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| Alumni News Sarah Baranoff ('03). After graduating from Wooster, Sarah earned a Master of Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sarah teaches high school English, and this school year she will be taking over the theater program as well. Sarah says she is looking forward to passing her love of theater on to her students. James Beaudry ('01). James writes, "This fall, I served as choregrapher for the Great Lakes Colleges Assoc./City University of New York 50th anniversary production of West Side Story. I am currently in rehearsals for the new Off-Broadway musical Mark Twain's Blues. I'm excited to be joining SSDC, so I can have a pension someday. Inspired by my two years on the reading committee for the New York Musical Theatre Festival, I have co-founded a new company here in NYC, Launch Pad Theatre. The company is dedicated to the workshopping and development of new musical theatre pieces." Their first project was produced in April. www.jamesbeaudry.com Jonathan Becker ('86), Muncie, IN Erynn Bell ('97), Anchorage, AK, worked as Education Director
for 4 years at Alaska Junior Theatre. Now is Education and Event
Director for the largest presenting organization in Alaska, bringing
about 20 shows a year to Anchorage. Erynn is in charge of all Education
and Outreach activities and all artist logistics. Jennifer Boring
('02), Columbus, OH Laura Clarke ('04), Columbus, OH is working in the costume shop at Ballet Met in Columbus this season. Laura says if you're ever in Columbus, look me up! And if any undergrads want to come by, the theatre department will give you my email address. Paul D'Addario ('92), Chicago, IL. Paul is a member of The Gift Theatre in Chicago.
The critically acclaimed and award winning theatre is begining its third
season in its home in the working class neighborhood of Jefferson
Park. David de Roos ('85), Redding Ridge, CT. This past year David's highlights have included work on Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Law & Order Criminal Intent, and The Sopranos. Re-enactments for Court TV - The Maury Povich Show and others. He is a member of SAG and AFTRA, and is having a blast. Several movies, the most recent including THE HOAX, ENCHANTED, INDIANA JONES IV, OLD DOGS, and SEX AND THE CITY. Jessica DeFrange Linkous ('02), Kent, OH and her husband Greg
bought a house in July 2007. They are living near Jessica's parents and
they love it! Scott Dixon ('92), Lanesboro, MN. 2008 will mark Scott's sixth
season as part of the resident company with Commonweal Theatre in
Lanesvoroa, MN. Commonweal has developed an internation reputation for
its commitment to producing the works of Henrik Ibsen as the conrestone
of their season, and a growing reputation for producing new works
including wold premiers by Tory Stewart and Melanie Marnich. Jessica Howard ('99), Wilmington, DE has been working as a
sales rep for a photography company called Bella Pictures and as a
recruiting manager for a home care company on the east coast. Jessica
still teaches acting to kids 6-12 and acts in semi-professional
productions in the Philadelphia area. Currently Jessica is in a
production of Boys Gets Girl. Adam Howarth ('00), Slatersville, RI just started a position
of System Designer for professional speaker manufacturer EAW (Eastern
Acoustic Works). Adam designs sound systems for institutions, theaters,
houses of worship, contractors, and consultants using EAW products in
addition offering a wide range of specialized technical services to EAW
customers worldwide. Clients have included the Kennedy Center,
Metropolitan Opera, Radio City Music Hall, Disneyland, Dodger Stadium,
Yankee stadium, Fenway Pard, almost every major Vegas casino and
theater, and the list goes on. Their products and solutions can be found
on most Broadway and touring productions. Whitney Huss ('05) Whitney writes "I am loving Boston! Grad school at Boston University is intense but I feel prepared in terms of the writing expectations. I am studying International Development at BU in the School of Education. Everyone asks...what is that!? It's very broad but basically, it is helping developing countries in terms of restructuring economic infrastructure, improving education, alleviating poverty." "I have not chosen my focus yet but I am thinking about nonformal education or specifically...Theatre for Development. Applied Theatre is a huge trend right now in the development world. Yes for doing my I.S. on Brecht, the grandfather of Theatre for Development! I am negotiating an internship possibly in Niger for the summer, where I would work with a group that uses Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed techniques (as well as a few others). Would get to use my French skills too (I taught English in Lorient, France last year). Nevertheless, I am really pleased with where I am right now as far as life goes...I felt like I was leaving theatre behind, etc. but there have been so many development professors and professionals that really commend importance of theatre practitioners." "Hope all is well at Wooster! I miss
it and think about everyone often." Before leaving, Whitney is going to another workshop in NYC at the Theatre of the Oppressed Laboratory. Augusto Boal and his son Julien are leading it in early June. Whitney says, "I am very excited to meet him! So, I definitely am writing my graduate thesis on theatre for development, but not sure what exact aspect." Rachel Jackson ('97), New York, NY Rachel Kirley ('03), Portland, OR works for the Portland Opera
in Development as an Individual Giving Coordinator. On June 23, 2007
Rachel married Joseph Jaquette ('01). Visit joe.jaquette.net/wedding
for photos. Erin Koster ('04), New York, NY writes, " Having just finished
Democracy in America at PS122 with Broadway director Annie Dorsen
of Passing Strange fame, I am heading to places of beauty for the
summer. I will be doing Christopher Durang's Beyond Thereapy with
Alex Timbers (a personal favorite friend/colleague) in Williamstown and
then Bay Street in Sag Harbor (the Hamptons). I am very excited to meet
Mr. Durang and to spend a bit of time outside the city." Joseph Leporati ('02), Seattle, WA Yining Lin ('06), Benicia, CA has started working towards her
Masters in Drama at San Francisco State University and loving it! Yining
took a year off after graduation to work as an intern at the California
Shakespeare Theater in the Artistic Learning Department and has decided
to into teaching drama for middle and high school students. Robert McCLeary ('78), York, PA Sarah McGraw Krushinski ('85) Sarah writes, "I am so psyched
about dance becoming a more prominent part of the department." Sarah
was here in Kim Tritt's first year of teaching! Sarah was also in
graduate school with Shirley Huston-Findley at Miami University (Class
of '87). "It is wonderful to see what she has done to expand and
improve the department, bringing them into such prestigious events as
the Kennedy Center Honors (which my father, Dr. William R. McGraw
Wooster Class of '52, helped establish through the American Theatre
Association and The College of Fellows.~I brim with pride when I speak
of my dad, so you'll have to excuse my daughterly admiration!)" Adrienne Moon ('01), San Francisco, CA writes, "I moved out to
San Francisco from Cleveland in August 2006. While in Cleveland I was
Artistic Director of "Night Kitchen" - a theatre company affiliated with
Dobama Theatre in Cleveland Heights. I also freelance directed around
the Cleveland/Akron areas. I got a little burnt out with the theatre
thing and have decided to use my relocation as an excuse to take some
time off to reflect, relax and focus on some other areas of my life. I
definitely plan on getting back into directing soon - but probably not
until after my wedding in Fall 2008. Beth Moran Reiten ('92), Washington DC area. "While my occupation
isn't theatre or dance, my life is!" Caroline Mulcahy ('00), Malden, MA. Caroline
has recently relocated to Boston where she is the Technical Supervisor
for Emerson Stage and the Department of Performing Arts at Emerson
College. Caroline writes, "If anyone is around Boston, look me
up!" Meredith Rucker Spitzmiller ('96), Dayton, OH. After school
Meredith and Ed moved a lot, living in NYC, Chicago, Springfield, IL
(did some community theatre there), and Cincinnati. The have settled in
Dayton with their three little girls. Meredith writes, "I look forward
to doing more theatre as they get older--right now we "stage" our own
productions at home!" Aaron Schwartzbord ('03), Astoria, NY. Aaron writes, "After 5
years in Seattle and NYC....I've decided to take the next step. I am
excited to tell everyone that I will be starting graduate school in the
fall. I will be in a two year program at Brooklyn College to receive my
MFA in Performing Arts Management. I am very excited to have been
accepted to this program and really looking forward to starting. As a
kick off to the two years of hard work that are ahead I am taking my
first "real" vacation since graduating from Wooster (5 years
ago)." Jessi Slater Carrasco ('01), Riverdale, NY has been in NYC
since graduation, and in 2004 got married to Cesar Carrasco. Jess and
her husband both work for Times Square Church, chich is in the historic
Mark Hellinger Theater. Jessi works on the production end of their
large events like international humanitarian outreaches (most recently
to Burundi and Argentina), and Prayer in the Square, a big prayer
meeting was held early September in Times Square. Jessi stage manages
their monthly youth rallies which include music and drama for inner city
teens. Cesar is the Creative Director for the Children's Ministry, so
Jessi also works with him on writing and directing plays to teach
biblical lessons for their weekly Kids' Church. Sarah writes, "It's
been a lot of fun and really rewarding to put my Wooster theatre
training to use in these areas but my favorite job is to be mommy to our
7 month old daughter Lucy!" Elizabeth (Liz) Staruch ('95), Phoenixville, PA writes, "I'm
incredibly proud that the dept now boasts both Theatre & Dance in name
as we went through a very tumultuous time during my years at Woo with
almost having the dance program cut completely. It's great to see such
growth in both programs. Congrats to Kim & all!" Cathy Taylor ('92), "Greetings from Chicago!" Tracy Upton ('86), Tampa, FL writes, "Interestingly, being in
the class of '86 I did not realize I was among the first group of
Theater graduates of the new department formed in 1982. Annetta
Jefferson did such a magnificent job that it seemed the department had
been established long before I came to Wooster. And speaking of
Annetta, in the section (Theatre & Dance Newsletter),
highlighting our milestones over the years, I was hoping to see
something about the Stage Right Summer Rep Company she established
during her tenure as Deparment Chair. Every summer, most of our Theatre
students, along with a few professors and others from the community,
both performance and technical, auditioned for positions with Stage
Right. Most of the students received stipends, and everyone worked in
some capacity on at least three shows. Overall, we'd produce, direct,
and perform four plays ranging from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams on
a rotating schedule each summer. Because of that opportunity most of us
were able to participate in 20 to 25 productions by the time we left
Wooster. I remember that we also formed some pretty good friendships
with the cast and crew members of Ohio Light Opera who were also
there." Adam Van Wagoner ('04), Houston, TX writes, "I've been working at a professional theatre company in Houston for the past two years and have been on the main stage for almost every show. The picture on the poster was from our Christmas show this year, a musical called Rock Nativity. I played the angel Gabriel which was pretty cool but I'm leaving the company on July 31st to become a professional student again. I got accepted to the University of Houston and I'm really excited about it. It's funny because I really wanted to go to OU and wasn't accepted so I decided to audition for Houston. It turns out that the head of the OU MFA program, Jack Young, left OU this past year and is now the head of the U of H program and he accepted me. So right now I'm studying my butt off to prepare, he sent us a monster reading list and expects us to have over 150 monologues prepared in a portfolio (not memorized). It's going to be intense and way hard but I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and I'm not going to blow it. So that's it. Hopefully one day I will make the Wooster theatre program proud." Andrew Williamson ('92), continues to live in Nashville, TN and works in the entertainment and concert touring industry. Andrew has spent most of 2007 as Lighting Director for country singer Josh Turner. In the winter of '08, Andrew was contracted for a month as a Moving Light Tech/Electrician aboard a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship helping to install new production shows in the ship's theater. Currently, Andrew is part of a seven person lighting crew doing a 21 city spring tour with rock band Van Halen. Laura Winitsky Coker ('82), Studio City, CA this past summer
produced a very well received original Musical, Is This Any Way To
Start A Marriage? Laura is just finishing producing a production of
Arsenic and Old Lace, and will soon bigin producing one-man show,
You're From Philly, Charlie Brown! Laura says, "other than that,
I'm lazy and unemployed, and just hang out with my daughters (my best
productions)." Robin Laubenthal York('06), has recently moved to Kansas City to pursue her Master's in Counseling and Guidance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
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