Expression Winter 2006 by Debra Falzoi

Expression WINTER 2006

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF EMERSON COLLEGE

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so funny about Emerson College

How a little college of communication has spawned generations of world-renowned comedians

Captive Audiences

Commercial products show up in film and television with growing frequency

Expression

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF EMERSON COLLEGE

WINTER 2006

Campus Digest

Harry Belafonte visits campus, Huges named V.P., and more

Two Truths and a Lie

Play the game – Emerson-style!

Captive Audiences

Commercial products show up in films and television with growing frequency

What’s so funny about Emerson College

How a little college of communication has spawned generations of worldrenowned comedians

Notable Expressions

A compendium of alumni accomplishments

Alumni Digest

Photo coverage of alumni events from around the country

Class Notes

Read the news about your classmates

Costume Design

Photo essay

Profiles of Alumni

Fascinating graduates

My Turn

A professor prescribes a media ‘fast’

Expression is published three times a year (fall, winter and spring) for alumni and friends of Emerson College by the Office of Public Affairs (David Rosen, Vice President) in conjunction with the Department of Institutional Advancement and the Office of Alumni Relations (Barbara Rutberg ’68, Director).

Office Of Public Affairs public_affairs@emerson.edu 617-824-8540 fax 617-824-8916

The Nation’s First Comedy Archives is Established at Emerson Comedians from the early TV generation up to today are participating in the College’s Comedy Archives. Comedian Bill Dana ’50 is leading the effort. Approximately 50 comedians have already been interviewed. Top row: Bill Dana (right) and Pat Harrington on The Steve Allen Show; Dana and Louis Nye; Don Knotts; (middle row) Betty White, Jonathan Winters, George Schlatter and Dana; Jenni Matz (Archives project manager) and Tom Poston; (bottom row) Fred Willard and Dana.

Expression Executive Editor David Rosen Editor Rhea Becker Writer Christopher Hennessy Editorial Assistant Catherine Sheffield

Office Of Alumni Relations alumni@emerson.edu 800-255-4259 617-824-8535 fax 617-824-7807

Memory Lane

In This Issue

Hughes appointed VP and general counsel

Laugh Factory This academic year marks the 30th anniversary of the venerable Emerson Comedy Workshop (ECW), a group that boasts alumni like Denis Leary and Mario Cantone (see the cover story of this issue). But before ECW started a comedy revolution at Emerson, there was once a smaller group called The

Extinction Agency (see photo). Formed in September 1975, The Extinction Agency was an Emerson student troupe that incorporated dance, music, film, mime and animation into their original stage shows. An observer noted that their “repertoire embraces a wide range of imaginative and irreverent topics, from skits on Bigfoot to ‘Metaphor Corner’– a poet’s game show in which Robert Frost and Ernest Hemingway engage in verbal CORRECTION In a timeline accompanying the story in the last issue on the 125th anniversary of the College, we published an incorrect date: Radio station WERS was licensed in 1949. Expression Winter 2006

Campus Digest

swordplay; from a vaudeville portrayal of Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford as bumbling song and dance men to a ‘This is Your Life’ spoof starring God as the special guest in which Moses, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, et al., join their Father for a stroll down mankind’s memory lane.” The group produced a few stage performances and WERS-FM radio shows using their own funds until they received Student Government support, which enabled them to grow. With new funding came a new name: Emerson Comedy Workshop. The Workshop, in its early days, would perform three shows annually, each lasting a couple of hours, including the popular “Beer and Laughs” night, according to a 1995 Berkeley Beacon retrospective on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Workshop. Founders of The Extinction Agency included John Baltzer, Jodi Haffner, Denis Leary, Dave Whiteman, Eddie Brill, Chris Phillips and Adam Roth. When the Workshop was formed, they were joined by Katy Bolger, Jim Dunn, Bob Flood, Chris Goldsmith, Matt Shannon, “and at least another seven who have been lost to history,” according to the Beacon. The “second generation” of ECW performers, who took the reins when the original members graduated, included Mario Cantone, Rob Massie and John Serrano. With half of the members gone, ECW held auditions: out of 75 performers, they chose eight. Some of those not selected formed another longstanding troupe, This is Pathetic, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this academic year.

You know their faces. You know their names. They’ve made you laugh. And they’re all Emerson alumni. Have you ever wondered how Emerson has produced so many Alist stand-ups, comedic actors, writers and producers? See this issue’s cover story and read about alumni like Denis Leary, Steven Wright, Jennifer Coolidge, Henry Winkler, Anthony Clark, Laura Kightlinger and many others. They recall their time as campus clowns and toss out a few theories as to why ‘Emerson’ and ‘comedy’ have become synonymous. Next, we give new meaning to the phrase “captive audience” by taking a look at the growing trend of product placements in films and television. You’ve seen them – the protagonist of a film drinks from a can of Coke, not a generic soda pop. Now learn how product placement is affecting the film, TV, and advertising industries. Think you’re good at catching people in a lie. Try our fun feature “Two Truths and a Lie” and see how good your knowledge of Emerson people, places and history is. Of course, don’t miss the profiles of alumni, the class notes section, and lots of great color photos from front to back. Enjoy!

Christine Hughes, who has served as the College’s general counsel since June 2004, has been promoted to vice president and general counsel and given added supervisory responsibilities, President Liebergott has announced. As general counsel, Hughes has been responsible for all legal matters, including those related to litigation, governance, employment and labor relations, legal and regulatory compliance, intellectual property, business contracts, taxes, gifts and bequests, real estate, construction, financial management and investments.

In her new role, she has taken on the added responsibility of managing the College’s Human Resources and Public Safety departments. “Christine came to Emerson with a wealth of experience that has served the College well,” Liebergott said. “Her sound judgment, combined with her legal experience and ability to work collegially with people throughout the College, are valuable assets.” Before coming to Emerson, Hughes served as general counsel at University of Washington in Seattle, as a staff attorney at Harvard University and as general counsel for the New England

Christine Hughes

Legal Foundation. She currently co-chairs the college and university section of the Boston Bar Association. Hughes is a graduate of Dartmouth College and earned her law degree at University of Virginia Law School. Prior to entering the field of higher education, she was a partner at Hale and Dorr LLP and an associate at Goodwin Proctor LLP.

Belafonte gives talk on campus The legendary musician, humanitarian and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte urged some 500 Emerson College students, faculty, staff and friends to

–Rhea Becker, editor

Expression welcomes short letters to the editor on topics covered in the magazine. The editor will select a representative sample of letters to publish and reserves the right to edit copy for style and length. Send letters to: Editor, Expression, Office of Public Affairs, Emerson College, 120 Boylston St., Boston MA 02116-4624; public_affairs@emerson.edu.

Mylott named VP for institutional advancement

From left, Kerry Herlihy Sullivan of Bank of America; Emerson’s William S. Smith; Emerson President Jacqueline Liebgergott; and Belafonte.

“embrace diversity” in their work and in their lives, when he came to campus on Dec 2. Despite what he termed a “legacy of brutality, alienation and conquest” in America, Belafonte said he is optimistic that the nation will learn ”to take pride in the great diversity of our people, and this gives me great hope for the future.” Belafonte made the remarks at the Cutler Majestic Theatre as the second Balfour Distinguished Speaker on Diversity in the Communication Industries. The lectureship is sponsored by the College’s

Center for Diversity in the Communication Industry, which is funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. Calling communication and the arts “the most powerful forces in the world,” he said, “Communication shapes what we think….” He credited the power of television with exposing the brutality and inequality of segregation in America. Belafonte’s distinguished career spans motion pictures, television, Broadway, recordings and concerts.

Sherri Givens Mylott, former vice president for development at Bennington College in Vermont, has been named vice president for institutional advancement at Emerson College. The announcement was made by President Jacqueline Liebergott, who cited Mylott’s successful track record in fund raising and alumni relations at Syracuse University and The College of William and Mary as well as at Bennington. A graduate of The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., Mylott holds a master of public administration degree in human resource management from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. In 1999, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) presented Mylott with a “Most Improved Fundraising Award” in recognition of her efforts to strengthen the development program at Bennington. In 1994, Mylott received CASE’s “Grand Gold Award for Overall Alumni Programming” at William and Mary. Alumni Relations Director Barbara Rutberg served as acting vice president for Institutional Advancement as well for the past year. She has been promoted to associate vice president for Institutional Advancement. She will maintain her title as director of Alumni Relations.

Expression Winter 2006

Two Truths and a Lie By Rhea Becker and Christopher Hennessy

A popular game played at parties, Two Truths and a Lie invites players to guess which of three statements offered up by their friends is a lie. Here, we plumb Emerson’s rich

history, people and places to create Expression’s own version of the game. Many of the questions and answers will not only take you back to your days on campus, but you’re likely to learn something about Emerson you never knew.

College founder Charles Wesley Emerson in explaining the purpose of his school in 1880, claimed he could cure a ‘sore throat’ by teaching a speaker how to use his or her voice correctly invited radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi to build an early radio station in the College’s first quarters studied for a law degree before ditching those plans to pursue the field of oratory

Although Emerson and Marconi lived at the same time, they never met to plan a radio station. In fact, in 1903 – the year Charles Wesley Emerson died – Marconi’s radio station in Wellfleet, Mass., carried an exchange of greetings between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII, but regular radio broadcasting was still many years off.

Charles Wesley Emerson was the grandson of philosopher/poet Ralph Waldo Emerson had fragile health in his younger years. He returned himself to good health by following a system of physical culture that he perfected, and then taught at his college was an advocate of a unique ‘Emerson College Health Girdle’, a corset designed to ‘allow perfect freedom to every muscle in the trunk of the body’

Many people erroneously believe that Emerson College is named after Transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo, but there is no connection. Charles Wesley did, however, have his own philosophies – about the health of the body – which were entirely unique.

Samuel D. Robbins, who once taught at Emerson, was world-famous for his ability to speak more than 20 languages was one of the fathers of modern speech therapy is the namesake of a clinic at Emerson that has borne his name for more than 50 years

Robbins made a huge impact – but 20 languages? Nope. However, Robbins cofounded the American Speech and Hearing Association and was chair of the College’s Speech Pathology and Audiology Department from 1936 to 1953. Today, Emerson’s communication sciences and disorders program is recognized nationwide.

Emerson College once sponsored a summer school on Martha’s Vineyard purchased a 12thcentury castle in the Netherlands was relocated briefly to Worcester during World War I to free up space needed by the military

At one time, Emerson College considered taking up residence in Lawrence, Mass., but never Worcester. The College does, indeed, own a castle in the Netherlands.

Professor June ‘Mama’ Hamblin Mitchell uttered her very first words near Revere Beach, Mass., where she grew up was a devotee of Christian Science ran a small taxidermy business in her spare time

Mitchell, the popular speech professor who spent 37 years on the Emerson faculty, may have been an occasional cut-up in class, but she never dissected dead animals and stuffed them.

Expression Winter 2006

Former Emerson President Godfrey Dewey

Former College President S. Justus McKinley

Leo Nickole, longtime performing arts faculty member,

Longtime athletics director Jim Peckham

designed ski jumps in his spare time and was involved in the 1932 Olympic Winter Games in New York

sent a letter to students in 1954 demanding that they adhere to a dress code

mentored the likes of Henry Winkler ’67 and Joely Fisher

coached the U.S. wrestling team at the 1976 Olympics

had a private shower installed in his office to avoid rushing home before evening engagements

adored Indian pudding and directed the dining hall staff to serve it at every meal

directed nearly 50 spring musicals at the College

broke his collarbone nine times during his wrestling days

is a close friend of the Dalai Lama

was ahead of his time, having grown up a vegetarian

deserted his office when the College fell on hard financial times

While each of these answers seems equally implausible, number two is the whopper. Had it been true, it might have helped explain the College’s financial woes at the time.

addressed two serious academic problems at the College – widespread cheating and poor class attendance

While McKinley faced his share of challenges during his presidency, dining hall offerings were not part of his agenda.

Expression Winter 2006

Leo Nickole is not even a passing acquaintance of the Dalai Lama.

Even for a wrestler, nine collarbone injuries is excessive.

The work of Emerson alumni has been recognized with many awards, including Emmys, Tonys and Academy Awards Emmys, Tonys and Pulitzer Prizes Emmys, Tonys and Fulbrights

While Emerson isn’t hurting for major awards, no alumnus has yet won a Pulitzer.

Modern-day Emerson has known beauty, having produced no fewer than a half-dozen Miss America and Miss U.S.A. contenders Major soap opera stars Male supermodels

Emersonians have, indeed, won the Miss Massachusetts and Miss New Hampshire titles and even first runner-up in the Miss U.S.A. pageant. And many alumni have appeared on some of the most popular daytime dramas. But male supermodels? Sorry.

The Tufte Center, the first completely new building Emerson has constructed, was named after the in-laws of a former Emerson president built using technology developed by NASA engineers built in a space that is bounded on all sides by other buildings

The Tufte Center might appear spaceage with its gleaming steel and glass façade and shifting colored lights at night, but NASA was never involved.

The glamorous annual EVVY awards ceremony uses the same red carpet that has been used each year since the first show in 1981 has garnered major press and has won two National Telly medals has bestowed awards upon Denis Leary ’79, Henry Winkler ’67 and Friends producer Kevin Bright ’76

While the EVVYS is certainly a red-carpet event, now held at the beautifully renovated Cutler Majestic Theatre, no red carpet is rolled out on the night of the event.

Over the years, student comedy groups have been named Swolen Monkey Showcase, .. Lauph, and Hyena This is Pathetic, Emerson Comedy Workshop and Jimmy’s Traveling All Stars

Emerson alumni are the people behind such works as The Rotten Ralph children’s books The Nancy Drew mystery series The Furby doll

Rhinos Gone Bad, The Ha Ha’s, and the Emerson Comedic Sketch Stars

Emerson students have come up with some pretty original names for their comedy troupes, but Rhinos Gone Bad, The Ha Ha’s, and the Emerson Comedic Sketch Stars are not among them.

Emerson College is mentioned in the Nancy Drew series, but it’s a fictitious college. Alum Jack Gantos ’76, MA ’84, however, does write the Rotten Ralph books and alum Richard C. Levy ’68 created the smash-hit toy Furby. E

Expression Winter 2006

carlett and Rhett confront each other on the doorstep of the sprawling estate.

Scarlett’s voice cracks with emotion. “Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?” Rhett wearily regards her. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Whereupon Rhett climbs into a Ford Explorer, lights a Marlboro, swigs a Diet Pepsi, and rolls past a Burger King into the fog. Farfetched? Maybe. But if Gone With the Wind were remade today, the scene could conceivably be played just like this.

Captive Audiences by Rhea Becker

Surely, you’ve noticed it. You’re watching your favorite television program when a can of Coke or a Mac computer appears onscreen, long enough for you to recognize the products’ familiar logos. These kinds of appearances in film and television are known as ‘product placements’, the integration of advertising into entertainment, a vehicle that is fast becoming a life preserver for advertisers confronting the growing problem of how to get their message across in an ever more fragmented and oversaturated media environment. By placing an advertising message within a film, game or television show, it can reach a wider audience than ever. Marketers and advertisers are taking a lot of hits today. The costs of film production have risen astronomically, so a growing number of producers have opted to take on corporate ‘partners’ who help pay the costs of production in exchange for exposure of their products in the finished work. Television viewers can now use TiVo or similar devices to view programs while bypassing the commercials. “The days when an advertiser on a network TV station could reach millions of viewers are over,” says Mark Malinowski ’87, senior vice president and director of the New York Brand Marketing Practice at Ketchum, a leading public relations agency whose clients include Kodak, Absolut and Best Buy. “The 30- and 60-second ads are going away.” While TV advertising has not drawn its last breath, spending on TV commercials is plummeting. Procter & Gamble, arguably the most influential advertising powerhouse in the country, announced plans last year to cut its $2.5 billion TV advertising budget by 25% on cable TV and 5% on broadcast networks. “The media landscape is really changing,” says Malinowski. “It’s hard work now to reach consumers. Marketers are scratching their heads trying to figure it out.”

More than 500,000 households use TiVO-style personal video recorders, which allow viewers to skip commercials, and a recent study shows that 72.3% of the time the viewers are doing just that. As a result of this and other forces, product placement is enjoying enormous popularity among marketers. The number of placements on network TV shows rose 27 percent during the first quarter of 2005, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. By the end of 2005, product placement was predicted to reach about $4.25 billion, according to PQ Media, a 23% surge from a year earlier. The proliferation of cable broadcasting has helped draw viewers away from the networks. “In the old days, it was all mass marketing,” says Malinowski. “Today, there are a lot more cable channels. You have to know who you are trying to reach, and you can be very specific.” Doug Quintal, lecturer in marketing communication at Emerson, concurs: “Advertisers are re-proportioning their traditional budgets to be more cable-inclusive. Cable viewers as an aggregate outnumber the broadcast audience as an aggregate.” But Quintal recognizes the uncertainty that advertisers and marketers still feel in a changing environment: “A lot of it is really just shooting from the hip – however you can get the message out.” Another fact that makes advertisers queasy is the new attitude that many viewers possess. “Consumers, especially the younger generation, are skeptical about commercials,” says Seounmi Han Youn, assistant professor of marketing communication at Emerson. “They don’t want to be invaded by commercials.” The solution, for now at least, is product placement. “With product placement, you have to watch,” says Youn. “There’s no way you can stay away from the brand or product. This is the reason advertisers are so excited about using it.”

Herbie: Fully Loaded featured Goodyear tires, ESPN and Tropicana orange juice.

Universal

ncy requ e rowi ng f levis io n w ith g nd te ms a in fil duct s sho w up l pro ercia Com m

After Reese’s Pieces appeared in the plot of the 1982 film E.T., sales of the fairly new candy hit the stratosphere.

Adidas athletic shoes appeared in the film Monster-in-Law. NBC Universal

The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump, features product placements for American Eagle and Domino’s Pizza.

Among the products featured in The Dukes of Hazzard, for example, are: Beefeater Gin, BF Goodrich, Bombay Sapphire, Budweiser, Busch, Cadillac, Castrol, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Dickies, Die-Hard, Dodge, Doritos, Dos Equis, Ecko, Ford Mustang, Gumout, Jeep, Komatsu, Levi’s, Lexus, Lowenbrau, Mack, Maker’s Mark, Miller, Motorola, Nike, Nissan, Outback Steakhouse, Pabst, Ray-Ban, Schlitz, Sharp, Tabasco, Tonka, Viagra, Volvo, Yahoo! and Zippo. For film producers these days, a publication like The Top 100 Branded Entertainment Opportunities in 2006 is a must-read. This particular guidebook promises to aid those who want to integrate products into “the next big hit” and “successfully navigate the branded entertainment marketplace.” In addition, entire new agencies have been created to acquire or create scripts with product placement as the top priority. And now a word from our sponsor In the world of television, where do the majority of product placements show up? Reality TV, of course. Eight of the top 10 television programs featuring the most product placements last year were reality shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, American Idol and The Apprentice. Emerson’s Quintal describes a typical episode of the hit Bravo program Queer Eye: “They refurbish somebody’s house and they say, ‘We used this line of furniture and we’re going to change your wardrobe, and here’s a great pair of Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses or Giorgio Armani cologne, this Ralph Lauren shirt.’ They even editorialize about the benefits of the products.

These people are seen as experts in personal and home makeovers, so you trust their judgment, much the way you would read a product review or consumer report. It’s more effective than a commercial.” Business Week Online calls Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “probably the best example of appropriate product placement on the air today.” Some 15 million people watch the show weekly. According to The Hollywood Reporter, all the production costs of NBC’s The Restaurant were paid for by the show’s three main sponsors – American Express, Mitsubishi Motors and Coors Brewing. The single product that led the way on TV was Coca-Cola, appearing nearly 2,000 times on U.S. television shows in the first quarter of 2005 alone, almost as many times as it did in all of last year, Bloomberg News reports. ‘I object!’ A growing number of TV and film writers are feeling confined by requirements to incorporate products into their scripts. “It’s become more and more de rigueur that we’re asked to integrate products and brands into television,” said Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America/West (WGA), the TV and film writers’ union, in a recent National Public Radio interview. “Now we’re not just being asked to put a bowl of cereal on the table but to talk about the nutritional value and how delicious that bowl of cereal is. This intrusive process is getting more and more out of hand.” The WGA has argued that product placement practices “hurt [writers’] artistic integrity and that they are not

paid for helping to sell the products.” The group wants to negotiate a code of conduct that includes a disclosure (at the beginning of each film or TV show) of the advertising that has been woven in. Smooth integration of commercial messages is difficult to achieve, however. “You want to be organic,” says Malinowski. “If you do it in a way that’s seamless and that makes sense, then you’ll be a winner for your brand. You can just frustrate the consumer if you don’t do it well.” Emerson’s Youn agrees: “There has to be a perfect match or fit between the story and the product.” But don’t be surprised if the next episode of your favorite TV show involves a Pepsi salesman in an Armani suit who flies to New York on Delta Airlines, rents a Nissan Maxima to drive to Starbucks, where he pops an Altoids mint and makes a call on his Nokia cell phone while waiting for his competition from Coca-Cola to arrive for a business meeting. E

Above: Levi’s jeans were featured in all of the major advertising for the film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Below: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is a widly popular reality television show that incorporates multiple product placements.

ABC TV

Heineken beer appeared on Discovery’s American Casino reality show.

A film-history lesson Some experts claim that product placement is nothing new. “It started with the advent of film,” says Quintal. “Someone smoking a particular cigarette or having something to drink. It wasn’t called product placement, but it has always been there.” Many people point to Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. as a watershed moment for contemporary product placement. In the film, a little girl scatters a then-obscure candy called Reese’s Pieces to lure the film’s extraterrestrial to her. Within two weeks of the movie’s premiere, sales of Reese’s Pieces skyrocketed. “It wasn’t until you got something like E.T. that the full potential of what you can do with product placement became obvious,” says Quintal. Hershey did not pay to have Reese’s Pieces used in E.T., but the company did agree to do a tie-in between the movie and the candy after the film was released. Hershey agreed to promote E.T. with $1 million of advertising; in return, Hershey could use E.T. in its own ads. More recently, the film Cast Away (2000) featured Tom Hanks as a Federal Express executive who finds himself on a deserted isle after a crash landing. To stave off madness, Hanks’ character starts to talk to a volleyball, whom Hanks dubs Wilson, named for Wilson Sporting Goods, the manufacturer of the ball. Just five years later, product placement on the silver screen has exploded. A roster of films made in 2005 burst at the seams with multiple product placements, among them: Herbie: Fully Loaded, Bewitched, Wedding Crashers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Fantastic Four, War of the Worlds, Monster-in-Law, Meet the Fockers, Just Like Heaven and The Dukes of Hazzard.

11 Expression Winter 2006

Wh a so t’s f abo unn Em ut y e Co rso lleg n e

Ho w al itt le co lle ge wo of co rld m -re no has mu wn sp nic ed aw ati co ned on m ed gen ian er ati s o

By C

ist

rH en

ssy

The stand-up explosion

Comedy Central President Doug ew–if any–colleges have reputations Herzog ’81, who went to Emerson with so indelibly linked to the history of Leary and several other comedians who American comedy as Emerson. A long would eventually become stars, reveals line of stand-up comedians, comedic that “throughout my career, when actors, entertainers and comedy I mentioned I went to Emerson, people producers have attended Emerson. Which begs the question: Why Emerson? would say, ‘Did everybody in comedy go to Emerson?’” That reputation What’s is strongly connected to the stand-up so funny about this small private liberal explosion in Boston that began in 1978 arts school in the middle of Beantown? and was led in great part by Emerson Who better to answer that alumni. question than the alums who have In the winter of 1983, Boston earned Emerson its reputation in comedy. Globe writer David Mehegan declared, Emerson has been the starting “In the last five years, Boston has point for stand-up legends Denis Leary become what many people consider the ’79, Jay Leno ’73 and Steven Wright ’78; hottest comedy center in the nation.” TV producers Norman Lear ’44 (All in the Family), Kevin Bright ’76 (Friends) and The documentary film When Stand-up Stood Out (2004), from filmmaker Max Mutchnick ’87 (Will & Grace); and actors like Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show, and comedian Fran Solomita, chronicles the Boston comedy scene in the American Pie, Joey), Henry Winkler ’67 years from ’78 to 1988 – the “biggest (Happy Days); and many others. stand-up explosion ever.” The film Through the intimate memories of features interviews and cameos with their time here, these alumni and others alums Steven Wright, Denis Leary, shed light on the ‘golden era’ of standLauren Dombrowski ’79 (Mad TV), and up in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Mike McDonald ’78. It was a time contemplate the creative atmosphere of when comedy was king and there were their alma mater, muse on the role 450 comedy clubs nationwide at one Boston played in bringing together so time, according to the film. many talented comedians, and reminisce Many Emerson stand-ups from about the professors at Emerson who that era have gone on to enjoy success made a difference. in TV and film. Steven Wright won an Academy Award in 1988 for a short film he made and has appeared in numerous movies and on TV. In 1986 his debut comedy album I Have A Pony earned a Grammy nomination. Emmy nominee Denis Leary currently writes, stars and produces the popular FX show Rescue Me. Eddie Brill ’80 books comedians for The David Letterman Show and tours around the world; Mario Cantone ’82 has had a one-man shown on Broadway and played the memorable character of Anthony Marantino in HBO’s Sex and the City. And everyone knows where Jay Leno ended up. After beginning his career in nightclubs, where he worked 300 nights a year, Leno was named Johnny Carson’s replacement in 1992.

Henry Winkler ’67 (above) and Steven Wright ’78 (below) represent two different generations of Emersonians in comedy.

A Comedy Central special, 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time, included four comedians who attended Emerson: Wright, Leno, Leary and David Cross. “I think there’s no question that the records have shown that that particular era at Emerson was a golden era for comedy,” declares Herzog. At that time two of Emerson’s now-venerable student comedy groups were founded and began to flourish. In 2005, the Emerson Comedy Workshop (ECW) and This is Pathetic celebrated their 30th and 25th anniversaries, respectively. ECW was founded by Brill, Leary and their cohorts. Leary says at the time students who couldn’t get into theater productions were desperate for more stage time. The budding comedians, writers and actors approached the chair of the Writing Department, Jim Randall, for ideas. “He suggested we form a comedy group and that we could get money from Student Government,” recalls Leary. “We thought he was nuts. But, in fact, a month later we had money.” They soon were able, through a lot of hard work, says Brill, to turn Lecture Hall 1 into a comedy performance space. “There would always be sold-out shows,” remembers Herzog, “with this raucous crowd.” (Herzog recalls Mario Cantone doing his famous Julia Child impersonation.) Now, Emerson boasts five comedy groups and two publications.

13 Expression Winter 2006

Express yourself What’s so funny about Emerson? Some say Emerson’s location, which makes it easy for students to get stage time at nearby clubs before moving on to bigger cities. Others believe the school’s small class sizes, hands-on training, and dedicated faculty has something to do with it. Some wonder if it’s simply because Emerson is such a unique and creative place. But nearly all of the comedy alums say when they were at Emerson they were having fun – passionate about making each other laugh, and making friends who have lasted. Brill describes his experience: “We had fun and we loved what we did, and that was the most important thing.” Bent remembers the comedy troupes above all other groups were “the big deal.” He was a member of the group This is Pathetic. “We had these huge followings,” he explains. “We had such a fan base we did continuing sketches, where we would bring back characters.” Young comic Dan Levy ’03, who has hosted two MTV shows and has toured widely, says, “I always tell people that playing on the sports team [at other schools] made you cool. But at Emerson, being part of the comedy troupe is what makes you cool. It’s about who can be the funniest.” Bent agrees: “It’s just talent that guides [who is celebrated] at Emerson. And that’s really different and unique for a school.” Herzog remembers a similar scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s. “The guys who were in [Emerson Comedy Workshop] in those days seemed like rock stars to me.” “Emerson became a place that was pretty well known for its creative environment,” says Howard Lapides ’72, a manager and promoter of major comedians. “Emerson people are hardwired to express themselves, to create, to become showpeople. So the natural thing to happen is that people are going to pop out of Emerson expressing themselves in unique ways.” Recalling professors like Bill Corbett (“an extremely wild kind of teacher”) and Jim Randall in the writing department, Denis Leary explains there

was a feeling that students could express themselves fully. “I did feel like I could say anything or bring up anything,” he explains. For actor-writer-producer Arleen Sorkin ’77, wisecracking professors meant students benefited. “My teachers had a sense of humor,” she recalls. Sorkin believes that “dealing with people with wit and humor and understanding helped sharpen that pencil [of creativity] in your head.” She jokes, “For me, I was just trying to pass. If I could make the teacher laugh, maybe I’d have more of a shot.” All of this led Sorkin to graduate from Emerson “with the confidence that what I could do naturally, I could do well.” Brill believes a confluence of events and people led to the bumper crop of successful alumni from the ’70s and ’80s. “It was a combination of a bunch of really talented, funny people who got together at the same time and also the smallness of Emerson and the creativity that was allowed at the school,” he says. Studying at a small school meant students could enjoy rich participation in student groups and productions. “There were [less than

2,000] students, so you could get handson everything. If you went to NYU or Syracuse or Ithaca at that time to study mass communication, you had to wait till you were a junior to get involved in radio or TV.” Perhaps, Herzog believes, it is the very fact that Emerson isn’t one of those schools. He says, “Emerson’s got a little chip on its shoulder. We’re not Syracuse, Ithaca, USC, NYU. We’re Emerson – ‘yeah, you got a problem with that?’” he jokes. “I think that’s part of the comedic through-line, having a chip on your shoulder, being a little angry.” “Emerson takes in all the black sheep,” offers Clark. “I don’t know why, but it works. It’s a brilliant place. Emerson has such a rich history of art. I wouldn’t want it to become like every other college.” Clark was in the Emerson group This is Pathetic with Laura Kightlinger ’86, Bent and David Cross. (It was Cross who encouraged Clark to try stand-up.) Comedian Bill Burr ’93, who has appeared on Chappelle’s Show and has toured widely, sounds a similar note. continued on page 18

Facing page: Jennifer Coolidge of the TV series Joey and the films Best in Show and the American Pie trilogy; Arleen Sorkin ’77, a TV actor and film writer. Above: Mario Cantone ’82 of Sex and the City fame; Denis Leary ’79 of Rescue Me; Anthony Clark of the sitcom Yes, Dear; and Jay Leno ’73 of The Tonight Show. All of these Emersonians started out in – or continue to perform – live comedy.

NBC Photo: Kevin Foley

NBC Entertainment Photo: Chris Haston

Wright says, “It really exploded in the early ’80s, so it was perfect timing to start because all of a sudden there were so many rooms, so many nights you could play, and you could really develop quickly.” In Boston, at one time, there were four comedy clubs within 150 yards of each other. In the documentary, Wright describes the early years as a time when there was “no showbiz, no managers, agents, producers, or auditions. It was like being on an island, and the only thing there was trying to make the audience laugh.” Michael Bent ’85, who has been performing since he was 16 and who has taught comedy writing at Emerson for about 15 years, also recalls those heady years. He and three other members of This is Pathetic were chosen to appear on an HBO special while still at Emerson. Joe Murphy ’85, Cindy Freeman ’86, John Ennis ’87 and Bent were featured performers on Emerson and the golden age Campus Comedy, hosted by Joe Piscopo. of stand-up The few other colleges represented had only one student or a recent grad One Emerson alum experienced a performing, not the four Emerson meteoric rise into the national spotlight. boasted. “It shows you what it was A vital member of the growing Boston really like at the time,” Bent says. comedy scene, Steven Wright was Another sign of the times was the chosen from an audition room of sheer number of venues open to Boston’s funniest comics as the one aspiring and established comics. person to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1982. The phone “There were a million satellite rooms,” says Bent. “The Comedy Connection at call in which he learned he’d been its peak probably had about a dozen chosen – a call he first thought was a satellite rooms, and they’d all be prank – fulfilled his lifelong dream. packed.” And it put Boston comedy on the map. Adds Anthony Clark ’86 of Yes, What’s more, after his set, Carson Dear (CBS) fame, “All of a sudden they motioned Wright over to “the couch,” a were having Friday night comedy rare compliment for a novice stand-up. nights at a Chinese restaurant on Route Carson also invited him back the very One in Saugus! There were tons of onenext week. nighters. You’d go out and play in Back in Boston, according to the Shrewsbury or Worcester or Springfield, comedians interviewed in When Standfor god’s sake.” up Stood Out, an audience of 200 When cable television began to watched Wright on a TV that had been boom, comedy clubs had to compete set on stage at the Comedy Connection with comedy programming, say alums. comedy club where Wright had “It just got over-saturated,” says Clark of regularly performed. And at the nowthe comedy club scene. Bent recalls, defunct Ding Ho, the legendary “There was a point when every cable Chinese restaurant/comedy club in network had four stand-up comedy Cambridge, about 20 of Wright’s fellow comedians and friends crowded around shows, and I did them all.” He performed on Showtime and on programs a TV in the back room. such as Evening at the Improv and Caroline’s Comedy Hour. 14 Expression Winter 2006

15 Expression Winter 2006

Where is the nation’s only comedy archive? At Emerson, of course Comedian Bill Dana ’50 spearheads effort

he wit and wisdom of America’s greatest comedians deserves to be studied, appreciated, learned from and laughed at, say founders of an exciting new project at Emerson College. Dubbed the American Comedy Archives, it is a first-ofa-kind archive to collect material that will facilitate the exploration of comedy as an authentic American art form.

The core of the collection at present is a series of oral history interviews with a number of the legends of American comedy. Creator of the unforgettable comedic character José Jimenéz, Bill Dana ’50 (pictured below, far left) proposed the project because “comedy itself should be recognized under its own heading for the value it has.” College Archivist Robert Fleming, who is overseeing the project, agrees: “The Archive

reflects Emerson’s view that comedy – as a social, cultural and political phenomenon as well as a form of entertainment – is an underrepresented field of study.” With its emphasis on communication and the arts mixed with its long tradition of successful alumni in comedy, Emerson is the perfect place for a new and innovative comedy

archive, say its organizers. “It’s an ideal project for Emerson because so many of our graduates are comedy trailblazers and have gone on to make significant contributions to American comedy,” says Fleming. “When we sat down to look at the list of alumni in comedy – producers, writers and performers – it was unbelievable.” The archive will give comedy students, scholars and others a place to study the American comedic experience.

The College initiated the project in February 2005. Since then, Dana, whose career in comedy has included his work as head writer for The Steve Allen Show, has worked with Fleming and Project Manager Jenni Matz to launch the effort. Dana and Matz conduct the interviews jointly. Thus far, they have spoken to more than 50 comic luminaries, including Norman Lear

(Emerson Class of ’44), Henry Winkler ’67, Vin Di Bona ’66, Shelley Berman, Phyllis Diller, Don Knotts, Bea Arthur, Betty White and Jonathan Winters. The interviews, which are filmed in their entirety, are just the first phase; the archivists are also collecting scripts, monographs, photographs, audio and video recordings, ephemera, memorabilia, and the personal papers of important figures in comedy.

The Interviews The focus of the interviews is part historical and part educational, says Fleming. “Bill [Dana] always starts out the interviews by saying that this is for the benefit of history but also for the benefit of Emerson students.” Fleming says the educational aspect of the project “really resonates” with the comedians. Topics can include recalling a “big break” and “frank stories about agents, managers and the business of show business,” says Matz. In the sessions, the interviewer always asks, “What do you know at this point in your career that you wish you’d known when

16 Expression Winter 2006

you were starting?” After this question, Fleming says, many of the comedians have remarked that they wish someone had offered them advice and wisdom. Dana suggests a parallel: “Imagine if my generation of aspirants could have accessed Chaplin or Stan Laurel or Oliver Hardy sharing their thoughts on the craft.” Of course the interviews are full of both funny and poignant moments, as the comedians recall old bits and routines and reminisce about their careers. During the interview with Jonathan Winters, Dana asked Winters to act out some characters based on impromptu suggestions from the film crew. “It would be dangerous,” responded Winters with a

twinkle in his eye, before embarking on an impromptu performance that featured a German soldier, a network television executive and a young boy playing in a sandbox, among others. For project manager Matz, there were many similar highlights, for example, when comedian Shecky Greene, who suffered from depression, broke into a song about Prozac set to the tune of “Mister Sandman.” Greene explained he shares everything with his audience, because he knows they can relate.

Comedian Jackie Mason suddenly starts a routine on people who drive expensive cars, Don Knotts recreates his famous “nervous man” character, Tom Poston demonstrates a series of double takes, and Dick Cavett shares his personal anecdotes about people like Johnny Carson, Groucho Marx and Jack Paar. “You never know what’s going to happen!” exclaims Fleming. “These are comedic geniuses, there’s no doubt,” adds Matz. “And they all have reflected deeply on the value of comedy.” Fleming praises the film crews, all of which have been Emerson alumni, for their swift setups, professional demeanor and

creative problem-solving skills. The interviews, most of which take place on the West Coast, are often held in the subject’s home or office. In addition to those named above, interviews have also been conducted with Ed Begley Jr., Lewis Black, Larry Gelbart, Dick Gregory, Charles Grodin, Buck Henry, Louis Nye, Janis Paige, Andy Rooney, George Schlatter, Fred Willard, Dick Van Dyke and Tim Conway. Fleming stresses that the interviews are currently focusing on the generation of comedians who got their start around the advent of network television. Younger generations, including Emerson alumni, will be contacted in the future.

The College, which has provided seed money for the Comedy Archives, is seeking additional support for the project from alumni, friends and the public at large, according to Fleming. To learn more about the American Comedy Archives, visit www. emerson.edu/comedy.

Top row: Buck Henry, Lewis Black and Dana; (2nd row) Dana, Norman Lear ’44, Dana and Jenni Matz (Archives project manager), Bea Arthur, Jack Carter, Dick Cavett, Phyllis Diller, Dana and Matz; (3rd row) Matz and Eddie Brill, Dick Gregory, Dana and Brill; Lewis Black, Dana and Brill, ‘Professor’ Irwin Corey, Howard Storm; (4th row) Jay Sandrich and Hugh Hefner.

17 Expression Winter 2006

A ‘creative incubator’

continued from page 15 “What is it about Emerson? We’re a bunch of freaks. You just get caught up in it. It’s a cool vibe.” If there’s one thing alum Henry Winkler stresses, it’s that Emerson saw a student with potential where other colleges may have seen “a misfit.” He explains, “I think that, with the College being small, it was very supportive of the student who was not necessarily the academic genius, but who was creative. Emerson saw something in me and believed in my potential.”

Promoter Lapides calls Emerson a “creative incubator” where students are nurtured and surrounded by others who think as uniquely as they do. The mix of support and opportunity is another reason, say alums, Emerson has such a vibrant comic legacy. Emerson is a place where young comedians can get the experience and stage time they need. “When I came to Emerson, I already knew I wanted to be a comedian,” says Burr. “But I had to get over my fear of public speaking. So I took every class I could that would involve getting up in front of the class. I did debate, radio, WECB and WERS just to be on the mike.” Levy recalls, “There were so many shows just at Emerson, you could do four shows in one night.” Levy, who was part of the on-campus group Jimmy’s Traveling All-Stars, also said students could create their own opportunities. For example, Levy ran and hosted a show at the Starbucks next to 80 Boylston (an

Emerson residence hall) for about six months. “We’d literally be in the middle of Starbucks, with kids sitting on the floor. And there were some pretty cool people who came through, like Gary Gulman from Last Comic Standing.” Many of the alumni point out that Emerson’s central location in a town where comedy thrives is key. “Boston is such a good community for comedy,” says Brill. “It’s very smart, it’s very highenergy. It’s one of the best towns to start in.” The open-mike nights alone, say alums who started as stand-ups in Boston, allow young comedians to cut their teeth in front of a live audience. Levy performed at Dick Dougherty’s Comedy Vault (just steps from the residence hall at 80 Boylston and a favorite spot for Emersonians) “nearly every single Sunday” he was in Boston from his freshman year to the time he graduated. It was so routine for Levy that he would sign up for a spot on the

roster and then walk back to his dorm room until his time slot. “Sometimes as I waited I would just hang out with other comedians, these 35-year old dudes, in my dorm room,” he recalls. Stand-up comedienne Val Kappa ’00, who also took advantage of the ideal location Emerson enjoys, adds that “being in college makes it easy – you can bring your friends [to the shows]! It was always very easy to get people to go.” In December, both Kappa and Levy appeared on the same episode of Comedy Central’s popular stand-up show Premium Blend, hosted by Damon Wayans. Last but not least, Emersonians

support each other, say grads, both during their years on campus and after. In fact, Emerson now has two awards for graduating seniors: The Joe Murphy ’85 Award ($5,000), and the Jess Ilias Clavelli Award (named in memory of the son of Christopher Clavelli ’83; $1,000). For a recent recipient of the Joe Murphy Award, Erin McGhee ’03, the money enabled her to spend a year in New York where she trained with the top improvisational actors and comedians in the country at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Several alumni point out that Emersonian comedians have always helped each other out. For example, in 1984 Brill started a comedy club in New York City called the Paper Moon and brought in friends like Leary and Cantone. Leary remembers the gig. “Nobody would have put me up at that time,” he says. Leary said his first big break was due in part to an Emerson

connection: Comedy Central President Herzog, who helped start MTV, gave Leary a job on the late-’80s show Remote Control. Perhaps Brill said it best on his own Comedy Central stand-up special: “The one thing about us at Emerson is that we definitely formed a terrific community that’s still as strong today.” E Facing page: Bill Burr ’93 Left: Val Kappa ’00 Below: Eddie Brill ’80

Emerson’s Comedy Honor Roll Emersonians have excelled in every aspect of the comedy business. Among the College’s alumni are comedic actors in TV and film, producers of comedies, comedy writers and others.

Rod Parker ’51, producer of Maude and writer for shows like Empty Nest, Dear John, The Honeymooners and The Dean Martin Comedy Hour.

“There are a lot of Emerson alumni, some you’ve never heard of, who have been fueling this industry and have been the backbone of it, too,” says Howard Lapides ’72, a manager and promoter who has worked with Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla and now manages Tom Green.

producer responsible for America’s Funniest Home Videos, Battle of the Network Stars and numerous other programs.

Here is a roster of some of the alumni (chronological by year of graduation) who have made their mark in comedy:

Norman Lear ’44, legendary

television producer who created All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and Sanford and Son.

Bill Dana ’50, MA ’62, was

head writer for The Steve Allen Show and starred on The Bill Dana Show. He is best known for his comedic character José Jimenéz.

18 Expression Winter 2006

Vin Di Bona ’66, prolific

Henry Winkler ’67, played

Jay Leno ’73 is the Emmy-

winning host of the top-rated Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has been host since 1992.

Kevin Bright ’76, executive-

producer of Friends, for which he won an Emmy. He also produced Veronica’s Closet and Jesse, and currently produces Joey.

Arleen Sorkin ’77, co-writer

the iconic ‘Fonz’ on Happy Days, for which he was nominated for several Emmys. Now also a director, and producer, he currently stars in Out of Practice.

of the Jennifer Aniston film Picture Perfect (1997), co-creator of the TV comedy Fired Up; wrote for Golden Girls, Down Home and Tiny Toons, among numerous other projects.

Andrea Martin ’69, sketch

Mike McDonald ’78 is a

comedy performer in the classic SCTV, winner of a Tony and two writing Emmys. Played memorable comedic roles in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and on numerous TV shows like The Carol Burnett Show and The Martin Short Show.

Howard Lapides ’72, manager and promoter who has worked with Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla and now manages Tom Green.

successful stand-up comedian who has appeared on TV and has toured with the U.S.O., entertaining troops in 40 countries.

Steven Wright ’78 has a

distinctive deadpan stand-up delivery. He won an Academy Award in 1988 for a short film, a Grammy nomination in 1986 for his debut comedy album I Have a Pony, and has appeared in numerous movies and on TV.

Lauren Dombrowski ’79, coexecutive-producer and a writer for Mad TV. Denis Leary ’79 writes, stars and produces the popular FX show Rescue Me, for which he received an Emmy nod for writing. He has also appeared in numerous films, such as Wag the Dog and True Crime. He and fellow alums Chris Phillips and Adam Roth make up the comedy band famous for No Cure for Cancer. Mike Armstrong ’80, head

writer for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, was a writer for The Carol Burnett Show and wrote the screenplays for Two if By Sea and Monument Ave.

Eddie Brill ’80 is the warm-up

comedian and the talent coordinator for comedians on The Late Show with David Letterman. He received the MAC Award for the Best Male Comedian in New York three years in a row and has appeared in over 100 TV shows.

Doug Herzog ’81, president of

Comedy Central, previously president of Fox TV. He helped greenlight shows like Malcolm in the Middle and South Park.

Rochelle Joseph ’81, image consultant and stylist to well-known comedians like Denis Leary and Mario Cantone. Her TV/film credits include Rescue Me, The Job, Comedy Central’s Celebrity Roast and HBO’s Lock ‘n’ Load. Mario Cantone ’82 had his own one-man show on Broadway. On TV, he played the memorable character of Anthony Marantino in HBO’s Sex and the City and he has appeared on Chapelle’s Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and in his own Comedy Central special. John Frink ’82, co-executive-

producer and writer for The Simpsons, for which he has won three Emmys.

Franco Bario ’84, producer

of That ’70s Show, 8 Simple Rules, Grace Under Fire, Living with Fran, and Saved by the Bell.

Jennifer Coolidge*,

comedic actress who has appeared in numerous films, including Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, the American Pie trilogy, and the Legally Blonde movies. She also co-stars in Joey.

Michael Bent ’85 first played

the legendary Ding Ho comedy room as a 16-year-old. He has performed on Showtime and on programs such as Evening at the Improv and Caroline’s Comedy Hour. He performs in Boston and has taught comedy writing at Emerson for 17 years.

David Cross* co-stars in Arrested Development. He has appeared in numerous TV shows (Just Shoot Me and Mr. Show with Bob and David), feature films (Men in Black, Scary Movie 2) and comedy specials. Anthony Clark ’86 is the star

of the CBS hit sitcom Yes, Dear. He previously starred in Boston Common and had a recurring role on Ellen. He has appeared in movies and on Broadway.

Laura Kightlinger ’86 has been a writer and producer for Will & Grace and was on Saturday Night Live. She has appeared in numerous movies and will executive-produce a new comedy for ABC.

Max Mutchnick ’87, Emmywinning creator and executiveproducer of Will & Grace. He also produced Boston Common, Good Morning Miami, and is currently producing Four Kings and Twins.

Bill Daly ’93, writer and producer on the shows 8 Simple Rules and Committed and writer for Three Sisters and The Geena Davis Show. He is producing Four Kings.

John Ennis ’87, actor in a

Eric Drysdale ’93, writer who won four Emmys as a member of the writing team on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He is now writing for The Colbert Report, with Stephen Colbert.

recurring role in Malcolm in the Middle and has appeared in other shows and in films.

Joely Fisher*, actress who

played Paige on Ellen DeGeneres’ show Ellen.

David Flebotte ’89, Emmynominated producer who has worked on The Bernie Mac Show, The Geena Davis Show, Ellen, and The PJ’s. He has also written for Will & Grace. David Alan Basche ’90, actor who has appeared in numerous TV series, including the lead on Three Sisters and Oh Grow Up and in Rescue Me, Frasier, Miss Match, and Ed.

Val Kappa ’00 has appeared on Premium Blend on Comedy Central and has performed standup across the country. She was also the voice of Clarice on Home Movies on the Cartoon Network. Dan Levy ’03, a successful comic, has hosted two MTV shows, has appeared on Comedy Central and will be part of a new TBS comedy show. * attended

Bill Burr ’93 has performed on Chappele’s Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Showtime at the Apollo and in his own HBO special. 19 Expression Winter 2006

Notable Expressions Morgan Page ’03

FILM

TELEVISION

THEATER

Stacy McKee, MFA ’99, story editor for ABC’s hit drama Grey’s Anatomy, wrote the show’s second-season premiere, “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” which was broadcast this fall. The network held the episode over from last spring, because “they wanted to start the season off with a bang,” said McKee.

Right out of Emerson, musi- Adam Alleca ’05 will pen the script for a new movie cal theater graduate Rob to be executive-produced by Morrison ’05 made his prohorror legend Wes Craven. fessional debut at Boston’s Craven/Maddalena films has Lyric Stage as the lead in the “dipped into its discretionmusical Urinetown last fall ary fund” to option Home, and was hailed as “the shining star” of the production in Alleca’s thriller about “a man, fresh out of prison and a Boston Globe profile. Spiro Veloudos ’74, artistic director under provisional house arrest in a cabin in the woods, at the Lyric, directed. At Emwho struggles with his own erson, Morrison starred in delusions,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Rob Morrison ’05 in Urinetown.

everything from the title role in Pippin to the title role in the emotionally challenging Floyd Collins. For his senior honors thesis, he composed 17 songs based on William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and of Experience” and then performed a concert of the songs with a band called the Cropdusters.

Elza Kephart’s (’98) Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse in Love won best feature award at the Boston Underground Film Festival and was later screened as part of a fundraiser for next year’s festival, reports the Boston Globe. The film has screened at festivals internationally. Variety says, “A profound fondness for grade-Z horror pics powers Graveyard Alive, a take-no-prisoners genre parody….Very cleverly made on a minuscule budget, terrific-looking Graveyard Alive should see a healthy life (and after-life?) as a cult and midnight movie.”

“blazing honesty and sublime poignancy.” Harper is an assistant professor of English at Indiana University East.

Writer Coleman Hough ’82 has penned her second screenplay for producer/director Steven Soderbergh. Bubble screened recently at the Toronto Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the New York Film Festival and was recently released in theaters. Bubble tells the story of three ordinary people who work at a toy factory in an Ohio town, as they try to solve a murder mystery. Hough also wrote the Soderbergh-directed feature film Full Frontal.

LITERATURE Chris Lynch, MA ’91, was nominated for the prestigious National Book Award in the category of Young People’s Literature for his novel Inexcusable (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster). He is also the author of Extreme Elvin, Whitechurch and All The Old Haunts.

A book by Abby Ellin, MFA ’95, has been described as a “fresh, frank, and funny look at childhood obesity and its treatment.” The book, Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat Kid Weighs In on Living Large, Losing Weight and How Parents Can (and Can’t) Help (Public Affairs Books), is Ellin’s own story of adolescent struggles with food and weight. Jean Harper, MFA ’91, has published her first memoir, Rose City (Mid-List Press). The book chronicles time spent working in an Indiana greenhouse and flashes back to her complicated past. Booklist praises the book’s

The late MFA ’03 alum Darcy Wakefield’s book I Remember Running (Marlowe and Co.) has been published to rave reviews. Two years ago, Wakefield was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the incurable, progressive neuromuscular degeneration disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and Wakefield’s book chronicles her experiences with the debilitating disease. Before her illness, Wakefield had been an English professor at Southern Maine Community College.

RADIO Ken Johnson ’72 was recently highlighted in Radio & Records, an industry publication. He is currently the urban music format director for Cumulus Broadcasting. He has helped launch stations from Huntsville, Ala., to Houston to the Caribbean. He oversees more than 20 stations in the urban, urban adult contemporary and gospel formats. Patricia Murphy ’96 recently won the National Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) in

the news documentary category for her report “Taming the Snake: IV Drug Use in the Pacific Northwest.” Murphy is a reporter for KUOW (94.9) Public Radio out of Puget Sound, Wash. The report was a three-part series in which Murphy went to the streets of Seattle and Vancouver to meet heroin addicts and those who are trying to help them.

MUSIC Morgan Page ’03 released Cease and Desist, a first-ofits-kind “white label album” which features nine remixes of popular songs. Page says that he decided to make the album after getting “a tremendous reaction” to the mixes from radio DJs, club DJs, and music supervisors. Remixed artists on his CD include Coldplay, David Bowie, Norah Jones, Tegan & Sara, and The Kills. After a string of successful singles for labels like Bedrock, SAW, and Nordic Trax, and a BBC Top 40 hit, Morgan’s music

has been licensed to Adidas, Bebe, Chanel, Nike, Sephora, The Showtime Channel and Ecko. His music has been getting considerable airtime from KCRW, a live public radio station in Santa Monica, as well as on Thump Radio and Proton Radio. Singer-guitarist Sarah Borges ’99 is taking the music scene by storm. Borges was described in a recent Hollywood Reporter profile as “one performer nobody should miss – she’s the goods.” After catching her show during an American Music Association (AMA) conference in Nashville, the Reporter’s correspondent said Borges wowed the audience of professionals when she “uncorked a wall-rattling wail and blew everybody’s head off.” In September, she won a Boston Music Award for best local debut album.

Alumni Digest

Boston

A message from the president of the Alumni Association

Peter Loge ’87

Atlanta

By now you have received a postcard announcing the new online community (if not, contact Emily Bersin at Emily_Bersin@emerson.edu or 617824-8282). If you haven’t checked out this new service, you should – but finish reading Expression first. At www.EmersonAlumni.com you will have access to an expanded online alumni directory, listings of local alumni events, local alumni chapter news, and a message board. In ad-

dition, you will be able to construct and update your own page on which you can upload a picture (current or appropriately flattering) and track Emerson friends and contacts through automatic alerts. This new service will make it easy to find classmates, shamelessly plug projects, post (and look for) jobs, and help keep in touch with your alma mater. It’s pretty cool, so check it out. Emerson is a great place to be these days. If you

haven’t been back in a while I encourage you to plan on coming to Alumni Weekend in June (details are at www. Emerson.edu/Alumni). In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call the alumni office at 800-255-4259, and if you’re in Washington, D.C., I hope you’ll give me a call at my office, 202-478-6176, or send me an email at ploge@ aol.com.

Members of the Student Alumni Association as well as the Comstock Scholarship recipients were invited to join the Alumni Board members for lunch last fall for career advice and other conversation.

Alumni from the Boston area gathered in October at the historic Bell in Hand tavern for a private Halloween Happy Hour hosted by GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade).

— Peter Loge ’87, president, Emerson College Alumni Association

Steve “Animal” Zubrzycki ’87, midday personality at Z-Rock (WZJO) in Charleston, W.V., and Cherry Martinez ’97, evening personality at Power 105.1 (WWPR) in New York City, were two of seven distinguished Emerson alumni who gathered on campus last fall for a panel discussion on the state of radio today.

Inaugurals

An Atlanta Chapter alumni event took place at The Grape in Phipps Plaza in November. Members of the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) and the Student Alumni Association teamed up to box pies for Community Servings’ annual Pie in the Sky event last fall. The pies are sold throughout Greater Boston by corporate sponsors, community groups, and volunteers and land on Thanksgiving dinner tables in more than 10,000 homes. The proceeds from the sales of the pies help Community Servings to provide 650 daily meals to people with AIDS or other life-threatening illnesses.

RIGHT: Members of the Class of ’86 (from left) Chet Brewster, Ken Johnson and Bart Phillips make plans to return to Boston for their 20th reunion in June.

RIGHT: Atlanta-area parents of Emerson students exchanged stories with each other and grilled Emerson alumni on their experiences. From left are Leslie Webster (mother of freshman Kelly), Charleen and Bart Phillips ’86 (parents of Chelsea ’09), and Eileen and Charles Hoff (parents of Mallory Hoff ’09).

Dennis Blader ’75, MSSp ’79 (above, right), attended the inauguration last fall of Steven Kaplan (left), new president of the University of New Haven as Emerson’s representative. Other alumni attending inaugurations around the country include: Lynne Conlong Gilson ’65, Champlain College; Nanette Clark ’50, Hampshire College; Glenn Laxton ’64, Providence College; Robert Friend ’79, Southern Connecticut State University; Peter Brenner ’67, Fairfield University; and Margie Larson ’59, Loyola University.

Inventor and Emerson alumnus Richard C. Levy ’68, creator of the popular Furby Doll, and family therapist and author John Gray spoke to some 100 Emerson students last fall about their highly successful collaboration on a board game based on Gray’s best-selling book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. The presentation, titled “Going from Content to Communication: Extending a Concept into Multiple Markets and Media,” was sponsored by Emerson’s Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies and the School of Communication.

Los Angeles Paul Santinelli ’91 and the Office of Alumni Relations hosted a Night Out with Emerson Graduates from ’90-’94 in December at Lola’s in Los Angeles. More than 35 alumni reconnected with Paul (center) and friends. With him are Sean Kennedy ’91 (left) and Martin Talty ’94 (right).

Awet Teame ’00 displays her raffle prize at the Los Angeles alumni gathering at the Cat & Fiddle in December.

Class Notes 1955

1963

Diane Purdy Theriault plays Rosie the Riveter from the World War II era at schools, colleges and other organizations.

Jack Hill retired after 40 years in speech pathology and is enjoying traveling, reading and redoing his condo. He’d love to hear from Al Valetta, Frank Sansone, Linton Nelson and anyone else from the Class of ’63. He can be reached at jhjrde1@netzero.com.

1957 Dick Barba says he and wife Anne were lucky. They live in Biloxi, Miss., and evacuated before Hurricane Katrina. They returned to find their home damaged but salvageable. Dick says “thank you” for everyone’s support: “Our Gulf Coast will rise again!”

1958 Dick Hamilton has retired from the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame as communications officer. In 1995 he retired after 20 years as an official with the New York Racing Association (Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga).

1961 Roberta (Binder) Aungst is vice president for professional practice in audiology for the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA) and is joined by fellow Emersonian Noma Anderson, MSSp ’73, who is ASHA’s new president. Sandi Freedman Oppenheim is pursuing her passion. She is a writer on tea-related topics, and gives presentations and coordinates outings for her Gadabouts Tea Society. She lives in Phoenix, Ariz.

For the past eight years, David Ziff ’81 has been a talent agent for TV commercials at Cunningham, Escott, Slevin and Doherty, the “top commercial agency in Los Angeles.” Clients include Burt Reynolds, Camryn Manheim, Teri Hatcher, Denis Leary ’79 and many more. “I want my classmates to know I am still a size 33 waist,” he writes. Lost friends can write to dziff@cesdtalent.com.

1966 Tom Smith, an Emerson instructor in organizational and political communication, and Phillip Joyce ’54 teamed up in spring ’05 to conduct a speech contest in one of Tom’s classes. Winners were Tanaya Hilton ’06, Stephanie Teebnagy ’07 and Dion Lim ’06.

1968 Ellen Marder McShera and husband Jack are moving to their condo in Tidewater Golf Plantation in North Myrtle Beach for the winter. In the spring, they hope to be located in central Massachusetts. Ellen spent time last year in Israel and Ireland. Although unable to make the past few reunions, she hopes to make it this year and sends “best regards” to friends.

1969 Glenn Alterman’s books, Creating Your Own Monologue (Allworth Press) and Sixty Seconds to Shine: 101 Original One-Minute Monologues (Smith Kraus) were recently published. Glenn can be seen in a series of national American Express commercials.

1970 Mandy McCarthy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in counseling. Lauren Sayce’s daughter Molly recently began school at Emmanuel College and her daughter Stacey is engaged.

1972 Barbara Ruth Case recently released an album called “Unclogged” with her all-female band Free Ranch Chix.

Stephanie (Schlegel) Manning completed a 270-mile walk around San Francisco Bay with intertribal native people to honor the sacred shellmound burial sites and to promote world peace. Stephanie is at sfbayshellmounds@ yahoo.com.

1973 Caren Rosenfeld Kutler has moved to Plantation, Fla., near Fort Lauderdale. She is working at the Brauser Maimonides Day School. Bill Pacer’s daughter, Kerry, was named by The Advocate magazine as their Person of the Year. Kerry was honored for her campaign to create a Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school in rural Georgia.

Bill is a kindergarten teacher and actor in the Atlanta area, appearing as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol for the second time.

1974 Bob Males wed Myndee Rhodd and they are expecting their first child in the spring. Spiro Veloudos, producing artistic director of the Lyric Stage Company in Boston, is thrilled by the success of the company’s production of Urinetown, which broke all box office and attendance figures in the Lyric’s 31-year history. The musical features Emersonian Rob Morrison ’05 in the lead role and current Emerson seniors Haley Roth and Ariel Heller in the cast.

1975 Rhonda Lynn Briscoe has been appointed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as an advisor to the School Finance Committee. Cinda Corwin heads up Corwin Learning Associates, specializing in design and development of training performance support services. The company provides services to Fortune 500 companies in New England. Cinda, of Natick, Mass., is married, has an 11-year-old daughter and would love to hear from her classmates.

1977

Lynn Disbrow, MA ’86, was recognized in Ohio Magazine’s 2005 Excellence in Education edition in December. She has taught communication arts at Sinclair Community College since 1993. She has a doctoral degree from Wayne State University.

Michelle Gillen has been named chief investigative reporter for WFOR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Miami. She is the recipient of 23 regional Emmy awards. She also sold the rights for the development of a TV movie to Lux Vide.

1978 John F. Bowen has been appointed director of advancement at Xaverian Brothers High School, a private, Catholic all-boy’s school in Westwood, Mass. Prior to this John was senior vice president of development for the YMCA of Greater Boston. Jennifer Buchwald is changing careers. She is now writing and doing garden design. Delphine Lynetta Vasser received a pastoral assignment to Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Terrell, Texas. In June 2004 Delphine was elected First Vice President of the African Methodist Episcopal Church/ Women in Ministry.

1979 Robert C. Amelio, MSSp, married Ted Williamson on Sept. 18, 2004, after 19 years together.

1980 Rob Kaplan won a National Sports Emmy as part of the Outstanding Technical Studio Team for work as a video editor during NBC’s coverage of the XXVIII Olympiad in Greece. Rob is now editing

for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. He lives in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., with wife Jennie and their three children. Kevin M. McNally was promoted with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and is returning to Boston to work with the Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers. He began his career at the Sheraton Boston more than 25 years ago.

1983 Robert McHenry earned his master’s degree from University of Rhode Island as a librarian and media specialist. He is the librarian at Davisville Elementary School in North Kingstown, R.I. Igor Tkachenko started his own company, www.kidsmusicstage.com, which produces multi-award-winning games for kids.

Michael Boothroyd ’87 and poet Edward Field at a performance of Stars in My Eyes. Boothroyd fell in love with the poetry of Field when he was a student at Emerson. Twenty years later he tracked down Mr. Field and pitched the idea of staging his poetry as theater. Field liked the idea and Michael’s production debuted at a festival in New York City.

David Magidson ’86 is the star of a new video for children called Here Comes The Clown, about a day in the life of his clown character Boswick and his pal Phoebe the Duck. After Emerson, David trained and toured with Ringling Brothers Circus. He performs around the country.

In Memoriam 1937 Virginia Rice Kahn of Quincy, Mass. 1948 Dorothy Schatz Harrison of Palatine, Ill. 1952 Thomas P. Nichola of Orlando, Fla. 1953 Ruth Meehan of Lowell, Mass. 1953 Angelo Scapicchio of Medford, Mass. 1954 Lorelle (Poulin) Lawlor of Reading, Mass. 1965 Eliot Harris Cohen of Mashpee, Mass. 1969 Pearlis Jones-Alleyne of Decatur, Ga. 1971 Joseph Caputa II of Cheshire, Conn. 1972 Lorraine Lee of Bronx, N.Y. 1972 Jeff Glasserow of Pittstown, N.J. 1975 Ronald G. Perry of Melrose, Mass. 1975 Steven G. Giuliano of New York, N.Y. 1977 Paul G. Faloona of Cranbury, N.J. 1977 Ian W. Lewis of Derry, N.H. 1984 Mary Stonesifer Walker of Naples, Fla. 1986 David P. Finlay of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

1984 Mark ‘Max’ Buxton and wife Hilary Finkel Buxton have a new son, Samuel Finkel Buxton, born Nov. 2, 2005. Max says he’s taken a break from his computer consulting business to spend more time with his family. Sharon (Montesanto) Sprouse has been married to James Sprouse for 12 years. She worked in television production and then became a stay-at-home mom to her five children, Kristin (10), Michael (8), Megan (7), Haley (6) and Jordan (5). James is an executive chef with the Culinart Corp. Sharon says ‘hello’ to her classmates.

1985 Danna Call’s second play, Issues, was produced in New York City last fall by the Playwrights/Actors Contemporary Theater. She has also been hired by BusinessTalk, Inc., as

a corporate trainer teaching communication skills to lawyers and financial managers.

1986 James Humphrey has been named director of public relations for the Rodale magazine Best Life. Prior to this, James was at Conde Nast Publications, where he had been senior manager for media relations for Architectural Digest since 2000.

1987 After spending 15 years in New York writing and producing for broadcast and cable networks, Cindy Lieber moved back to Miami Beach to be near her mother who was ill and has since passed away. Cindy has kept busy developing and producing independent projects for PBS. She recently joined Animus Entertainment Group, a production company. She would love to hear from old friends at cindy@animusgroup.com.

1991 Patrick Arkins has joined the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia as director of technology services and programs. Prior to joining them, he worked as an independent senior business analyst and solutions design consultant for companies such as Independence Blue Cross and Bank One.

1989

1990

Christine Cali-Vela is the specialty sales rep on EQ and Keyboard magazines. She has been married for more than six years to Joseph Vela and has a 4-year-old son. She would love to hear from old friends at christine_vela@ hotmail.com.

Nancy Lynch Antrobus has had her first child, Elizabeth Walker Ellie Antrobus, born Sept. 1, 2005. Nancy has been the executive producer of WHDH-TV Channel 7 (Boston) news for the last six years. Her husband, Andrew, is manager of government relations at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

David Bloom, MA ’91, fronts an alt-country band called The Dog Waggers, whose debut album is Chasin’ Tales. David is interested in moving to Austin and invites Emerson alums with writing connections (he currently works as a speechwriter) or Hill Country gig opportunities to contact him at dave@thedogwaggers.com

Lauren (Mukamal) Camp, MA ’90, is a fiber artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work deals with issues of human rights and optimism. In May 2005 she installed a commissioned work, “Para La Gente,” in the Jesus Rodarte Cultural Center in Greeley, Colo.

David Lipper just wrapped his latest television movie for Lifetime Movie Network, Black Widower, to be released in early 2006. He stars in the lead role alongside Kelly McGillis.

Phyllis Laorenza Linnehan has won the Bell Ringer Award from the Publicity Club of New England and the Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America. Tim Stanley is senior director for government and public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. He accepted the position after working for NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota and completing his graduate studies in public administration at Hamline University. After playing small parts on several canceled sitcoms, including I’m With Her, Bob Patterson and The In-Laws, Keith Valcourt finally hit pay dirt by appearing as “Ted” on a recent episode of the NBC sitcom The Office. He also has a recurring role on General Hospital.

Michael Smith has published his first book Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited, via iUniverse, using the pen name Randolph Michaels.

1992 Aaron Mannes is a Middle East and terrorism specialist. He wrote a book, Profiles in Terror: The Guide to Middle East Terrorist Organizations, and he has made appearances in print and broadcast media, commenting on terrorism. Nicole Phillips was married in 2004 to T. Brett Naylor in Baltimore, Md. Emersonians Lisa Nagid ’92, Laura Ballinger Gardner ’94 and Stephanie Cornell ’94 attended. Nicole finished her second season as a sound recordist for A&E’s Airline and continues to freelance as a field sound recordist.

Joe Hirsch and Casey Carlsen were married in 1998 and now have a 3-year-old son. They live in New York City. Joe is senior editor and science writer for Edelman Publications. Casey’s poetry appears regularly in Cicada, a magazine for high school and college-age readers. The art of Heather Levy was recently featured for several months on an Infiniti billboard in New York City at the corner of 34th Street and 7th Avenue.

Paul Tetreault ’84, producing director at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., chats with President Bush at the Theatre’s Presidential Gala last June.

1993 On Feb. 17, 2004, Marisa Abbott gave birth to a happy baby boy, Matthew. She is still working as a teacher while keeping involved in the arts. Mike Batista recently became a sports copy editor at The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y. He says he would love to hear from friends and fraternity brothers at mikebatista@ hotmail.com. Daniel Cox is relocating from Cheongju, South Korea, where he has been teaching composition skills to Korean middle and high school English teachers, to teach at the College of Higher Technology in Shinas, Oman. Andrew Miller, wife Donna and son Matthew welcomed Jason into the world in September 2004. Andrew also went back to his Long Island roots after eight-plus years at J. Walter Thompson Advertising to join the New York Islanders’ marketing department as promotions writer.

Josh Knauer’87 ’87married marriedTracy Tracyon onSept. Sept.1717ininMontpelier, Montpelier,Vt. Vt.Josh Josh Knauer Josh the on-air personality at WORK-FM in Barre is theison-air personality at WORK-FM (101.7)(101.7) in Barre and can be and can be reached at knauernvr@charter.net. reached at knauernvr@charter.net. From left are: Kathi Schaeffer From left are: Kathi Schaeffer Jen Cattin ’85, Ellen ’87, Jen Cattin ’85, Ellen Bosch’87, (Dolgins) ’86, Tracy, Josh,Bosch Peter (Dolgins) Jo ’87 and Brett Dewey ’87. Loge ’87, ’86, TonyTracy, Scipione

Patricia Murphy was awarded the National Edward R. Murrow Award from the RadioTelevision News Directors Association in the news documentary category for “Taming the Snake: IV Drug Use in the Pacific Northwest. ” Randy Zane, MA ’93, has been promoted to vice president of corporate communications for Ziff Davis Media.

1994 Bonnie Comley, MA ’94, hosted an Emerson alumni sneak preview of her OffBroadway show In The Wings in September 2005 at the Promenade Theatre in New York City. Diane Joao lives in New York with husband Walter McDaniel. She is a children’s book copy editor at Random House. She spends her free time on activities like punk rope classes and writing her blog. She’d love to hear from fellow alums, especially Class of ’94. Alexis (Tkacik) Rizopulos and husband James are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Mara Zoe, on June 23, 2005, in Santa Monica,

Calif. Alexis would love to hear from Melissa B. and other friends at arizopulos@ yahoo.com.

obesity and its treatment.” Abby has written for The New York Times, The Village Voice, Marie Claire, Self and Glamour.

Martin Talty recently began work as audio supervisor on NBC’s Treasure Hunters. He would like to give special thanks to Jon Satriale ’94 for introducing recent alum Doug Carney to the world of reality TV. Doug and Martin have since worked together for Comedy Central, CBS, USA and E! Martin can be reached at mtalty@mac.com.

Christina Fitzpatrick won a 2006 Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tripp Whetsell recently celebrated the release of his new book, Father Still Knows Best: The Wit and Wisdom of America’s Favorite TV Dads.

1995 Abby Ellin, MFA ’95, recently published Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat Kid Weighs In on Living Large, Losing Weight and How Parents Can (and Can’t) Help, which has been described as a “fresh, frank, and funny look at childhood

Jeffry Gray recently directed Something Short of Balance, a new play by Roxanne Linnea Ray for Another Country Productions’ SLAMBoston series. He is also directing Sophie Treadwell’s provocative 1928 Expressionist play Machinal, for Emerson Stage on March 23-25. Jeffry can be contacted at jeffry_gray@emerson.edu. Gaelen VanDenbergh gave birth to daughter Arwen.

1996 Josh Galitsky, MA ’96, recently directed the L.A. premiere of an original rock musical called The Misfortune of Others. He would love to hear from other Emersonians at weegie31@hotmail.com

Phyllis Laorenza Linnehan, MA ’89, with two awards she won for outstanding public relations work, the Bell Ringer award from the Publicity Club of New England and the Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America.

1999

2000

Jessica Aichs is assistant production coordinator on the 20th Century Fox show Bones.

Matthew Arnold ’98, MA ’00, and wife Jill Arnold ’97, MA ’99, welcomed a son Eliot Matthew on July 5, 2005.

Catherine Miller, MA ’99, and Gregg Bailey were married on Sept. 24, 2005, in Dorchester, Mass. John Pestana, MA ’01, was in attendance. Cathie is a senior client manager at American Student Assistance in Boston, and Gregg is an attorney at Cornell and Gollub in Boston.

Catherine (Kundrath) Weber ’87 recently won first prize in Worcester Magazine’s annual poetry contest. She married Paul in 1988 and has a 5-year-old son. She is also president of CW Consulting Group, a strategic marketing and web-consulting firm in Southborough, Mass.

Mike Schibel has been hired by AKA Talent Agency in Los Angeles to open its hosting and broadcasting division. Previously, Mike was manager of talent recruitment for the Broadcast Image Group in San Antonio, Texas.

1997

1998

Jennifer Alcott, MSSp ’97, welcomed her second child, Ruby Anastasia, into the world on Jan. 15, 2005.

Michele Dexter is engaged to Matthew Drummond. The wedding is set for Oct. 14, 2006, in Maryland. Michele is a departmental coordinator for the University of Maryland and Matthew is a CPA. Michele would love to hear from friends at michele_dexter@ post.harvard.edu.

Chris Von der Lippe started a production company called On the Water Productions and is currently working on a video festival in New Hampshire.

Erika Kissam is working for the Santa Fe Opera as assistant master electrician during the summer and as technical assistant during the winter. Erika can be reached at erikakissam@gmail.com

Patrick Zeller appears in End of the Spear, starring Chad Allen, which was released nationwide in January. He also shot a pilot with John Waters called Till Death Do Us Part for Court TV, which is expected to air early this year. His theater company, Present Tense, has a production going up in the West Village (NYC) in April.

Skylar Browning and wife Nicole welcomed their first child, Annabella Rose, on July 16, 2005. They live in Missoula, Mont., where Nicole is a tenure-track professor of dance at the University of Montana and Skylar is arts editor of the Missoula Independent. Chris Carbone announces the opening of his law firm, Law Offices of Christopher Carbone, in Woburn, Mass. Jay M. Liebowitz is an IT consultant and an independent filmmaker. In the past year he has made two short films: Copper, which was part of the 2005 NYC Midnight Run Film Festival and was in the top 10 of 55 movies shown, and Coulrobhia.

Danielle A. Ledesma has been tapped by the Style Network to work on the fifth season of The Look for Less as an associate producer. Most recently she worked as an associate producer on All Muscle with Funkmaster Flex for ESPN2.

Steve Withrow is now the proud father of a little girl, Marin Jeanne.

Melissa A.T. Kotulski graduated from Trinity College last May with a master’s degree in American studies. Her thesis, “Single Screens Talking: A History of Hartford’s Single Screens from 1920 to 1980,” was presented at several academic conferences. Melissa lives at a private boarding high school in Connecticut, where she teaches literature, film history and Spanish.

Greg Anderson ’91 was named vice president of marketing for two affiliated real estate companies in the Boston area, the Northbridge Companies and the Nordblom Company. Greg is also a national speaker in the areas of marketing, sales and leadership. Greg and wife Gail (Winterle) Anderson ’91 have two children. They can be reached at gwa22@comcast.net.

Suzanne (McNaught) Thistle was recently married to David Thistle of Stoneham, Mass. After their wedding in October, they honeymooned in St. Thomas.

Bonnie Comley, MA ’94, producer, her husband Stewart Lane, writer, and members of the cast hosted an Emerson Alumni Free Sneak Preview to Bonnie’s OffBroadway show In the Wings in September at Promenade Theatre in New York City.

Jim Mulvihill lives in Williamstown, Mass., where he is assistant editor of the Williams College Alumni Review magazine and picks horses for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He lives with his girlfriend, Miranda. They have a turtle named Julio.

2001 Kathy Bruner and Jesse Soff were recently married. They live in Los Angeles, where Kathy works in marketing for the Center Theatre Group and Jesse is a producer for L.E.G. Productions. Josh Pahigian, MFA ’01, just had another book published with alum Kevin O’Connell, MFA ’00. This one is entitled Why I Hate the Yankees. Steve Planck teaches audio/ video production at Dutchess Community College. He also

owns and operates Blue Sky Photography. Steve has joined the Professional Photographers Association of America. Kenneth Reynolds has been designated a Naval Aircrewman on the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter. He is assigned to the helicopter squadron called the “Red Dragons” at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Stephanie Webster plans to marry Nathan Piland in October.

2002 Rebecca Anuform wed Anthony Naranjo on Nov. 5, 2005. Todd Strauss-Schulson has been in Thailand for the past six months directing, writing, shooting and editing MTV Asia’s number one show, Whatever Things, which is in its third season and is viewed by 250 million people throughout Asia.

Dante Russo’s new family musical Extraordinary was presented at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival and won an award for outstanding music and lyrics. His newest musical, Radiant Ruby, was produced at the Vital Theatre Company in New York City last fall.

Brandon Pelissero ’95 adopted a daughter, Madelyn Claire, who turned 3 on Jan. 1, 2006. Catherin (Katie) Ulissey was a member of the original Broadway cast of Phantom of the Opera. When the show became the longest running show in Broadway history on Jan. 9, she and other original cast members were invited to the show and went onstage for a final bow. She teaches dance at Harvard, Wellesley and the Boston Ballet. Ryan Vines, MFA ’02, has written a collection of poems, Distant Engines, that was selected as a recipient of a 2005 Weldon Kees Award and is forthcoming from Backwaters press. Ryan is an assistant professor of English at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn.

2003 Mark Garabedian is a freelance screenwriter working on Krypto the Superdog, which airs on the Cartoon Network. After a stint at Boston magazine and working for a small newspaper, Jason Fell received an Excellence in Journalism award from the Connecticut Society of Professional

Journalists and is now a staff writer at a monthly consumer magazine. Jim Gash’s original play Words and Ladders was part of a series of one-acts produced by the Looking Glass Theatre Director Forum in New York City. Aisha Huertas, MA ’03, has been hired as the public outreach and marketing coordinator for the Coalition on Donation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire all people to make organ, eye and tissue donations. Garrett Jennings, of Allston, Mass., was recently engaged. Christine Kelly is a reporter at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tenn., the number-one ABC affiliate in the country. Christine was a marketing communication major and broadcast journalism minor at Emerson and went on to get a graduate degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University.

Jason Schawb is a first-year editor fellow at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Jason says it has been great so far, especially the classes and lectures by notable professionals in the field. Dawn Silvia, MFA ’03, is head of Red Wagon Communications, a marketing and PR agency, and is founder of The Secret Socialite, an organization that coordinates special events for philanthropic young professionals. She teaches writing and copy editing at Emerson. Emily Tippins is the center director for SCORE education in Brooklyn, N.Y.

2004 Dave Burdick performs standup regularly and hosts the Brewhouse Brewhaha, a standup comedy show every Sunday at the Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse in Boulder, Colo. He has also created

Jennifer Niejadlik ’95 joined Pyramid magazine as fashion editor and staff writer. Previously she worked for CBS News as a field producer on entertainment stories and for the CBS newsgathering service on hard news stories that network affiliates use globally. Jennifer lives in Amsterdam with her fiancé.

Iris Hope Dubinsky ’98 married Rick Davison in Clarks Summit, Pa., last September. Emersonians in attendance were Stephanie Wescott ’98, Jennifer Kilburn ’98, Brandy Leigh Scott ’97, Vic Carbonneau ’97, John Cassella ’98 and Brian Hodges ’99. Iris and Rick live in Los Angeles and work in television. Friends can email Iris at irishope@yahoo.com.

an alternative comedy show called the Secret Circus. Jaclyn Friedman, MFA ’04, is producing a podcast for Alternet.org (winner of multiple Webby awards for best online magazine) called Where Your Mouth Is.

Director/producer Alex J. Miltsch ’99 won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the second season of NBC’s daytime drama Starting Over.

Caitlin Fritz is getting married on May 13, 2006. Asterios Kokkinos and Geoffrey Golden ’05 performed their sketch comedy show, Overtime, at the I.O.West Mainstage in Los Angeles in December. Attorney Martha Koster, MFA ’04, was appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. Margaret Locher is an editorial assistant at CXO Media in Framingham, Mass. She also attends Simmons College in Boston and will graduate in May with a master’s degree in library science. Jill Morneau, MA ’04, has published three articles this past fall in three different publications: “Fearless Fighter” in Audrey magazine; “I am Woman, Hear Me Roar: Lady Lion Dance Troupe Shows its Pride” in Bust magazine;

and “A Tail’s Tale: One Lion Dancer’s First Time Performing the Tail” in Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine. Bryan Wilson is an actor in Boston and New York. He worked on the new Julie Taymor project and appeared in Showtime’s The Brotherhood. He appears in a national Monster.com commercial.

2005

who struggles with his own delusions.”

The Hollywood Reporter announced that Adam Alleca will pen the script for a new movie to be executive produced by Wes Craven. Craven/Maddalena films has also optioned Home, Alleca’s thriller about “a man, fresh out of prison and under provisional house arrest in a cabin in the woods,

Robert Asaro is currently studying with comedy troupes Second City and The Groundlings. In 2004, while still at Emerson, Megan Foster won a seat on the Somerville School Committee, making her the youngest-ever elected official

in Somerville, Mass. That year Megan also took an internship in the office of the Attorney General and now works there full time as a victim advocate. Shannon Quinn has joined MRA, a marketing and communications agency based in Syracuse, N.Y., as an account executive. Prior to this, Shannon was at Time Warner Book Group in Boston.

Where Are You And What are You Doing New job? Received an award? Recently engaged or married? New baby? Moving? Recently ran into a long-lost classmate? Let us know. Use this form to submit your news or send it to Barbara_Rutberg@emerson.edu; 1-800-255-4259; fax: 1-617-824-7807. You can also submit Class Notes online at www.emerson.edu/alumni.

First Name

Last Name

Address City

State

Home Phone

E-Mail

Your News

Mail to: Class Notes, Emerson College, Office of Alumni Relations, 120 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116-4624

Zip

Class Year

Recycling the old to create new beauty

afael Jaen, head of the College’s Costume program, walks around the Costume Shop observing the activity. A half-dozen students are busy sewing and steam-ironing dresses, dyeing shoes, and applying extravagant-looking feathers to hats. “All these years teaching them, and look,” Jaen says, pointing out the array of gorgeous costumes, complete with beading and ruffle. “I feel like a proud parent,” he says of his students.

32 Expression Winter 2006

The shop was in full gear last term preparing for the Emerson Stage production of Undiscovered Country, by Tom Stoppard (adapted from a play by Arthur Schnitzler) and directed by Kent Stephens. The show was presented in the Semel Theater. For this production, many of the costumes were refashioned from those used in past College productions. ‘Recycling’ is a common practice at the Emerson Costume Shop, says costumer Debra Krasa. Other costumes are created from scratch.

The outfits for this show may be the most beautiful yet, says Jaen. Junior Angela Markman was in charge of costume design for the show, which takes place in 1911 Vienna and features Edwardian styles. “It was a very elaborate time period,” she says. Some 75 costumes were created for some two dozen cast members, who play multiple roles. Junior Alison Cole is assistant costume designer.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Beaded appliqués shimmer in the hands of Angela Markman, a junior costume design major who created the outfits for the fall term’s student production of Undiscovered Country. Head of Costume Rafael Jaen (right) shows Juliet Oliver ’07 some tricks of the trade; Claire Bergkamp ’07 applies a feather to a hat; a costume sketch attached to a dress form for reference; a finished hat; and costume designer Angela Markman.

33 Expression Winter 2006

Legacy, leadership and language Noma Anderson, MSSp ’73, will lead national speech & language association

Star Power Stephanie Sandler ’88 is helping the rich and famous give back

For speech, language and hearing specialists, the leaders of the national organization ASHA (American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association) seek to better the field in countless ways. And Emerson alumna Noma Anderson, MSSp ’73, has been elected to lead the prestigious organization as president.

Stephanie Sandler’s office buzzes with names like Sting, Leonardo DiCaprio, Britney Spears and Magic Johnson. But she’s not a publicist, agent or manager. Sandler ’88 is chief executive officer of the Giving Back Fund (GBF), a national nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles. GBF’s mission is to cultivate the philanthropic interests of celebrities and professional athletes, whom the organization sees as a promising and exciting new group of philanthropists. One of GBF’s most successful projects was helping to start the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Sandler works directly with the athletes and celebrities. “I nurture their philanthropic instinct. I guide them and try to help increase their involvement and get them jazzed up about philanthropy.” She explains, “Sometimes someone will come to me and say, ‘I really want to help kids,’ but that’s really all they know.” Sandler walks them through issues like how much money they want to donate and just how much time their involvement might require. “I have to get to know them, talk about what their experiences are, what’s motivating them to give back, so that I can figure out how to help them have an impact.” One project Sandler personally directed was a 2005 celebrity calendar called “12 Reasons to Give,” which featured people like Angelina Jolie and

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 120,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists nationwide. Anderson is the dean of and professor at the School of Health Sciences at Florida International University. Previously she was chair

of the department of communication sciences and disorders at Howard University. She has a national reputation as a speech-language pathologist in the field of sociolinguistics and multiculturalism. Anderson has been a member of ASHA for 30 years, during which she served a term as vice president for academic affairs. She is also an ASHA Fellow, one of the highest honors that ASHA bestows. Her other honors include serving as deputy director of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing, grants from the Department of Education and the National Institutes of Health, a fellowship from the American Council of Education and an Alumni Achievement Award from Emerson. It’s her teaching, however, that she’s most proud of. For the last 32 years, she says, “being able to inspire students has always been a career goal of mine, and I think I’ve been able to accomplish that.” She adds, “I have absolutely enjoyed shaping future speech-language pathologists.” Her interest in health sciences goes back to her childhood. As a young girl, Anderson recalls becoming intrigued by Helen Keller and her famous teacher Anne Sullivan. “I would watch Keller [on TV] and wonder, ‘How did the teacher get the student to be able to do that!’” So when she attended Hampton Institute in Virginia, the possibility of speech pathology sparked the memory of her childhood fascination. Since then, she’s never turned back. After receiving her master’s degree from Emerson, she earned a Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh. Anderson says she enjoys keeping up with former students, and working with them is particularly gratifying.

Two former students were clinical instructors at Howard when Anderson was chair. “That was thrilling to see them mature and assume those roles.” Several of her doctoral students have joined university faculties across the U.S. “And I’ve got former students in public schools across the country who are doing really exciting things,” she adds. Another former student is now chief of staff for speech-language pathology at ASHA. As for ASHA, she has many issues she hopes to address – from cultural and linguistic diversity, to personnel shortages in health care and education, to doctoral shortages. “I look forward to making sure that as the profession evolves, ASHA evolves,” she says. “I want to see us become more proactive and increasingly be at the table when policies are being developed, so, we’re not responding but we’re shaping policy more.” Anderson has also served as a member of Emerson’s Board of Overseers. “Emerson always seems to be a resource of motivation and leadership for me.” As for her time as a student, her memories are “countless,” she says. The faculty “were so supportive, so invested in my academic development.” She lists many people, including Jackie Liebergott, who was her advisor and is now the College president. “She was one of the first people who [helped me] develop my interest in cultural diversity and socio-linguistics.” “What is so impressive to me is that for over 30 years there is respect when people learn about my Emerson degree. Emerson’s program is recognized across the country.”

Rosie O’Donnell. “The idea behind the calendar was to create philanthropic role models, not only for the public but for the honorees’ peers.” The project was such a success she is producing another calendar for 2007. This edition features singers Alanis Morissette, Bonnie Raitt, Céline Dion, professional skater Tony Hawk, NASCAR’s Tony Stewart, pro golf’s Gary Player and baseball’s Cal Ripken Jr. Sandler has also been working closely with actress Jamie-Lynn DiScala, who plays Meadow Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos. Sandler has enabled DiScala to found a nonprofit to help young women with eating disorders. Part of her work includes helping to put together a compilation CD of young women performers singing about their life experiences, “taking the listener from hard times to triumph.” The CD is scheduled to be offered free in CosmoGirl! magazine in 2006. GBF also worked with the DiScala Foundation to produce an awareness bracelet, available in Claire’s boutiques nationwide. Sandler is now at work on a 2006 Los Angeles event called “Play with the Pros,” which will enable the public to play on the field with their favorite professional athletes. The event will raise funds but will also honor “the people who have really changed the face of sports with their commitment to philanthropy,” she says. But the Giving Back Fund is special, different from other nonprofits that work with celebrities, Sandler believes. “We’re really focused on getting innovative programs that motivate the celebrity to give back time, talent and their own money.” GBF, she explains,

is working to counteract “a real culture in entertainment and sports in which showing up is enough. We are trying to change the culture a bit.” There are signs GBF is having an impact, Sandler asserts. “Several of the honorees for the 2006 calendar actually contacted us and said, ‘We want to be in the calendar, we love what you’re doing.’ So that’s a big step for us.” She adds, “I do hope things are changing. There’s more of an expectation from the public that celebrities are going to use their exposure for the common good.” – Christopher Hennessy

Photo by Bobby Model

Profile

Photo by Christiane Ingenthron

Profile

Profile My Turn

Why Emerson College?

You Are What You Watch Professor Thomas Cooper explains how ‘fasting’ from media can change one’s perspective Have you ever wondered if you could have an original thought? After all, with so many jingles and sound bites swimming in our post-millennium heads, how can we ever be sure where our thinking comes from these days? Henry David Thoreau’s way of

transcending conventional thinking was to leave the social environment of his day so he could hear himself think. When I seek to entice students to think originally, I find it necessary to also leave the environment of our day behind, one which we have come to call “the media.” Every year I take up to 100 Emerson students on a media fast. We divide into three groups – one group abstains from consuming media for three weeks, a second group selects personal media diets (such as abstaining from

print or TV or CDs or websites for three weeks) and a control group – students who continue their typical media consumption while keeping journals to reflect upon their intake and its effects. In an age when we consume over three years of advertising per individual lifetime and when we own more than a dozen media machines per family, fasting from media can make a substantial difference in the way we think. Students return from the experiment as energized, more discerning citizens about what and how much they consume. They also can monitor the difference between self-generated thought and what passes for thinking. For example, I might ask them for their views about Saddam Hussein, John Kerry and George Bush prior to the fast. Virtually every student feels she or he has a significant body of knowledge about these leaders. However, by the end of the fast students realize that they have never actually known any of these three people – they only have a similar mix of carefully controlled electronic filtered “stories” in their heads about these three people – “stories” and pseudo-stories which are shared by millions of other people. Knowing, thinking and perceiving are very different than consuming, screening and hearing – yet we have come to confuse these experiences in the electrified globe. Like Thoreau, students who transcend the current environment often make breakthroughs about the ways they perceive self, thinking, nature and society. Thoreau wanted to tune out the gossip and chitchat of his day to discover deeper patterns of reality. By keeping diaries and by figuratively

watching themselves in the mirror, students who fast and diet begin to observe different patterns of social, technical and cognitive interaction in the world or their friends, neighbors, relatives and others around and beyond them….And they think about whether original thinking is possible and the nature of each thought. Of course minimizing media intake does not mean that students are “less informed” or believe in “media bashing.” Instead a time away from the media gives them sufficient distance from their routine to think about what types of electronic messages they wish to create and consume upon their “re-entry” into society rather than contributing to a couch potato society. The substantial change that occurs is that people who take a media fast are more in control of their media intake after the experiment than before. They say that they have become the captains of their minds, rather than being controlled by Madison Avenue, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Entire societies and tribes such as the Cogi people, the Amish, the Rapa Nui and the old Order Mennonites fast from media as a way of life. By studying such societies we can compare the advantages and disadvantages of living within and without the “wired womb” of technology. I recommend an occasional disciplined media fast. We can each create our own Walden in the 21st century. Thomas W. Cooper, professor of visual and media arts at Emerson College, has taught at the college for more than 21 years and is the author of four books and almost 100 articles and reviews about subjects pertinent to media ethics and criticism.

Because Helping Children Learn Matters

iving and serving is a way of life for Maxine ’51 and Melvin Kutchin of Andover, Mass. (known to all as ‘Mitzi’ and ‘Mel’), especially when it comes to helping children and others who have learning disabilities. Mitzi (nee Maxine Lampert) reconnected with Emerson when she attended her 50th class reunion in 1991. On that occasion, she and Mel, a retired electrical industry executive and a 1950 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, became acquainted with the Robbins Speech, Language and Hearing Center and the important services that it provides for people challenged by communication disorders. Soon thereafter, the Kutchins established a scholarship fund to support a graduate student in communication disorders, and they agreed to chair a fundraising campaign for the clinic, located in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at 216 Tremont St.

“We were deeply moved and impressed by the clinic’s work,” said Mitzi. “When we saw the dedication of the staff and how the children were learning, we wanted to do all we could to help.” “The Robbins Clinic is extremely worthwhile,” adds Mel. “It’s also a well kept secret in the community at large, but we hope to change that through our campaign.” Mel and Mitzi made a leadership gift to the Clinical Practice and Outreach Initiative, a project of the Robbins Center to address the speech, language, and hearing problems of children and the elderly who live in low-income, underserved communities and who are unlikely to have access to services. In addition to the initiative at Emerson, the Kutchins support programs at Mel’s alma mater.

Mitzi and Mel Kutchin

For information about the Robbins Clinic campaign and other gift opportunities at Emerson College, contact Sherri Mylott at (617) 824-8544 or sherri_mylott@emerson.edu.

A Rising Profile The College has developed plans for its 180,000-sq.-ft. Paramount Center project on Washington Street, between Avery and West streets, in downtown Boston. This $77 million center, as depicted in the architectural rendering on the left, will include a renovated Paramount Theater, a new Performance Development Center (PDC) and a new residence hall for some 250 students. Construction will begin in the fall of 2006 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008. The interior design, prepared by Elkus Manfredi Architects, includes two theaters â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a 550-seat main stage theater in the existing Paramount Theater and a 125-seat black box theater in a new building, which will also house a 200-seat film screening room. Other facilities will include: eight rehearsal studios, six practice rooms, a sound stage, a scene shop, several classrooms, a restaurant and up to a dozen faculty and staff offices.

Emerson College 120 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116-4624

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Burlington, VT 05401 Permit Number 4