ASU Gammage Inner Circle Magazine Volume 30 by ASU Gammage

InnerCircle ASU Gammage

Volume 30 Summer 2021

7th Annual ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards 2021–2022 Beyond Season kicks off with DON’T GO

We will be continuing our virtual field trips in the 21–22 academic year to support our mission of Connecting CommunitiesTM and we will be offering them to schools free of charge. We are also looking forward to the return of our in-person field trips this fall. Many children have their first theater experience and their first experience on a college campus through one of our field trip programs. We are delighted to welcome thousands of children to ASU Gamamge this school year. While I couldn’t be more pleased that HAMILTON is currently playing on our stage and MEAN GIRLS is following closely in November, we still need your help. Broadway programming accounts for 80% of our funding, and we went without Broadway for a year and a half. Our yearlong Return to the Stage fundraising campaign will end on Sunday, October 10, and we have not yet met our goal. Please consider supporting what you love with a donation to our Return to the Stage campaign. No gift is too small, and we cheer every time a gift is logged. To donate or learn more about why we still need your support, please visit asugammage.com/returntothestage.

Thank you. The intermission is over. I am thrilled to be able to say that the doors at ASU Gammage are open once again! Patrons are returning to their seats; HAMILTON is on our stage, and we are able to share experiences at the theater together again. I want to take a moment to thank all of you, our donors, for helping us to get through what has been a difficult 18 months, not only for ASU Gammage, but the world. Through your support, we kept full-time staff employed with no lay-offs or furloughs. You helped us continue to fulfill our mission of Connecting CommunitiesTM through our digital programming during a time when we were not able to connect in person. We hired artists both locally and from around the country for our digital programming. We presented programs, free of charge, over our digital platforms. We brought virtual field trips to classrooms in schools around the state, many of whom have not been able to attend in-person field trips because of the distance. We kept our theater, a living, breathing building, in tip-top shape, ready for your return. We were able to do all of this because of your support.

ASU Gammage Inner Circle Volume 30 Summer 2021 Cover Photo by Tim Trumble

@ASUGammage 1

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I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for your support of ASU Gammage through your generous gifts. Thank you for logging into our digital programs and connecting with us in a new way. Thank you for holding onto your season subscriptions with the belief that Broadway would be back. Thank you for returning to the theater.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack ASU Vice President for Cultural Affairs and Executive Director of ASU Gammage

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Colleen Jennings-Roggensack EDITOR IN CHIEF AND PROJECT MANAGER Erica Lin CREATIVE DIRECTOR Allie Gold MANAGING EDITOR Theresa Dickerson

EDITORIAL TEAM Kari Amarosso; Killian Blakemore; Michelle Johnson; Arianna Jones; Tim Walling CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Molly Duerig; Stacey Bailey; Lauren Fountain; Arianna Jones

7th Annual ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards Over the school year, schools are adjudicated in 14 performance and tech categories

Contents

The 2020 High School Musical Theatre Award winners celebrate the 2021 High School Musical Theatre Awards!

A New Life for an Old Stage Floor ASU Gammage Food and Beverage Manager Gary Beckert handmakes ukuleles

“For almost 30 years these boards have welcomed so many musicians, entertainers, dancers and Broadway shows; If only these boards could talk, well, I’m giving them a new voice.” —Gary Beckert, ASU Gammage Food and Beverage Manager

‘Keep calm and sing showtunes’ PR manager’s passion for Broadway shines at work

17 9

A Legacy of Giving: The Abbett Family Foundation

DON’T GO The 2021-2022 Beyond Season Kicks Off with Sojourn Theatre’s DON’T GO in November

The Creators of MEAN GIRLS

Live music returns to Sun Devil Stadium ASU 365 Community Union welcomes the return of live music to the Coca-Cola Sun Deck at Sun Devil Stadium this November

ASU Kerr Meets Fundraising Goals

VIP Donor Club listing

ASU Gammage Food and Beverage Manager Gary Beckert is giving new life to old stage floors.

Ready to Launch Meet recent alumni who won seed money in pitch contests to pursue their inventions — and get involved yourself VOLUME 30 | 2021

Cultural Particpation

7th Annual ASU Gammage High Sc Musical Theatre Awards HSMTA winners with ASU Gammage Executive Director, Colleen JenningsRoggensack Image by Tim Trumble

Over the school year, schools are adjudicated in 14 performance and tech categories By Lauren Fountain One year after the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards shifted to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seventh annual awards ceremony took place May 29 in a hybrid, livestreamed format that included an in-person audience of about 50 patrons. The awards recognize and celebrate Valley high school students and faculty who produce musical theater programs, with competition in 14 performance and technical categories. Each year, the best lead

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male and female winners continue to the Jimmy Awards in New York City, where they compete with students across the country.

them had it completely virtual — prerecorded. A couple of them had a smaller audience inside and they livestreamed that out.”

Last year’s Jimmys were canceled entirely, leaving an entire class of musical theater students without a celebration of their hard work and closure for what may be the end of their performance careers. Broadway, film and television star Corbin Bleu hosted this year’s Jimmy Awards, which were presented virtually on July 15.

Tyler Baldwin, a recently graduated senior from Queen Creek High School, won the award for best lead male for his performance of Jack Kelly in NEWSIES. He will attend the University of Washington in the fall to study biology, with plans to attend medical school.

For Desiree Ong, education program manager at ASU Gammage, the challenges of the last year made this year’s ceremony even more special. “Creatively, the teachers really had to change a lot this year,” Ong said. “Some of them had their performances outside. Some of

Baldwin, who started musical theater just two years ago as a sophomore, said he and his castmates “were really trying to do it justice for the people who graduated last year.” “I came into NEWSIES with the attitude that I wanted to make it the best show possible,” Baldwin said. “I wanted to ensure that it was one of the best shows that had ever been done at my school. I did my best to

was a little bit difficult. We were lucky to be able to take them off for the last couple of rehearsals. That really just upped the ante because everybody felt more energized and relieved because it’s been a year since anybody has put on a show.” Kristiana Corona, a recently graduated senior from Hamilton High School in Chandler, won the award for best lead female for her performance of Ellie Blake in FREAKY FRIDAY. She will attend Kent State University in Ohio to study musical theater. Corona, who started musical theater when she was 7-years-old, said, “there was talk of if we should even do shows this year or whether the school would allow us to do shows this year.”

chool s make sure that everybody felt great about themselves and everybody was working as hard as possible in preparation for the show, so that our rewards were going to be even larger because there’s a lot of potential for everything. And I was just really grateful that everybody contributed so well, and it’s really satisfying to see it pay off.” Queen Creek’s NEWSIES also received the award for best musical. For a show with 80 cast members, Baldwin said they were prepared for the worst. “We were a little bit worried about our show getting shut down for a while. For the first couple of weeks, we weren’t even at the school, we were doing it virtually, and then when we came back everybody had to wear masks,” Baldwin said. “Especially when you’re singing, wearing a mask

She said, aside from the obvious challenges with mask-wearing and audience capacity, the “really big hit” was funding for the shows, as the theater program had already paid for costumes and props for shows that were supposed to happen the previous year. “I was head of fundraising, so I had to organize a lot of fundraisers to try and make up some of that money,” Corona said. Despite the uncertainty and adjustments that had to be made for FREAKY FRIDAY to happen, Corona said it was all worth it when her name was called as the winner of best lead female. “It was just this feeling of resolve,” Corona said. “During this year, I had also done college auditions for musical theater programs, and that’s a lot of rejection. And so, just the rejection of COVID and everything kind of closing down for a while and not being the same, it kind of felt like it made it all worth it in a way. It kind of felt like all that stuff that happened, happened for a reason, for me to get here.” Corona performed “Right Hand Man” from the musical SOMETHING

ROTTEN! at this year’s Jimmys, while Baldwin took part in a Broadway musical medley with other students from across the country. In addition to competing at the Jimmy Awards, the best lead male and female winners receive cash awards sponsored by Patricia Langlin-Brazil and Ronald H. Harten. “I think it all goes back to the show must go on,” Ong said. “And keeping that mantra going, even if it’s not the format that you were expecting. I think the High School Musical Theatre Awards, in particular — it’s a fun night. It’s a celebration. It targets high school youth. And so, all those things make it a fun event and a meaningful event for the staff because everyone can get behind that cause, celebrate high school musical theater. I’m really proud. I feel like it was a good practice for when we’re back in the theater all together. I think it’s a milestone of where we’ve come from a year ago and how bad COVID-19 was, but now we’re taking baby steps. We had 50 people in the audience, and we’re going to work our way back up so that we’re ready to fully reopen.” ■ The ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards are sponsored by Bell Bank.

Cash awards for the top female and male leads are sponsored by Patricia Langlin-Brazil and Ronald H. Harten.

High School Musical Theatre Awards is made possible with donations made by generous supporters. For more information on how you can support Cultural Participation programs, please visit asugammage.com/ returntothestage. VOLUME 30 | 2021

Staff Profile

A New Life for an Old Stage Floor When ASU Gammage Food and Beverage Manager Gary Beckert was offered a section of the ASU Gammage stage floor boards when the stage floor was being replaced, he saw an opportunity. “As an instrument builder I am always looking for different woods,” says Beckert. “I have found some very interesting pieces that are beautiful because of their grains and colorings. When I was offered a two-foot square section of the ASU Gammage stage boards it was like receiving the holy grail of wood. The maple planks were a challenge in themselves to separate, clean and turn into useable pieces. But the history these boards have! They just spoke to me. I had to build something out of them. I realized there were no pieces large enough to build a guitar, however, I could make a few ukuleles.” Beckert is building the ukuleles to be used as fundraising pieces for ASU Gammage in the future. “For almost 30 years these boards have welcomed so many musicians, entertainers, dancers and Broadway shows,” says Beckert. “If only these boards could talk, well, I’m giving them a new voice.” ■

(r) One of Gary’s handmade ukuleles during the creation process.

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Piles of wood from the stage floor and the first slats.

The backs and sides of the ukuleles.

The process of clamping and gluing the ukulele tops to sides.

Beckert’s headstock design for the ukuleles.

Ukuleles in progress. VOLUME 30 | 2021

Staff Profile

‘Keep calm and sing showtunes’

A few of Kari’s favorite memories while working at ASU Gammage!

PR manager’s passion for Broadway shines at work By Lauren Fountain Growing up, Kari Amarosso’s life revolved around theater. Now, the public relations manager at ASU Gammage is saying “pinch me” as she works with Broadway shows every day. “Our mission of Connecting CommunitiesTM involves many partnerships and relationships, ones that I hold so dearly and that have created these lasting memories,” Amarosso said. “Some examples are EduHam, the HAMILTON education program, where 3,000 Title 1 students had the opportunity to learn special HAMILTON curriculum in the classroom. Some were able to perform their projects on the ASU Gammage stage, and then they attended a performance of HAMILTON. It was magical. Working

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with the local animal shelter and the young cast of ANNIE reading to shelter dogs – those kinds of things bring me joy and the behindthe-scenes planning that goes into things like that. The partnerships are amazing and it’s exciting to work with show reps, the cast and the crew for memorable PR opportunities. It goes back to knowing what I think could work and I see it and I have a vision. And because I work with this incredible team that’s extremely supportive, you get energized by a lot of the ideas.” Although a native New Yorker, it was not until Amarosso was 17 years-old, visiting family after moving to Arizona, when she saw her first Broadway show in the Big Apple. “When people ask me ‘what’s my favorite Broadway show?,’ I say I love all Broadway shows, so it’s really hard for me to pick one,” Amarosso said. “But I typically lean to A CHORUS LINE because it was the first. And that was 1979. I think at that time, Broadway was feeling that

kind of energy and revival that we’re even seeing now. It’s always going to have a special place in my heart.” Amarosso celebrated her sixth year at ASU Gammage on Sept. 7, however, she was not always in the public relations world. Amarosso started her career managing television newsrooms for 25 years and learning about the other side of media. “I think it was a benefit to have those local media relationships moving into PR so that I could understand the best way to garner media coverage,” Amarosso said. “All of what I do is tied to what my relationship is with them. I appreciate and value their time and their support. I want to be a resource to them, to help them in their storytelling, right? Because I do know what it’s like to be on their side.” Amarosso wears many hats at ASU Gammage in addition to her PR duties. She sources local designers for Colleen Jennings-Roggensack’s dress for the Tony Awards, serves on ASU’s Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr. Committee and supervises the marketing department’s student workers. Jennings-Roggensack, vice president for cultural affairs and executive director of ASU Gammage is Arizona’s only Tony voter and wears a dress created by a local designer each year. “We both think it’s important to shine a light on these designers,” Amarosso said. “They have powerful stories to tell, and their designs are gorgeous.”

“It’s exciting to be a part of something special and help where I can to promote and generate publicity on something that is so important to the community and a part of our mission of Connecting CommunitiesTM.” —Kari Amarosso The MLK Jr. Committee hosts annual events celebrating Dr. King’s legacy and his examples of servant leadership. The committee is responsible for selecting the ASU Martin Luther King, Jr. ServantLeadership awardees – one community member and one ASU student – who embody the traits that Dr. King demonstrated through collaboration, trust, foresight, listening and the ethical use of power and empowerment.

community and a part of our mission of Connecting CommunitiesTM,” Amarosso said. The idea of Connecting CommunitiesTM is shared by everyone at ASU Gammage, including the marketing department’s student workers, whom Amarosso supervises. Amarosso said working with students in the department is “a symbiotic relationship.” “The students do a lot of heavy lifting for our department and we depend on them to work in our department at a high level,” Amarosso said. “When you can coach and work with students who get it, it’s even more enjoyable. But the advice is you make mistakes, you learn from them and you learn something new every day. My motto is ‘keep calm and sing showtunes.’ I want to bring joy to my job and I hope the students see that joy, and I want that enthusiasm to be contagious. I’m all about getting the job done, but I do want to have fun and coach and learn. Managing all the moving parts is challenging, but I thrive in this environment and I want the students to thrive in this environment, too.” Despite Broadway being dark for more than a year, Amarosso said the hustle and bustle never stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every day is special and very different,” Amarosso said. “The marketing and communications team has been very busy the last 18 months. While we did not have

Broadway and live events in the house, there were still a lot of moving parts, numerous communication projects, internal and external. It’s the pandemic pivot. We have a strong team and we’re committed to overcommunicating and knowing what we had to get done. And in a way, that doesn’t change. We didn’t stop.” Like every ASU Gammage employee, Amarosso is thrilled for the longawaited return of Broadway shows this fall. “I am over the moon regarding Broadway’s return,” Amarosso said. “It is a dynamic business and rewarding and the return’s going to be emotional. I am looking forward to that first curtain call and the roar of the crowd. You might hear me weeping because I missed the live audience, I missed the live event. And I don’t want to underestimate how emotional that’s going to be because I think there’s going to be others around us who are going to be doing the same thing. I could tear up just talking about it now. I’m mentally preparing myself for that flood of emotion on that first opening night. And, the return of HAMILTON will make it even more special because there’s such a powerful message in that show.” Outside of her work at ASU Gammage, Amarosso enjoys watching movies and basketball with her husband, spending time with her family (including her rescue Rottweiler, Lola) and crocheting. ■

Kari and family at her daughter’s wedding.

Amarosso said her involvement with the MLK Jr. Committee “gave a real sense of community to tell the stories.” “It’s exciting to be a part of something special and help where I can to promote and generate publicity on something that is so important to the VOLUME 30 | 2021

Donor Highlights

A Legacy of Giving Jenniffer Jarvis (r) and her family members view the streaming equipment used for Performances for Students.

The Abbett Family Foundation By Arianna Jones 100 years later, a legacy of giving continues with father-daughter duo, Jeffrey Abbett and Jenniffer Jarvis. The two are third and fourth generation of the Abbett family with community giving at the forefront of their work. Having a grandfather who served in World War I, a father who served in World War II and mother who volunteered regularly, Abbett attributes his own commitment to the service his parents practiced, no matter how big or small of an act. “I can tell you that as a young person growing up, my parents were always very active. The whole time that they lived in Marana, they were very active with the Marana Town Council. My father served on the planning and zoning commission for the town. My mom served in a position with Pima

ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE

County. These were all volunteer positions,” Jeffrey shared. “The message from my folks was always ‘We need to be grateful for everything that we have.’ And one of the ways that we express our gratitude is by giving back to our community, not only with our money, but with our time.”

foundation’s work, expanding their reach to bigger, more in-depth projects. “It’s an experience that has been inspiring, and that can be shared for generations. We have the ability to continue the work that my grandparents started and then evolve it into our own, hopefully increasing the impact” Jarvis shared.

Proudly, Jarvis expressed a similar sentiment. “They [her grandparents] would take us and involve us in different service projects. Some of the organizations they donated to when I was little are still part of our culture, in our foundation. Every year, one of the organizations that they thought it important to donate to was the Marana Community Food Bank. To this day we do that.”

ASU Gammage is a community treasure

Along with the community food bank, they’ve built partnerships with health care programs, youth organizations and ASU Gammage through the

The relationship between ASU Gammage and the Abbett Family Foundation began in 2015, the same year the organization was founded. With a desire to create an opportunity for students in Tucson to experience the arts, the partnership began with a scholarship to cover transportation costs to and from ASU Gammage. Additionally, the organization sponsored a Title 1 high school in Marana to attend the ASU Gammage Molly Blank Fund Kaleidoscope program where

students complete a curriculum and are then invited to a performance with the opportunity to meet the cast. These programs were the first of many to feel the impact of the foundation’s grants. Associate Director of Development Julianne Mate helped foster the connection between ASU Gammage and the Abbett Family Foundation. “When they first came to us, they wanted to support education programs and provide better access for students outside the Phoenix area. They started supporting Performances for Students, Kaleidoscope, and School to Work generally, as well as things like bus scholarships. They also supported the Teaching Artists Program for all three years. All of this was sort of with an eye on broader reach and greater access,” Mate shared. Leaving no stone unturned, the foundation has had a hand in every ASU Gammage Cultural Participation program over the last six years. Both Abbett and Jarvis make an effort to attend the events they sponsor to experience the impact alongside the students. “When attending a program such as Kaleidoscope, we have been asked by students ‘Why do you do this? Why do you care about somebody you don’t know?’ And in that moment, I just want to give them a hug, and show them that there are people who care about them, and believe in them, and that we’re excited to help provide these opportunities. We feel it is important to support our community and have seen the impact that it has made” Jarvis described.

contributions made by the Abbett Family Foundation make much of it possible. When COVID-19 paused all in-person K–12 programming, the organization knew it needed to be strategic and resourceful to continue its mission’s work – and they were up for the challenge. “Because there was nobody bringing the local community to the theater anymore, outreach was the only opportunity to continue to sustain the programs,” Abbett recalled. “It was last fall that we made the decision together that we would move forward with a streaming platform for ASU Gammage.”

“This is a dream project! It has continued to evolve, and we can take this beyond the inperson experience. Now it is accessible to the entire community.” —Jenniffer Jarvis With their support, ASU Gammage procured streaming equipment to prepare for the first virtual presentation of The Molly Blank Fund Performances for Students featuring TAIKOPROJECT. Reaching 3,000 students across Arizona, California and New Mexico, the program’s capacity doubled. Gleaming, Abbett

shared, “It was far more successful than what we anticipated. We were able to not only engage the community, but other parts of our community that we typically struggle to engage, the Native American community.” When asked about the ability to reach 3,000 students in one event amidst a pandemic, Jarvis said, “It’s been amazing. It’s emotional. We see how it’s now more accessible and beneficial for so many more individuals and how important that’s been, and we want to sustain that. We are proud to support Gammage’s mission of Connecting Communities™ and providing these opportunities. ASU Gammage is a community treasure. We need to make sure they’re going to be around for a long time.” Between the first gift in 2015 and now, the Abbett Family Foundation has come full circle – providing access and outreach to students. While six years ago, streaming live events wasn’t as prevalent, now it has become a necessity. The Molly Blank Fund Performances for Students program will continue to operate as a virtual and in-person option to accommodate schools with limited resources and transportation barriers. “This is a dream project,” Jarvis expressed. “It has continued to evolve, and we can take this beyond the in-person experience. Now it is accessible to the entire community.” ■

Abbett also added, “I think that has to do with our philosophy that we’re not just check writers. We’re trying to create those collaborative relationships, recognizing that within the community, an organization like ASU Gammage certainly already has an outreach approach.”

Coming full circle Programs at ASU Gammage reach thousands of students every year. The collaborative efforts and

Jenniffer Jarvis (left), Jeffrey Abbett (fourth from right) and their family members at TAIKOPROJECT’s Performances for Students program. VOLUME 30 | 2021

Beyond

DON’T GO Sojourn Theatre’s DON’T GO kicks off the ASU Gammage 2021–2022 Beyond Season 11

ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE

A conversation with Michael Rohd, co-founder and member of the 21-year-old national, ensemble-based Sojourn Theatre and Professor at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

and wrong ideologies that results in tragedy. We decided a participatory retelling of this story, with the strangers as protagonists, would make up the second act of our play and developed that idea in residency at Vanderbilt University in fall 2019.

What was the inspiration to create DON’T GO? Back in 2017, as a company we were grappling with ways artists should respond to the political moment and shifting social dynamics in our country. Hyperpartisanship, disinformation, frayed faith in institutions of all sorts...we had made nearly 20 years of work about civic dialogue and what it means to live amidst the histories and contemporary context of the US. But this time seemed to want something different, both larger and more intimate than much of what we had explored previously. Together, we arrived at a question that seemed useful – what makes us stay in difficult conversations? – and we started our investigation there.

We began exploring the third act of the play at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in winter 2020, investigating how to bring strangers together across meaningful difference. We had scheduled residencies in Washington DC and Boston to continue development in preparation for our originally scheduled Fall 2020 world premiere at ASU Gammage, and then, COVID-19. We spent much of 2020 and 2021 continuing work on the piece virtually, sharing a new draft of the DON’T GO through ASU Gammage’s Digital Connections series in March 2021.

What was the process of creating the show? The first iteration of DON’T GO took place at University of Southern California in 2018, in partnership with the School of Dramatic Arts. Four Sojourn artists devised that first draft version with an ensemble of seven undergraduate artists, ranging from political science to gender studies to theater majors. It was performed with a new ensemble of strangers each night including USC faculty, students, and Los Angeles community members. That early draft of the play now makes up the first act of DON’T GO. A year later, we developed additional goals for the piece during Sojourn’s annual summer ensemble laboratory and began asking: what shared experiences would the strangers need to deepen their ability to stay in meaningful dialogue together? What surprise, spectacle and shared story would help them form the bonds necessary to not quit on each other? This took us to the Antigone story: a narrative of two equally right

How does participation by community members affect the show? Does it change the show each time it is performed? The heart of this show is the relationship between the two “strangers.” To be clear, these are not audience members. We approach them as a curated chorus, new at each performance and found over a months-long process led by our hosts/presenters (in this case, ASU Gammage) in partnership with Sojourn Theatre. Once these strangers enter the space for the performance itself, never having met each other before, they will respond to the show’s invitations and structure with utter uniqueness. The show has in its own way, plot. It has forward motion. But how that plays out moment to moment, and where it goes, is entirely dependent on who the strangers are and how they move through the experience. What do you hope the audience leaves with after seeing DON’T GO? DON’T GO posits that the American muscle for holding conflict is underdeveloped. It suggests that we quit too soon on each other – and

that to live together and collaborate, we need to learn how to share space across ideological and identitybased difference. We hope that the audience leaves having witnessed two people build that muscle together and feel a deepened ability to do so themselves. What do you look forward to most about having the show performed at ASU Gammage? Being live in a space where actors and audience get to share moments, finally, in person. ASU Gammage is a gorgeous hall with a meaningful history of making performance central to the lives of so many people in a large, diverse community. Getting to help ASU Gammage and its communities come back from these last nearly two years of isolation, trauma and economic hardship is a privilege. Doing so with a work we have spent so much time building and which we believe speaks to this moment of recovery and rebuilding and re-imagining, is a joy. Do you have any advice for aspiring theater artists looking to create their own stage pieces? DON’T GO has taken several different shapes over the last four years; it has changed as the world has changed. Sojourn continues to center emergence and adaptation as much as possible in our work in an effort to stay responsive and relevant. Our advice is for aspiring artists to do the same, to stay connected to the changing needs of the world and make art that responds directly to it. ■ We would like to acknowledge our Beyond Sponsors: Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey, Joan Cremin, Cheryl Mandala, Pit and John Lucking, Hope and Steven Leibsohn, Carstens Family Funds, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Goldstein and Linda and Chuck Redman.

Don’t miss Sojourn Theatre’s DON’T GO at ASU Gammage on Sat., November 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at asugammage.com. VOLUME 30 | 2021

Broadway

JEFF RICHMOND

FEY A TIN

AW CASEY NICHOL

NELL B ENJAM IN

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THE CREATORS OF

How do you take a movie that people know by heart and make something new out of it? Can you take established characters and open them up to go deeper? And what about phones, y’all?! What are we gonna do about phones?! These were just some of the questions we faced when we set out to adapt MEAN GIRLS for Broadway. To avoid panic and paralysis, we started by focusing on what we knew for sure. We knew that the desire to “fit in” was universal, and the mistakes we make just to “fit in” are a painful part of growing up. We saw that our culture had actually gotten meaner since the movie came out in 2004, and that “calling

someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter” could be a valuable reminder to more people than just young girls. We knew that our story was about human behavior, and that social media was just a new (albeit nuclear) weapon in that battle. The jokes had to be smart, because teenagers are smart. The music had to be as diverse as the characters themselves. A Damian song could never sound like a Janis song or a Regina song, because those characters wouldn’t be caught dead copying each other. We knew that Cady had to make bad choices, and that Mrs. George was just trying her best, and that Gretchen Wieners was the most

emotionally complex character since Chekhov’s Masha Kulygina. (JK, guys, JK! But she does have a lot going on.) And, most importantly, we knew it had to be FUN and funny, with a lot of good. With the help of our incredibly dedicated actors, musicians, designers, stage crew, some very smart out-of-town audiences in Washington, D.C. — and with Rosalind Wiseman’s book “Queen Bees and Wannabes” always in our backpacks — we eventually finished what we set out to do. Everyone said it would take five years. But it actually only took us five years. ■

MEAN GIRLS TAKES THE ASU GAMMAGE STAGE

NOVEMBER 2–7, 2021 TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT ASUGAMMAGE.COM

VOLUME 30 | 2021

ASU

Ready to Launch Venture Devil Emily Karlzen and her company, Arch Rift, aim to make commercial space tourism more comfortable.

Meet recent alumni who won seed money in pitch contests to pursue their inventions — and get involved yourself Story by Molly Duerig, ’20 MMC Photography by Courtney Lively, Amanda Lopez, Trevor Traynor Venture Devil Emily Karlzen, ’20 BS in business entrepreneurship, describes herself as a “huge space nerd.” Her company, Arch Rift, aims to make commercial space tourism more comfortable — beginning with an automatically deploying oxygen helmet, which won $15,000 in the eSeed Challenge at Demo Day 2019 when Karlzen was still a student. “We are trying to make spaceflight more comfortable and more accessible,” says Karlzen. Arch Rift’s space tourist helmet is designed to be stored in a pressure

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spacesuit until an emergency when it automatically deploys, popping over the user’s head and supplying pressurized oxygen. Just before ASU’s Demo Day, when she was a senior, Karlzen’s helmet beat several competitors to win first place at the NewSpace Business Plan Competition, a contest in Texas for space ventures. That win helped her and her team — which includes PhD student Joseph Hunter — gain traction leading up to Demo Day. Last spring, Karlzen’s team attended another pitch competition at a space conference in Washington, D.C., called Satellite 2020. Karlzen’s team walked away with valuable feedback on their product, along with a new team member, an aerospace engineer.

Pitching, growing and adapting Ricky Johnson, ’17 BS in computer systems engineering, has been an inventor for as long as he can remember. His innovative, solutionsbased mindset led Johnson to invent the Barrage Striking Sleeve, a pressure-sensitive punching bag sleeve that lights up in different

Ricky Johnson invented a punching bag that provides an interactive workout, giving feedback like a “virtual coach.” sequences to create an interactive workout. Johnson, who holds a black belt in karate, says he got the idea while practicing. “I wanted to create something that will kind of give me a virtual coach, while my actual coach wasn’t there,” Johnson says. The iOS application Johnson created allows users to adjust their workout difficulty by controlling the sleeve’s sensitivity and other parameters. It’s a technology Johnson has adapted for other sports, like baseball. Johnson was awarded $3,000 in seed funding from the Global Sport Venture Challenge at ASU’s Demo Day in December 2019. A large sports

entrepreneurial community here in ASU that is waiting for you,” Lea says.

Taking it to market Cole Brauer, ’20 MS in systems engineering, is now in his second semester of pursuing a PhD in the same field at ASU. Together with his two teammates, sophomores Jude Brauer, Cole’s younger brother, and Seth Altobelli, Brauer developed a compact, lightweight electric motor for mountain bicycles — the first product from their company — Accelerated Cycles.

“If you have an idea for a venture, get involved, get started on it. ASU has a lot of great resources to tap into.” company is in discussions to license his interactive sports technology.

A thriving entrepreneurial community Demo Day is a biannual event through the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at ASU that awards, on average, about $150,000 to student entrepreneurs. Over the past 15 years, the institute has awarded more than $4 million to student entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators, and has supported more than 750 unique ventures and more than 1,000 students.

—Cole Brauer, co-founder of Accelerated Cycles, who has been working with his brother, Jude, on competitive robotics for years Brauer’s electric motor for mountain bikes won $2,000 in the Global Sport Venture Challenge on Demo Day 2019. The seed funding helped the team finish their prototype, test it with potential customers and work toward manufacturing it. His advice for other students and alumni: “If you have an idea for a venture, get involved, get started on it. Don’t be intimidated by it,”

One of the programs is Venture Devils, born out of a desire to cast a “wider net of support” for students, faculty members, alumni and community members, according to Tracy Lea, associate director, venture development at the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute. The unique, versatile program provides opportunities to access a wealth of supportive resources for projects and ideas at all stages of development. “Engage in those resources, and know that there’s a thriving

Brauer says. “ASU has a lot of great resources to tap into. Don’t be afraid to get started.”

New paths forward Bringing a product to market is a goal for many entrepreneurs, including Nathaniel Fink, ’19 BS in material engineering, whose sustainable athletic clothing brand FutureForm won $2,000 in the Global Sport Venture Challenge in December 2019.

Jacob Figueroa and Nathaniel Fink, founders of sustainable athletic wear brand FutureForm. It’s not Fink’s first foray into the world of Venture Devils: Previously, he won $10,000 for a lightweight, user-friendly ballistic armor vest he invented for law enforcement and civilian use alike. “We use technical fabrics to bridge the gap between sustainability, performance and style,” Fink says of FutureForm, which he founded along with fellow ASU alumni Jacob Figueroa, and William Houghton and Daniel Najafali. The group currently collaborates with local company Phoenix Team Sports, which cuts and sews FutureForm garments using fabric made from ocean and industrial waste. “One moment can change your life,” Fink says. “Everyone who’s working on their dreams ... keep at it, and don’t listen to anybody who tells you ‘no.’” ■

Get support for your idea

Accelerated Cycles makes electric motors to provide a boost for bikes.

Venture Devils is open to students, staff, faculty and community members. Connect to the network of Sun Devil entrepreneurs and tap into resources at entrepreneurship. asu.edu/launch/venture-devils VOLUME 30 | 2021

365 Community Union

D Smoke

Japanese Breakfast

Jean Dawson

SASAMI

Live music returns to Sun Devil Stadium ASU 365 Community Union welcomes the return of live music to the Coca-Cola Sun Deck at Sun Devil Stadium this November! This fall, live music shows will return to the Sun Deck, welcoming audiences back in to experience an incredible musical lineup under the stars. On Wednesday, November 3, 2021, D Smoke will perform, with special guest Jean Dawson. The next day, Thursday, November 4, will be played by Japanese Breakfast with special guest SASAMI. Both shows are projected to sell out, as the artists continue to gain notoriety and the appetite for live shows grows. This is not D Smoke’s first performance with ASU. In 2020, ASU 365 Community Union 17

ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE

translated some programs to the digital space, including a series of live streamed concerts for audiences to watch online from home. Thousands of guests tuned in to see D Smoke perform live on the ASU 365 Community Union website. The bilingual, piano-playing rapper was also recently nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2021 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. D Smoke gained global notoriety as champion and undisputed breakout star of Netflix’s competition show “Rhythm + Flow.” Support for D Smoke will come from Jean Dawson, who is equal parts musician and visual artist. Influenced by his Mexican and Black culture, Dawson represents a genre-less musical movement and a generation straddling culture and worlds without easy categorization or classification. Japanese Breakfast, the indie rock project led by Michelle Zauner, released a third studio album titled “Jubilee” earlier this year to critical acclaim. Zauner also recently

released her debut book, “Crying in H Mart,” which became a New York Times Best Seller and was picked up for film adaptation by MGM’s Orion Pictures. As a stop on the artist’s Jubilee tour, this Sun Deck show will mark the return of the concert series with a celebration of sound and joy. Support for Japanese Breakfast comes from SASAMI, the solo project of modern composer and songwriter Sasami Ashworth. SASAMI tackles an emotional spectrum as broad as her arrangement choices, employing strings, horns and a rock band to create her dynamic sound. With this concert series, the tradition of live music returns to the CocaCola Sun Deck at Sun Devil Stadium. These two live shows are sure to impress audiences looking for a unique experience under the stars at an outdoor venue like no other. Tickets for both shows are on sale now through Ticketmaster. More info at asu365communityunion.com. ■

Kerr Korner

ASU Kerr Meets Fundraising Goals ASU Kerr will be launching their 2021–2022 season this month and guests will notice some major changes: a new courtyard reception garden called The Crescendo and a freshly-restored 1899 Steinway grand piano. The venue’s Baldwin grand piano was deemed to be on its last legs during the 2019–2020 season by ASU Kerr’s piano maintenance experts. A Pitchfunder campaign was launched to raise the funds while a gently used replacement was sought. Through the kindness of Diane and John Eckstein, an 1899 Steinway Model A2 grand piano was partially donated in-kind. The remaining 50% of the piano’s cost and the restoration fees were covered by another set of anonymous donors.

ever piece on its keys at a special private event for the major donors involved in making this possible.” The Crescendo courtyard garden area was created when a permanent outdoor boundary was required for ASU Kerr’s brand new liquor license. “It had been a dream for ASU Kerr to have its own liquor license,” said Mason. “It allows us to enhance the patron experience with bar service, a beautiful, verdant outdoor gathering space and create a vital new income stream for the venue.” A Pitchfunder campaign to cover the cost of plants, planters, gates and installation gained support from

donors and took off when Susan and Bill Ahearn contributed a generous gift that mobilized a matching gift campaign through August 16th.

The Crescendo courtyard garden at ASU Kerr.

The Season Preview event on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. will be the first-ever season event with alcohol service. Guests may RSVP to attend by October 8 at rsvp@asukerr.com. “Our supporters have made incredible things possible for ASU Kerr and we are deeply touched and grateful to launch the first season of shows since the pandemic began with new strength, resolve and pride,” said Mason. ■

Virtuoso jazz pianist Charles Lewis, a perennial favorite ASU Kerr performer and friend of the venue’s late namesake Louise Lincoln Kerr, is slated to be the first musician to play the piano. Lewis has continuously been a friend of the venue and its staff since the facility was bequeathed to ASU in 1977, said ASU Kerr General Manager Tracey Mason. “It will be a full-circle moment to have Charles Lewis initiate our gorgeous restored Steinway into the ASU Kerr fold,” Mason said. “He’ll play the first1899 Steinway grand piano VOLUME 30 | 2021

ASU Gammage VIP Donor Club as of July 2021 100K Milestone ASU Gammage gratefully acknowledges these individual donors and foundations whose cumulative giving totaled $100,000 or more as of July 2021. The contributions of these generous benefactors, in partnership with those of other visionary patrons, sponsors and volunteers, have incalculably enriched our community.

Thank you! The Abbett Family Foundation contributes major gift to upgrade ASU Kerr’s technical equipment and marketing Thanks to a generous gift from the Abbett Family Foundation, ASU Kerr is in the process of doing a major upgrade to its sound, lighting and streaming systems and strategically rebranding the venue with new programming and marketing efforts. “We are endlessly grateful to the Abbett Family Foundation for their generosity, and for seeing the huge potential for ASU Kerr to reach a wider audience with more impactful programming,” said ASU Kerr General Manager Tracey Mason. “With their gift we will upgrade equipment that has been long overdue for an overhaul, create higher quality shows and connect more communities with the joy of the arts.”

Corporate Foundation Sponsors $100,000+ Desert Financial Credit Union The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

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$99,999–$75,000 Abbett Family Foundation Broadway Across America George Brazil Plumbing and Electrical $50,000–$25,000 Arizona Community Foundation APS J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation

$24,999–$10,000 Tim Trumble Photography, Inc. Union Pacific Foundation $9,999–$2,500 Abbot Downing Airpark Signs Arizona Business Magazine BOK Financial Bell Bank Gammage & Burnham Shamrock Farms Target

Abbett Family Foundation Susan and William Ahearn Pat and Bill Andrew Jerry Appell APS Carol Barmore Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Baughman Barbara, Irv and Jeremy Berger Carmen and Michael Blank F. Richard Bloechl Family Lee Bowman George Brazil Plumbing and Electrical Broadway Across America Joan Cremin Cathy Dickey JO Finks Karen and Grady Gammage, Jr. Laurie and Chuck Goldstein Joanne and Mark Halberg Ronald H. Harten Patricia Kaufman Patricia Langlin-Brazil The Hugh W. Long, Jr. Family Rae and Richard S. Love Robert Machiz Mr. and Mrs. Michael Manning Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation Marcia and Andrew Meyer Lesley and Paul Monfardini Margaret T. Morris Foundation Jeffrey D. Oliver Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey Rosenbluth Family Foundation Jana and Charles Sample Ticketmaster Mary and Bill Way/Way Family Charitable Foundation

BOLD indicates $50K cumulative giving to ASU Gammage * denotes multi-year commitment

Legacy Susan and William Ahearn Anonymous Carol Barmore Weasley Beckley Larry Berentzen In Memory of Nan Beyer George and Patricia Brazil Linda Broomhead and Terese Sanchez Marlene Bushard Kim Cahow-Harmon Angela and David Conwell Carl J. Cross Cyndi and Terry DeBoer Leonard and Emily Dudziak Raylan and Beverley Evans JO Finks Mary Flora Marilyn and Jim Foley Phillip Gillies Alan and Anita Handelsman Henry and Mary Hansen Ronald H. Harten Jay and Rojon Hasker Robert and Jeanette Heacock David N. Horowitz Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen and Greg Kroening Donald and June Julen Pat Kaufman Sue Larsen Rae and Richard S. Love Douglas Lowe Larry Mattal Cathy Mazur Ellis and Kiran Means Merrily Metzger Ron and Vickie Neill Clyde C. Parker Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Russell A. Robbins Dr. Lynn Robershotte Mitchell and Heather Ross Virginia Schantz Margaret Schulz Tamara Scrivner Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith Ava Spanier Jo and Frank Stockman Bruce C. Thoeny Brinley Thomas Mollie C. Trivers John and Joyce Webb Betty L. and John Whiteman For information on planned giving, please contact us at 480-965-9915.

Investors Guild Susan and William Ahearn* Carmen and Michael Blank* Lee Bowman* Dawna and Dan Calderone Joan Cremin* Dr. and Mrs. Charles Goldstein* Ronald H. Harten* Patricia Langlin-Brazil and James Cord MD*

Producers Academy Anonymous Allen-Heath Memorial Foundation Reginald M. Ballantyne III Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Baughman* Jacqueline Chadwick, MD Janet and Chip Glaser Jay and Rojon Hasker Carol Barmore and Phil Hineman Michelle Jung and Chris Rodriguez* Patricia Kaufman* Gail and John Krueger Hope and Steven Leibsohn Cheryl Mandala Mr. and Mrs. Michael Manning Marcia and Andrew Meyer Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey* Rosenbluth Family Foundation* Jana and Charles Sample Susan Van Dyke MD The Way Family Karen S. Wood-Nackard

Grady Gammage Society Bill and Cindy Abbott* Anonymous Barbara, Irv and Jeremy Berger* Karen and Gary Bethune Shirley F. Brown and Fred L. Brown

Crystal Family Foundation Lee Eberle and Lisa Vivian JO Finks Sophia and Mike Fong Karen and Grady Gammage Jr. Davie Glaser In Loving Memory of David H. Glaser Judy and Herb Gold Joanne and Mark Halberg* Carl and Patricia Harris Ralph and Ellen Hirsch David N. Horowitz and Damon J. Bolling Mike Hughes and Dr. Kevin Mendivil Brian C. Jones and Vaughn A. Lovell Margot and Dennis Knight John Kras and Timothy Walling Hope and Steven Leibsohn Richard S. and Rae Love Kalidas and Darlene Madhavpeddi Foundation Merrily Metzger Lesley and Paul Monfardini Eric Novack and Tracy Contant Jeffrey D. Oliver Sandie and Hollis Phillips Rod and Julie Rebello* Brenda and Jim Rowland Joanne Schust Richard and Christy Schust The Scollick Family Enid and Michael Seiden* Lorri and Stephen Smith Mr. and Mrs. Ron Starkman* Donna and Philip Stover Tiller Family Foundation Marsha and Charles Van Dam Kristi Vasquez and Jeff Roberts Patrick H. Zanzucchi

Kathryn Gammage Circle AADS Office Solutions Int’l, LLC and Kathleen Cullen Mariana and Richard Abelson Helene and Marshall Abrahams Lou Anne and Keith Alexander Nancy and Warren Alter Anderson, Chavet and Anderson Inc. Buffie and Ray Anderson Andrew Family Foundation Rhet and Marcia Andrews Anonymous

Felice Appell Tran and Glenn Appell Linda and Richard Avner Kevin Axx Doug Ball and Connie Stine Lisa and Harley Barnes, Jr. Craig and Barbara Barrett Bassett Family The Julie Bennett Family In Memory of Michael Kristy and David Benton Mr. and Mrs. John Berry Dr. and Mrs. Robert Bickes, Jr. Corilee and Kevin Bishop Col. Jody Blanchfield The Blunck Family Jon and Jennifer Bohnert Tara and Todd Bookspan Teresa and Mark Borota Dr. Robert and Lorrin Bowser Steve and Belinda Brown In Honor of Debra Burk Elizabeth Burm Pam and Bryan Cadoo Lou and Melissa Caramucci Linda Carneal Matt and Jill Casperson Causenta Wellness and Cancer Care Center Dawn Cernak Children’s Dental Village Helen Cho Julia and Kelly Christensen Joe and Rose Circello Marilee and David Clarke Lee Baumann Cohn and Mike Cohn John H. Cole III M.D. and Patrick T. Boyhan Angela and David Conwell Andrea and Matt Cowley James L. Cramer and Allen C. Kalchik Barbara Crisp and Mark Nemschoff Mindi and Anthony D’Elia Ellen and Andy Dauscher Beth and Ed Dawkins Dr. and Mrs. Eugene L. De La Cruz Nancy Dean and Lorree Ratto In Memory of Terry DeBoer Mr. and Mrs. Tom DeBonis Teresa and Michael Dempsey Laurie Dennhardt and Anna de Jesus* Dr. Wendy Dickerson Jackie and James Disney Robert Donat Dr. Jane Dowling

Elizabeth Drewett Michael Drexler Carmen and Mike Duffek David Dyer Cynthia Emmons The Empey Family Daniel Eng Michele and Chris England Virgina and Ron Erhardt Alexa and Scott Erjavic Michele and Michael Etheridge Ardie and Steve Evans Jane and Andrew Evans II Ray and Bettijune Fanning Dr. and Mrs. Steven Farber Mary Farrington-Lorch and Martin Lorch Bela Patel Fernandez and Miguel Fernandez Phyllis and Jack Finney For Those Without A Voice Christina Forest Kyla and Michael Garrison Vicki Gibbons Carole and Ronnie Gilbert Mrs. Saul Ginsberg Neil G. Giuliano Ed Grabowski John and Deanne Greco Kimberly and John Grubb Joan and Al Gudriks and Mary and Dan Stamp Gretchen and Jim Haahr D. Hall, PhD Jennifer and Stuart Hetrick Beth and Bill Hicks Tim and Katie Hill Jacki and Charles Hoagland Andrea and Herbert Hodes Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen and Greg Kroening Christine Hughes Tara and Nikhil Iyengar Jaburg and Wilk, P.C. Bonnie and William Jaeger Kim Jameson and Jon Ann Hockersmith Colleen Jennings-Roggensack and Dr. Kurt Roggensack* Dr. Lyndy Jones Peggy R. Joslin and Nicholas Joslin Jane and Tom Joynt Jeffrey S. Kay, MD and Deborah L. Kay, Arizona Glaucoma Specialists Rosey and Justin Kerchal Brad Kerr Norman and Teresa Klein Family Stacy and Alan Klibanoff* VOLUME 30 | 2021

ASU Gammage VIP Donor Club continued Lawrence and Margo Kowal Michelle Laiss-Lipner Patricia and Mark Landay Aaron and Brenda LaTowsky Machrina and Dale Leach* Kathy and Albert Leffler Edward and Emily Lesser Herb and Nancy Lienenbrugger Regan and Rigo Lopez Evelyn and John Lucking Keli and Kurt Luther Bonnie Maffi, Julia Burke, Nancy Singer and Marci Symington Kristen and Doug Magnuson Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Mandell Dr. Celia Maneri Marketline Mortgage Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Marotta Carrie Matteson and Michel Gareau Steve and Rhonda Maun Cathy Mazur Leslie McDonnell In Memory of Jack McDonnell Kasia and Patrick McPhilomy Bruce Meyerson and Mary Ellen Simonson Kathleen A. Mickle and Karen B. Roth Paulette and Michael Miller John and Christine Minch John and Angela Misner Lina and Raymond Mogensen Kathleen and Barry Monheit Larry and Virginia Morrison Teresa and James Mortensen Loraine and Jim Mottern Dawn and John Mulligan Rafael and Mary Munoz Christine and Frank Nechvatal Dick and Jane Neuheisel Karen Nordstrand Diane and Steve Norris Linda and Kevin Olson R.G. Olson PhD and Peggy Steele Mr. and Mrs. Enrique Ortega Barbara and Donald Ottosen PRM Association Management Frank and Ginny Palamara Leah Pallin-Hill and Bryan Hill Papp Family Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Donald Patterson Arthur and Linda Pelberg Pat Piazza Jennifer and Noah Plumb MaryLee and Glen Poole Practice Strategies The Prygocki Family Susan and Mike Pucelik Dr. Coral Quiet and 21

Mr. Jerry Weinberg Dr. Carolyn Ragatz and Mr. Phillip Ragatz Juliet Rains Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Rawlings Linda and Chuck Redman Kristina Reese In Memory of Angela Renedo Jeff and Leslie Rich Keri and Steven Richardson Dr. Lynn Robershotte and Bryce Franz John, Dee and Paul Rogers Larry and Lisa Rogoff Mario Trejo Romero and G. Lewis Penrose Mitchell and Heather Ross Dr. Kyle Rowland Norm and Pam Saba Judy and Harold Samloff Bryan and Katherine Sandler and Janis Merrill Dr. Joel Schein and Dr. Diana Laulainen-Schein Ellen and Paul Schifman Lyrna and Michael Schoon Ursula and Rick Schultz Jesse and Jennifer Schwarz Tamara Scrivner and Bill and Kathy Aichele Mr. and Mrs. Danny Sharaby/ Tickets Unlimited Michele Shipitofsky and Eric Rosenberg Suzanne and Jay Simon Jeffrey and Deborah Smith Chris and Adela Sommer Spracale Family Frances and Unni Sreekumar Dr. Cheri St. Arnauld Dr. Barry and Judith Stern Morgan Stewart and Barbara Page Alan Stoff Jennifer and Tim Storey Cheryl Sucato Donald Tapia Brinley Thomas and Charles Bentley Laurie Topping, Janet Rocheleau and Laurie Kaptur Carol Toy Violet Toy and Betsy Toy Yee Mollie C. Trivers Kerry Turner Mark and Lynn Vanderlinde/ VRealty Advisors Veteran Tickets Foundation John and Katie Wahlman Dale and Sheryl Wanek

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Col. Alexander Warschaw Leesa and George Weisz Gary and Kristi West Jana and Mark Wilcke* Todd and Tammy Wilkening Daryl and Karly Williams Chris Wuerz Greg Yagi and Alan Paulson Ray and Sue York Martha Scales Zachary In Loving Memory of Charlie Zarrelli* Barbara and Barry Zemel

Directors Club Brian and Paula Aleksa Howard and Wendy Allenberg Jennifer, Zoe and Dustin Anderson Anonymous Louraine Arkfeld Christine and Rocky Armfield Karen and Bob Armknecht Char and Alan Augenstein James and Sandra Bach Monica Baird Jim Barash and Dr. Tamar Gottfried Anthony and Scott Barshay Lory Baraz and Robert Zucker Mary and Scot Benefiel Chris and Dana Benner Catherine and Chris Bergeron Gina and Gregory Berman E.M. Berry Michelle and David Bianchi Scot and Dawn Bingman Suzanne and David Black Kelley, John and Justin Bonowski Melissa and Jonathan Boyd Michael and Sarah Braun Elna M. Brown Patti and Rick Brown Mr. and Mrs. Steve Byers Cathy and John Calhoun Elaine and Paul Campbell Dr. Caroline Carney and Mr. Nick Adamakis Kent Cattani Dr. David and Mrs. Georgiana Cave Kelly and Sinae Christensen Kathryn A. Christmann Christopher Coffer Dr. and Mrs. Lance Cohen Heidi Cox and Tracey Bryce

Rebecca and Jon Crawford Carl J. Cross Eileen Curtin Marisa and Kerwin Danley Diane and Phil Daspit Bette DeGraw Drs. Fred and Suzie DePrez Brenda and Gary Deutsch Donna Dichiaro In Memory of Bob Dichiaro Dilemma Hair Salon Michael and Julie Dillon Karen and David Divine Janice Donnelly and John King Matthew and Terra Duke Cheryl Eames Jim Edmonds Nancy and Dave Edwards Elite Cleaners Lou and Rick Ender Christine English and Lenard Hailey Jody Epperson Edward Evans Dino and Linda Farfante Dr. Allen W. Flores Dr. Cynthia Foss Sandra J. Fromm Mimi and Sandford Furman Marybeth and Jimmy Garrett Barbara and Gregory Geidel Dr. Philip E. and Roseann M. Geiger Dr. and Mrs. Peter Giovan Joe and Helen Goldblatt Vicki Greener Gary and Jacque Griffith Lani and Scott Grone Jill and Jim Gruler Brent M. Gunderson Hunter Hammond and Matthew Scarnecchia Alan and Anita Handelsman Lynlie and Myron Hansen Diane Harrison Monique and Caroline Harrison Dottie and Mark Harshbarger Nora and Tim Hart Marilyn and Paul Harter Col. and Mrs. Paul Harwood Larmon and Linda Haugen Hensley Beverage Company Dr. Maria L. Hesse Jill and Alan Hieb Blake and Kristina Honiotes Christopher and Judy Hossack Thomas P. Houlihan Dr. Scott Howell and Mr. Sean Smith Teresa and Darrel Huish

Jacob Huston and Sydney Schiefer The Till Hutchison Family Nancy and Jeffrey Jacobs Dr. and Mrs. Ron Jenks Sandra Johnson In Memory of Steven R. Jonas Katherine Kaarle Shari and Irwin Kanefsky Elaine Karcher Rona and Allan Kasen Brian and Theresa Katz Casey and Clara Khaleesi Terri and George Kief Jo Krueger Shirley Kruger Mary and Dave Kurrasch Dr. Robert R. Kuske, Jr. Cheryl Laurent David Ledbetter Susan and Brian Lee Barbara and Don Leffler Katie and Mark Leinweber Patty and Matthew Lernor Sara and Salvatore Lettieri Patricia and Paul Lewis Fuyu Lin and Samuel Anderson Lisa Loo LOWY’s Tax Planning & Accounting, PLLC Sharon Lytle-Breen Jane Maienschein and Richard Creath Suzan Makaus John Martell and Cathy Thuringer Lindsay and Morgan Mathie Ms. Michelle Matiski and Dr. Alan Snyder Marilyn and Mark McCall Celia and Kent McClelland Laurie and James McDonald Robbyn McDowell Karri and Joseph McInerney Dr. Geoffrey McKinzie and Tabitha McKinzie Tamara and Ian McLeod Azar Mehdizadeh and Justin Reynolds John Mertens and Kim Cantor Mary and Kurt Meyer In Memory of J. Eric Miller Ariana and Daniel Mormino Kathryn Morrison Vicki and Neil Motzkin Angela and Jesus Navarro Emily and Cory Nelson Debbie and Jim Nixon Suzanne O’Hara In Memory of Cindy Olstein

Shannon Olwine and Mohit Mehta Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Opila Jill Ormond & Jay Kramer Darcy and Mark Ortiz Valerie and Gregory Patten Pam Peacock – Superior Real Estate Services Maryellen and Mark Pendleton Suzie and David Perkinson Cynthia Pino Hari Puri Carol and Gregory Rath Dean Rennell Rebecca P. Ripley and Tara Ripley Swinehart Sharon and James Robbins Russell A. Robbins Chad Robert Mr. and Mr. Stanley Roberts Dr. and Mrs. Jeff Rockow Theresa and Rene Romero Dr. Kristine Romine|KRMD Advanced Medical Skin Care Rosedale Hair Design Mark and Dena Ross Richard Ross Kent and Mira Rossman Julie and Joseph Russomanno Beth Saiki-Olsen and Morgan Olsen Chloe Saleeby and Kevin Saleeby Jeffrey P. Salomone, M.D. Sherilyn and Joseph Sandor Mark Schiavoni Mr. and Mrs. Jim Schillaci Katherine and Bryan Schlueter Katherine and Randall Schmidt Paul and Jan Schrage Janiece and Tom Schubert John and Rachel Schurz Ken Schutz and Craig Thatcher Christa and Donald Scott Elisa Segal and Max and Molly Mashal Judy Sera-Windell and Robert Windell Nelma and Jim Shearer Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Sheinin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sherman Carolyn and William Shine III Connie and Darin Shryock Martin L. Shultz Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Smith Jared and Linzie Smith Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Stein Katherine and Mark Strumpf John and Monica Suriano Toby Teret Taylor Carla and Gary Tenney

Karen Thorn Kartika and Eric Thornbrew Dr. Susan Thrasher and Dr. Charles Schwartz Deborah and Wilbur Troutman Zeena Ubogy M.D. and Millard Thaler M.D./Papillon Cosmetic Dermatology Center Steven Urke Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Vance Dr. Robert and Julia Wacloff Colleen Smith Walters and Dave Walters Doug Walters Phyl Wason Suzanne and Craig Weaver Mr. and Mrs. David Weinberg Jolene and Harv Weisblat Robert Whyte Dr. Brian and Dawn Williams Doris and Duly Winkler Suanne Woo Brigid Wright and John Patton Christopher Zachar Joseph Zavislak

Supporting Members Donna and Kirk Anderson Anonymous Harrison and Laura Bachrach Ross and Shirley Berg Kevin Bingham Janet Bioletto Neva and Jim Bochenek Judy and Charles Boehmer Adam Bowman Melanie and Patrick Burm Stephanie and Brad Butler James Carlson Kim Carroll and Sherri Shimansky Ann Chafoulias Mary Eldridge Patricia Fimbres Friedel Family Foundation Shanna Gallo Nick Ginsberg Sarah and Brad Glenn Robin Greeson Antonio Hernandez Kimberly and Dale Hopely, Jr. William Hosking Michelle Louise Johnson Karen J. Killoren Survivors Trust Sue Klein Kurt Kleinman Eve and Jim Morse

Pam and Gary Passey Ed Pattermann Timbra and Kevin Peace Marliese and Glen Reeves Alison and David Riddiford Karen and John Runberg Dr. and Mrs. John Schuh Jacob Schwarz Vicki and Tom Taradash Dr. Jerome and Dr. Selma E. Targovnik Deidra Viberg VIP Tours of New York LLC Yubeta Family

Contributing Members Ted Allmon Teresa Amabisca Aaron Becker Pam and Jeff Bell Susan and Richard Bookspan George and Mary Ann Bradbury Jenna Bradford and Paul Garcia In Memory of Jewel Burdsal Mary and Ray Byke Burton Cagen PC Michele F. Davis Rhonda Elifritz-Rix Justin Fernstrom Rhonda Fournier Heather and Ike Fuentes Megan Gailey Kevin Gallegos The Garman Family Alyssa Ann Goldstein Maren and Kevin Hanson Kristine Harnden Helen Heisler Elaine and George Heredia Prof. Stanlie James William and Linda Langer Julie and Gregory Massoud Kris Mietzner Brian Mosqueda Amanda and Jeff Murphy Beverly Naig Ronald Nelson Kathy and Dwight Peters Marilyn Poole Jeff Reinhart Nathalie Rennell Suzanne Rinker Kaijene Roberts Virginia Savage Dee Dee Sides In Memory of Judith Signeski Raj Sivananthan

Jill Skelton Daniel L. Smith Leslie Standerfer Orin and Mary Svarc Sherri Tanis Jo Taulbee-Flittie Patricia Taylor John Eric Thomas and Dr. John Migliaro JoAn Tonniges and Janet Dixon Adriana Trigiani and Tim Stephenson Celia Vasfaret Janet Vasiliauskas Jo and Don Wilson Darcey Winterland and Blake Bulloch Meg and Jim Wolfe ASU Gammage wishes to thank the hundreds of donors who are not listed due to space limitations.

VOLUME 30 | 2021

PO Box 870205 Tempe, AZ 85287-0205 480-965-5062 asugammage.com

The curtain is rising. Support ASU Gammage as we Return to the

STAGE ASU Gammage Recovery Fund