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Alumni News


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We'd love to hear from you and what you've been up to after life at Purdue. To send us your news, go to the "Keep In Touch" tab on the left and fill out the form.


Alums

Oge Agulué (BA Acting '11) is currently performing on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Lyric Theatre. @iamoge

Mercer Aplin (MFA Audio Technology '14) has accepted a consulting position at Threshold Acoustics in Chicago, where Sound Design MFA '08 Rob James is also employed.

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) Kathryn has had the pleasure of acting, teaching, directing and producing throughout Indiana, Los Angeles, Seattle, Kansas City, and for the past 6 years, Chicago. After Purdue, she earned her MFA in Acting & Directing from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Kathryn served as an Artistic Producer with Ka-Tet Theatre through 2013. Currently she is the Acting Coach for Davin Youngs Voice, Co-Artistic Director of Linchpin Theatre, and was recently made Company Manager of Oracle Theatre, where she is a Company Member.

Tommy Beardmore (BA '08) After graduating from the Film and Theatre dept. in 2008, Tommy moved to Chicago and continued his education at The Second City Conservatory, iO Theatre, and Chicago's Artistic Home. He recently appeared in this past season of Showtime's Shameless, NBC's The Playboy Club and over 30 commercials to date. Currently, his feature films can be seen in international film festivals and world-wide distribution outlets including Amazon, Netflix, and Redbox. Tommy has toured everywhere from New Ulm, MN. to New York City performing for thousands with iO's Fiction for the Poor, The Frat Boys of Comedy Stand Up Tour, and The Fine Print Theatre Co. where he is an associate artist. Tommy is also co-founder of Backyard Adventure Club Productions creating short-form comedic web videos. He is a member of SAG/AFTRA and represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. More info at www.TommyBeardmore.com.

Scott Billik (BA '14 Theatre) is working on his MFA in Technical Production at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He has recently spent his summers working for Tait Towers working on such projects as Disney's River of Lights, Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour, New York City's Culture Shed, and Snapchat Visible Spirit.

Ian Boze (BS Interdisciplinary Engineering '12) has taken a position as the rigging supervisor at the University of Florida’s Phillips Center for the Performing Arts after a summer working for SeaWorld. Send him a message of congratulations (ianmboze@gmail.com) when you have a moment!

Arlene Bozich (BA Acting '14) has completed two years of her MFA in Acting at the University of Connecticut and will graduate in May of 2017. She is almost done with her second summer at the Monomoy Theatre in Cape Cod with roles such as Dolly from One Man, Two Guvnors, Louka in Arms and the Man, Caliban in The Tempest along with other roles. Arlene begins her third year of grad school as Goneril in King Lear. For more recent news, follow her blog at www.arlene-bozich.com 

Gerilyn Brault (MFA Acting '16) Since the day after graduation, I've been working consistently in theatre in professional productions around San Diego, including performing as Mrs. Claus at Sea World during their holiday season. Apart from performing, I am an adjunct theatre faculty member at MiraCosta College, and a guest artist faculty member at the Meisner/Chekov Integrated Training Studio.  I'm also a member a school tour which travels all over Southern California introducing children to Shakespeare plays. Additionally, I provide ADA voiceover narration for various webinars for WestEd.

Lauren Briggeman (BA Acting ‘07) played Desdemona in the Heartland Actors Repertory production of Othello.

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) joined the theatre faculty at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 2011. He was recently named head of the new Brockett Center at UT.  

Andrew Cassano (BA ‘98), was appointed in February 2020 to the position of Vice President of Programming and Education at Omaha Performing Arts, the largest arts organization in Nebraska which programs the Orpheum Theater, Holland Performing Arts Center and other venues in Omaha. Andy oversees programming, scheduling and booking of more than 400 annual events, as well as statewide education and engagement initiatives and national programs with the Broadway League, Disney Musicals, Wolf Trap, Carnegie Hall and others. Prior to working at O-pa, he held positions as Administrative and Artistic Director of Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, Vice President of Artistic Operations and Education for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and both production and stage management positions for several theaters and concert venues. He has guest lectured in Arts Administration for the Yale School of Drama, Eastman School of Music and the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois and served as a featured panelist for several arts presenting organizations. Andy has an MFA in Stage Management from the Yale School of Drama.

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!

John Clauss (BA '10) is a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

Sean Cole (BA Design and Production '12) has been working since February 2013 as a service technician for Associated Controls + Design in Indianapolis. The company installs and maintains the lighting, dimming, rigging for theaters all over Indiana and the surrounding states. 

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.

Tom Cronin ('93) After receiving an imaginary minor in technical theatre design from Purdue, Tom has gone on to design lights for about 40 productions and continues to design at a number of local community theatres west of Portland Oregon. Most recently was Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Theater in the Grove in Forest Grove, OR.

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

Annelise Dickinson (BA '06) Since earning her MFA in Acting at the University of Wisconsin last year, Annelise has been working as a professional actor, director, acting teacher, and voice/dialect coach in Madison, WI. She has served for the past few summers on the acting faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp, a world-renowned center for the arts in Northern Michigan. In the past year, she has been seen in The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan (Parallel 45), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Interlochen Shakespeare Festival), A Christmas Carol (Children’s Theatre of Madison) and 9 Circles (Madison Studio Productions), and has worked with Forward Theater Company on 44 Plays for 44 Presidents (Asst. Dir), Soul Food Monologue Festival (Director), and Good People (dialect coach). This spring, Annelise directed and co-produced Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries for Theatre in All the Wrong Places, an ongoing project she co-founded with fellow UW-Madison MFAs that explores small-scale professional theatre in non-traditional spaces. 

Nick Downham (BA Theatre '10) currently lives in New Jersey and works for 4Wall Entertainment Lighting, New York. He also does freelance lighting for various theatres in the area.

Brian Edgecomb (MFA Acting '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.

Amber Faulhaber (BA '13) is working at the McCarter Theatre Company in Princeton, New Jersey as a staff electrician.

Since leaving Purdue Bobbie Sue Ferrell-Brey (BA Acting '11) got married and is now Bobbie Sue Kvachkoff. Bobbie opened her own children's theatre company called "BreyK-off and Play Theatre Company" (breykoffandplaytheatre.com) in Crown Point, Indiana where she teaches theatre classes year round and directs children and young adult plays. BreyK-off and Play was started in fall of 2011 in a loft and has grown and expanded so much that they teamed up with the High School Theatre Program to form a group called Crown Point Young Actor's Studio and now hold classes and produce and direct plays in their experimental space. She is also the Theatre Director for Wheeler Middle School in Crown Point and is the in-house Acting Coach and Makeup Artist for Crown Point High School.

Tiffany Fier (MFA Scenic Design '07) is not only charge scenic artist at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WI, but also an assistant professor of theatre at North Dakota State University, in Fargo, ND. She has been there for a few years now. Her web site is www.tiffanyfier.com.

Amanda Folena (MFA Acting ‘07) resigned from her artistic director position with Broadway by the Bay when financial problems were disclosed. She was then rehired as artistic director of the theatre when it was brought under the auspices of The Fox Theatre. She continues to teach and choreograph throughout the Bay Area.

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.

Greg Freeman (MFA Lighting '15) recently started as the Lighting Director at Columbia College - The Dance Center. He also continues to freelance design in and around Chicago. 

Eileen Garcia (MFA Scenic Design '02) Currently Assistant Propterties Director at the Santa Fe Opera and the Denver Center Theatre Company.

Matthew David Gellin (MFA Acting '10) is a member of the cast of Hot'N' Throbbing with Interrobang Theatre Project in Chicago. The production, which runs until Oct 21, 2012, has received excellent reviews.

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 DaysPinocchio, 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) I'm super excited and honored to be making my directorial debut on a heartwarming new play about family and strength. It's called, grow a pair of... wingswritten by Amelia Phillips.  It will be presented at the Lounge Theater April 17th- May 10th, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA. It's about a young woman's journey to face her fears and embrace her Jewish roots. When her grandfather tragically dies at Passover dinner he comes back to 'haunt' her in his whimsical way. It's a real tear-jerker, most of us were crying at the first read-thru! 

Kyle Hagemeir (BA Design and Production '14) Upon graduation in May Kyle took a position as staff designer with Mary Howard Studio in NYC. In July he was promoted to Lead Designer.

Andrew Hanson (BA Sound for the Performing Arts '14) works at 2K Games as an audio/stage technician for the motion capture studio, monitoring audio related things during production shoots as well as being part of the production stage team.

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.

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.

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

Rob Hinds (MFA Acting '10) is moving to New York! Until recently he lived and worked in Seattle, WA.  He has performed with Seattle Shakes and Book-it Rep, among other companies. He has led acting workshops for StageRight and has done private coaching as well. He is currently preparing for a theatrical adaptation of Michael Chabon's novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay mid-2014 and putting together a production of his own following that.

Chris Holland (MFA Lighting Design '08) After 7 years in DC, a short stint in NJ, and 2 years in Baltimore, Chris has finally moved to NYC. He is a theatre consultant for CharcoalBlue www.charcoalblue.com. His website is www.hollandlighting.com.

Shavonne Holton (BA Acting ‘06) has led a theatre camp for three summers and produced the Broadway Junior versions of AnnieHonk, 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) Currently working for Bright Star Touring Theatre traveling around the Eastern United States and doing their original shows Upcycled Cinderella, American Giants of Science, and Reluctant Dragon. Returned to Chillicothe, OH this past summer to do Tecumseh! and The Tempest. This fall will be doing my fifth tour with The National Theatre for Children.

Rob James (MFA '08) is working at Threshold Acoustics in Chicago.

Nick Jones (BA '99) I started a non-profit theatre company in Chicago that is currently on hiatus called Smoke and Mirror Productions. In addition to directing, producing and acting he has started composing for a couple of short films and continues to write music and plays.

Justin Karr is a resident actor/teacher with The California Theatre Center, recently playing lead roles in A Thousand Clowns and Dial M for Murder.

Ka-tet Theatre presented Salt of the Earth. Purdue Theatre alums Katy Bartholomew, Kevin Lambert, Stevie Chaddock, Suzanne Miller and Dan Meisner acted, and Rachel Lambert designed the costumes.

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 '11) was an Imagineer on the show lighting team that opened Shanghai Disneyland. Then worked on both the Storybook Castle lighting and Tomorrowland Attractions such as Tron. He is currently the Lighting Crew Chief for Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, Disney Movie Magic, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam, and Sunset Season's Greetings at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

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.

Liz Krane (MFA Acting '13) has been cast in Confederates in the Attic, opening at City Lit Theatre in Chicago in April.

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

Dave Levine (MFA Acting '04) moved to Los Angeles after graduating. He recently played Detective Ryan Mallory in the award-winning indie horror hit Absentia, which you can find streaming on Netflix. Also, you can see him on the internet as Stew in Space Guys in Space. In addition, he has been in numerous commercials since graduating from Purdue. He also appeared on the TV show Charmed. Dave lives in LA with his wife, Stella, and his twin children, Max and Lucy.

Teresa Ludvigsen (BA'12) is a class coordinator and educator for a performing arts school, International Talent Academy, where she writes and directs her own plays for kids of all ages to perform!

Amanda Rambo Mansfield (BA '86) has performed professionally in Roanoke, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and with the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville as a member of its Apprentice Company. Amanda served as a performing artist and Development Director at Theatre Cedar Rapids, is a founding member of Classics at Brucemore and is the founding director of Children’s Theatre at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since 2005, she has served the Roanoke, Virginia region in leadership positions in arts and non-profit management and development, youth program development and instruction, and as an engaged and dedicated professional actress. Amanda currently serves as the Philanthropy Director of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation, Inc.

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. In 2016 he reprised this role in the film version. Stephen received an honorary doctorate and gave the commencement address at Juilliard in May 2017.

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 PlacesEurydiceClass 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.

Evan Middlesworth (BA '03) Became part of the audio team for The National in time for their world tour to support their new album Sleep Well Beast. His first official gig with the band will be the Glastonbury Festival.

Patrick Midgley (MFA Acting '07) has appeared in 40 roles in more than 20 productions with The American Shakespeare Center (ASC). He is currently in rehearsal for his second National Tour with The ASC and Equity Showcase performances in NYC with The New York Shakespeare Exchange.

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.

Derek Miller (MFA Scenic Design '14) "In mid-October, I opened an off- off-Broadway production of Back: A Tragedy Party at The Cell Theater in Chelsea. (http://www.poetictheater.com/content/back)  It was a World Premiere and I did the lighting design.  Crazy show, but it was a lot of fun.  Pics: http://www.derekmillerdesign.com/back/ In early November, I opened a production of As You Like It at the Ophelia Theatre (a converted room in a Boys and Girls Club) in Astoria. (http://opheliatheatre.com/?page_id=1030) I did the scenic design which meant that I got to make fun tree sculptures from palettes.  Pics: http://www.derekmillerdesign.com/as-you-like-it/ I am also finishing up the design for a production of Festen which will open at The Connelly Theater at the end of January.  It is the Terminal Project for a Columbia MFA director.  It’s going to be awesome! And to pay rent, I have been working as an electrician/board op at the BAM Fisher for their Next Wave Festival.  It has been a lot of fun and I have seen some incredible work."

Suzanne Miller (BA Acting '05) Suzanne is the Annual Fund Manager for Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. She began at Steppenwolf in 2007 as a member of the Audience Outreach Team, engaging with patrons through individual post-show conversations, selling subscriptions and soliciting gifts for the Annual Fund. In 2008 she served as Steppenwolf’s Development Apprentice, and then took on the role of Donor Services Coordinator, overseeing all contribution entry and acknowledgment along with revenue reporting for the Development department. As Annual Fund Manager, Suzanne oversees campaigns in direct mail, online, subscription gifts and telefund that annually raise $590K. Additionally Suzanne was a co-founder of Ka-Tet Theatre, which produced eight full productions between 2009 and 2013.

Caley Milliken (MFA Acting ‘07) can be seen in Clybourne Park through February 16, 2014 at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

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.

Andrea Morales (BA Acting '09) received an MFA in Acting from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has become known as the "screaming star" of the publicity trailer for the new release of the movie Carrie.

Shelby Newport (MFA ’09) Since leaving Purdue, I've been teaching at the University of Michigan-Flint. I am now the Chair of the Theatre & Dance department and designing costumes professionally around Michigan and the US. I am a resident artist at Purple Rose Theatre Company (Chelsea, MI) and work closely with Flint Youth Theatre and Tipping Point Theatre (Northville, MI). My design work has also been seen in London, England and Margate, England. www.shelbynewport.com

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!

Nick Papamihalakis (BA Acting '11) is a first-year MFA Acting/Directing student at UMKC, and excited to begin work on King Lear, The Discovery Project for his MFA acting class.

Kagiso Paynter (BA Acting '08) Graduated from the University of California, Irvine, June 2011 with an MFA in Theatre. She has appeared in an episode of Criminal Minds and in the iPad Mini promotional video and most recently for Boost Mobile's Android phone. See it here.

Andy Perkins (MFA Acting '13) just finished teaching a workshop he developed called Creative Spontaneity for Actors. He is currentlly cast in the role of Clown Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in Kansas City. After the show closes he will teach a two-week camp affiliated with the festival. Then it is off to Argentina and Chile with Art Spot, to do shows for school children to help them improve their English language skills. 

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.

Todd Quick (MFA Acting '16) After a year on the acting faculty at IPFW in Fort Wayne, I am moving to Idaho to join the faculty at the University of Idaho Department of Theatre (along with another Purdue alum, Jesse Dreikosen). In the summers, I am a member of the acting faculty at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. 

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.

Matthew Schmidli (MFA Acting '13) and Kelly (Wyckoff) Schmidli (BA Theatre '12) are currently working on our second straight season at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Later this summer, in Kansas City, Kelly and Matthew are both working with Playwright Frank Higgins on a show for the Kansas City Fringe Festival. Then Matthew has been cast in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead for the Kansas City Actors Theatre.He also will be teaching classes for students at the Coterie Theatre and will return next season as an actor for their Dramatic Health Education Project. In the fall while still working on Hamlet and R & G are Dead, he will be working as Fight Choreographer for Midsummer, and as British Dialect Coach for Experiment with an Air Pump in successive productions at Johnson CC College. He will be an adjunct faculy in Acting there next Spring. Kelly is having success at UMKC as a stage manager. Next year she will be working at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre on Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Unicorn Theatre on a new play, and has received a professional ASM position and Union contract with the KC Lyric Opera for next spring.

Justin Seward (MA '04) After 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, North Shore Music Theatre, and American Repertory Theatre. Since 2007, he has worked full time as Asst. Props Master for the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award recipient.  Justin also freelances for Antiques Roadshow (Asst. Set Decorator,) The Boston Pops, Tanglewood, and Boston Magazine. Justin has produced props for Broadway and off-Broadway productions of The 39 Steps, Streamers, Porgy and Bess, Sons of the Prophet, All the Way, and Finding Neverland. Justin is a proud member of the Society of Properties Artisan Managers. http://propsjustin54.wixsite.com/propsportfolio

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.

Matt Shives (BA Design & Production '09) Since graduating from Purdue University, Matt has worked with Dance Kaleidoscope, Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, Phoenix Theatre, Summer Stock Stage and 31 productions with the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Matt was a production team member for the 74th and 75th Annual Tony Awards, The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back, The Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show featuring Jennifer Lopez & Shakira, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS, and NFL events featuring Madonna, Meghan Trainor, Demi Lovato, Yolanda Adams, and Meek Mill. Talent logistics credits include the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend and 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.  For TV, he has worked on The Voice, Encore!, Dear…, Tough as Nails, among others. Matt has been an AEA Stage Manager since 2022.

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 LifeDistracted, 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. After serving as the Education Apprentice at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, she recently became Managing Director for Walkabout Theater 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.

Maria Souza (BA Acting '08) will attend graduate school for acting at The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in NYC. 

Donald Stikeleather (BA Theatre '85) danced his way from Purdue across the country in modern dance and performance art after doing an MFA at University of Illinois. He also taught dance and theatre at five universities along the way. He received a best supporting actor award as Tilden for a 2000 production of Buried Child for South Bend Civic Theatre, went to seminary, and is now a chaplain at Indiana University Health. He just received an Indy theatre Encore award for lighting First Folio's Hamlet. He married his hospital sweetheart and his son Sutton was born this year. 

Audra Stillabower (BA Acting '05) worked at Busch Gardens in Florida for their Howl-O-Scream for one season before moving to Charlotte, NC. She was an extra in three episodes of the first season of Homeland on Showtime. Audra has also been on TV on the Government Channel doing an informative segment on rabbits and rabbit care.

Patrick Stuart (BA '97) is currently COO of Bureau of Engraving, Inc. and president of Art Instruction Schools, a division of the Bureau of Engraving, Inc. He has also been a stand up comedian for last 3 years. Prior to his current position he was a Sales and Technical Analyst for Xerox Corporation.

David Swenson (MFA '04) recently finished the sound for Call of Duty WWII. He is featured toward the end of this this behind-the-scenes trailer on making the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlYUJUrC8nY

LaRonika Thomas (MA '03) is a doctoral student in the Theatre and Performance Studies Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. She also serves as the Vice President for Regional Activity for Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA). A freelance dramaturg, producer and writer, LaRonika has worked in various capacities with the Goodman Theatre, the Public Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Playwright’s Center, Neo-Futurists, and Writers’ Theatre, among others. She has presented papers and chaired panels at several LMDA conferences and at ATHE, where she was recently elected as a graduate student rep. for the Dramaturgy Focus Group.

Phil Timberlake (BA Acting '89) recently appeared as the Angel Islington in Lifeline's production of Neverwhere. Phil has received a Jeff Award and been nominated for 3 Jeff Awards. Previous Lifeline performances include Busman's Honeymoon (Non-Equity Jeff Nomination: Best Supporting Actor-Play), The Island of Dr. Moreau (Non-Equity Jeff Award: Best Production), Queen Lucia (Non-Equity Jeff Nomination: Best Supporting Actor-Musical) and The Two Towers. He also coached dialects for Treasure Island, Strong Poison, Gaudy Night, Talking It Over, and A Room With a View. Other Chicago acting credits include First Folio Shakespeare (The Tempest), Apple Tree (Violet), Powertap (The Beaux’ Stratagem), ShawChicago (Misalliance), City Lit (Playboy Stories), and Shakespeare’s Motley Crew (Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear). Phil has also coached dialects at The Goodman (Gas For Less), Stage Left (Fellow Travelers), Signal Ensemble (Closer, She Stoops to Conquer), New World Repertory (A Streetcar Named Desire), and numerous productions at First Folio Theatre where he was the resident voice and dialect coach for several years. He is an Associate Professor of Voice and Speech at the Theatre School, DePaul University.

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 are proud to announce the arrival of Avalon Skye, born November 7, 2016. 

Kristin Tripp Kelley won an Arty Award (Buffalo’s version of The Tony Award) as Best Featured Actress.

Ethan Vail (BA Theatre '13) Was master electrician at Capital Repertory Theatre until the end of May, when he returned to The Millbrook Playhouse for a fourth season. He was lighting designer for Mary Poppins and My Vaudeville Man. Up next he will be working as a quarter-time technical director and instructor of theatre at Lock Haven University.  http://www.ethanvaillighting.com/ 

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.

Matt Webb (BA Acting '11) acted in (After the Quake) in Chicago and he writes, "I really haven't had any slump time between shows. After After the Quake, I have had no more than two weeks before the next rehearsal process. Next came Wrong Mountain with Rare Terra Theatre(has since folded as a theatre company), then the arduous process of Dream of the Burning Boy at Profiles. I seem to keep finding myself in devised works with Halcon Theatre (with whom I performed From Every Mountainside / or Does It Explode? and been a part of their event The Ceyx Series) and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (The Wasteland & Unraveling Veterans). Right now I am in my second show (first being Men Exposed) at Redtwist Theatre, performing in their late night show of Before Death Do Us Part by their resident playwright Scott Woldman. Of course, acting and dancing still doesn't quite pay the bills, so I do have a day job. I did manage to shake the serving jobs and am now scheduling nurses and doctors for at home visits at Alegis Care. It's has regular 9-5 hours and benefits...."

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) will be performing in two shows with the Santa Cruz Shakespeare this summer, as Celia in As You Like It, and Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsorhttp://www.gretawohlrabe.com/