PAGE 3 20th Annual Awards Celebration
PAGE 4 Visiting Artists
SUMMER 2011
Robert and Elizabeth Plumleigh
School of Theatre Receives $1 Million Scholarship Gift From Robert and Elizabeth Plumleigh The generous donation establishes the Karen Plumleigh Cortney Scholarship in support of the M.F.A. in Acting Program
R
obert and Elizabeth Plumleigh have pledged $1 million to the USC School of Theatre to establish and endow in perpetuity the Karen Plumleigh Cortney Scholarship in support of the School’s
Commencement 2011
M.F.A. in Acting Program. The scholarship is named in honor of
“It is an incredibly beautiful day, both inside as well as outside,” Dean
their late daughter, Karen Louise, who received her B.A. in Fine
Madeline Puzo proclaimed in opening the 2011 Commencement ceremony
Arts from USC in 1977. Their granddaughter, Claire Cortney, was a double
on a day when School of Theatre graduates were not alone in receiving
major at USC. Not only did she earn her B.A. in Theatre in 2008 but she also
degrees: keynote speaker Girish Karnad, one of the defining figures in
earned her B.A. in Communication that same year.
modern Indian theatre and culture, had earlier received a degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from USC President Max Nikias – the first time a theatre
School of Theatre Dean Madeline Puzo said, “Robert and Elizabeth Plumleigh
artist has been so honored by the University. “I could not be more proud of
are a couple who truly embody the spirit and strength of the Trojan
your success and the recognition that our art form has been awarded today,”
Family. Their embrace of the School of Theatre is mirrored by their active
Dean Puzo told the audience.
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