PAGE 2 A Message from the Dean
PAGE 3 School of Theatre Holds 16th Annual Awards Celebration
PAGE 4 Focus on Faculty: Margo Apostolos and Brent Blair
SUMMER 2007
School of Theatre Holds First Annual Entertainment Industry Night at Spring Musical
Commencement 2007 A New Beginning
D
ean Madeline Puzo opened the 2007
Next up, representing
commencement ceremony by declar-
the B.F.A. students, was
ing, “What a great day this is. After
Beck Bennett. Bennett
years of studying and preparing, the
advised, “We can do
day you all simultaneously dreamed
anything we want.
of and feared is finally here. You are graduating,
Go have fun. Do what
you have done it, congratulations. You’ve been
you love. Change the world for someone,
a great class, a joy to teach and to watch grow as artists and individuals.”
Keynote Speaker Michael Ritchie
because we have that opportunity. And
Robert Greenblatt
The School of Theatre held its first annual Entertainment Industry Night on Saturday, April 7, beginning with a dinner reception in Queen’s Court followed by a performance of our spring musical, “The Pajama Game” at the Bing Theatre.
The first student speaker, Timothy Sullivan,
don’t forget what happened here – the projects
representing the B.A.s, got things off to a
you worked on, the friends you made and this
rousing start with a comical speech unexpectedly
incredible faculty who inspired us, challenged us,
Hosted by School of Theatre Board of Councilors
inspired while on a trip to Disneyland. Sullivan
made us question, cry and fight and believe in
member Robert Greenblatt, who is President
found, “...the most astute depiction imaginable
something greater than ourselves.”
of Entertainment for Showtime Networks, the
of what life as a theatre major is like. This
purpose of the evening was to introduce the
sometimes disturbing, but nevertheless accurate,
The final student speaker, playwright Boni B.
work of the School to people in the entertain-
representation of a life in the theatre is known
Alvarez, represented the M.F.A.s, and spoke
ment industry by giving them a chance to see
as Pinocchio’s Daring Journey.” Sullivan then
poignantly of diversity in the theatre and the
the high caliber of work done by the very
proceeded to recite the lyrics from the song
challenges facing a writer: “We are writers and
talented students, on stage (in performance)
featured on the ride, “Hi-diddle-dee-dee,
writing is painful. It is solitary. It is a daily struggle.
as well as behind the scenes (in design, stage
an actor’s life for me” to hilarious effect.
Battling and loving our characters, searching
management and technical direction).
(continued on page 3)
(continued on page 2)
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
S C H O O L O F T H E AT R E BOARD OF COUNCILORS
A BREAK IN THE ACTION
Lisa Barkett, Terry Berenson (Chair, USC School of Theatre Parents Council), LeVar Burton, Tim Curry, Charles Dillingham, Michele Dedeaux Engemann (Founding Chair), Robert Greenblatt, Susan A. Grode, Paula Holt, Sheila Lipinsky, Martin Massman, Madeline Puzo, Madeline Ramer, Andy Tennant, Joe Tremaine, Richard Weinberg (Chair) Dean Madeline Puzo
As many of you will remember, the traditional academic year has a distinctive shape and development which, if it is not exactly like a play, does have many of the characteristics we associate with a dramatic tale. The intensity and excitement increases steadily, with the pace accelerating in the second semester as the rising temperatures and energy of springtime coincide with plans and assignments coming to fruition and students striving to complete courses and projects and, in many cases, their academic programs and careers. The work, anxiety, struggle and excitement culminate in that grand University-wide ritual, Commencement, a ceremony which concludes the academic year in much the same celebratory manner as weddings close Shakespeare’s comedies.
Industry Night (continued from cover)
Greenblatt said, “As a proud alum of another department of theatre, I know the value of a great theatre training program. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – along with classmate Ang Lee – and I experienced an arts education that has served me throughout my career. Since USC is right in the entertainment
For those of us left behind after the classes end and the mass of students depart, there’s always a lull. This year, however, the break in the action is more striking than usual and I’m pretty sure I know why: we had an extraordinarily intense and active year, the most productive and fertile and fruitful that I’ve experienced at the School of Theatre. Not that the increased activity was a surprise; it’s the expected result of the new programs and curricula we’ve been introducing over the last few years. For example, this year we had the inaugural class of our M.F.A. Acting program, a group of talented and ambitious young artists whose work and energy has already had a considerable effect upon the School. This year also saw the first class to complete our three-year M.F.A. program in Dramatic Writing, culminating in “Under Construction,” a festival of plays presented concert-style with professional actors and directors. Add to these the projects of our undergraduate students (many of whom, I should note, work on the M.F.A. productions) and the many non-major undergraduates who take courses at the School and you get some sense of how exciting and busy it has been around here.
business’ backyard, it seemed logical that more
Frankly, I love it. It’s exactly what we had in mind when we set out to re-imagine the School’s programs. I’m already getting excited about the year to come, which I’m sure will be even more active and productive than was the year just past.
academic support group of USC, chose our
people in the business should know about the great work going on here. I hope that this is the first step for industry professionals to become involved in this exciting world of emerging artists.” More than 100 industry professionals, representing studio executives, management agencies, casting directors and independent producers, attended the event making it a resounding success. In addition, the USC Associates, the premier musical for their spring event for the third year in a row and also attended the same performance. The Associates held their reception
I will speak about that in the fall. But for now, I intend to enjoy the quiet and wish you all a lovely summer.
at Town and Gown prior to the show, with special guest of honor, School of Theatre alum Fess Parker. The USC Associates is a philanthropic association dedicated to the advancement of knowledge.
Madeline Puzo
Gifts from USC Associates members provide
Dean
essential support for some of the university’s most vital academic programs and initiatives.
3
1
2
Attending our first Entertainment Industry Night were: 1) Fess Parker 2) Lisa Barkett, Blake Nesbitt and Susie Smith 3) Joe Tremaine and Mrs. Katherine Loker 4) Nancy Sinatra and Michele Andelson
2
4
School of Theatre Holds 16th Annual Awards Celebration The School of Theatre held its 16th Annual Awards Celebration on Friday, May 4, on the stage of the Bing Theatre. The dinner and ceremony acknowledge exceptional work done by students in all areas of discipline over the past year, including acting, design, stage management and technical direction. We are extremely proud of the extraordinary work of our talented students and of the dedicated faculty who guide them with such skill and expertise. Congratulations to all!
2006–07 AWARD RECIPIENTS Aileen Stanley Memorial Award
Dance Leadership Award
For Graduate Students
Melissa Joseph
Matthew Little Kate Poppen
Bill White Faculty Recognition Award
John Blankenchip/Bill White Award
Joseph Hacker Andrew J. Robinson
For Outstanding Contributions
Sean Foote Sue McGrew
Ava Greenwald Memorial Award For an Undergraduate Actor
Paulie Rojas USC Alumni and Friends Award For Creative Projects
Tim Sullivan
James Pendleton Award For Outstanding Contributions
Brittany Perham-MacWhorter Ruth and Albert McKinley Award For B.A. Students: Performer and Highest G.P.A.
John Ritter Award
Kristin Findley Ray Chase
James Grosch
Student Council Award For a Graduating Senior
Tim Sullivan Nancy Kehr Award For funding an ISP
David Dukes Acting Scholarship For a Senior Student
Devin Kelley Outstanding Dance Choreographer Awards
Chris Downey, Fall Concert Jessica Schaer, Spring Concert
(continued from cover)
Stanley Musgrove Award For Outstanding Creative Talent
Philip Kong Jack Nicholson Award For Outstanding Actor/Actress
Donald J. Webber, Jr. Catherine Farrington
Tom Polos Matthew Little
Commencement
For Comic Performance
Ritchie Spencer Memorial Award For a Graduating Designer
Kristen Kopp James and Nony Doolittle Award For Graduating Seniors
Deborah Ann Woll Beck Bennett Matt Griggs Ben Bowen
theatre. And that means that we have to support
today as a man who never got a college degree.
the theatre and actually go to the theatre.”
And yet I never wanted to stop learning. Be the
somewhere, everywhere for a story. But amidst
same. Your learning doesn’t end today. It begins.
the battles and the struggles are moments of joy.
Keynote speaker, Center Theatre Group Artistic
Joy when your character whispers in your ear
Director Michael Ritchie, applauded the three
best for that day. Tomorrow will take care of
that she has a broken foot or when a character
student speakers for their wit, wisdom and
itself. Today is the most important day of your
defies you and goes to a strip club instead of
their strength of purpose. He then advised the
life. Tomorrow will be the most important day of
going to the library. Joy when a character says
graduates that there is a fine line between suc-
your life. Your career is important. Your life, your
‘I know people are watching, but I’ll dance any-
cess and failure and that often failing at one
happiness, your contentment more so. So fail.
way.’ This is a joyful day. This ceremony celebrates
thing leads to success at another: “I stand here
And succeed. Just live a happy and engaged life.”
3
Whatever you do, whatever your role, be the
F O C U S O N F A C U LT Y
for Sports” in collaboration with the Stanford
for therapists, cultural field workers and activists,
Athletic Department. This work was presented to
learning how to turn passive observers into more
Director of Dance at the
the International Olympic Committee in Sydney,
active and critically aware participants through
School of Theatre, Margo
Australia, for the 2000 Games and in preparation
the training and practice of theatre in and among
Apostolos has authored and
for the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Dr. Apostolos
their relative communities.
presented numerous articles
developed the Dance Minor program in Theatre,
on her research and design
directs the dance concert each semester, and
Brent is also an actor, designated Linklater
in Robot Choreography.
coordinates the Open Gate Dance Program. In
voice instructor, and former Marriage and Family
In addition to her doctoral
2004, she presented at the Athens IOC meeting
Therapist Intern. He studied Igbo traditional
and post-doctoral studies
on Dance for Sports and at the World Congress
theatre and community engagement on a Fulbright
at Stanford University,
of Dance. This past spring, she was instrumental
grant to Nigeria in 1992, and co-founded the
she earned an M.A. in Dance from Northwestern
in bringing internationally-renown director/
Center for Theatre of the Oppressed and Applied
University. She has served as visiting professor
choreographer Mark Morris to campus for a
Theatre Arts, Los Angeles (www.ctoatala.org) in
in the Department of Psychology at Princeton
workshop that integrated motion capture
2001. He has been working and training with
University and has taught in Chicago, San
technology and robotics with modern dance.
Augusto Boal for more than ten years and he
Margo Apostolos
Francisco, at Stanford University, Southern Illinois
leads Cultural Field Worker training seminars
University and California Polytechnic State
Most recently, she co-founded the Cedars-Sinai/
across Los Angeles and around the world. He
University-San Luis Obispo.
USC Dance Medicine Center, a specialized
is completing his Ph.D. in Depth Psychology at
treatment center – the first of its kind in
Pacifica Graduate Institute. His research is lately
A recipient of the prestigious NASA/ASEE Summer
Los Angeles – offering preventive care and
focused on Liberation Arts from a post-colonial
Faculty Fellowship, Dr. Apostolos worked for
treatment specifically designed for professional
model, and he is teaching the fifth year of
NASA at Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech as a
and recreational dancers.
Liberation Arts and Community Engagement (LACE) at USC.
research scientist in the area of space telerobotics. At the Annenberg Center for Communication, Dr. Apostolos conducted research on facial expres-
Brent Blair
In the summer of 2006, he was invited by the
sions and human-computer interactions. Her work
A senior lecturer at the
Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble to design
in this area continues in collaboration with the
School of Theatre, Brent
and implement a three-week intensive course
USC neuroscience program. She was named a
Blair teaches voice in the
in cultural field work for theatre artists who
Southern California Studies Center faculty fellow,
BFA program and founded
use expressive arts with a variety of populations.
where she is surveying theatre and dance in the
the Applied Theatre Arts
At the end of the training, Brent worked in
Southern California region.
(ATA) curricula. ATA
Borallon Maximum Security Prison with six core
addresses the theory and
members of the ensemble and 12 prisoners in
Currently, Stanford University is providing fund-
practice of applying theatre
a conjoint workshop using Shakespeare and
ing for Dr. Apostolos’ work in the area of “Dance
skills as supplemental tools
Theatre of the Oppressed.
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