Alumni News

In Memoriam

Alumni News

Oge  Agulué (BA Acting '11) made his professional debut performing for a season with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, where he also served as an Education Artist. Most recently he appeared as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing. He is currently enrolled in the MFA Acting program at the University of California, Irvine..

Steve Barnes (MFA Scenic Design '08) has been in the Milwaukee area since graduating and he has been quite busy, doing about a dozen projects per year. He has been working for Robert Kovach (MFA Scenic Design '00) as an assistant for almost five years [Robert is now based in NYC]. He has been married for over 2 years to Liz, a stage manager at Milwaukee Rep. Visit Steve's web site, www.stevebarnesdesign.com.

Kathryn Bartholomew (BA Acting '02) is now Kathryn Fehr! She and David were married on March 24th!

Lauren Briggeman (BA Acting ‘07) most recently appeared in Slammed at the IndyFringe 2011. Other recent credits include Lilly Theatre's The Frog Prince. She has also appeared in the roles of Horatio in Hoosier Bard's Young Hamlet, Mrs. Givings in In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play) and May in The Housewives of Mannheim at the Phoenix Theatre, and Janet in New Jersey Rep.'sYankee Tavern. She is now in rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet with Irvington's Eclectic Pond Theatre which opens in September.

Christopher Brink (MFA Technical Direction ‘09) worked at the Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore, TX this past summer. This fall he began a full-time staff position as Production Manager & Lighting Designer at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.

Vanessa Buono (MFA '04) is currently the School Programs Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in to Washington, DC and teaches a very popular Acting for Business Professionals course. Prior to moving to DC she lived in Los Angeles, where she appeared on American Dreams,ER and All of US and was a member of the improv troupe The Berubians.

Katherine Burke (MFA Acting '99) is teaching at Kent State. She just finished directing Dancing at Lughnasa in Akron and has been doing Theatre of the Oppressed work with the Montessori High School in Cleveland. She’s also working with the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine to develop and implement a Medical Humanities curriculum. She is the director of a project entitled Devising Healthy Communities, in which students go out into communities to engage people in an arts-based dialogue about their relationship to health and care.

Chris Byers (BA '09) has been working with the local civic theater in South Bend this summer and has interviewed with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

Dr. Andrew Carlson (MFA Acting ‘07) is now Assistant Professor of Theatre at UT-Austin. In addition to serving as dramaturg on Brant Pope’s production of The Cherry Orchard, he has dramaturged local productions of Arcadia and Twelfth Night and currently serves as Chair of UT-Austin’s Script Selection Committee. This summer, Andrew heads back to GRSF to direct the intern company and play Edmund in King Lear, directed by Oregon Shakespeare veteran actor/director Jim Edmondson.

Andrew Cassano (BA ‘98) has been named to the new position of administrative director for the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University. Andrew has been director of Kutztown's Schaeffer Performing Arts Center for the past two years. In this new position he will be responsible for overall administration and operation of the Zoellner Center and oversee financial management and contribute to strategic planning. Previously he was with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in Rochester, NY, where he served as Vice President of Artistic Operations.  

Stevie Chaddock (BA Acting '09) and Kevin Lambert (BA Acting '08)are playing Celia and Silvius in Strangeloop’s production of  As You Like It in Chicago. (The show is running through May 5th.) Earlier this year they acted together in Little Triggers with The Ruckus.

Jeremy Clark (MFA '04) is currently living in Chicago where he has worked with companies across the city, including Raven Theatre, ATC, The Actors Gym, and the Goodman Theatre. He is also a company member with Vitalist Theatre, where he appeared in the critically acclaimed Mother Courage and her Children and A Passage to India. Most recently, he's been seen as The Cook in Amadeus and as Bottom in Short Shakes! Midsummer Night's Dream, both with the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Last June he shot the ensemble feature The Lake at Evening and this winter was the lead in another film, Prairie Love, both of which were due the fall of 2009. Jeremy was also part of Road, directed by Rich Rand, and celebrated the arrival of the beautiful Isabella Reese!

Sarah Couch (BA ’05) is employed as an Accreditation Specialist with the National Association of Schools of Theatre, as well as Music; Art and Design; and Dance, in addition to pursuing her free-lance costume technology career. She currently lives in the Washington D.C. area.

Lisa Darden (MFA Acting '07) acted in The Color of Justice for Theatreworks in NYC.

Brian Edgecomb (MFA '04) is currently teaching at Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth Fl. Teaching theatre appreciation, movement, acting I and II, and children's theatre. He has directed Thaddeus and Tila and Pyscho Beach Party for PBCC, and is currently directing A Streetcar Named Desire.

Tyler Eglen ('08 Acting minor) After graduating from Purdue, Tyler studied acting and worked at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey as Actor, Teaching Artist, Fight Choreographer, House Manager, and Assistant Stage Manager. He returned to Indianapolis and acted with The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Garfield Shakespeare company. He is currently enrolled in the MFA Theatre Performance program at Arizona State University.

Matt Erickson (MFA Acting '07) is one of the founders of BE Theatre in NYC.

Gregg Essex (BA '92) received his MFA in Lighting design from Northwestern University in 1997. Designed in Chicago for 13 years being one of 5 designers for Dance. Worked with most every Dance company in Chicago, along with  touring for local shows.

Tiffany Fier (MFA Scenic Design '07) is living near Madison, WI. She is primarily a scenic artist and props artisan, although she continues to design sets as well. She is about to enter her fourth season as the charge scenic artist at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI. She interned there while at Purdue. [Another example of the internship turning into THE job!] Tiffany has been married for four years to Justin. Her web site is www.tiffanyfier.com.

This past year, Amanda Folena (MFA Acting ‘07) has worked for San Jose Repertory Theatre Company as the Choreographer and Assistant Director for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the Movement Consultant for As You Like It. Recent performance credits included First Person Shooter and the Three Musketeers at City Lights Theater Company and The Full Monty at Broadway By the Bay, where she is currently the Artistic Director.  

Tony Galaska (MFA ’07) is currently Assistant Professor of Lighting Design at Florida International University.  At FIU he has received faculty awards for his designs of The Cook and Spring’s Awakening from the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival.  Prior to his move to Miami, Tony spent time as a freelance designer in NYC working with many different theatre companies in both NY and NJ. This past summer he returned to the Texas Shakespeare Festival for his third season and designed Romeo and Juliet, Tartuffe, Love’s Labour’s Lost and She Loves Me.

Brandon Gelvin (BA Acting ‘08) has been working at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis since the summer of 2008. He has served as Assistant Director on Octopus and The Do’s and Don’t of Time Travel, stage manager on A Very Phoenix Xmas and soundscape crew on Shipwrecked!

Dawn Glover (MFA Acting '10) is enjoying life on the beach with The Seaside Repetory Theatre in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. She will play the Queen of Hearts, White Queen, Duchess, Tweedledee, Mock Turtle and Fish Footman in the upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland. Seaside Repetory's line-up after Alice in Wonderland includes Stinky Cheese Man,Around the World in 80 Days, Pinocchio, and How to Be a Pirate.

Michael Greenan (BA Acting '10) continues his acting endeavors in the DC area. He recently finished a run of the terrorist satire The B Team, where he played the role of Abdul at Landless Theatre Co. in Washington DC. Additionally, he appeared in the film, Game Change, starring Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, and Woody Harrleson.  

Glen Goodwin (ex-MFA ‘88) has been very busy doing over 400 events a year, and has been in business since 1995. He often thinks back to his experience and "lessons" learned at Purdue. He gives credit for his success to the guidance and real life teaching of Van Phillips and Lee Watson.

Stacie Hadgikosti (MFA Acting ‘07) is a member of the resident company at Purple Rose Theatre and has performed in nine productions, in addition to teaching classes, for Purple Rose.

Jodi Hart Ozimek (MFA ’02) is an Assistant Professor of Costume Design at Michigan State University. She has designed costumes for Portland Stage Company, Maine State Music Theatre, Texas Star Theatre, Lewiston Public Theatre, The Good Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Williamstown Theatre, Summer Circle Theatre, and Add Verb Productions, where she worked with Academy Award-winning director Fawn Yacker. She is married to Purdue alumnus Ted Ozimek, and they are expecting their first child in November.

Kristy Hansen McManus (MFA ’03) has spent the past three years teaching costume technology and managing the costume shop at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). While at SIUE she has also been the lead designer and costume shop manager for their Summer Showbiz productions. Kristy now resides in Nashville, TN and is working on setting up her personal design and technology company focusing on historical and theatrical costuming.

Dija Renuka Henry just performed a lead role in Sweatpants and High Heels at the Indyfringe.

Rob Hinds (MFA Acting '10) currently lives in Seattle, working as an actor, and moonlighting as a valet. He has worked for Seattle Shakespeare, Artswest and Second Story Rep. Check out the northwest!

Chris Holland (MFA Lighting Design '08) is working as a project manager for Texas Scenic Company in Rockville, MD where he coordinate the installation of theatre rigging systems, motorized winches, lighting systems and theatre equipment. He also freelances as a lighting designer, and is the resident designer for Dissonance Dance Theatre in DC, and has lit Landless Theatre's season (including Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog), The In Series, Clancyworks Dance Co, an improv comedy troupe, "Just Moxie", Pinkyswear Productions, and was the lighting designer & production director for this years Source Festival of New Works. He also consulted on the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, the Yale School of Management, the Beinecke Library at Yale, and the Roads & Rails Museum that just opened in Frederick, MD.

Shavonne Holton (BA Acting ‘06) has led a theatre camp for three summers and produced the Broadway Junior versions of Annie, Honk, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,Aladdin, and Seussical. Each year the size of the camp continues to multiply and, next summer, there will be a production track for the camp.

Jan Hubert (MFA '87) After 20 years in stage management, Jan made a career change in 2007 to return to the educational world. She now teaches stage management and is the department coordinator for the Theater Department at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

Evan Jackson (BA Acting '11) played Speed in The Odd Couple and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol at a professional theatre in Nappanee, IN.

Dr. Hatta Azad Khan’s (MA Directing ‘80) film Wayang received multiple award nominations at the 21st Annual Malaysian Film Awards. Dr. Khan was nominated as both Author and Director of the film. Dr. Khan has served as Dean of the University of Traditional Theatre, the Director General (Artistic Director) of the National Theatre and is currently the Dean of the Artistic and Kreatif Faculty at UiTM.

Andrew “Drew” Kelsey (BA 2011) has been selected for Disney's global lighting design bench in Orlando, FL, which will allow him to work on a variety of design projects such as conventions, events, and permanent installations.

Cory Kent (MFA ‘01) is a musician/songwriter -originally from Chicago, IL- now residing in Lafayette, IN with his wife and three children. He is on pastoral staff at Victory Christian Center (www.victorylafayette.org) where he serves as Assistant Pastor, Music Director, Visual Designer and Production Coordinator. With a background in piano, keyboards and bass, recording, live sound, and theatre, Cory writes and produces his own music, usually during the wee hours of the morning after the kids are asleep.

Robert Andrew Kovach (MFA Scenic Design ‘00) is currently a freelance set designer collaborating creatively across the country. Please visit his website at www.KovachDesigns.com to review his latest design work. Robert and two business partners started a producing company called Pack The House Productions, LLC in 2008. Our mission is to produce, develop and invest in live theatrical productions that expand the landscape of the American Theatre, through a distinct passion for the work, dedication to the process and trusted business practices that maintain a firm balance between art and commerce.

If you watch TV you’ve probably seen Joe Lee doing stellar work on a couple of national commercials.

Stephen McKinley Henderson (MA '77 Acting) Stephen portrayed Jim Bono in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Fences starring Denzel Washington for which he received a Tony nomination as a supporting actor in 2010. He has a role in Tower Heist, the Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy movie coming out this year. Here's an interview with Stephen: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/tower-heist/premiere-stephen-henderson

Dan Meisner (BA '07) has been diligently working in Chicago building his burgeoning company, Ka-Tet Theatre, with fellow Purdue alum and co-founder Suzanne Miller, and Purdue alum Caitlin Mick. The group has four successful productions under its belt, most recently, Side Man, directoed by directed by Purdue faculty Rich Rand. You can keep yourself updated with everything Ka-Tet at www.katettheatre.org.

Caitlin Mick (BA ‘07) relocated to Chicago and was hired as a floor manager for Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph. Some of her credits there include Four Places, Eurydice, Class Dismissed,Living Green and Love Person, and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety and Snow Queen. Other Chicago works includes assistant stage manager to the Jeff- nominated Plaza Suite with Eclipse Theatre Company and Ka-Tet Theatre’s inagural production of Road, directed by Richard Stockton Rand. She also returned to Purdue in 2010 to guest stage manage Purdue Theatre’s Hamlet.

Patrick Midgley (MFA Acting '07) is playing Paris in an Equity Showcase adaptation of Romeo & Juliet with The New York Shakespeare Exchange that opens next month.

Katie Miles (BA ‘05) lives in New York City during the school year and migrates to beautiful Spring Green, WI in the summer to work for American Players Theatre. She’s currently enjoying her second season as a full-time staff first hand in the costume shop at the Juilliard School. She also occasionally freelances as an assistant costume designer.

Caley Milliken (MFA Acting ‘07) is currently in rehearsal for The Tempest at Tennessee Shakespeare Festival. She’s playing Ariel.

Tony Mitre (MFA ‘93) is the Head Technician at the Mirage Theatre in Las Vegas, and whereAmerica’s Got Talent winner, Tony Fater, is in the midst of a five year run, which should keep him employed for some time.

Shelby Newport (MFA ’09) moved to Michigan after graduation and designed costumes for a short film for children titled Eddie and the Alternate Universe. In addition to being selected as a tenure-track professor of costume design at the University of Michigan-Flint, Shelby also teaches free-lance costume technology classes.

Ted Ozimek (MFA ‘01) Recent notable projects include complete lighting systems for the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center, Winspear Opera House in Dallas, and the Orlando Hilton Convention Center. Ted recently travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over the summer for a project at King Saud University. He is still working from home and loving it!

Kagiso Paynter (BA Acting '08) is appearing on Criminal Minds on May 9th.

Kirk Powell (MFA '03), has been designing, installing and supervising the operation of the sound system at the Superbowl for many years. That spectacular half time show that all comes together during a commercial break, and then performs flawlessly is all due to Kirk's extraordinary talent and dedication, and to the finest live sound anywhere on the planet.

Carrie Ray (Buhl) (BA '97) After working as a casting director in Chicago, Carrie moved back to her home state of Michigan to open her own casting company and teach theatre in the public schools. Her company, Carrie Ray Casting has cast many feature films and commercials shot in Michigan in the past two years. Most recently, she worked with directors Jason Reitman on Up in the Air, Rob Reiner on Flipped, and David Schwimmer on Trust. Carrie and her husband, Derek, also lead and perform at their church, Kensington Community Church. They had their first baby in Oct. '09--a whopping 10 lb. boy named Beau. 

Anita Ross (BA ‘89, MFA Acting ‘04) has been named director of the Black Hawk Children’s Theatre in Waterloo, IA. In addition to directing shows, Ross will be involved in WCP’s holiday show and will teach acting classes and the Junior Players. She plans to further develop BHCT’s outreach program to schools. Anita was an actor/instructor and show manager with Poetry Alive! of Asheville, NC, working with kindergarten through 12th-grade students in one-day to two-week residencies. She also performed and taught performance techniques and activities with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Justin Seward (MA '04) Since earning his Master of Arts Degree in Scenic and Props Design from Purdue, he has worked for various companies including the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and North Shore Music Theatre.  Justin has most recently worked for The Boston Pops, Boston Magazine (Scenic Asst.) and Antiques Roadshow (Asst. Set Decorator: Billings, MT.) Currently, Justin resides in Boston with his husband Jason. Justin works full time for the Huntington Theatre Company as Asst. Props Master. Production highlights include Educating Rita,Sons of the Prophet (off-Broadway), She Loves Me, the US premiere of Two Men of Florence, Pirates!(or Gilbert and Sullivan's Plunder’d) and The 39 Steps (5 Tony Nominations.) More recent credits include doing prop work on the pre-Broadway production of Porgy and Bess for the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA.

Stephanie Shaw (MFA ’03) is currently the Costume Shop Manager for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. She began working for the university in the fall of 2007 and since has reorganized their shop and costume storage, implemented new calendar and paperwork systems, and worked to make her shop fun and entertaining for both staff and students. This January Stephanie will be teaching a new makeup class for the University of Maryland’s Winter Session. In the summer, she will be returning to the Texas Shakespeare Festival for her seventh season. Go Boilermakers!!

Ryan Shively (MFA Acting ‘96) recently performed (with his wife Kim) in Merchant of Venice for Shakespeare Orange County.

Lauren Sivak (BA Acting ’09) Since graduating from Purdue University and moving to Chicago in 2009, Lauren has had the privilege of working as an actor, teaching artist, video designer, and education associate. In May, 2010, Lauren finished her internship with American Theater Company(ATC). While at ATC, Lauren created study/play guides for Yeast Nation, It’s a Wonderful Life, Distracted, and Welcome to Arroyos. She also piloted two new education programs, Youth Night and ATC’s Cultural Conversations, and served as a teaching artist assistant for the American Mosaic Program at Wells Academy High School. In addition to her work in educational programming, Lauren has performed in works with Collaboraction, ATC, and the Village Players, among others. Lauren is currently the Education Apprentice at Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

Krystle Smith (MFA Light Design ’11) has been hired as a Design Assistant at Visual Terrain, Inc. in Santa Clarita, CA. Visual Terrain is one of the leading lighting services companies in the nation working in the arts, architecture and attractions. You can see more about them at http://www.visualterrain.net.

David Swenson (MFA '04) has been nominated for an award from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievement for sound design for Call of Duty Modern Warfare III (the most successful gaming franchise in history!), published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games. The press release and a few of the main categories:http://www.interactive.org/images/press_release/2012-IAA-Finalists-1-12-12.pdf 

Kristina Tollefson (MFA ’00) is Associate Chair of Theatre and Resident Costume and Makeup Designer at University of Central Florida. She is a member of United Scenic Artists, a Commissioner of the Costume Design and Technology Commission of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and continues her free-lance design career. Kristina and her husband Jason (MFA ’00) live in Orlando, FL. They recently became licensed foster parents for two sisters, ages 3 and 7.

Amber Torline Ochalek (BA '09) After spending several years in Chicago as a Designer and Manager for Crate and Barrel, my husband Andy Ochalek (BA '05) and I relocated to Florida in 2010. I am currently a Ticketing Program Manager at The Walt Disney Company, supporting projects for Disney Parks around the world. Andy and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this summer. 

Gerritt VanderMeer (BA Acting ‘97) has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Kelsey Vanvoorst works at ComedySports and the Indianapolis Children’s Museum while pursuing her BA in Acting.

Emily Waecker (MFA ’09) was costume designer for The Turn of the Screw at First Folio Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Audrey Watson (BA ’05) lives in Chicago and is employed with a Russian ballet shoe company. She first joined the company as a stage makeup artist at their Boutique and later joined their office staff. Among her freelance costume technology jobs, Audrey is a costumer for the M.C. Squared dance company located in Elmhurst, IL.

David White will soon receive his MFA in Playwrighting from Temple University, where he received his MFA in Acting. His new play, Still Life of a Moving Picture, will have a reading at Leaf Theatre in Chicago on April 25th.

Greta Wohlrabe (MFA Acting '10) is doing Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest and The Critic at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI,  until October 1. She’ll return to Milwaukee in spring to play Claudia in Honour at Renaissance Theaterworks, a four-person play by Joanna Murray-Smith.

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