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.
(continued on page 3)
(continued on page 2)
Keynote Speaker Girish Karnad
Commencement 2011 (continued from cover)
director and her friend of twenty years,
experience, can change when it goes from one
“He is not only an artist of immense talent,
audience to another.”
with a restless and curious intellect, he is also a consummate gentleman and a kind and
Radio, television and film “present packaged
Bachelor of Arts class speaker Taylor Allen
loving friend – all the qualities you would wish
goods to the audience to which the audience
celebrated the magic of theatre and friendship
for in a leader, no matter what the field.”
can only respond,” observed the playwright.
in her address, declaring, “I’m so proud to be
But in theatre “the audience makes plays,
part of this class. It’s time for us to go into the
Modestly confessing that he, unlike the graduates,
changes plays” which is why “the very nature
world and make magic.”
had never been trained in theatre, the gracious
of drama is such that there is a possibility of
and witty Karnad claimed he did not know what
disaster. Things can go wrong – and that’s what
Patrick Morgan, speaking for the Bachelor of
to say to so many “experts.” “So I’m not going
makes a play alive.”
Fine Arts graduates, picked up on the friendship
to give any piece of advice,” he declared. “I’m
theme with a comic riff on how he had arrived
going to tell a few stories.”
at USC “a one-man wolf-pack” but now “the entire Class of 2011 is a wolf-pack.” “Have the courage,” he urged the graduates, “to create the perfect life for yourself.” “As artists in a world of ruins,” declared Rebecca
“ Have the courage to create the perfect life for yourself.”
Struch, speaking for the graduate students, “we
“As you go out into the community and you begin to do plays,” he told the graduates, “you will need to understand your audience. Study your audience – which will immediately take you into anthropology. It may take you into sociology. It will certainly take you into politics.” And, of course, Karnad could not resist a few
are change-makers, peace-builders, lovers of life
But Karnad’s stories – which included the ancient
pieces of advice: “Please don’t compromise
and beauty, story-tellers and magic weavers.”
Indian account of the birth of drama and his own
or accept the second-rate knowing that it is
“The theater,” she concluded, “[is] where the
experience of the radical difference between
second-rate;” “Keep up your great standards,
real and the imagined come to play and I believe
how Indians and Americans understand Arthur
associate with the best. Go to the people who
that alone is the spark for transformation.”
Miller’s classic play, A View from the Bridge –
have the best ideas and work with them;” and,
brilliantly illuminated a particular theme: the
finally, “Take risks, aesthetic risks.”
Introducing Girish Karnad, Dean Puzo said of the
crucial influence of the audience on the art of
internationally-renowned playwright, actor and
theatre and “how a whole play, a whole theatrical
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SCHOOL OF THEATRE BOARD OF COUNCILORS
David Anderle, Lisa Barkett, Tim Curry, Lauren Shuler 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, Laurence Mark, Martin Massman*, Jimmy Miller, Madeline Puzo, Andy Tennant, Allison Thomas, Rik Toulon, Joe Tremaine, Richard Weinberg (Chair) *on leave of absence
$1 Million Scholarship Gift (continued from cover)
participation in their life at USC, from supporting Catalina’s Wrigley Marine Science Center and the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies to the USC Spirit Leaders and Song Girls. Their curiosity, their generosity and their joy in living spring from their love for each other, their family and for USC.” The Plumleighs are members of the USC Associates (Chairman Level) and have been long time supporters of the USC School of Theatre, as well as the USC Libraries, USC Athletics and the College’s Master of Professional Writing. They were honored this year with an Alumni Service Award by the USC
20th Annual Awards Celebration The School of Theatre’s 20th 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 Serena Anis (Acting) Manuel Prieto (Design) John Blankenchip/Bill White Scholarship for Outstanding Contributions Erin Anderson Taylor Ruge USC Alumni and Friends Award for Creative Student Activities Khalia Davis Ruth and Albert McKinlay Award for Two Undergraduate B.A. Students Performer: Chelsea Madof Highest G. P. A. (tie): Nicole Jaffe Diana Vaden Student Council Award for a Graduating Senior Deane Sullivan Ramon Valdez
Nancy Kehr Reed Award for Funding an Independent Student Production Brien O’Loughlin
Ritchie Spencer Memorial Award for a Graduating Designer Kate Thomas
David Dukes Acting Scholarship for a Junior Student Giselle Gilbert
James and Nony Doolittle Award for Graduating Seniors Ariel Barber Joe DeSoto Madeline Hanson Thea Rubley
Ava Greenwald Memorial Award for a Graduate Actor Amin El Gamal James B. Pendleton Award for Outstanding Contributions Ramon Valdez John Ritter Award for Comic Performance Deane Sullivan Stanley Musgrove Award for Outstanding Creative Talent Garrett Zwiener Jack Nicholson Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Actress: Keelin Woodell Actor: Kevin Comartin
Alumni Association. A retired real estate developer, Robert attended the College in the 1940s and has served on their humanities Advisory Board for eight years. He’s a member of Skull & Dagger, Order of Omega and the Blue Key Honor Society at USC. Elizabeth received her Master of Liberal Arts from the College in 1984 and has served on the Wrigley Board for six years. The Plumleighs are supporters of South Coast Repertory Theatre and the Marin Ballet. They visit campus several times every week to attend musical concerts, theatre productions and other events. Since his retirement, Robert has become a wine importer. They reside in Santa Ana, California. The School of Theatre’s three-year M.F.A. in Acting program trains actors as artists and professionals who can function in any medium at the highest level of their field. Staffed by master teachers who have had extensive experience in all areas of the professional world, the program unifies classical professional actor-training (a rigorous curriculum that attunes the voice, body and the intellect to the demands of text and performance) with an innovative physical approach to acting that draws upon the work of such renown theatre artists as Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook and Jacques Lecoq.
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Dance Leadership Award Samantha Schlossberg Outstanding Dance Choreographer Awards Fall Concert: Brooke Kelly Spring Concert: Kelly Ciurczak Samantha Miller Bill White Faculty Recognition Award Mary-Joan Negro
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Visiting Artists
In our ongoing effort to further enhance
the educational experience that our classes
provide, the School continues to invite a
wide range of visiting artists throughout
the year, including some of the most
distinguished talents from stage, film
and television, to meet, interact and work
with our students. This past spring was
no exception as Grammy Award-winning
recording artist Melissa Manchester was
in residence for the semester teaching
Songwriting for the Musical Theatre.
In addition, legendary comedian Shelley
Berman conducted a question and answer
session with theatre improvisation
students along with the USC comedy
groups Commedus Interruptus and
Second Nature Improv.
Top: Student Divya Maus and Melissa Manchester Bottom: Internship & Visiting Artist Coordinator Meghan Laughlin and Shelley Berman