hunzeker  in just a  few days - congrats, Felicity! Felicity is also in the graduate program at DePaul, has been working with CircEsteem, a non-profit youth circus in Chicago, and still acted in Redmoon Theatre’s Winter pageant, in addition to intensive circus training … Simone Lutz was on the national tour with Chicago City Limits Theatre, the famed improv company in NYC… We understand Megan Martin had a good first semester  in her graduate program in radio documentary at the Salt Institute in Maine … Lia Moore is performing in SOUTH PACIFIC, ENCHANTED APRIL, and THE BOYFRIEND this summer at the Huron Playhouse in Ohio …Jen Waldman was in New Zealand this past year but will attend graduate school in the  library science program at UNC-Chapel Hill

90s: 99:  I saw Ben Imdieke in Matt Priest’s band (with John Cunningham) at the Kraftbrau in Kalamazoo this Spring – they were great (worth staying up past my bedtime)! … Jasmine Presson  has recently moved to Portland, OR but had several performances in NYC this past Spring: THE VALUES HORROR SHOW at Dixon Place, and SCENES FROM GREAT OPERAS and TWO CHAMBER OPERAS at Brooklyn College…Nicky (Shepard) Wall has a new position with Jardine Motors in Cambridge, England … 98: Jamila Gaskins’ one-woman show played at the Alekbu-lan Cultural Center in Pasadena. Jamila also ran the Dublin Marathon! … Liz Lowery worked on several TAG shows in Chicago (including some great puppets for Devin Brain’s SPLINTERED IDYLLS) but will be returning to school to pursue a Masters in Elementary education… Nikki (McIlroy) Steeves was married on August 28! Congratulations, Nikki! …97: Tom Bourguignon will begin an MFA in Creative Writing at NYU this Fall (I read some of his poems – they’re great!) Tom also came to see THREEPENNY this Fall and it was tremendous to see him…After her trip to Indonesia last summer,  Jennie Goodlander directed and taught at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, directed JANE EYRE for Cornerstone University, came back to K to teach a great Chinese theatre workshop for the Asian theatre class, and is currently back in NYC at the Lincoln Center Directors Lab (since she was in Michigan part of the year, she was also very faithful about coming to see our shows)!… 96: Kassia Barney and her husband Robert welcomed their new son Magnus Galen on July 26, 2004 – congratulations! … Was it ever super to hear from Beth Bowden after all this time! I can’t do justice to her extensive theatre career  here, so I’ll just hit the highlights: After stints in the Americorps National School, Peace Theatre, and Taller Puertorriqueno, Beth earned an MA from Villanova, where (among many other things) she wrote and performed a solo piece called MACHA DE PLANTANO. She is now in NYC where her Off-off Broadway credits include CHOSEN, LET’S BE FRANK, & CEX & THE CITY. Beth writes that she considers herself “bi-cultural, not just bi-lingual.” Beth, it’s fantastic to have you in K-TAN! You’re a shining example of how one integrates theatre with other disciplines, (In you case, Latin—American studies)! … 95: We hear  Anjalee (Deshpande) Nedkarni had another great year as Assistant Professor of Theatre at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, directing MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING … Ivana Ivkovic is working for a literary management firm in Beverly Hills, and also for a production company in West Hollywood … Congratulations to Kristie Lang who married Christopher Bohan on May 28! Kristie has been acting up a storm in the Cleveland area – THE CHILDREN'S HOUR at the Beck Center for the Arts, THE BALD SOPRANO for The Charenton Theatre, and several seasons at Great Lakes Theatre Festival…Jennifer Rae Moore  stage managed BELLE EPOQUE, the latest piece by famed avant-garde theatre director/dance choreographer Martha Clarke at Lincoln Center, and the went right into SOULS OF NAPLES at Theater for a New City. Jenn is also working with the externship program at K. … Jasen Schrock is still making music in Chicago and married Stephanie Gillespie on October 9, 2004. Congrats, Jasen! …   Stacy Shafer Peterson  is now the Associate Development Director with Rush Neurobehavioral Center … 94: Hillary (Byrne) Frazey completed her MA in Adult Education at University of MN and now teaches ESL in an Even Start Family Literacy Program in Columbia Hts. Even more important, Hillary and Doug welcomed their second child, Karissa on July, 2004. And after all that, Hillary still found time to host a K extern! … A HUGE CONGRATUALTIONS  to  Kristen Chesak who was named Managing Director of the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre in April, a position that was created  specially just for her! (My monthly Theatre Kalamazoo! lunches just got a whole lot better because now I will get to see Kristen on a regular basis)… One of Brad Harbaugh’s many acting credits this past year was starring in TRUE WEST for the Hypocrites Theatre in Chicago … We saw Emily Merrell at Homecoming in October. She’s still acting in the Detroit area, and has also done some leading roles for The BoarsHead Theatre in Lansing. Emily also found time to host a K externship … Also saw Jody Wilson at the same. Jody is now a freelance photographer and videographer in San Francisco… 93: Arminda (Mindy) Bepko finished Law School at NYU (summa cum laude, no less) and is now clerking for a federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York…92: It was great to have Ulric Dihle back at K this year where he taught an Acting for the Camera workshop! … After a long and fruitful tenure as Associate Director of Theatrical Outfit, Kate Warner is now Artistic Director of Dad’s Garage Theater in Atlanta - I learned this when I saw Kate’s smiling face staring up at me from the pages of American Theatre!…91: Lynda Berge had a very good year as a NYC actress – three plays, 4 industrials, and extra work in both MANCHURIAN CANDIADTE and STEPFORD WIVES (alas, her scenes wound up on the cutting room floor)! … Rich Hutchman, wife, Andrea, and daughter Oona, have already out-performed the Mentas in “funny holiday cards” (I also saw one of Rich’s many commercials during the Superbowl) … Kevin Lock checked in from the Pentagon where he was stationed this year… Brian Timmer sends his best, along with wife Beth and son Noah, from Queens ….90: Kristi (Biershcbach) DeFrasne published a terrific article, “Communication, Affirmation, Cooperation: Creating an Ensemble in an Elementary Class” in the September 04 issue of SCENE, the Quarterly Journal of the International Schools Theatre Association (Kris also continues to send wonderful photos Kris sends of her incredibly beautiful young family in France) … Wade Jackson is now Communications Director for a non-profit in the Nashville area. He says he’s had some success in getting some features on national talk shows, but he does enjoy weekends off (finally)! … It was great to have Katy Stahl Loebrich back on campus, as a guest of the Experiential Education dept. For the last two years, Katy has been kind enough to arrange externships for current K students at her TV station in Durham, NC … Dr. Alisha Rohde checked in from Columbus where she is a Project Administrator at Steel Hammond Architecture and Interior Design and also spends a lot of time teaching yoga!  

80s: Laura Livingstone-McNelis (K’89) was a traveling teaching artist this year at Education for the Arts in Kalamazoo… We heard that Annie Wagner Crockett  (K’89) is down in FL where she acted in ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS at Theatre Conspiracy in Fort Myers… Sarah Delia Mack (K'88) and her beautiful family sent another great holiday card from Mansfield, CT…Speaking  of holiday cards, we continue to get great ones from Tom Meyers (K'86). Tom was at Union Bank of California but he, Caroline, and Rebecca & Sam are re-locating to Amherst, MA… Becky Soderna (K'88) enjoyed her first year in the MS Program in Rhetoric and Technical Communication at Michigan Tech. In addition to her own studies, she taught a sophomore level Revisions general ed course and served as a TA for a first-year level World Cultures course …Ross Ambrose (K'86) continues to work with Karst Productions (the movie CAVE opened on April 8) and with documentary filmmaker Wes Skiles. Their second Water’s Journey episode aired in Fall on PBS … The Chamber Theater begged Cam MacMartin (K’86) to spend another year managing them so she did (or most of it) but we understand Cam also took her dream trip to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco! …  Mary Ryan-Karges (K’85) her husband Chris, and children Lily, Michael, and Will have sustained a long record of creative holiday photos from Seattle! … Anne VerWiebe (K’85) made a very generous donation of her costume collection books and noted that she decided to frame her costume renderings from HEDDA GABLER!  … GREAT to hear from Roxane Lie (K’84) in Portland, OR where she does all the grooming at a dog boarding and training facility on lovely Sauve Island. She says during summer they will run up to 100 dogs! … The rumor is Lisa Kron’s (K'83) WELL will open on Broadway sometime this year. The show received  another rave in its run at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco! …  And speaking of Lisa on Broadway, if it happens, West Nelson (K’81) may work with our Alumni Office for some type of even to celebrate this.  We’re thrilled to have West as a member of K-TAN! He continues as a Computer Consultant and Instructional Designer for Cortlandt Technology Partners in New York and also as a member of the Board of Trustees for K! (so we’re lucky in that we see West a few times a year for graduation, homecoming, board meetings, etc.) … We are very sad to see Karen Selby (K’81) leave the Education Dept. at K, but very happy for her as she takes over as Chair of the Education program at Medaille College in Buffalo.

  70s:  We hear that Pam Marsden (K’78) is still thriving in Hollywood at Disney! …  And the same for Hugh Broder (K’77) at in Detroit at BBD&O Advertising! … As Associate Professor in Ann Arbor, Holly Hughes (K'77) has helped develop the new interdisciplinary MFA the University of Michigan. Holly’s play DRESS SUITS TO HIRE received a special revival at the famed La MaMa in NYC in celebration of the 25^th anniversary of Split Britches … We’re hoping that you may be hearing more soon about  Theresa Tucker-Davies (K’76) and John Davies (K'75) in connection with Kalamazoo College, but in the meantime, know that John was in Maui this year past shooting his new reality TV show, SIMMONS INC and both continue to be very busy with various Hollywood TV and film projects  … Susan Coon (K’74) is now Assistant Director of Admissions at Duke (where she’s served in many different administrative leadership roles since 1984). She reports that her son Philip attends the Durham School of the Arts with a focus on technical theatre! Great to talk with you at Homecoming, Susan! …  Jonathan Becker  (K’73) continues to practice law in Lawrence , KS and the big news is that his son Mark (K’05) graduated this Spring (Mark was such an excellent carpenter, we will really miss him in the shop!) … We hear that Paul Eads (K’73) continues to design and direct in Hollywood!

HEY- WHAT ABOUT THE FACULTY? Karen Berthel  will be on her research term leave this Fall. Karen will direct a new play , FLESH & BLOOD, for the Electra Theatre in Los Angeles this summer, and will act in TAMING OF THE SHREW at the Queens’ Company in NYC this Fall. In addition to his move across the street, Lanny Potts managed to design lights for BLITHE SPIRIT at The Civic. As for myself,  I managed to publish another baseball article, write another one-act play (FUN HOUSE, which had a reading in our Faculty Study Series), and will be directing PRIVATE LIVES at the Festival Theatre in St. Croix, WI (there must be some Noel Coward thing going around).

That’s it! PLEASE send your notes to me either in hard copy or via email otherwise I don’t know what you’re up to -I WANT TO PUT YOU IN THIS NEWSLETTER BUT I CAN'T IF I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU! As always, we want to share the good things that are happening to us, because we consider you folks, who have given so much to this program, to have had a strong hand in making it the success it continues to be for our students. Remember that you are always welcome back here – as artists, and as people.

Yours,

Ed Menta, Ph.D.
Professor & Director of Theatre

  Email: menta@kzoo.edu