Callboard Summer 2010

PAGe 2 Playwrights’ Arena Honors Dean Puzo

PAGe 3 19th Annual Awards Ceremony

PAGe 4 Focus on Faculty

summeR 2010

Above: The Class of 2010 celebrates on stage at the Bing Theatre; Top Right: B.A. class speaker Khalia Davis; Bottom Right: Keynote speaker José Rivera.

Commencement 2010 “I’m sure for many of you, this day always seemed far off, somehow never-gonna-come, somewhere in the future, not right now,” Dean Madeleine Puzo told the exuberant crowd packing the Bing Theatre for the School of Theatre’s 2010 Commencement ceremony. “But today, it is here, it is now.”

F

rom the Dean’s opening remarks to the

fellow students with her account of her undergraduate

we care about and keep a sense of humor about

class speakers representing the three

career. She closed her speech – and imaginary

ourselves,” professed Polos, abandoning his

degree programs – Bachelor of Arts,

audition – by thanking her colleagues, friends and

pretend cynicism, “we can go vast distances.”

Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of

family “who I know will be calling and texting in

Fine Arts – to the keynote address by

their votes for as long as the line is open.”

award-winning writer José Rivera, our annual

McKinley Belcher III likened the professional training the Master of Fine Arts graduates received

Commencement celebration is a time to honor

Speaking for the Bachelor of Fine Arts graduates,

to the agoge, the rigorous regimen by which the

those present, to reflect on the past year and

Tomm Polos wittily set up and undercut the earnest

ancient Spartans molded their boys into hardened

to inspire one and all for the future.

clichés associated with commencement speeches.

soldiers who would serve as the ‘Walls of Sparta.’

“We are a generation of artists in a mystifying

“We are the ‘walls’ of a new generation of art

Khalia Davis, representing the Bachelor of Arts

climate,” Polos announced. “Rumor has it that this

and stand ready to be inducted into the artistic

graduates, performed a mock audition for a “lead-

is not an easy industry. And I’ve heard that L.A.

community,” Belcher declared and he thanked

ing part” in an imaginary reality show, “Life After

is a soul-crushing place – like waking up to take

his professors for “giving us not what we always

College”, and won knowing laughter from her

Theatre 130 every day. If we stick to telling stories

wanted but what we needed.” (continued on page 2)

S C h O O L O F T h e A T r e BOArd OF COUNCILOrS

A meSSAge FrOm The deAN

A BeAutiFul YeAr Dean Madeline Puzo

David Anderle, Lisa Barkett, LeVar Burton, Tim Curry, Charles Dillingham, Lauren Schuler Donner, Tate Donovan, Michele Dedeaux Engemann (Founding Chair), Michael Gilligan (Chair, USC School of Theatre Parents Council), Robert Greenblatt, Patti Gribow, Susan A. Grode, Paula Holt, Donna Isaacson, Gary Lask, Sheila Lipinsky, Martin Massman, Jimmy Miller, Madeline Puzo, Andy Tennant, Allison Thomas, Rik Toulon, Joe Tremaine, Richard Weinberg (Chair)

We have just finished a big, beautiful year – one that has given me, and hopefully our students, many vivid memories.

The School started the year interacting with leading artists from around the world – from the extraordinary performance of scenes from Sophocles’ Antigone, performed by Elena Papadopoulos and Nikos

Commencement 2010 (continued from cover)

Charalambous, internationally renowned artists long associated with the National Theatre of Cyprus; to the deeply poetic work of Girish Karnad, one of India’s preeminent playwrights and, indeed, a central

“We have never had a playwright address a

figure in the development of modern Indian theatre; to the rigorous and disciplined creativity of award-

graduating class,” observed Dean Puzo in intro-

winning director/choreographer Twyla Tharp – each of them sharing with our students how they, in their

ducing keynote speaker José Rivera. “Possibly

own cultural tradition, explore our very ancient art.

because we are so used to saying the play-

The appearance of these artists at USC is evidence that we, as a school and as individuals who study, explore and teach the art, are becoming more global in our thinking. And it is also a sign that the School is becoming more recognized on – really, I know I should but I can’t resist the phrase – the international stage.

And we ended the year with another artist whose visit left a deep impression on me and on the School, the playwright José Rivera, who gave the keynote speech at our 2010 Commencement. And what a speech it was – a rich, eloquent, clever and poetic tour de force full of wit and hard earned wisdom about the tribulations and joys of working in the theatre. It was moving and exhilarating in its illumination and unapologetic celebration of why we do theatre no matter the difficulties and frustrations. You can read excerpts from his inspiring speech in our cover story.

wright’s words we forget that they have a voice of their own.” Rivera, an Obie Award-winning playwright and Academy Award nominated screenwriter, quietly demonstrated the power of words with a poetic, passionate and sly speech that distilled his long experience of the joys and tough realities of a life in the theatre.

“We are apostles of language, dreamers of blank verse, aristocrats of sight gags who thrive on complexity,” affirmed Rivera, welcoming

I hope you have a great summer and I look forward to talking to you next fall.

the graduates as colleagues. “We turn awful experience and bad relationships and murderous office jobs and loveless parents and poverty and addictions and angst and loss and death

Madeline Puzo

itself into the fearsome gold of art.”

Dean Rivera described some of the highs and lows awaiting the graduates, including “bliss when

Playwrights’ Arena Honors Dean Puzo

you’ve written that perfect sentence,” and “anger when that barbarian in the second row keeps texting his lawyer…or the MacArthur people over-

Playwrights’ Arena, “original works for adventurous minds,” held their annual benefit, Hot Night in the

looked you again…or the culture’s going north

City, on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Ultra-Suede in West Hollywood, honoring Dean Madeline Puzo, along

while you’re going south…and you’ve forgotten

with Ben Guillory, Artistic Director of the Robey Theatre Company, and Terence McFarland, Executive

the joy and magic, the purpose and need for it

Director of LA Stage Alliance, for their outstanding contribution to the Los Angeles theatre community.

all. But then you remember and you come back.”

Puzo has been Dean of the USC School of Theatre since 2002. Under her leadership, the School has inau-

Rivera continued, “That’s the amazing part. You

gurated three new graduate degrees, revised and expanded its undergraduate programs and has doubled

come back the next day because this activity con-

its faculty. Prior to USC, she was a creative producer for some of the country’s leading regional theatres,

nects you to your most essential and naked self.”

including the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, for over 20 years. She has commissioned and/or produced work by such noted theatre artists

“I think you are ready,” declared Rivera. “You,

as Bill T. Jones, JoAnne Akalaitis, Spalding Gray, Joe Chaikin, Philip Glass, Femi Osofisan, Girish Karnad,

the fighter and hero of this morning’s tale, are

Bart Sher and Robert Woodruff and has produced such diverse plays as House Arrest: An Introgression,

trained and ready to unpack your Heiner Müller

Acts I & II by Anna Deavere Smith; Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

and your colored pencils and your tap shoes. And

directed by Sir Peter Hall; and David Henry Hwang’s new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower

you are brimming with ideas and are full of cour-

Drum Song. Her adaptation of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory was presented by the Mark Taper

age and full of fight and you know the obstacles

Forum for 10 consecutive years and toured Eastern Europe. While director of Taper, Too, the Mark Taper

and laugh in their faces. And the dragons you

Forum’s second theatre, she won nine L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. She served as co-director for the

fight are windmills and the windmills you fight

theatre portion of the 1984 Olympic International Arts Festival and has been a consultant for the National

are straw and the time to talk about doing it is

Endowment of the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trust, Theatre Communications Group, the Rockefeller and

over. It’s time to do it. So let’s go out now, you

Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Foundations.

and I; let’s go out and make some art.”

2

19th Annual Awards Ceremony

2009-10 AWARD ReCIPIeNTs

The School of Theatre’s 19th Annual Awards Celebration acknowledged the exceptional work done by students in all areas of discipline over the last academic 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!

Aileen stanley memorial Award For undergraduate students Sarah Gise Will Sammons John Blankenchip/Bill White scholarship For Outstanding Contributions Manuel Prieto Connor Kelly-Eiding usC Alumni and Friends Award For Creative student Activities Khalia Davis Ruth and Albert mcKinlay Award For Two undergraduate B.A. students Performer: Miya Folick Highest G.P.A.: Melanie Lynch, Diana Vaden student Council Award For a Graduating senior Melissa Trupp Nancy Kehr Reed Award For funding an Independent student Production Lukas Kanter David Dukes Acting scholarship For a Junior student Margaret Ivey Ava Greenwald memorial Award For a Graduate Actor McKinley Belcher III

3

James B. Pendleton Award For Outstanding Contributions Molly McGraw John Ritter Award For Comic Performance Joe DeSoto stanley musgrove Award For Outstanding Creative Talent Liza Burns Jack Nicholson Award For Outstanding undergraduate Actress: Thea Rubley Actor: Shaheed Sabrin Ritchie spencer memorial Award For a Graduating Designer Sean Foote James and Nony Doolittle Award For Graduating seniors Matthew Little Sara Fox Chris Schulz Alexandra Wright Outstanding Dance Choreographer Awards spring Concert: Brooke Badger, Emily Shum Bill White Faculty Recognition Award Mary-Joan Negro

FOCUS ON FACULTY

Tom Ontiveros Assistant Professor

Jack Rowe Associate Professor of Theatre Practice

Tom Ontiveros is an Assistant Professor of

Jack Rowe is an Associate Dean and Artistic

Lighting Design. He designs with light and

Director for the School of Theatre. He received

projection for theatre, dance, and live music.

his B.A. from USC and is a founding member

He is a three-time recipient of the Dean

of the Company Theatre, a Los Angeles-based

Goodman Award for Lighting Design and

theatre company begun by USC graduates

was featured in San Francisco’s Callboard

in 1967. During its 12-year existence, the

magazine. He is a board member for viBe,

Company received awards and acclaim from

an NYC organization providing performance

Los Angeles drama critics and the national

and writing programs to high school girls

press, including such publications as Time,

with limited access to the arts. His lighting

Newsweek and The New Yorker. He worked

and projection designs have appeared at the

with the Company as an actor, director, stage

Hungarian National Theatre Festival in Cluj,

manager, composer and musician. He began

Romania; the Holland Festival in Amsterdam; the International Festival

his professional affiliation with the School of Theatre in 1979. He teaches

of Arts and Ideas in New Haven; the San Diego Museum of Art; the

acting classes in both the B.A. and B.F.A. programs and directs School of

Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art; SUSHI Performing Arts; The Joyce

Theatre productions as often as possible. As Artistic Director for the

SoHo; the Japan America Theatre; the Mondavi Center; The Phoenix

School, he selects over a dozen productions that are seen on our many

Symphony; and Zellerbach Studio Theatre. Recent collaborators include

stages, including the Bing Theatre, the Scene Dock Theatre, the McClintock

Rinde Eckert, Paul Dresher, Cornerstone Theatre and Circle X. Credits also

Theatre, and the Massman Theatre. Last year, he directed The Triangle

include collaborations with Michael Greif (Most Wanted), Bob Balaban

Factory Fire Project in the fall and Bullet, part of the Blueprints: M.F.A.

(The Exonerated), Naomi Iizuka (The Language of Angels), Charles Mee

in Dramatic Playwrights Workshop, in the spring. Last fall, he also staged

(Summertime), as well as having served as Resident Designer for the

An Evening with Girish Karnad at the Bing Theatre for Visions and Voices,

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. He received his M.F.A. and the

the USC Arts & Humanities Initiative.

Award for Teaching Excellence from UC San Diego. He teaches Lighting

Visit us at http://theatre.usc.edu or call 213.821.2744.

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Design IE Design + Communications

Assistant Dean, Communications Tony Sherwood

Dean Madeline Puzo

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Design I & II and mentors student lighting and projection designers.