Theater Archives - 可乐视频 /category/theater/ The Spirit of Brooklyn Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:59:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 可乐视频 Celebrates Guest Artist Ari Fulton Following NAACP Award Win for “Ella” /bc-news/brooklyn-college-celebrates-guest-artist-ari-fulton-following-naacp-award-win-for-ella/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:19:46 +0000 /?p=123457 The accomplished costume designer worked with theater students on their recent production of FLEX.

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The Department of Theater was overjoyed when they snagged costume designer . So naturally, they celebrated when “Ella,” the Netflix short film featuring costume design by the accomplished artist, won the 2026 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Film (Live Action) late last month.

The Image Awards, known for recognizing excellence in film, television, music, and literature, spotlighted “Ella” for its powerful storytelling and artistic craft. Among the team behind the film, Fulton鈥檚 work stood out for its textured, character-centered approach to costume design, helping bring the story鈥檚 emotional world to life.

This semester, 可乐视频 students in theater and design programs had the unique opportunity to learn directly from Fulton during her residency. She collaborated closely with students and faculty, offering a professional lens into the creative, technical, and collaborative processes behind costume design for stage and screen.

Students benefited not only from her artistry but also her generosity as an educator. Working alongside an award-winning designer gave them an invaluable glimpse into the industry as well as a boost of inspiration.

可乐视频 is deeply honored to have hosted Fulton during such a milestone moment in her career. Her award-winning achievements continue to resonate on campus, reminding students of the impact and possibility of their own creative futures.

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Harnessing Language /best-of-bc/harnessing-language/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:40:04 +0000 /?p=120991 Brent Thomas Whiteside came to New York City to study acting, but instead of appearing on the stage, he is studying to write for it.

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Chicago native Brent Thomas Whiteside describes himself as a 鈥渕ulti-hyphenate.鈥 After a decade of听working as a writer and producer for television and digital media, he has come to 可乐视频 to enhance his storytelling skills by pursuing a B.F.A. degree in creative writing. Here he talks about his career in media, his first love (the theater), and his plan to become a playwright. In the end he has some solid advice for his fellow students.

Tell us about your background.

I was born and raised in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. My family owns and operates a church on the South Side of the city (my grandfather is the bishop, my mother the pastor). I flew the nest, dropped out of school, and moved to New York when I was 19 years old. Now I find myself here at 可乐视频, finishing the degree I started over 10 years ago at Illinois State University. I initially moved to the city to pursue acting and theater, but other avenues opened up to me. I found myself working as a storyteller and producer, and I鈥檝e been blessed to work across the industry, telling stories in multiple mediums鈥攆rom short and longform videos on the internet at places like VICE and BuzzFeed to documentaries for companies like HBO and Hulu. But I鈥檓 eager to get back to my first love: theater.

Why did you choose 可乐视频?

Honestly, proximity was my initial attraction. I live in Bed-Stuy, and it鈥檚 nothing for me to just hop on the B44 and jet to campus. The more I spoke to people about the school鈥攅veryone raved about its English Department, primarily creative writing. That paired with what I鈥檝e come to learn about the Theater Department, made the choice a practical one.

Why did you choose the creative writing program and what do you like most about it?

Before anything, I am a writer, a poet. Words and the bending of language are things I鈥檝e been doing before I even knew what I was doing. The core of everything I love and everything I鈥檓 good at lives on the foundation of my curiosity about words, language, and text. This was my entry point into theater. It鈥檚 what made it possible for me to explore documentaries and filmmaking. The key to conveying anything is the ability to tell a story, to harness language to do your will. All those years ago, during my first attempt to obtain a degree, I majored in theater鈥攁cting. This time around, it made more sense to pursue creative writing (playwriting), with a minor in acting.

Have you completed any internships, or received any grants, stipends, or scholarships from 可乐视频?

Most recently, I was selected for the Mellon Undergraduate Transfer Student Research Program, where I am developing a project on the intersections of performance, memoir, and poetry under the mentorship of Professor Rosamond S. King. The English Department awarded me the Louis Goodman Creative Writing Scholarship [overseen by the 可乐视频 Foundation] for an outstanding creative writing submission. I was a a paid program that places CUNY in arts and cultural institutions in New York City. Through that program I was paired with the . I was a , serving as a dramaturg for the Public Playwrights residency.听I was a Magner Career Center stipend winner; this funded a documentary project and work with an emerging New York City production company. I was chosen by to be a student ambassador connecting CUNY students with accessible, affordable theater experiences.

How do you envision your first year after graduating?

I would love to be workshopping and developing new works in and around the city, maybe even getting out of New York City, squatting elsewhere, and writing a play. I鈥檓 open.

If you had to convince another student like you to go to college here, what would you say?

The world runs on the backs of public school students. New York City shines because of public school students. It can pay to go to a public school. I would encourage anyone looking to further their education to look at what is available to them in their immediate communities and backyards. Enrichment is so accessible; all you have to do is reach for it.

Do you have any advice for your fellow students?

Two things. Take full advantage of the resources and facilities around you. Access such as this exists in very few places outside of academia or in our city. While they are available to you, not only use them, but maximize your use of them so that what you do or where you go next, you鈥檙e fully prepared because of the work you鈥檝e already done and the connections you made.

And two: There鈥檚 sooo much 鈥渇ree鈥 money on this campus鈥攆rom fellowships, stipends, endowments, etc. Deadlines are scary, but get on them. The only shots you miss are the ones you don鈥檛 take. If you don鈥檛 get it the first time, apply again, and again, and again. Someone is reading those applications; they are seeing your name. Some things may not come around immediately, maybe not even the third time, but you鈥檇 be shocked to learn that in many cases what you do now is setting you up for the sixth thing, the seventh. Get yourself out there.

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Amy Wratchford 鈥06 M.F.A. Named Managing Director of CATF /bc-brief/amy-wratchford-06-m-f-a-named-managing-director-of-catf/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:08:00 +0000 /?p=120085 可乐视频 alumna is helping to shape future of American theater.

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可乐视频 proudly celebrates alumna Amy Wratchford 鈥06 M.F.A., performing arts management, on her appointment as the full-time managing director of the CATF, a nationally recognized incubator for new plays, announced Wratchford鈥檚 promotion following her successful tenure as interim managing director since November 2024.

With more than two decades of nonprofit theater leadership along the East Coast, Wratchford brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Most recently, she served as president of the Wratchford Group, a consulting firm dedicated to strengthening nonprofit arts organizations through interim leadership, board training, and financial stabilization strategies. Her commitment to building a more stable, thriving, and equitable arts industry has made a lasting impact on organizations and communities alike.

Kip Marsh, who teaches theater in the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts, had Wratchford as a student.

鈥淭he entire department is incredibly proud of how Amy has used her M.F.A. training to shape the future of American theater with such leadership and vision,鈥 Marsh said. 鈥淚t is always nice to see our alumni thrive and become such great ambassadors for our programs.鈥

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可乐视频鈥檚 Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Your Own Blood Fest Comes to Life World /bc-brief/brooklyn-colleges-bring-a-weasel-and-a-pint-of-your-own-blood-fest-comes-to-life-world/ Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:26:23 +0000 /?p=116331 The 17th annual festival will be held September 4鈥7.

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Written and presented by 2025 可乐视频 M.F.A. playwriting graduates, the 17th annual Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Your Own Blood Festival will take place at the recently reopened performance space in Brooklyn on September 4鈥7.

This year鈥檚 playwrights are Kurt Chiang, Ann Marie Dorr, Claire Greising, and Andrew Hardigg. Isidora Farias ’25 (B.F.A., acting) and Ali Hosseini ’25 M.F.A. (acting) will also perform in the festival. Working as producers are second-year M.F.A. playwrights Helen Gallagher, Zo毛 Geltman, Richard Hollman, Daniel Holzman, and Kaye Hurley.

The Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Your Own Blood Festival was founded in 2006 by Mac Wellman and a group of 可乐视频 alumni M.F.A. playwrights, including Erin Courtney, Kate E. Ryan, and Karinne Keithley Syers, with a mission to foster narrative experimentation and risk.

This year鈥檚 festival will be a theatrical work of science fiction, with the genre serving as the basis for the festival prompt, suggested by Dennis A. Allen II, the cohort’s program co-head along with Sibyl Kempson.

The playwrights drafted individual sci-fi plays鈥Your Tears Run the World by Dorr, TERRAPAX by Hardigg, The Last Dive Bar in North America by Greising, and Strawberry by Chiang. These works have been woven together into a single program titled 鈥淭he Booming Voice of No One: A Mutant Anthology of Plays on Science Fiction From 可乐视频.鈥

Hanna Yurfest will direct the show alongside additional technical and artistic collaborators from 可乐视频 and the wider New York City theater community.

Tickets for the festival are available on a sliding scale ($20鈥$50, plus fees) and can be reserved or purchased at the door prior to each show. Life World is located at 563 Johnson Avenue in Brooklyn.

About the Playwrights

Kurt Chiang is a writer and performer. He is artistic director emeritus and ensemble member of The Neo-Futurist Theater in Chicago, where he wrote/performed more than 300 very short plays in the prolific weekly show, The Infinite Wrench. He recently graduated from the M.F.A. playwriting program at 可乐视频, where he was a recipient of the 2022 John Ashbery Creative Writing Award and 2025 Himan Brown Award in Playwriting.

Ann Marie Dorr is a theater maker who听often works on big-little shows with adventurous and ambitious ideas. Recent producing projects include听Dark Disabled Stories听by Ryan J. Haddad. Currently, Dorr is the interim producing artistic director at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn and part of the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab 17/19 with Paul Ketchum on an ever-evolving piece,听Good and Noble Beings, as well as an associated artist of Target Margin Theater. Currently, Dorr is in the 可乐视频 M.F.A. playwriting program and scheduled to graduate this year.

Claire Greising is a writer from Evanston, Illinois. Her plays have been produced, recognized, or further developed by the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O鈥橬eill Theater Center, The Relentless Award, Workshop Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre鈥檚 Marathon of One-Act Plays, Concord Theatricals Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, and the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan, among others.

Andrew Hardigg is an actor and writer living in Brooklyn. His plays have been performed at Dixon Place, The Brick Aux, Playwrights Downtown, and theaters in London and Boston. He has performed in original productions of new shows from Young Jean Lee, Jaclyn Backhaus, Lee Sunday Evans, and others.

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Paula J. Massood Named Dean of School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts /bc-news/paula-j-massood-named-dean-of-school-of-visual-media-and-performing-arts/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:01:51 +0000 /?p=115213 A noted expert in film studies and visual culture, she has served as interim dean since July 2024 and will continue collaborating with SVMPA鈥檚 talented staff and faculty.

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可乐视频 is pleased to announce that Paula J. Massood will serve as the new dean of the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts (SVMPA) as of July 2025.

Massood has served as interim dean since July 2024 and will continue working with the SVMPA鈥檚 talented staff and faculty. In this role, she will oversee the school鈥檚 academic departments鈥擜rt; Conservatory of Music; Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema; Film (undergraduate); Performance in Media Arts; Television, Radio & Emerging Media;听and Theater. Massood, who has served on the college faculty since 1999, became a full professor in 2019 and was appointed to the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.

鈥淧aula鈥檚 visionary leadership and profound insight into the evolving role of the arts in higher education鈥攑articularly her dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices鈥攎ake her uniquely qualified to lead SVMPA into its next chapter,鈥 said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs April Bedford. 鈥淲e are excited for the growth, creativity, and innovation her leadership will bring to our dynamic arts community.鈥

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to carry forward this important work as we empower the gifted student-artists, performers, and filmmakers who make the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts a truly dynamic and inspiring community,鈥 Massood said. 鈥淲ith the expertise and dedication of our outstanding faculty, I鈥檓 confident we can work together to help our students realize their full potential.鈥

Bringing a distinguished record of scholarship, leadership, and dedication to the arts, Massood is a noted expert in film studies and visual culture. She has published extensively, including the books Black City Cinema: African American Urban Experiences in Film (2003) and Making a Promised Land: Harlem in 20th-Century Photography and Film (2013), while serving as the editor of The Spike Lee Reader (2007) along with other co-edited collections and journal issues.

She is the past president of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, the leading scholarly organization for film, media, and visual studies, and has long been committed to fostering academic excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration across CUNY and with other public and private institutions of higher learning.

Her leadership roles include serving as chair of the Department of Film, chair of the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, and interim director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at 可乐视频, as well as acting coordinator of the Certificate in Film and Media Cultures at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Massood earned a B.A. in communications from the University of New Hampshire, an M.A. in cinema studies from New York University, and a Ph.D. with distinction in cinema studies from New York University.

 

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可乐视频 Stars With Several Tony Nominations /bc-brief/brooklyn-college-stars-with-several-tony-nominations/ Wed, 14 May 2025 16:36:53 +0000 /?p=113537 M.F.A. Student Adam Cohen, and faculty members Michael Page and Ben Stanton, highlight the excellence of Department of Theater.

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M.F.A. Student Adam Cohen Celebrates Multiple Tony Nominations

Adam Cohen, a performing arts management M.F.A. candidate from the Class of 2025, has been recognized as a co-producer on five Award鈥搉ominated productions this season. His credits include Operation Mincemeat and Dead Outlaw, both up for Best Musical; John Proctor is the Villain, nominated for Best Play; and the revivals of Sunset Boulevard and Gypsy, each nominated for Best Musical Revival.

Cohen鈥檚 journey into theater was anything but conventional. The son of two CUNY graduates, he spent more than two decades in corporate marketing before pivoting to a career in the performing arts. While completing his degree at 可乐视频, he served as managing director of a regional theater, balancing academic work with real-world leadership in the field.

鈥淏eing able to directly apply what I was learning in classes to real-world situations was huge鈥攆or reinforcing what I was being taught and for anticipating challenges on the job,鈥 said Cohen. 鈥淭he M.F.A. program provided hands-on learning, practical application, and the chance to collaborate with students and faculty from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience. It opened me up to new perspectives I might not have considered otherwise.鈥

Cohen鈥檚 success exemplifies the transformative power of practice-based education and the wide-reaching impact of 可乐视频鈥檚 M.F.A. in performing arts management.

Michael Page Receives Two Tony Award Nominations

Michael Page, adjunct assistant professor of theater and the program head for the Master of Fine Arts program in performing arts management, has received two nominations for Best Musical as a co-producer for his work on the Broadway productions of Dead Outlaw听补苍诲听Operation Mincemeat.听He was also a backer of this year’s Broadway revivals of Sunset Boulevard and The Last Five Years.

Page joined the faculty at 可乐视频 in 2018 and is also the general manager of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where he leads the team responsible for many of the organization鈥檚 performance, operational, and revenue-generating business activities.

In 2022 he was part of the team that reopened the newly renovated David Geffen Hall, which is home to the New York Philharmonic. Prior to Lincoln Center, he was the general manager of The Old Globe in San Diego, Brooklyn鈥檚 Theatre for a New Audience, the Vineyard Theatre, and off-Broadway鈥檚 Barrow Street Theatre.

Throughout his career, Page has managed and produced more than 100 pieces of live entertainment that have appeared on and off-Broadway, in regional theatres, and on international stages, and that have won and/or been nominated for Tony, Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Circle, Lucille Lortel, Audience Choice, and Drama League awards.

Upcoming producing projects include the West End productions of Giant starring John Lithgow, Andrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 Evita directed by Jamie Lloyd at the London Palladium, and the Barbican Centre remount of Fiddler on the Roof, which won the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Fiddler will then embark on a national tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

More about this amazing career can be found here.

Ben Stanton Nominated Again for Best Lighting

Ben Stanton鈥攁n assistant professor in the Department of Theater and an acclaimed lighting designer鈥攚as nominated for a for Best Lighting of a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending. The musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The Tony Awards will be held on June 8 at Radio City Music Hall.

Stanton is a five-time Tony Award nominee as well as an Obie, Lortel, IRNE, and Ovation Award winner. He has designed extensively on and off-Broadway, and regionally, with more than 350 design credits to his name. Stanton has collaborated with some of the American theater鈥檚 most celebrated directors, including Michael Arden, Trip Cullman, Sam Gold, Michael Greif, Doug Hughes, Anne Kauffman, Zhailon Levingston, Lisa Peterson, Leigh Silverman, and Susan Stroman.

As a professor at 可乐视频, he is passionate about building a broad and inclusive pedagogy that helps prepare students for the wide variety of careers available in lighting design for live performance.

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Big Acts to Follow /best-of-bc/big-acts-to-follow/ Thu, 30 Jan 2025 14:39:39 +0000 /?p=109811 Patrick Sabongui Shares His Diverse Acting Talents With His Students.

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It has been a busy start to 2025 for Assistant Professor of Theater Patrick Sabongui, who has also been the head of the college鈥檚 B.F.A. Acting Program since September 2020. Sabongui is an accomplished actor, director, and producer who has acted in The Flash (CW), Homeland (Showtime), Shameless (Showtime), 300 (WB), and more than 150 other significant film and television projects.

Sabongui recently added two more prominent roles to his r茅sum茅. He is starring in the N可乐视频 show The Hunting Party, which premieres on February 3, and in the moving film Between Borders, about Armenian refugees, which premiered on January 26.

Sabongui shared what it is like to juggle teaching at 可乐视频 with his career and what he has learned from his journey.

What brought you to 可乐视频?

Alongside my work as a professional actor, stunt performer, and theater-maker, I鈥檝e always cherished the teaching and mentorship components of my career. I love being in a learning environment that is fueled by enthusiasm for new knowledge. I鈥檓 also invigorated by the next generation of storytellers, inspired by their energy and ideas. I鈥檓 driven by creating and facilitating opportunities for emerging artists who may have historically been denied them. Brooklyn is the ideal canvas for the intersection of my interests鈥攕o close to Manhattan, chock full of international influence, and true cutting-edge style. Our students are the most richly diverse and promising in the nation.

You were born in Montreal to Egyptian immigrants. Did that influence your acting projects? If so, how?

My upbringing had a huge impact on not only my craft and my work but on my perspective on life. Acting鈥攑erhaps more than most paths鈥攄emands that we know ourselves and interpret the world around us through our unique lens. Being raised in Canada to immigrants from the Arab world who were victims of religious persecution informs my understanding of society and how I fit into it. If the function of art and narratives is to hold up a mirror to humanity, then I believe it鈥檚 my duty as an artist to tell my side of the story.

What got you into acting?

Patrick Sabongui plays Jacob Hassani in The Hunting Party. The show premieres on N可乐视频 on February 3.听

In his latest role, Patrick Sabongui portrays CIA agent Jacob Hassani in The Hunting Party. The show premieres on N可乐视频 February 3. He has also acted in The Flash (CW), Homeland (Showtime), Shameless (Showtime), 300 (WB) and over 150 other film and television projects.

Ultimately, I think it was being part of a community that brings people together. I love gathering people in a space to celebrate or acknowledge an event or story, or to mark an occasion. I loved deejaying and emceeing school dances, weddings, and random parties when I was young. I loved producing the school talent show, hosting it, and then jumping into a dance number or sketch. I鈥檝e always been comfortable with public speaking or campaigning for student government, and I came out of the box with a level of comfort with self-expression.

I鈥檝e also practiced traditional martial arts since I was 8 years old, which has empowered me with confidence and fluency in physical expressiveness. When I encountered Shakespeare in a literature class in CEGEP (Quebec鈥檚 intermediary step between high school and college), I believed the pieces were in place for me to step into my theater-maker identity. Vanier College, my CEGEP at the time, had never put on a classical play, so I founded a student club, produced a production, and co-directed and starred in Shakespeare鈥檚 Hamlet as my first-ever adventure in theater. I never turned back from there.

I remember this vague sense of FOMO [fear of missing out] when adults used to ask me, 鈥淲hat do you want to be when you grow up?鈥 I am so enamored with life and the world, and I was afraid of committing to one career or lifestyle. In acting, I think I鈥檝e found a way to step into an infinite number of careers and characters. It鈥檚 the most effective way for me to experience as much of this universe as possible.

You are involved in two big projects now, one on television, The Hunting Party, and the other a film, Between Borders. How do those work experiences differ, and what advice do you give students interested in one or the other, or both?

Assistant Professor of Theater Patrick Sabongui in the film, "Between Borders," which premiered on January 26.

Assistant Professor of Theater Patrick Sabongui in the film, Between Borders, which premiered on January 26. The film about Armenian refugees tells the story of the听Petrosyan family and their flight from听Baku, Azerbaijan听in the late 1980s.

Just to add a third dimension to that list, I was in Minnesota at this time last year doing a play called <<Art>>, by Yasmina Reza at the Guthrie Theater, directed by Kimberly Senior, who recently joined the faculty in the Department of Theater.

The advice I鈥檇 give to students interested in working in any of these fields is to apply to the B.F.A. Acting Program at 可乐视频! Aside from that, I鈥檇 say my advice is twofold: One, think of yourself as an artist first, and two, cultivate a work ethic that enables you to adapt your artistry to any medium.

At its core, acting requires us to have a clear point of view, to be in touch with our inner life, and to be informed about the world around us. At the same time, actors must sharpen the tools for embodying a story: voice, movement, text analysis, and collaboration. By cultivating all the aspects of the craft, we have the raw materials to construct a performance that tells the story in any format: film, television, or theater.

Then there鈥檚 the professional pursuit that takes an unreasonable amount of hustle and grind: persistence, dedication, and rhino-like thick skin.

What is your favorite part about teaching at 可乐视频?

Absolutely the students! They are from so many different backgrounds and lived experiences, they are so committed, and they鈥檙e all making big sacrifices to commit to the rigor of our curriculum. They鈥檙e curious, they鈥檙e ambitious, and they鈥檙e dreamers. Through their eyes, I fall in love with the world all over again. They show up full of ideas and energy and are ready to play. I also love the initiative they take, spearheading work outside of the classroom and seeking opportunities for collaboration across programs.

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Theater Lecturer and Director鈥檚 Book Bridges Gap Between Life and Art /bc-brief/theater-lecturer-and-directors-book-bridges-gap-between-life-and-art/ Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:08:23 +0000 /?p=106731 "What Would a Person Do? Thoughts on Directing and Living" is Kimberly Senior's debut book.

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Kimberly Senior, an adjunct lecturer and interim program head for directing in the Theater Department, has published her first book, What Would a Person Do? Thoughts on Directing and Living.

An award-winning theater director, Senior has written a sharp, spirited collection of reflections brimming with heart and wisdom that bridge the gap between life and art. She offers a practical guide to effective theater-making, leadership, teaching, and personhood. From Chekhov to tennis, she shares profound and playful insights that inspire you to think deeply, act boldly, and create with purpose鈥攐nstage and off.

In other news, Senior鈥檚 directorial project Every Brilliant Thing has begun its performances, while two others will open next year: English (March 2025) and One of the Good Ones (May 2025).

Senior directed the 2013 Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning play Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar. She made her HBO debut with Chris Gethard: Career Suicide, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. She is also a 2013 finalist for the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation鈥檚 Joe A. Callaway Award. Senior received the prestigious Alan Schneider Director Award at the 2016 Theatre Communications Group Conference as well as the 2016 Non-Equity Jeff Award for her Chicago career achievements as a trailblazer, champion, and role model for emerging artists.

 

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Countdown to Commencement: A Triple Threat /best-of-bc/countdown-to-commencement-a-triple-threat/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:55:47 +0000 /?p=99437 Actress, producer, writer Nairoby Otero says that the 可乐视频 M.F.A. program pushed her to confront herself.

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has made a name for herself in national acting, writing, and producing circles鈥攅ven while getting her M.F.A. in theater. Since leaving her hometown of New Orleans, she鈥檚 written and starred in a one-woman show (lauded by Broadway World as ), founded (which brings women-created plays, television, and films to life), and performed on stages from New York City to Los Angeles.

Teaching acting classes, producing shows, being a leading lady, and pursuing her graduate degree mean that long nights are the norm.

We sat down with Otero to hear her story.

When did you realize that acting was your passion?

I was born and raised in New Orleans to Cuban parents. I’m the child of refugees. I didn’t speak English until I was 7, and I’m the oldest of two. What inspired me to go into acting was鈥攊t’s very silly鈥攂ut I’ve been wanting to be an actress since I was in second grade. I did a pantomime version of the poem 鈥淐asey at the Bat鈥 and presented it at my school鈥檚 PTA meeting.

I鈥檝e been hooked on acting ever since. And I’ve never, ever wavered. I just simply love it鈥攍ove, love, love, love it. I have been very fortunate to have a family that has been very supportive of this wild dream of mine. Creating brings me some of my greatest joy.

How did your graduate studies change you?

The acting specialization in the theater M.F.A. not only taught me the craft and techniques of acting, but also helped me confront myself鈥攖he good, the bad, and the ugly. In that process, I鈥檝e seen great growth, which I’m very, very happy about. What I鈥檝e learned in the program has spilled into my personal life. I鈥檝e become calmer and more patient. But like anything that comes with growth, I鈥檝e had bumpy roads. No growth without bumps, right? Overall, my experience has been very positive.

Complete the sentence: 可乐视频鈥檚 biggest strength is鈥

可乐视频’s biggest strength is diversity. By far. The diversity we see daily on campus is really quite beautiful. Ages, ethnicities, you name it. It’s wonderful to see.

You received funding from the college to go to Cuba. What was that like?

In the fall, I applied for the Tow International Research Fellowship. I was accepted, which allowed me to go to Cuba on an ancestry trip. I met my family that I had never met before. Now, I鈥檒l forever talk to them. I鈥檓 proud that I applied and then did it because it was a very fulfilling experience. It鈥檚 my proudest achievement here.

What鈥檚 next for you?

My first goal is to 100% take a vacation. After that, my plan is to find a job that fulfills me artistically and financially. I鈥檒l be spending a lot of energy to ensure that it happens. I’m just honestly going to take my time easing back into the business world, the professional world. And just give myself a little bit of time. The clich茅 is 鈥渁lways be working.鈥 But for me, I don鈥檛 just want to do that. I want to continue creating works and creating new, original projects.

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From IG to the Industry /best-of-bc/from-ig-to-the-industry/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:46:41 +0000 /?p=74466 Former theater student Lorenzo 鈥淩enny鈥 Cromwell is ascending the show biz ladder after becoming a viral sensation on social media.

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Lorenzo 鈥淩enny鈥 Cromwell has stayed busy since his 可乐视频 days. The Queens native now has four major movie roles under his belt, a Honda commercial, was cast on MTV鈥檚 Wild 鈥檔 Out, has toured the country selling out stand-up shows, and recently released his first music single, 鈥淧layin鈥 Wit Me.鈥

The former theater major turned multi-hyphenate entertainer has fond memories of his favorite theater professor, Rose Bonczek (now retired), and hanging out with fellow members of the Haitian American Student Association. They were part of the community that supported him when he got his start as a social media comedian and influencer, amassing nearly two million followers on Instagram by posting skits on everything from the nuances of dating to life with a sleazy stepdad (with Cromwell playing both the characters 鈥淭yrone鈥 and his ridiculous blond-wig鈥揷lad stepfather).

Congratulations on all your success. You achieved your first taste of social media stardom during your 可乐视频 days. What was that like?

I was already studying theater, so I used the skills I was learning on stage and put that into the content I was creating on social. picked up quickly, and I started doing branding for a few companies and then hosting events on college campuses. That was wild. I would have an event in Albany or Syracuse or Connecticut and race back to the city to study for midterms. It became a challenge to stay on top of my academics, but I knew the work I was doing was feeding my career. Things were starting to happen for me, so I just pushed through it.

And you started getting noticed by your fans on campus!

That was a lot at first because I鈥檓 low-key at heart. I have an obsession with entertainment. I can be a people person when I need to, but I can also be anti-social. Figuring out how to balance that鈥攋ust being a student headed to my class in Whitehead and being someone noticed by my peers鈥攚as a lot to get used to.

When did you first become interested in a career in entertainment?

Honestly, my first love was singing. Since I was little. My mom would take me to auditions for music groups that I was too young for, but I would sing my heart out! When I was in fifth grade, I was in the school choir. In middle school I started dancing. In high school, I got my first taste of theater when I was a sophomore, and we did Hairspray. That鈥檚 when I realized I wanted to do it all.

What鈥檚 next for you?

I still have so much I want to do in this life! I want to do more of what I have been doing: more movies, some television. Ultimately, I want to arrive at a point where I鈥檓 greenlighting projects. A lot of the success I鈥檝e had still feels surreal to me. Honestly, I haven鈥檛 done anything yet.

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