‘A
TOP TRAINING GROUND’:
SDA’s new Dick Wolf Drama Center features two theatres, design labs and other state-of-the-art facilities.
USC Callboard magazine is an annual publication of the USC School of Dramatic Arts for its alumni, parents, students and friends.
dean Emily Roxworthy
vice dean
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associate dean of communications
Delphine Vasko
content marketing manager
Geoffrey Waring
graphic designer
Christopher Komuro
writers
Allison Engel
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Geoffrey Waring
photographers
Capture Imaging
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Attn: Communications Office 817 W. 34th Street Los Angeles, CA 90089-6230 COVER PHOTO BY Eric Staudenmaier
A Message from the Dean
I WELCOME YOU to this year’s edition of Callboard, celebrating a momentous time for the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
This issue marks our arrival to a new home, the 40,000 square-foot Dick Wolf Drama Center. A perfect metaphor for the dramatic arts, our new home is a LEEDcertified adaptive reuse of a Romanesque Revival structure, completely renovated to train the next generation of storytellers. A gathering place for all our faculty, staff and students, past and present, the building combines splashes of the School’s history with exciting glimpses into its future. Friends and alumni of the School have stepped up to support the new space, including the building naming gift from creator/producer Dick Wolf and the Nakamoto family’s dedication of the Sparks Center, both of which you can read about in these pages.
through the years
In this year’s Callboard we also celebrate the School’s continued engagement with our LGBTQIA+ community, our alumni leading the way in the world of podcasting and the incredible research that keeps the School at the forefront of critical scholarship. In a chaotic time for our world and the city we love, I hope these stories of resistance and resilience will inspire hope in you as they did for me.
It’s an important time to be a Trojan. If you haven’t, please consider following me on Instagram at @deanroxworthy, where I continue to share the inspiring work being done by our students, faculty and alumni.
2001: Tony Award nominees Charl Brown (BA ’01) (center left) and Stark Sands (BFA ’01) (center right) took the stage as the Leading Player and Pippin in Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin in the Bing Theatre.
Emily Roxworthy DEAN
PHOTO BY Craig Schwartz
2023: 22 years later, Schwartz’s vibrant musical returned to the University of Southern California with Zoe Hosley (BFA Musical Theatre ’24) (center right) portraying the Leading Player and Colin Frothingham (BFA Musical Theatre ’24) (center) playing Pippin.
8 USC School of Dramatic Arts’ new building will be named the Dick Wolf Drama Center
9 Inspiring the next generation with the Sparks Center
11 LGBTQIA+ Alumni Celebration
15 Pioneers of the pod: SDA alumni lead the way in podcasting
20 Board of Councilors
21 SDA Alumni Marquee
26 Supporters of Dramatic Arts
On the cutting edge of scholarship
Professor Rena M.Heinrich
PHOTO BY Eric Staudenmaier
COVER STORY :
Top Training Ground’: The USC School of Dramatic Arts celebrates its new home.
‘A TOP TRAINING GROUND’:
USC School of Dramatic Arts gets a new home
BY GRAYSON SCHMIDT
The revamped building features two theatres, recording studios and other state-of-the-art facilities.
USC PHOTO/ Steve Cohn
For the first time in its nearly 80-year history, the USC School of Dramatic Arts has a home. It’s an historic structure on the University Park Campus that was once a church — built nearly 100 years ago.
“WITH THIS NEW DRAMATIC ARTS BUILDING NOW OPEN, USC has incredible momentum to make SDA the top drama school in the nation with a space that enables collaboration, innovation and cutting-edge creativity,” declared Emily Roxworthy, dean of the School of Dramatic Arts, at an afternoon ribboncutting event for the building in March 2024.
Trojans present and past gathered near the steps of the building, which is now the anchor for the university’s “arts corridor” along 34th Street — near the USC Thornton School of Music, the USC Kaufman School of Dance and the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
“This home will be the staging ground for the next chapter of our exciting evolution as a drama school that teaches students how to harness the superpowers of storytelling for stage and screen to create positive social change and move the global entertainment industry forward,” Roxworthy said.
USC President Carol Folt spoke of how the new building serves as an example of the importance of the dramatic arts in higher education.
“I believe that dramatic performance is truly one of the greatest educators of all humankind — it needs to be in our universities, it needs to be part of our education, and we need to enliven and allow everyone to have a piece of it,” Folt said. “SDA has been teaching
the next generation of performers for more than three quarters of a century, and I am so honored that we now have this perfect and historically accurate and appropriate new home for a world-renowned, conservatory-level school in the heart of our campus.”
Keeping the old and embracing the new
Though careful efforts were made to retain the 1930s-style architecture — complete with stone engravings, spiral columns and stained-glass windows — the inside has been completely redone for the modern age. Students now have access to a professional development center where they can record auditions and collaborate with peers, as well as working in state-of-the art sound stages, recording studios and dressing rooms. Along with those improvements, the building also features two new performance spaces: the Sanctuary Theatre and the Stop Gap Theatre — the latter named after a former streetcar station at the south edge of campus that was converted into one of the department’s first theatre spaces in 1948.
“This building is filled with all the things the SDA needs to be the top training ground for acting, for writing, for theatrical design, production and critical studies,” Folt said. “This new home gives us these inspiring, light-filled spaces to bring that all to life.”
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Provost Andrew T. Guzman, Dean Emily Roxworthy of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, USC President Carol Folt and Dean Elizabeth M. Daley of the USC School of Cinematic Arts celebrate the historic event. USC Photo/Gus Ruelas
The cast of the School of Dramatic Arts’ production of RENT.
Andrew Morales (left) and Anthony Morales, members of the Gabrieleno Tongva Band of Mission Indians, bless the building.
SDA Professor Oliver Mayer and guests celebrate.
USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman, SDA Alumna Troian Bellisario, Dean Emily Roxworthy, SDA student Storm Reid, USC President Carol Folt and SDA Alumnus LeVar Burton.
USC PHOTOS/ Gus Ruelas
Dean Emily Roxworthy and the Trojan Marching Band.
SDA Alumnus LeVar Burton.
The building also boasts the brand-new Sparks Center for Community & Culture, named for current School of Dramatic Arts Professor Anita Dashiell-Sparks, who is also the school’s associate dean of Community and Culture, and her husband, SDA alumnus and producer Anthony Sparks.
In addition to the Sparks Center, the entire building was redesigned with sustainability in mind — another major step in bringing it into the current era. The university reduced the carbon footprint of the project by adaptively reusing the building rather than constructing a new one. By modifying some of the distinguishing features that were already in place, the building’s construction highlights USC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. Sustainable modifications include retrofitting the stained glass windows with a second pane to trap in heat or cold air, converting the HVAC system to all-electric and reducing water usage by 35%.
Trojan star power turns out to celebrate
Actor and current USC student Storm Reid spoke about what having a home base for the dramatic arts means for students.
“When I’m away from campus, I feel a burning desire to be here,” said Reid. “This new building represents more than just a physical space — it symbolizes our growth, aspirations and the legacy that we’re building as the inaugural generation of artists to learn and create here.”
Actor and USC alumna Troian Bellisario said the building and the facilities inside will put students in the right position to succeed.
“The resources within these walls will provide a new generation of artists a fighting chance in this challenging and ever-shifting industry,” the Pretty Little Liars star and 2009 BFA in Acting graduate said. “This building, and the programs facilitated within will ensure that no one is left just jumping off and hoping for luck.”
If the University Park Campus has gone through its share of changes since Bellisario graduated 15 years ago, then it might be almost unrecognizable to LeVar Burton. Known for his roles in Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as the host of beloved children’s show Reading Rainbow, Burton was first discovered during a performance of Oklahoma! on the USC campus during his sophomore year at SDA in 1974.
“My career began here on this hallowed ground,” Burton said as he took in his surroundings. “I came here from Sacramento, Calif., with a dream in my heart and a song on my lips, and this place nurtured and supported and encouraged me.”
Opportunities for the next generation of artists
USC has been producing the best performers, writers, designers and directors for nearly 80 years. According to Reid, the school’s new home shows that the university recognizes that.
“It’s a testament to our shared commitment to excellence in dramatic arts,” Reid said. “The support fuels our passion and dedication to the arts, and for that we are so profoundly grateful. Let’s continue to learn, inspire and create together in this new home that we call the SDA community.”
For Burton, seeing the building already in motion sparks joy and pride. He told the crowd that USC will always be a special place to him, and this new home of the USC School of Dramatic Arts will help foster the next generation of artists and performers who can continue to inspire the world.
“It is no small feat [to have this building] especially given our proximity to Hollywood, Calif., where we make up the stories for the planet,” Burton said. “Storytelling, I like to say, is the currency of human interaction, and here is where we learn the skill sets and the confidence to take the risks and use our imaginations to tell the stories that people need.”■
“The resources within these
walls
will provide a
new generation of artists a fighting chance in this challenging and ever-shifting industry.”
USC Alumna Troian Bellisario
USC to name School of Dramatic Arts’ new building the Dick Wolf Drama Center
Dick Wolf
LATE IN 2024 , it was announced that Dick Wolf, the Emmywinning creator/producer and architect of the most successful brand in television (Law & Order), is supporting the next generation of young artists and creative entrepreneurs with a significant contribution to the USC School of Dramatic Arts. In recognition of his generosity, the School of Dramatic Arts’ recently renovated building will be named the Dick Wolf Drama Center.
“I am so honored that Dick’s name will grace this perfect and appropriate home for our world-renowned, conservatorylevel artistic hub in the heart of our campus,” USC President Carol Folt said. “Since its founding, USC has produced awardwinning artists and creatives who help us make sense of our ever-changing world. Our students and faculty will continue to be inspired in our new Dick Wolf Drama Center every day.”
Emily Roxworthy, dean of the School of Dramatic Arts, echoed that sentiment. “We are thrilled and grateful that Dick has made a commitment to our students here at USC,” Roxworthy said. “Our stateof-the-art facility, with its unique services like a dedicated professional development center and Sparks Center for Community & Culture, serves as a bridge to Hollywood and a support system for young artists as they navigate their way into ever-evolving creative industries. Dick’s career has enabled so many stage and screen actors to launch and sustain their own careers through game-changing roles in his shows, and we are exceptionally proud to continue this work with his support.”
The definitive creative entrepreneur, Wolf is a two-time Emmy Award winner (13-time Emmy-nominated), a GRAMMY Award winner and a New York Times best-selling author. In addition to serving as creator and executive producer of all the Law & Orderbranded series, Wolf has extended his branding to other series including Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, FBI, FBI Most Wanted, FBI International and the new Amazon Prime series On Call, starring SDA alumna Troian Bellisario (BFA ’09). Wolf’s company also produced the Oscar-winning documentary Twin Towers
“Education has always been a priority for me, and for Wolf Entertainment,” Wolf said. “It is my privilege to be associated with USC and this state-of-the-art facility. At Wolf Entertainment we will have our eye on the next generation of talent to emerge from the School of Dramatic Arts.” ■
Inspiring the next generation with the Sparks Center
When the USC School of Dramatic Arts (SDA) celebrated the completion of its new home at the Hoover Street campus entrance in early 2024, the extensively remodeled red brick building was filled with names acknowledging the history of the School. Their efforts and careers will inspire the next generation of multihyphenate artists.
SUPPORT FROM DONORS AND ALUMNI across USC has been critical to the renovation of the historic building for the School of Dramatic Arts.
One gift, from Rod and Elsie Nakamoto, has named the School’s Center for Community and Culture, a light-filled space on the building’s second floor.
But in a truly inclusive gesture, the Nakamotos did not put their own names on the center. They named it for Anita Dashiell-Sparks, the SDA professor who is the School’s associate dean of community & culture, and her husband, SDA Board of Councilors member Anthony Sparks, BFA in Theatre ’94, MA and PhD in American Studies & Ethnicity, a showrunner, executive producer and writer for television who also has had a notable theatre acting career. The Sparks Center offers programming for students across the university. Its 620-square-foot space is a central hub for USC’s diverse artistic community members to connect, collaborate and support one another.
USC PHOTO/ Gus Ruelas
PHOTO BY Jennifer Franco
Rod Nakamoto ’83, MBA ’94, a USC Trustee and past president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association, and Elsie ’82, thought it would be an honor to have their names on the center, says Rod. But they asked SDA Dean Emily Roxworthy if there was another name that would resonate with the artistic community.
After giving it some thought, Dean Roxworthy suggested the Sparks’ names, recognizing the work Anita and Anthony do to promote community building initiatives throughout USC and beyond.
“The name ‘Sparks’ is beautiful and fitting,” says Rod. “It’s one of those things where everything kind of fits together.”
The Nakamoto name is represented in the center, on a plaque with the names of his mother, Virginia, and brother Brian, who died in 2021. “My mom was the one who, on a really tight budget, created the opportunities for us to visit museums, visit the aquarium, go to performances when we could, giving us a lifelong love of the arts,” says Rod. “Brian enjoyed the arts and also was a pretty big proponent of culture work at Eli Lilly, where he worked. It will be nice to honor them in that space.”
As for the Sparks, the news that donors wanted to put their family’s name on the center was a complete surprise.
When Anita, who also serves as the School’s vice chair of performance, was told by Dean Roxworthy and Sara Fousekis, the School’s associate dean of advancement, “I was completely speechless,” she said. “And I immediately started crying. I was so deeply honored by that gesture, and humbled by it.”
Said Anthony: “Simply put, we are elated, overjoyed and full of gratitude.” He said SDA played “a huge, transformational role in helping me realize my dreams” when he was a student. “To my surprise, USC continues to be a powerful, life-changing force” in his life and his family’s life.
“This most unexpected and generous honor from trustee Rod Nakamoto and the Rod and Elsie Nakamoto Endowment Fund is something that touches Anita and me in a profound way,” he continued. “As Black artists long committed to incorporating a sense of community and justice in our theatre, television and film work, we generally expect the reward to be the work itself. And indeed it is. So to have our commitment acknowledged in a dedicated space to those values is literally a dream that I didn’t know I could dream.
“I believe my mother — a Black woman sharecropper from Mississippi, a woman whose name I carry — is smiling from heaven at this most extraordinary honor.”
Anita, in addition to her teaching responsibilities, oversees training to SDA faculty and staff, and gives workshops to incoming and existing students. She has joined counterparts in USC’s other arts schools to promote equity in curriculum and representation in projects. She has been a leader in this work for over two decades and is a fierce advocate for artists of color.
She sees the center as a community gathering space and a hub for sharing resources to aid community engagement initiatives, such as the L.A. vs. Hate project, a collaboration with the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. For that project, SDA students help mentor youth at five area high schools using theatre and other arts for anti-hate, anti-bias efforts.
Rod Nakamoto praises Dean Roxworthy’s support for these efforts, and the openness to include the entire artistic community at USC in this vision. “It’s that inclusiveness that makes this important,” he says. ■
Dean Emily Roxworthy, Rod Nakamoto, Elsie Nakamoto, Anita Dashiell-Sparks, USC President Carol Folt and Anthony Sparks.
USC PHOTO/ Steve Cohn
BY CELINE KINER
Queer Trojans on expression, individuality and carving creative paths
Meet the LGBTQIA+ alumni championing representation in the theatre
PHOTO COURTESY OF L. Zane Jones
Alumni of the USC School of Dramatic Arts are explicitly celebrating their queer identities in the theatre and uplifting the stories of their LGBTQIA+ peers. Their work, careers and identities are intergenerational and intersectional — they are forging innovation and creativity against the grain.
Drag and Anna Deavere Smith
Keith Levy (aka Sherry Vine) (MFA ’88) was not surrounded by queer representation as a student at USC. Even in Los Angeles, there were very few actors doing drag at the time. But actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, a visiting faculty member, saw Sherry Vine performing in drag and encouraged further pursuit of the art form.
“It’s all Anna Deavere Smith’s fault,” Vine laughed. “She pulled me aside and said, ‘You should explore that… You need to find someone to write shows for you and create your own path.’”
The performer’s acting trajectory had all been very traditional upon moving to Los Angeles, including acting onstage at the Mark Taper Forum and joining SAGAFTRA, but those early roles didn’t afford the creative freedom that drag did. A friend wanted to write a play centering Vine in drag, so she moved to New York and they mounted the production as a fledgling theatre company. “I got the drag bug, and completely jumped ship. I just felt like, this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” she said.
Sherry Vine has been entertaining audiences for 30 years: touring the world with stage shows, writing and starring in her OutTV variety show and amassing millions of views on YouTube.
“It’s fulfilling on every level. I get to play dress up like a little kid. I get to apply acting chops and sing [as] 30 or 40 different characters,” she said. “At the same time, I’m not afraid to fall on my face. I would rather fall on my face than have to keep doing the exact same thing, over and over.”
A drag legend, she’s no stranger to risk. Before the dawn of RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag was on the fringes, even of queer culture. But in recent years, Drag Race contestants with worldwide notoriety have cited Vine’s YouTube videos as their first exposure to drag, a mark of her perseverance and influence.
Sherry Vine
PHOTO BY David Martinez
Centering community
Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx (BA ’11) learned to embrace his Latinx and queer identities after college, when he began producing and engaging communities around their experiences in the theatre.
“As a young person, I [became] really curious about how theatre connects the dots between what’s going on in the world,” he shared.
For several years, he actively produced live theatre while also working in a luxury spa, which at first glance may seem unrelated — but Muñoz-Proulx studied the spa as an exercise in patron experience, a five-act play inhabiting each of the spa’s rooms.
Now, as the Artistic Director of the Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, he has connected his own dots: all of his skills tessellate seamlessly into the curation, community service and partnerships he stewards daily.
“The vision that I’ve been slowly building is one that really centers community,” he said. “Our objective is to be of service to our community through all of these branches of service and care, and theatre is one way we do that.”
Fifty-five percent of the Tomlin/Wagner Center’s audiences are first-time visitors to the LA LGBT Center: which means that for 5,500 people per year, “their ticket is their entry point to a larger ecosystem of care,” Muñoz-Proulx explained.
The LA LGBT Center produces an abundance of programming across niches, affinity spaces, community partners — so that everyone can see themselves and their story in the theatre.
“There is so much opportunity for complex and necessary storytelling within our LGBT community, so that we really uplift queer BIPOC folks, transgender and nonbinary folks, bisexual folks, so that we expand the LGBT narrative,” MuñozProulx said. “These stories are very much still happening and affecting lives every day in our community.”
Uplifting representation
Alumni Derek Christiansen (BFA Design ’19) and Ruby O’Brien (BFA Design ’20) were also looking for intersectional queer representation in theatre — and set out to create their own at USC. When they co-founded Dorothy’s Friends Theatre Company (DFTC) with a group of friends, they explicitly wanted to highlight heartwarming queer stories.
“We wanted to focus on the positive experiences of the queer community and highlight shows that reinforce that positivity, and make you feel good walking out of the theatre,” they explained.
In their first year, they mounted productions of She Kills Monsters and Fun Home, and now, years after Christiansen and O’Brien graduated, DFTC remains a thriving Independent Student Theatre company.
The process taught Christiansen and O’Brien that “there is an avenue to take control of what narratives we’re telling onstage,” Christiansen said. As a creative team, the pair have carried that into professional careers, actively pursuing projects they truly enjoy.
“It goes beyond just a philosophy about queer theatre. It’s inherently interconnected with being queer, because we are,” O’Brien said. “There is genuine artistic merit to things that are happy and funny and make you feel good. And that isn’t in contrast to having genuine value, and doesn’t make it just fluff.”
Christiansen and O’Brien graduated into the pandemic, so a lot of their early work was on virtual theatre and broadcast or livestreamed media — which led them eventually to a career designing for both traditional theatre and for Dimension 20, a popular YouTube channel featuring tabletop and roleplaying games.
“Working on something that is inherently very queer and diverse and champions that, and being openly who we are in a comfortable working environment is just a really amazing thing,” Christiansen said.
Ruby O’Brien
Derek Christiansen
L. Zane Jones
Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx
PHOTO COURTESY OF Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx
PHOTO BY Tyler Maegawa-Goeser
PHOTO BY Michael Rueter/Capture Imaging
PHOTO COURTESY OF L. Zane Jones
They have found that being open about their identity has connected them with compatible collaborators who have similar passions and create safe spaces.
“It genuinely does attract other people you want to work with. You just have to put it out there… people are going to see it and start to gravitate towards it,” O’Brien added.
On support and trust
L. Zane Jones (MFA Directing ’94) was hired to join the faculty at USC shortly after receiving their MFA — and students gravitated toward Professor Jones’ classroom.
“I was very open about being gay, about being in recovery; and as a result, I was able… to be a little bit of a role model or someone that
“I tried to fill my classroom with a variety of different voices — queer voices, female-identifying individuals, different ethnicities and races…as much as I could. One of the things that drew me to theatre is that there was some diversity of expression. I felt like I could fit in.”
—L. Zane Jones
people could come to and talk to, which they did over the years,” Jones said. “About all of those things, you know? And by being just authentically who I am. I think the study of theatre is a lot about being authentically who you are.”
Jones’ classroom served as a safe haven for students through 2012 when they left USC. They built trust with students not only through office-hour conversations, but in the curriculum represented in classes and the shows Jones directed.
“I tried to fill my classroom with a variety of different voices — queer voices, female-identifying individuals, different ethnicities and races…as much as I could,” Jones shared. “One of the things that drew me to theatre is that there was some diversity of expression. I felt like I could fit in.”
As a longtime faculty member, Jones still feels pride in seeing former students and young queer people define success for themselves.
“There’s a place for them. They may have to carve it out for themselves,” Jones said.
For Vine, Muñoz-Proulx, Christiansen and O’Brien — their parallel pursuits of art and of self have led them to create new and unconventional routes, where they pioneer forms and excel as human beings. And in carving these unique paths, they pave the way for future queer Trojans to find their own successes in theatre.
As Muñoz-Proulx said, “It’s my belief that a person can only be the most excellent version of themselves doing what they love.” ■
PHOTO COURTESY OF L. Zane Jones
PIONEERS OF THE POD:
SDA alumni lead the way in podcasting
BY GEOFFREY WARING
When comedian Adam Ray (BFA ’05) started his popular podcast About Last Night in 2012, the podcasting format was still relatively uncharted territory.
As anyone with a Spotify account knows, that period didn’t last long. Podcasting has exploded as a medium, giving listeners a chance to enjoy intimate conversations and well-structured narratives on any topic they can imagine. Ray notes that these days, it feels like everyone has a podcast.
“Even back then [in 2012] it felt a little saturated. Now I think even my stepdad has a podcast,” he joked.
The university now offers a multidisciplinary podcasting minor, thanks to a collaboration between SDA, the School of Cinematic Arts and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
PODCASTING HAS BECOME a popular format for reaching a wide audience of listeners and alumni of the USC School of Dramatic Arts are leading the way in the field. Many alumni use the format to supplement artistic and performance careers, opening doors to meeting new people, reaching new audiences and developing their skill sets.
Others have focused on the podcasting format as the perfect medium for engaging in the craft of storytelling.
One such alumnus is playwright and podcaster Brian James Polak (MFA Dramatic Writing ’14). His podcast The Subtext began in Los Angeles when Polak and fellow USC alumna Dani Oliver (BA English and Theatre ’06) wanted to interview other playwrights for the Los Angeles Stage Alliance.
When Polak moved to Chicago in 2018, he relaunched The Subtext under the auspices of American Theatre Magazine. Although he considered himself technologically illiterate at the time, Polak took a chance and got a boost from an unexpected source.
“I reached out via email to Marc Maron, who runs WTF, one of the longest-running, most famous podcasts in the world,” Polak laughed. “I wrote: ‘Dear Marc, I’m starting a podcast. Can you tell me what recording equipment you use on the road?’”
Though he had no previous relationship with Maron, he must have caught the comedian on a good day. Maron responded within five minutes, listing all the recording equipment he used for his road podcasts. Polak bought the equipment and learned how to use it, paving the way for the last six years of The Subtext’s episodes.
“A lot of the barriers are psychological barriers,” Polak said. “As far as equipment is concerned, you don’t need anything. Everyone walks around with these cell phones in their pockets. You literally only need this to create a podcast. That and a little bit of pluck.”
In his years of producing The Subtext, Polak has had the opportunity to interview luminaries such as Wallace Shawn, David Henry Hwang and many more. Although Polak sometimes struggled with motivation — he is, after all, a busy, active playwright — it is feedback from the community that has kept him going.
Polak recalls a life-changing conversation he had while interviewing legendary playwright Paula Vogel for the podcast.
“I mentioned to her how I struggled over the years and why,” Polak said. “Paula said that the podcast is a service to our community, and that when I’m not actively working on a play or a production, I’m still creating. I’m creating something of value to folks. It means something to them.
“That hit me,” he said. “I’d never really thought of it that way. I’d always thought of it as my project. I never thought about our community. And that’s become a touchstone for me.”
Polak is not the only USC alum who sees podcasting as a way to do good for the world. Rebecca Mellinger (BA ’17) graduated from SDA and began working alongside Professor Zachary Steel for the USC Comic+Care Program. Eager to make a difference, she found her way to working with Paris Hilton as Head of Impact for Hilton’s media company 11:11 Media. Along the way, Mellinger found podcasting as a way to make a positive impact. She served as co-host for Hilton’s podcast Trapped in Treatment, a docu-style podcast series that investigates abusive behavior in the “troubled teen” industry, in 2022.
“To me, podcasts provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, making it easier for individuals to share their stories and ideas with a global audience,” Mellinger said. “Podcasts are highly accessible, allowing people to consume content on their own schedules, making it a convenient medium for both creators and listeners.”
Comic Adam Ray, whose successful career in stand-up comedy helped pave the way to roles portraying Vince McMahon in NBC’s Young Rock and Jay Leno on Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, along with a new Netflix special, began About Last Night with fellow USC alumnus and comedian Brad Williams (’07). The idea was originally to capture the strange and unique experiences that two touring comedians face on the road. Ray, who continued the podcast solo after Williams’ departure, has found podcasting to be a perfect complement to his performing career.
“Coming out of SDA, at least for me, being an actor wasn’t enough,” Ray said, referencing his career as an agile multihyphenate. “The more well versed you are and the more weapons you have at your disposal, the better you set yourself up for having opportunities. I think all anyone in the entertainment business wants is opportunities.”
Ray says that putting out About Last Night over the last decade has opened doors and allowed him to meet and interact with people he might never have the chance to otherwise.
“I’ve gotten a myriad of gigs just from podcasting alone,” Ray says. “Just being comfortable on the mic and being in settings where you can meet people that you might not have otherwise. There are so many benefits to it.”
Ray switches between solo comedy performance episodes and hosting guests, including fellow SDA alumnus Patrick J. Adams (BFA ’04), who now hosts his own podcast, Sandra Bullock, Neil Patrick Harris, Dana Carvey and many others. He has found that his training at SDA, along with his comfort on a microphone and natural curiosity for people, has been key to his success in the podcasting arena.
The impact of another standout Trojan podcaster was highlighted under tragic circumstances. Brad Bradley (BFA ’95), whose podcast Broadway’s Backbone highlighted the stories of the people who specialize in ensemble parts on the Great White Way, sadly passed away after a courageous struggle with cancer. The final episode of Broadway’s Backbone flipped the script and featured an interview with Bradley himself, while the show was guest hosted by friend and fellow Broadway actor Juliet Fischer. In the episode, Bradley reflected on his life and work as a performer and podcaster, including his time studying at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
“I’m really happy [that I went to USC],” Bradley said. “It made me a better actor, and it made me a better researcher.”
In the opening moments of the podcast, Bradley reflected on his time speaking with the people working in the ensembles of Broadway shows — the people he routinely called “the hardest working people on the boards.”
“When it comes down to it, just one piece of glitter — all the people who want to become a star — you get a handful of glitter, and that makes up an ensemble,” Bradley said.
“You take that handful of glitter...you are part of something beautiful.”
The final episodes of his podcast highlighted his incredible impact and reach. Bradley’s passion for spotlighting the people working in Broadway ensembles reverberated throughout the theatre community in the wake of his untimely death.
Ray, Mellinger and Polak all encouraged young Trojans thinking about their future careers in the arts and entertainment industry to consider adding podcasting as another arrow in their quivers. Understanding this as a huge area of potential for student success, the School of Dramatic Arts has begun offering new courses aimed at teaching students how to create their own podcasts. The popular “Creating the Hit Podcast,” taught by Sim Sarna, teaches students fundamental skills for producing, performing on and monetizing their own podcasts in multiple genres. In addition, the university now offers a multidisciplinary podcasting minor, thanks to a collaboration between SDA, the School of Cinematic Arts and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, which gives students a well-rounded skill set in narrative, production and marketing — all skills fundamental to creating a successful podcast.
“When I was at USC, I never thought I’d be doing a podcast,” Polak said. “But part of my development as a playwright and an artist involved learning how to talk, finding my voice, discovering my personality: who am I, what do I talk about, and how do I talk about it? That has become invaluable to me as a podcaster, because it’s all about me using my voice, in a literal and metaphorical way.”
Mellinger agrees.
“I hope students today recognize the incredible potential for creativity and impact that podcasting offers,” Mellinger said. “There are so many ways to use your artistic talents outside of physical performing. I didn’t always see or understand the other opportunities while I was a student and I think it is vitally important that students explore all of the different career types while they have the support SDA offers.” ■
Brad Bradley
Brian James Polak Paris Hilton and Rebecca Mellinger
PHOTO BY Heather VanderWielen
PHOTO COURTESY OF Rebecca Mellinger
PHOTO COURTESY OF Broadway’s Backbone
Adam Ray
PHOTO COURTESY OF CBS
On the cutting edge of SCHOLARSHIP
The USC School of Dramatic Arts is known for training the best and brightest of the next generation of artists, but it’s also a thriving research institution where some of the frontiers of theatre scholarship are being explored.
BY GEOFFREY WARING
“I THINK OF EVERYTHING THAT OUR FACULTY DOES AS RESEARCH,” says School of Dramatic Arts Dean Emily Roxworthy, an artist-scholar with a long history of integrating scholarship, performance and education. “Our performance faculty, who are working actors — that’s creative research. They’re able to bring the cutting edge of our industry into the classroom. Our faculty and students are exploring the intersection of comedy and health care across the L.A. area — the incredibly accomplished scholars on our faculty are helping us understand the past to help us imagine the future of our creative fields.”
Dean Roxworthy’s research into theatrical and cinematic portrayals of academics has allowed her to look at academia from another angle. Her most recent book, The Theatrical Professoriate: Contemporary Higher Education and Its Academic Dramas (Routledge), was inspired by a little-known phenomenon that occurred at the 2015 Academy Awards ceremony: all four awards for best acting performance that year went to actors portraying university professors.
“Why is playing a professor considered this incredible acting feat? That was the a-ha moment for me,” Dean Roxworthy explains. In addition to examining portrayals of academics in film and on stage, her research explores different ways in which the dramatic arts can make a lasting change in society — a major focus of the research and pedagogy that permeates the School.
“First, the representation we put on stage and screen can really affect the way that people look at the world,” Dean Roxworthy says. “And what we do can be really helpful in solving problems that a range of industries face, especially higher education.”
Chair of Critical Studies & Dramatic
Writing Rena M. Heinrich agrees.
Professor Heinrich, whose book, Race and Role: The Mixed-Race Asian Experience in American Drama (Rutgers University Press) has been influential in the fields of Performance and Ethnic Studies, believes that learning from educators on the forefronts of research gives students a valuable educational experience. Heinrich acknowledges that theatre, film and other narrative arts serve an entertainment purpose in society, but she sees the dramatic arts as serving a deeper purpose as well.
“It exposes us to experiences we may not have had otherwise, and it illuminates something about our own history and our own time,” Heinrich explains. “Plays reveal realities about the world we’re living in. Even if they’re historically from a different period, they’re illuminating something about how this culture and this society work. They’re presenting that theory to you, even in a creative fashion.”
A fresh look at Stanislavsky
Professor Sharon Marie Carnicke is one of the most respected scholars on Chekhov and Stanislavsky in the world, and her latest work, Dynamic
Professor Meiling Cheng
Acting through Active Analysis (Methuen Drama), sheds new light on one of the least known of the acting techniques developed by Stanislavsky in the last century, called Active Analysis. While many translations of Stanislavsky’s writings have presented him as rigid and inflexible, in accord with Soviet censorship, Carnicke’s uniquely structured book relies upon untranslated and uncensored sources. The first half brings him to life through transcripts of his classes and the second half demonstrates the use of Active Analysis in the context of her own acting workshop.
“Active Analysis starts with the notion that a play is a score for performance,” Professor Carnicke says. “We need to figure out, what are the facts in the text — like notes in a score of music — that are necessary for us to play accurately? Then we allow ourselves to step into those facts and create the life of the play with our own bodies and souls — to become a collaborator with the text — by improvising with those areas in the text which are open for interpretation.”
In Professor Carnicke’s “Acting Theory” class, students are given the opportunity to prepare performance pieces using various acting techniques, giving them a sense of the different ways actors have trained throughout history. This includes a chance to train in Stanislavsky’s Active Analysis under the supervision of a globally renowned expert.
“Suddenly the whole thing becomes active and interesting and fun,” Professor Carnicke says of Active Analysis.
“Over the years, it has also become my way into almost everything I teach. The play will change, the history will change, the facts will change. But my research has re-formed the way I can make plays of many eras so easily accessible to my students.”
Theatre on the edge
Perhaps no class taught at the School of Dramatic Arts exemplifies the nexus between research and education like Meiling Cheng’s popular “Theatre on the Edge.” Professor Cheng’s course originally stemmed from research for her influential book In Other Los Angeleses: Multicentric Performance Art (University of California Press), which explored Cheng’s theory of multicentricity and examined performance art in Los Angeles. Although she had only intended to offer the class for a short time, she soon noticed that the waitlist for the course began to exceed its enrollment.
“I thought, okay — people are looking for classes like that. So I started offering it every semester,” Professor Cheng said.
Described with deceptive simplicity as “an exploration of the art of theatre at the edge of possibilities,” Professor Cheng’s course pushes students to experiment with new modes of expression in an effort to find their voices.
Professor Cheng’s more recent work, Beijing Xingwei: Contemporary Chinese Time-Based Art (Seagull Books), served as the inspiration for another class exploring performance art in China for non-majors. She sees the separation between art and research as a false dichotomy that needs to be broken down.
“A lot of times we think that critical work means analysis and detachment, creative work means spontaneousness and imagination. I don’t really believe that division is inherent,” Professor Cheng says. “If we feel something and perceive something, why can’t we just bring it into critical practice?”
The scholarship being done in the School is so rich and varied that it can be hard to keep track of all the avenues of research being conducted. Professor Sybil Wickersheimer’s recent work Scene Shift: U.S. Set Designers in Conversation (Focal Press), written together with SDA alumna Maureen Weiss (BFA ’96), set off a global conversation between primarily non-cisgender and nonmale set designers from different countries, allowing them to share their experiences, triumphs and challenges in a series of events that brought people together after a difficult few years for theatre caused by the pandemic. Professor Wayne Federman’s recent book The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle has been praised as an important work chronicling the evolution of stand-up comedy from vaudeville to Netflix.
Scholarship and education support each other in ways that aren’t always obvious. A world-class research institution like the USC School of Dramatic Arts provides students the unique opportunity to train with both working artists and scholars leading the conversations in their fields.
“That’s what makes a research university so special,” Dean Roxworthy says.
“What you’re learning isn’t just what that professor has taught for the past twenty years. It’s constantly adapting to the latest discoveries in scholarship, to exactly what is happening out in the industry.” ■
BOARD OF COUNCILORS
Michele Dedeaux Engemann
Founding Chair
Kourosh Gohar
Chair
Chris Andrews
Nnamdi Asomugha
Lorrie Bartlett
Todd Black
Lauren Booth
Connie Britton
Michael Chiklis
Rodric David
Michael Felix
Lori Furie
Cathy Sandrich Gelfond
Steve Gersh
Joshua B. Grode
Grant Heslov
Gary Lask
Franklin Leonard
Alexander LoCasale
Dr. Steven Nagelberg
Jennifer Pate
Rik Reppe
Dean Emily Roxworthy
Linda Bernstein Rubin
Anthony Sparks
Tracy Tutor
Blair Underwood
Paula Wagner
Noelle L. Wolf
ALUMNI LEADERSHIP
COUNCIL
Adrienne Visnic
Chair
Taylor Elizabeth Allen
Sarah Anne Bedo
Adam Blumenthal
Kate Cannova
Mona Chatterjee Raffle
John Coffey
David Fickas
Lorena Estefania Gonzalez
Kendall Johnson
Jaclyn Kalkhurst
Sean Lask
Elizabeth O’Connell
Tomm Polos
Pranav Shah
John Villacorta
The USC School of Dramatic Arts has welcomed Nnamdi Asomugha, Rodric David, Steve Gersh and Jennifer Pate as the newest members of its Board of Councilors. They join a distinguished group of industry and community leaders who provide counsel, knowledge and support as the School continues to grow as a top-ranked institution for dramatic arts education.
Nnamdi Asomugha is an actor, producer, philanthropist and former All-Pro NFL Player. Following a successful 11-year career in the NFL, Asomugha channeled his passion for film and television into a career in the entertainment industry. In 2015, he founded iAm21 Entertainment, a production company whose mission is to create entertainment that illuminates important social issues and influences social change. Asomugha has consistently used his platform to enact positive change in the community, and with his family established The Asomugha Foundation in 2010, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to positively impact disadvantaged youth in the U.S.A. and underprivileged orphans and widows in Africa through education and empowerment. He has been honored for his philanthropic work with the NFL Players Association’s Man of the Year Award, The Jefferson Award for Public Service and the President’s Volunteer Service Award, to name a few. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in finance.
Rodric David is a serial entrepreneur and producer who has founded and successfully exited many companies in a variety of industries throughout his career. He has spent the past 15 years focusing on the convergence of technology and entertainment during the period when content distribution control and monetization was broadly fracturing and the Creator Economy was emerging. He is a thought leader in Web3 technology and the emergence of the Open Interoperable Metaverse, and has been a sought-after guest speaker at industry events around the world. Additionally, he is an accomplished executive producer, having produced television, digital media and feature films including 9/11 starring Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg, Paradise Cove starring Mena Suvari, the awardwinning A Fighting Season, Sweetwater starring Richard Dreyfus and Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut Come Swim. Rodric is a multi-patented
inventor for inventions in Web3 and the Creator Economy and is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts.
Steve Gersh is a senior partner at the Gersh Agency where he has been an agent in the talent department since 2008. He represents actors such as J.K. Simmons, Tom Hopper, Meagan Good, Josh Hutcherson, Isabel May, Deepika Padukone, Max Thieriot, Michael Chiklis and Matt Czuchry. He serves on both the agent trainee committee and the culture committee at the Agency. Steve was admitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2023. He is the fourth generation in his family at the Gersh Agency, founded by his paternal grandfather, Philip Gersh. Steve has a BA from Duke University and received a Master of Fine Arts in film producing from The Peter Stark Producing Program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His Trojan roots give Steve a natural inclination to want to give back to USC in his professional area of focus — working with artists.
Jennifer Pate is the creator and host of the awardwinning web series, Jen and Barb Mom Life, for which she produced over 120 episodes, drew over 94 million video streams and had over 52 million unique viewers. During its five seasons, she received the Webby Award for Best Variety/Reality Show host, among other honors. Additionally, Pate co-created and co-produced three seasons of the scripted comedy Single Life for Condé Nast and Glamour.com. She is the co-writer of the self-help book, The Mothers of Reinvention: Reclaim Your Identity, Unleash Your Potential, Love Your Life published by Vanguard Publishing, and has been a featured speaker at events and conferences such as BlogHer and iMedia Brand Summit. Previously, Pate was a casting agent for over 20 years in television and film. She serves as an executive director and casting director for the Netflix series, Outer Banks. ■
Nnamdi Asomugha Rodric David Steve Gersh Jennifer Pate
SDA Alumni Marquee
CLASSES OF 1970S–1990S
Mary Burkin BA 1970 starred as “Momo” in the AEA production of The Humans, at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre.
LeVar Burton 1976 was honored with the National Humanities Medal at the White House. He was also named the 2024 Changemaker of the Year by the Shorty Awards.
Karen Knotts BFA 1977 toured a one-person show, Tied Up in Knotts, in the summer of 2023.
Tim Dang BFA 1980 directed the East West Players production of Spring Awakening starring fellow SDA alumni Eric Renna BA 2022 and Thomas K. Winter BA 2022
Carlyle King MFA 1980 wrote and directed Sunny’s Closet which premiered at the Road Theatre.
Anthony Edwards 1982 performed in The Counter at the Roundabout Theatre.
Frank Ferrante BA 1985 performed in a one-person show, An Evening With Groucho, which originated as a senior class project at USC at the Bing Theatre under the mentorship of William C. White and was filmed and broadcast on PBS TV nationally in 2022. The program was featured in Newsweek, Variety, The Saturday Evening Post and on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing, Colossal Podcast. Frank performed his interactive comedy in Chicago’s Theatre District as the host of the cabaret/cirque show Cabaret ZaZou. The Chicago Tribune chose Frank as a top ten theatre performer of 2019. In 2021, Frank received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars for his 35 years of contributions to the theatre.
Grant Heslov BFA 1986 served as Executive Producer for How to Build a Truth Engine, which screened at SXSW. Heslov and his business partner George Clooney have adapted their screenplay Goodnight and Good Luck for Broadway.
Mark Spatny BFA 1987 served as the visual effects co-supervisor/ producer for an eight-episode cyberpunk time travel TV series The Peripheral streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Spatny was also elected as the 2023 chair of the Los Angeles section of the Visual Effects Society.
Cynthia Santos DeCure BA 1988 was promoted to Associate Professor of Acting at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Additionally, Santos DeCure served as a vocal/dialect coach for Quixote Nuevo at Denver Center and Cymbeline at NY Classical, and performed in Elm Shakepeare’s production of The Tempest as Alonso. Her co-edited book, Latinx Actor Training, was published in March 2023 by Routledge.
Keith Levy MFA 1988 (aka Sherry Vine) was featured in the Netflix film, Sitting in Bars with Cake
Jeff Parker BFA 1989 appeared in the NBC series Chicago Fire Parker made his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Proximity, a trio of contemporary operas. Additionally, Parker starred as President Obama’s Education Secretary Arne Duncan in a piece called The Walkers, composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain with a libretto by Anna Deavere Smith and directed by Yuval Sharon.
Edgar Landa BA 1992 directed an outdoor production of Richard III at Off Square Theatre/Thin Air Shakespeare in Jackson Hole, WY.
Rodric David BA 1994 served as executive producer for the independent film Wander Women, which was written by and starred fellow alumni Scarlett Bress BA ’20 and Olivia Singer BA ’20
Michelle Lopez-Rios BFA 1995 was named the Chair of Performance in the Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.
Kevin Mambo BFA 1995 was seen in the film Rustin. He also won a Helen Hayes award for his work in August Wilson’s Radio Golf at Round House.
Timothy Dowling BA 1996 wrote the upcoming film Loose Cannons for Lionsgate, which will star Travis Kelce.
Warren Skeels BFA 1998 directed the thriller The Man in the White Van.
Penelope Lowder BA 1999 was a commissioned playwright for Center Theatre Group’s 2022 L.A. Writer’s Workshop where she developed a play about African American erasure in Los Angeles titled Barbara George. Lowder was nominated for the Golden and Ruth Harris Commission. Past works produced and developed by Lowder at Skylight Theatre Writer’s Workshop include A Drop of Sun in 2019, West Adams (L.A. Times Critic’s Pick for 2020) and Monsters in the Woods in 2022.
CLASS OF 2000 s
Jennifer Westin BA 2000 produced the film A Real Pain, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture Musical or Comedy.
Tasha Ames BFA 2001 won the award for Best Featured Performance at the LADCC Awards for her work as Eva in Circle X Theatre Company’s Do You Feel Anger? alongside fellow SDA alumna Charlotte Gulezian MFA ’13.
Bellamie Blackstone BA 2001 was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show for Wheel Of Fortune.
Charl Brown BA 2001 starred in the Broadway musical Tammy Faye at the Palace Theatre. He also led a workshop of the new musical From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler at McCarter Theatre Center.
Stark Sands BFA 2001 starred in the musical Swept Away at Arena Stage in D.C. and later at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway Fellow alum Alice M. Pollitt BFA ’15 served as the Assistant Stage Manager on the production.
Meghan Finn BA 2002 serves as artistic director for The Tank, a Manhattan-based non-profit arts presenter and producer serving emerging artists. She also directed The Lydian Gale Parr
Ian Gotler BFA 2002 served as a writer and producer on the film Poolman and is a co-founder and producer for the production company Barry Linen Motion Pictures.
Kate Cannova BA 2003 recieved a Tony Award nomination for Best Revival of a Play for A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain and Arian Moayed in 2023, and two Tony Award nominations in 2024 for An Enemy of the People and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Additionally, Cannova produced for Broadway: Swept Away and Once Upon a One More Time. Cannova also produced the revival of The Secret Garden at the Ahmanson Theatre starring Sierra Boggess.
Kelli McNeil-Yellen BA 2003 co-produced and co-wrote a feature film, Daruma, which premiered at Dances with Films in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Patrick J. Adams BFA 2004 starred as Philip in CBC’s drama series Plan B
Erin Anderson BFA 2004 has appeared as a recurring guest star on the last six seasons of Law & Order: SVU as defense attorney April Andrews. She also recurs as
SDA Alumni Marquee
Ainsley on And Just Like That, and will appear in new episodes in the upcoming third season on MAX.
David Magidoff BA 2004 starred as Teddy Reed in the Showtime limited series, Dexter: New Blood
Joshua Allen BA 2005 was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for his work as Writer/Co-Executive Producer of The Morning Show
Katrina Coulourides BFA 2005 designed the set for The Road Theatre Company’s production Mercury
Rose Harwood BFA 2005 co-produced and acted in Land of Gold, now streaming on MAX (premiered at Tribeca in 2021) and produced the feature documentary Invisible (which also premiered in NYC in 2021), now available on Amazon Prime.
Alexander LoCasale BFA 2005 oversaw the operation of Torchlight, Sony Pictures’ advanced visualization facility.
Adam Ray BFA 2005 starred in the Netflix special Dr. Phil Unleashed
Samantha Ostrander BA 2005 became the Production Stage Manager for the ongoing Castle Fantasy Faire show at the Disneyland Resort.
Ryan Eggold BFA 2006 appeared in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Yellow Face at the Todd Haimes Theatre.
Shiloh Goodin BA 2006 can be seen in the touring company of The Life of Pi
Alexis Roblan BA 2006, MFA 2009 was selected to participate in the Geffen Playhouse’s residency program, The Writer’s Room, for the 2023/2024 season. Additionally, Roblan won first place in the Echo Theater Company’s 2023 New Play Competition for the work Javelina
Michael Schwartz BA 2006 wrote, directed and produced Snatched, starring Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany for 20th Digital Studio/Disney. The short film, now streaming on Hulu, features a number of Trojans in its cast and crew, including fight choreographer Zoe Swenson Graham ’07, photographer Devin Begley BFA ’08 and actor Alexander Panagos BA ’20
Boni B. Alvarez MFA 2007 was awarded the Celebration Theatre’s 2024 Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award for groundbreaking and distinguished achievements in LGBTQ+ playwriting and arts advocacy. In 2024, Latino Theater Company and Playwrights’ Arena joined forces to present his play, MIX-MIX: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy
Beck Bennett BFA 2007 will next be seen in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film
Deborah Ann Woll BFA 2007 starred in Arena Stage’s production of Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches, which won the Helen Hayes Award for Best Ensemble in a play.
Jimmy Fowlie BFA 2008 was nominated for an Emmy Award in Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on Saturday Night Live
Donald Webber Jr. BFA 2008 was seen on Broadway in Purlie Victorious, starred in the musical adaptation of The Preacher’s Wife at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. He performed in the star-studded Broadway revival of Our Town, as well as the the Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross alongside Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr.
Brian Jordan Alvarez BFA 2009 was nominated for a Critics Choice Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in The English Teacher
Griffin Behm BFA 2009 serves as Lighting Director at Production Club and designed the tunnel entrances for Super Bowl LVIII.
Troian Bellisario BFA 2009 stars in the new show On Call, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Briga Heelan BA 2009 performed as Cinderella in the Broadway Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.
Peter Vack BFA 2009 published his first novel, Sillyboy.
CLASS OF 2010 s
McKinley Belcher III MFA 2010 starred as Detective Michael Ledroit in the Netflix limited series Eric and in Netflix’s limited series Zero Day. He also starred in Ken Urban’s A Guide for the Homesick at DR2 Theatre.
Tucker Bryan BFA 2010 starred as Mr. Salt in the CMT San Jose production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Veronika Dash BA 2010 executive produced and starred as Emily in the film Before I Go
Khalia Davis BA 2010 served as the assistant director for the worldpremiere Broadway-bound musical Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical at ACT in San Francisco, where she also appeared onstage in ACT’s Christmas Carol
Sara Fox BA 2010 received their second Emmy nomination for Best Costume Design/Styling for High School Musical: The Series
Ian Littleworth BA 2010 co-starred in the Milwaukee Rep world premiere of Run Bambi, Run
Ben Sidell BA 2010 is a pastry chef and the founder of pop-up bakery “SweetBoy.”
Lizzie Zerebko BA 2010 performed in the Laguna Playhouse production of The Rainmaker alongside fellow alumnus Nick Tag BFA ’11
Amielynn Abellera MFA 2011 can be seen in the new MAX drama series The Pitt
Raphael Corkhill MFA 2011 can be seen in the CBS/Paramount+ series FBI, and appeared in Netflix’s Rebel Moon, on NCIS: Hawai’i and Mrs. Davis
Mark Jacobson BA 2011 played the role of Gabe Kaplan in the Hulu original series Welcome to Chippendales and was seen in the Netflix original series Obliterated He also starred as Alan in the Geffen Playhouse production of The Engagement Party.
Karan Soni BA 2011 starred in the film A Nice Indian Boy, was seen in Deadpool vs. Wolverine, and served as director and guest starred on the hit TV series Abbott Elementary Soni was also cast in the lead role in the Andrew Sandler thriller Fade to Black
Erika Soto BA 2011 was nominated for Best Actress at the LA Theatre Bites Awards 2023 for performing as Beatrice in A Noise Within Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.
Ramón Valdez BA 2011 serves as the Managing Director of Rogue Machine Theatre.
Trevor Adams 2012 runs the popular D&D podcast Plunders and Blunders.
Erin Anderson BFA 2012 received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lighting Design/ Lighting Direction For A Variety Special and for Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Series.
Larkin Bell BA 2012 performed in the film Winter Spring Summer or Fall which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Gabrielle Bourne BFA 2012 starred as Tiffany in the Amazon Studios film Air starring Matt Damon.
Alanna Darby BA 2012 played Drusilla/Merchant/Miller in the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s production of Dracula: A Feminish Revenge Fantasy. Darby also performed in Center Theatre Group’s pre-Broadway tryout of A
Transparent Musical as Maura and Rabbi Raquel’s understudy.
Zach Kaufer BA 2012 serves as the Director of Play Licensing for Dramatists Play Service/Broadway Licensing, overseeing professional and amateur licensing worldwide for the DPS, Stage Rights and Playscripts imprints.
Arthur Keng MFA 2012 was featured as the recurring role of Teddy WashingtonChen on the AMC show Lucky Hank starring Bob Odenkirk.
Alexander Ludwig 2012 starred in the sci-fi series Earth Abides and in Bad Boys 4.
Evan Moore BA 2012 served as a producer on the Netflix series Sweet Tooth. Moore served as a VP at Robert Downey Jr.’s production company, Team Downey.
Joe Orrach MFA 2012 leads the Theatre Arts Department for the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond, CA.
Pete Ploszek MFA 2012 will appear in the upcoming final season of You on Netflix.
Manuel Prieto BFA 2012 serves as the Boston Court Pasadena’s Executive Director. Prieto joins Artistic Director Jessica Kubzansky to co-lead the organization.
Jon Rudnitsky BFA 2012 was featured in the film I Love You Forever and was also seen in Stealing Pulp Fiction with fellow SDA alumnus Karan Soni BA ’11
Diana Vaden BA 2012 performed in Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway and in Death Becomes Her in Chicago
José Angel Donado BA 2013 was featured in an American Family Insurance commercial.
Whitney Ellis MFA 2013 wrote, directed, produced and acted in the film The Work, which was an official selection of the Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival
Steven C. Fisher BA 2013 performed in the first stop of the rolling world premiere of The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/ Latine Vote by Bernardo Cubría.
Hayley Keown BA 2013 appeared in the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel playing opposite Rachel Brosnahan. Keown appeared in Season 3 of FX’s Reservation Dogs, and will perform in the indie comedy Re-Election She also appeared alongside Mark Wahlberg in the action comedy feature film The Family Plan (Apple Original Films).
Chelsea London Lloyd BA 2013 was featured in the Netflix feature film We Have a Ghost
Madhuri Shekar MFA 2013 served as the screenwriter and executive producer for the film The Immortal King Rao. The film adaptation of her play, A Nice Indian Boy, was released in 2024, and she served as one of the writers.
Victoria Tam BFA 2013 served as Assistant Art Director for the Disney+ series The Mysterious Benedict Society, which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design, and as Assistant Art Director for Poolman.
Charlotte Mary Wen BA 2013 performed in the Australian company of Hamilton.
Thomas Anawalt MFA 2014 appeared in South Coast Repertory’s production of A Christmas Carol
Fiona Collinson BA 2014 and Joanna Brodecki BA 2014 co-produced and starred in the play Cry It Out, which performed at the Gene Frankel Theatre in New York.
Kara Connolly BA 2014 released a new music album, California Queen
Riley Rose Critchlow BFA 2014 was cast in The Surrender, directed by alumna Julia Max. She also appeared in The Jessica Cabin, written, directed, and co-starring SDA alum Daniel Montgomery BA ’07
A.J. Helfet BA 2014 was in a production of The 39 Steps at the Sherry Theater in North Hollywood with Steven C. Fisher BA ’13
Virginia Ma BFA 2014 joined the cast of General Hospital and appeared in the Tubi original movie The Final Heist.
Sara Mardam-Bey BA 2014 was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program as the Senior Story Producer for Love Is Blind
Peter Mitchell BA 2014 was featured in a guest role on the MAX television show The Other Two
James Morosini BA 2014 will direct the psychological horror film Mommy’s Home for Lionsgate.
Madigan Stehly BFA 2014 was nominated for an Emmy Award in Outstanding Lighting Design/ Lighting Direction For A Variety Special for his work on the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
Tonatiuh BA 2014 stars in the new film adaptation of Kiss of the Spider Woman
Amelia Brookins BFA 2015 conducts primary research on the collections of costume rental houses. In 2022, her master’s dissertation, Suited and Sorted: Costume Houses through the Lens of Information Organizations became part of the permanent research collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Roland Buck III BA 2015 appeared in the FX series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez.
Isaac Jay BA 2015 performed in the new play Tune In at Interact Theatre Company. Jay also starred in the animated film Yellowbird, streaming on MAX, as well as in the world premiere of Back Porch by Eric Anderson at the Victory Theatre Center.
Jay Lee BA 2015 performed alongside Michael Yapujian BA ’17 in Antaeus Theatre Company’s production of The Importance of Being Ernest.
Luke Lenza BFA 2015 was featured in the Marvel feature film Wakanda Forever
Veronica Long BFA 2015 starred as Mariah Martinez in the Hallmark film Lights, Camera, Christmas! Additionally, Long starred in the Hallmark film A Winning Team
Victoria Moy MFA 2015 was awarded an Opera America IDEA Grant for her libretto Immortal Labia. Moy was also featured in Opera America Magazine in an article exploring operas about science and science fiction.
Katie Peabody BA 2015 performed as Brigid Blake in the Coachella Valley Repertory production of The Humans, directed by Adam Karsten.
Daniel Rashid BA 2015 co-wrote, directed and edited the short film Hit Friends, which premiered at the independent film festival Dances With Films. Additionally, Rashid’s film Almost Winter recieved the Annapolis Film Festival Award for Best Narrative Short Film. Rashid’s short radio play The Adventures of Chip Clancy: Intergalactic Detective premiered on the Blackbox Radio Podcast. Rashid also appeared as Ben Krennick in an episode of Fear the Walking Dead on AMC.
Kapil Talwalkar 2015 starred in the independent film Paper Flowers based on a viral HuffPost Article. He also starred in the Hallmark Channel film My Dreams of You
Sedale Threatt Jr. MFA 2015 co-starred in the Echo Theater production of How It’s Gon’ Be by JuCoby Johnson alongside fellow SDA alumni Nona Parker Johnson MFA ’20 and Michael Howard-Dossett MFA ’21. The production was directed by SDA faculty member Ahmed Best, featured sound design by Alysha Bermudez BFA ’19, and the costume design was by SDA faculty member Ann Closs-Farley, co-costume design by Sophia Grose BFA ’23 and assistant costume design by Blu Moreno BA ’23
Will Tranfo BFA 2015 co-starred as Young Douglas in the Frontier Studios film The Veil
SDA Alumni Marquee
Nicole Wolf BFA 2015 played Maria in Manny Wolfe, winner of Best Short Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2024, which she also produced. Her directorial debut Arthouse featured fellow alumni Christian Henley MFA ’16, Patrick Reilly BFA ’15 and Will Tranfo BFA ’15, as well as SDA faculty David Warshofsky.
Katie Baker BA 2016 and Jon Rudnitsky BFA ’12 played siblings in the holiday romantic comedy Our Little Secret.
Alica Daine Benning BFA 2016 wrote and produced the original new work Grown at the RefrAction Lab Showcase in Chicago.
Zachary Cantrell BFA 2016 can be heard in the cold case audio podcast drama Two Dead Girls in Jubeliene
Caribay Franke BA 2016 served as production manager for Diavolo Architecture in Motion, which performed at the Saraya to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake.
Dor Gvirtsman BA 2016 was seen in the season finale of Accused
Christian Henley MFA 2016 appeared in A Noise Within’s The Skin of Our Teeth alongside fellow alum Yannick Haynes BFA ’24 and current students Veronica McFarlane, Landon M. Robinson, Micah Schneider and Maya Sta. Ana.
Bella Hicks BA 2016 starred as Frenchy in the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts production of Grease. Bella also was featured in the Disney California Adventure limited run of Rogers: The Musical at the Hyperion and was seen in South Coast Repertory’s Prelude to a Kiss
Alexandria Lewis BA 2016 understudied as Opal in Fat Ham, the modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, on Broadway.
Perry Mattfeld BFA 2016 was seen in the 2024 film, The Idea of You, as well as the 2022 film Mending the Line. She was also cast in the Hulu comedy Chad Powers
Shane Paul McGhie BFA 2016 starred as Jake Gordon in the TubiTV film The Getback. McGhie also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy and can be seen in the film Last Days of Basic Cable.
Tyler Miclean BA 2016 wrote the new play Bad Sister, which starred alumna Molly Chiffer BFA ’17, and premiered at the New York Theatre Festival.
Ashley Morton BFA 2016 performed in Coachella Valley Repertory’s The 39 Steps
Chantal Nchako MFA 2016 starred in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Michael Sturgis BA 2016 co-starred in the world premiere of Crabs in a Bucket, as well as Clarkston, at The Echo Theater Company.
Ashley Rose Wellman MFA 2016 won the Ted Schmitt Award for Outstanding New Play at the LA Drama Critics Circle Awards for the play Kill Shelter.
Molly Chiffer BFA 2017 wrote, directed, produced and starred in the film Kissing Kerouac, which featured Ashley Morton BFA ’16 as a co-producer. Additionally, Chiffer directed the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Half Day’s production of The Prom musical.
Amanda Cook BA 2017 is serving as the special events coordinator at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Inda Craig-Galván MFA 2017 was a featured playwright in CTG’s L.A. Writers’ Workshop, her play A Hit Dog Will Holler had its Chicago premiere at The Den Theatre,and her play Pleasant was workshopped at the Powers New Voices Festival at the Old Globe Theatre.
Bella DeLong BFA 2017 starred in the Andy Fickman (Race to Witch Mountain) horror film Blue Light
Michael DiNardo BA 2017 finished his first repertory season at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum. He is also working as the treasurer for the immersiveinteractive USC-led company Last Call Theatre, and will be the Creative Lead/Director for its upcoming show in Winter 2025.
Stephen Jensen BFA 2017 was on the sound design team for Tony Award winner The Outsiders and Tony nominated Here Lies Love
Alikhan Lochin BFA 2017 appeared in the world premiere musical Because It’s Sunny in L.A. (Especially Skid Row) at The Hudson Backstage Theatre.
Gabriela Ortega BFA 2017 directed the Disney+ short film Beautiful, FL. Her short film Huella was also selected to participate in the 2024 Gotham Week Project Market.
Zachary Roozen BFA 2017 produced and acted in the narrative film Happy Endings Funeral Parlor which was featured on the cover of Deadline and ABC News.
Jonathan von Mering BFA 2017 appeared as Francisco/Ceres in the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles’s immersive production of The Tempest alongside Paul Stanko BA 2013. Von Mering also had roles in MAX’s The Flight Attendant and Julia, CBS’s FBI, ABC’s Big Sky and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti.
Justin Chien BFA 2018 will appear in the second season of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Eric Yamil Cruz MFA 2018 starred in the Teatro Victoria Espinosa production of Pedazos de Cartón.
Ali Gallo BFA 2018 starred in the Netflix film Incoming
Camron Jones BFA 2018 starred in the short film Chocolate with Sprinkles, which won the HBO Short Film Award showcase at the American Black Film Festival.
Adrian Lurie BA 2018 is the CEO and co-founder of Dragonfruit Media, a video content agency for some of the world’s leading brands.
Aneesha Madhok BA 2018 starred in the film Bully High. For her performance she was awarded Best Actress at the Mumbai International Film Festival.
VyVy Nguyen BA 2018 starred in Sung Kang’s werewolf comedy Shaky Shivers
Jack Tavcar BA 2018 appeared in Serving the Hamptons on MAX.
Quinn Blades BA 2019 performed in the Broadway company of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Jacob Bond BFA 2019 appeared in the Netflix film All The Light We Cannot See.
Derek Christiansen BFA 2019 and fellow alum Ruby O’Brien BA ’20 served as projection designers for the immersive off-Broadway Dungeons & Dragons experience The Twenty-Sided Tavern, which featured sound design by M. Glenn Schuster BFA ’20
Nathaniel Foster BFA 2019 wrote the independent comic book series Beatbox and Tune
Miles Fowler BA 2019 starred as Tim in the feature film Bottoms.
Ido Gal BA 2019 co-produced the Broadway debut of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window which starred Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan.
Will Hariton BA 2019 serves as the Development Coordinator at Kenan Thompson and John Ryan Jr.’s production company Artists For Artists.
Edina Hiser BFA 2019 served as the costume designer for the Central City Opera production of The Light in the Piazza
Aja Houston MFA 2019 led an all-ages writing workshop at the site of Alison Saar’s statue, To Sit A While, as part of a partnership between the Lorraine Hansberry Foundation and Center Theatre Group.
Caitlin Kilgore BA 2019 received an award for Best Lyrics/Lyricist at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards for a song they wrote and recorded called “Fury and Fire.”
Ashley Long BA 2019 played Christine in the film The Phantom produced by John Watson and Maggie Phillips.
Tristan McIntyre BA 2019 joined the cast of The Outsiders for the musical’s world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse as a swing for the role of Randy.
Nirvan Patnaik BFA 2019 was seen in the short film Bageecha
Sophia Pesetti BFA 2019 served as the Associate Production Manager for Ragtime at New York City Center.
Bukola Ogunmola MFA 2019 starred as Dionna in the Boston Court Pasadena production of Measure Still for Measure.
Natalie Rousseau 2019 appeared in the film Tossers, which screened at SXSW.
Calahan Skogman MFA 2019 was cast in Kogonata’s upcoming film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. Skogman also published a book, Blue Graffiti
Manny Spero BFA 2019 starred in the film Bolt From the Blue, which premiered at the Austin Film Fest.
Gideon Jeph Wabvuta MFA 2019 wrote Family Riots, which was produced at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
Amanda L. Andrei MFA 2020 was selected as a participant for the Theatre Communications Group’s 2023 Rising Leaders of Color program. The participants formed a cohort of three highly talented early-career BIPOC theatre journalists who demonstrate the potential to impact the field in a positive way.
Tyler Joseph Ellis BA 2020 performed in the Open Jar Studios Production of White Rose: The Musical. Ellis served as a panelist on the The Power of Social Media for Performers panel at BroadwayCon 2023. Additionally, Ellis performed as Percival in the musical An Entirely Ordinary Town, and also joined the cast of the first national tour of Shucked
Miguel Angel Garcia BA 2020 was cast as a lead in the Amazon pilot Band, a drama created and executive produced by Daniel Barnz.
Noa Gardner MFA 2020 received Theatre Communications Group’s Edgerton Award. Gardner’s play A Small Man was featured as part of the South Coast Repertory’s Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Ben Hirschhorn BFA 2020 performed in the world premiere of Room 1214 at 59E59 Theater B.
Ellen Murray BA 2020 was a Fulbright semifinalist for her proposed PhD theatre project in 2021. In 2023, Murray started her PhD in Theatre on a full scholarship at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Her travel essay “A Tempest of Dread at the End of the World” was published in the award-winning quarterly magazine Hidden Compass
M. Glenn Schuster BFA 2020 won a Robby Award for Best Sound Design for their work on the Artists at Play production, This Is Not a True Story.
Chelsea Sik BFA 2020 can be seen in YouTube’s Alan’s Universe, and in the video game Apex Legends.
Maria Zhang BA 2020 starred in Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.
Brit Baltazar BA 2021 served as director for Pirates Wanted, an interactive and immersive pirate adventure from Last Call Theatre. Fellow alumna Ashley Busenlener BA ’19 served as the project’s creative lead.
Nick Benson BFA 2021 starred as Jessup Diggs in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Kameron J. Brown BA 2021 was featured in a Meta Quest Ad campaign for television and radio, in addition to being featured as guest star on an episode of the CBS series S.W.A.T
Lorena Estefania Gonzalez MFA 2021 was seen in the film Switch Up, which screened at SXSW.
Dylan J. Locke BA 2021 performed as Ma in the Artists At Play’s production of The Dance and the Railroad.
Charrell Mack MFA 2021 starred in the independent film Earth Machiavelli, which screened at the 2023 15th Annual Lady Filmmakers Festival.
Zaira Paredes-Villegas BFA 2021 served as Production Stage Manager for IAMA Theatre’s production of Arrowhead
Grace Power BA 2021 released a single titled “Water Worship Pray.”
Abby Rowland BA 2021 made her directorial debut with Rotation Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet
Galen J. Williams MFA 2021 was seen in Olney Theatre Center’s Fela! and Geffen Playhouse’s The Brother’s Size
Grafton Reyes Doyle MFA 2022 served as the executive producer for On Our Way, the feature directorial debut of Sophie Lane Curtis.
Nick Kassoy BA 2022 served as Associate Music Director and piano conductor for Prelude to a Kiss at South Coast Repertory.
Hannah Marie Lloyd BA 2022 performed in the first national tour of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
Zine Tseng 2022 won a Gotham TV Award for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series for her performance in Netflix’s 3 Body Problem
Thomas Winter BA 2022 performed in L.A. Theatre Works’ audio play Zeni, Dean of the Diamond by Mas Moriya.
Emily Arancio MFA 2023 stars as Zinnia in the independent drama Motherland, produced by MPI Original Films.
Talha Barberousse BFA 2023 was seen in the film Black Heat, which premiered at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach.
Brandon Mel Borkowsky BFA 2023 can be seen in the Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard
Payton Jane BA 2023 served as production designer on the film Dead Mail, which screened at SXSW.
Natasha Nutkiewicz BA 2023 was selected as one of 16 screenwriters for Series Mania’s Writer’s Campus.
Devin Craig MFA 2024 joined the cast of MAX’s The Sex Lives of College Girls
Kenzie Gross BA 2024 performed in the Hollywood Fringe Festival dramedy Moonshine and Canned Pasta.
Jordyn Holt BFA 2024 made her professional theatre debut in The Belles Are Swingin’ at the Garry Marshall Theatre.
Kate Schaaf BFA 2024 and Amelia Anello BFA ’24 served as assistant designers on Center Theatre Group’s production of American Idiot Lexa Ornes BA ’24 served as Music Director Apprentice. ■
ARE YOU AN ALUM OF THE SCHOOL?
Tell us what you’ve been up to and we’ll feature it in Callboard! Email the SDA Communications Office at sdacomm@usc.edu.
Supporters of Dramatic Arts
The USC School of Dramatic Arts would like to recognize the generosity of the following individuals and organizations who have supported the School over the past year towards core programs such as production, professional development, scholarship, Dean’s Strategic Fund and our new Dick Wolf Drama Center. Their extraordinary commitment has built the foundation for our continued ascent and future achievements.
VISIONARY CIRCLE
Anonymous* (2)
Dr. & Mrs. Peter Bing & the Anna H. Bing Living Trust
Lauren & Mark Booth*
Victoire & Owsley Brown III*
George N. Burns Trust
Sarah & John Cox
Cuzzupoli Family
Roger & Michele
Dedeaux Engemann*
The Lawrence & Megan Foley Family Foundation, Inc.*
Katherine B. Loker
Martin Massman Trust
Robert & Elizabeth Plumleigh —In Memory of Karen Plumleigh Cortney*
Alice, Teresa & Byron Pollitt
Dick Wolf
DEAN’S CIRCLE
Adobe Foundation
Anonymous*(2)
Kalkhurst Family*
Steve & Jerri Nagelberg*
Rod & Elsie Nakamoto*
Richard & Diane Weinberg*
Noelle L. Wolf & the Wolf Family*
PATRONS OF TRIBUTE
Anonymous* (2)
Albert & Bessie Warner Fund
The H.N. & Frances C. Berger Foundation
Joan Beber Grant Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation*
Connie Britton*
Michael & Debbie Felix*
Vida & Kourosh Gohar*
Suzanne & Scott Rehl, The Schoch Foundation*
Linda Bernstein Rubin & Tony Rubin*
Doris & Stanley Tananbaum Foundation, From Monica & Bryan Zuriff*
SEASON SPONSORS
Kirsten & David Abdo*
DeAnna & Michael Colglazier*
Robin & Justin Doran*
James Kehr
The Lask Family*
LoCasale Consulting, Inc.*
Michael & Melissa Meyers*
Christine Marie Ofiesh*
Tonia & Steven Sinatra
Tracy & Gene Sykes
Todd Yellin & Jennifer Copaken
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Jennifer & Chris Andrews*
Adam Blumenthal*
The Iino Family*
Mara & Paul Jacobson
Alexander & Megan LoCasale*
R. Sally Watt Oxley & Howard Oxley*
Rik Reppe
PRODUCERS
Anonymous
Black Seed Fund at the Billie Holiday Theatre
Julia A. Nickles-Bryan & Charles Bryan
Kate Cannova
Marilou & Mark Hamill Family
Melvin & Doris Hughes
Donald Lea
Jan & Mike MacDougal*
Shelly & Ofer Nemirovsky
Polos Family
Allison & Ian Stone
DIRECTORS
Anonymous
Randolph & Ellen Beatty
Michael & Michelle Chiklis
The Michael S. Engl Family Foundation
Sumner & Angela Erdman
Lori & Simon Furie
Will & Viveca Ferrell —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Cathy Sandrich Gelfond
Steve & Christy Gersh
Bryan & Brenda Hall
The Heslov Family
Perry Mattfeld
Jennifer & Jonas Pate
Kam & Joe Patton —In Honor of Theresa Patton, Class of 2024
Ann & Frank Russo
Rik Toulon
Town & Gown of USC
John Trueblood
Tracy Tutor
Adrienne Visnic
PATRONS
Regina K. Eremia Trust
Indira Etwaroo
Frank Ferrante
Catherine Goldinger
Marissa D. Gonzalez
Thomas Griep & Evelyn Halus
L. Liberatore
Oliviana Marie
Carol & Casey Mollett
Jennifer Oswald
Madeline Puzo
Thomas Reed
Josh Rosenzweig
Professor Sim Sarna
Pranav Shah
Thunder Equity Inc.
Annette & Kelly Ward
Lucy Wrubel
Gary & Michelle Yoshino
ANGELS
Bayo Akinfemi
Amy Aquino & Drew McCoy, In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Yvonne Bogdanovich
Sarah Bovim
Els Collins —In Honor of Andrei Belgrader
Jon Cryer
Emanuel Bachmann Foundation
—In Memory of Emanuel O. Bachmann, B.S. 1932
Michael Dinwiddie
Freddie & Andrea Fenster
Lori Ray Fisher & Eric Fisher
The Franco Family
Rotem & Adam Gilbert
Lorraine J. Gildred-Conlan
Kathy & Herbert Goodman
Michael Hohmann
Amy Landecker & Bradley Whitford
Keith Levy
McKinley Henderson LTD
Tarell Alvin McCraney
Laurie & Todd Okum
Dr. Willa Olsen
Mary Reveles Pallares
Mona & Benjamin Raffle
Stark Sands —In Memory of Simon Russell
Susan Shetter
Rick & Jeanne Silverman
Jeff & Cathie Thermond
John & Katherine Turturro —In Honor of Professor Andrei Belgrader
Blair Underwood
Ryan Wu
Carrie Yamato
Drs. Kellie Yoon & Stephen Treiman
BENEFACTORS
Emelyn & Raul Abesamis
Ronald Alexander
Theodore V. Arevalo
Sheri & Andrew Ball
Sarah Anne Bedo
Maura Bellmer
Jaclyn & John Black
Tina & Gene Bourne
—In Honor of Callie Bourne
Summer Lee Bridges
Kristin Carey
Alison & James Cirenza
Andrea Coleman
Merry Conway —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Steve Cuden
Cynthia Downard
Suzanne Durrell & Ian McIsaac
Drs. Meghana Frenchman & Shankar Lakshman
Daniela Galindo
Carlos Goodman
LisaGay Hamilton
Jerel & Marlou Hollens
Bridget & Anthony KerMorris
Kim & Laura La Fontaine
Amy & Albert Lao
Nancy & Jack Larson
Judith Light & Robert Desiderio
Meredith McClurg
Katherine Milias
Elizabeth O’Connell
Jennifer Oswald
Pedejo Inc.
Yelena Podkolzina —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Jessyca & David Poole
Manuel Prieto
Storm Reid
Antoinette Ricchio
The Roxworthy Family
Jennifer (Brienen) Sarvas & Greg Sarvas
Brian Sacca
Lauren Schulsohn
Michele Shay
Kimberly & David Simon
Paris de Chantal Smith
Michael Charles Solomon
Heidi Sonn
Logan Sparks
Alfre Spencer
Natsuki Takano
Victoria Tisdale
Ruth Tuomala
USC Staff Retirement Association
Dominique Washington
Jamie & David Way
James J. Wen & Laurie Hom Wen
CHAMPIONS
Delores Burgess —In Honor of Michele Shay
Melissa & Christopher Cable
Veralyn Jones Daniel & Gregg Daniel —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Debra De Liso —In Honor of Andrei Belgrader & Alexandra Billings
Starletta Dupois
Cedering Fox —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Lorri Grubaugh
Jacqueline & Michael Huie
Collie & Charlie Hutter
Abraham Jallad —In Honor of Andrei Belgrader
Tori & Shuki Levy —In Memory of Simon Russell
Professor Oliver Mayer & Marlene Forte —In Memory of Jack Rowe
Pamela Monroe
Kathleen Dunn-Muzingo —In Honor of Jack Rowe & In Memory of Paul Backer
Kinjal Patel & Victoria Currall
Cynthia L. Ziegler
Christina Zorich
FRIENDS
Guenever Aldrich
Ingrid Aguirre Happoldt & Robert Whitehill
Tarik Al-Amin
Jenny Lee & Robert Allgood
Eva Fay Anderson —In Honor of Simon Russell
Jennifer & Donald Apy —In Honor of Christopher Apy
Dr. Kimberly M. Rodman Aronson & Zvi Aronson
Vy Au
Crystal Balthrop —In Honor of Alexandra Billings
Brenda Banks
Laura & Matthew Bavoso
Jason Beeber —In Memory of Simon Russell
Alexander Boekelheide & Heather Patin —In Honor of Simon Russell
Keith Bolden
Dr. Julie R. Brannan
Kathleen Broderick & Michael Haigney
Jerry Brown Jr. Michael Cantor
Yolanda Cartwright
Diana Castle
Mark Cervenak
Esther Chae
Warren Christensen
Magaly Colimon-Christopher
Kristin Condon —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Monica Craig
Adrian Cruz —In Memory of Simon Russell
Roberta Davis
Makeda Declet
Angela Eaton
Dr. Louise Eberhart
Kirstin Q. Eggers —In Memory of Simon Russell
Linda Ewing
Jean-Pierre Faye & Caroline Senghor-Faye
Sara Fousekis & Greg Derelian
Matthew Goodman
Ian Gotler —In Memory of Simon Russell
Lisa Harrell
Elizabeth Heron —In Memory of Simon Russell
Terria Joseph
Jennifer Kahn
Dylan C. Kenin —In Memory of Simon Russell
Michael Khachanov —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Brandon Kratky
Laura & Kim La Fontaine
Elisabeth & Patrick Ledwell
Eugene Lee
Mary Lewis
John Lloyd —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Dylan Locke
Owen Lord
Michael Madison
Stacie & Wayne Mandel
Claudia Matos
Eric McCool
Maria McCullough —In Memory of Simon Russell
Elizabeth & David Meadows
David & Jennifer Mitchell —In Honor of Matthew Mitchell
Simon Mitsch —In Memory of Simon Russell
Alysse & Kevin Morton
A.J. Muhammad
Daniel Murphy
Kristine Nielsen —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Danielle O’Dea
Glenn & Patricia Osaki
Jihyun Park —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Jeffrey Parker
Maria Ann Pasquarelli —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Timothy James Pauer
Erica Perth & Michael Jaconi
Nancy L. Pierandozzi
Marta Pineda
Leslie Ann Pittman
Jeffrey Polsky
Valerie Pukhovich
Faras Rabadi
Elmira Rahim —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Irma Lopez-Rios & Alvaro Rios
Philip & Christina Ronstadt
Halie Rosenberg —In Memory of Simon Russell
Joseph Russell
Amanda Sanderson
Danielle Sandusky
Donald Schmidt & William Purves
Alex Scull
Judith Shelton —In Honor of Alexandra Billings
Dr. Allen Shum & Lisette Shum
Samantha Sigal —In Honor of Alex Mendez
Avi Simon
Jerome Solberg
Dr. Tasha Souter & Scott Souter
Margaret & Robert Stratford
Melissa Strom —In Memory of Simon Russell
Tamara Stuart
Xiaowei Sun & Shudong Jin
Charles L. Swick & Linda M. Reilly-Swick —In Honor of Sara Fousekis
Marisa Tomei —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
Mageina Tovah —In Memory of Simon Russell
Essie Blankson-Turner
Garrett Turner
Eleanor E. Vade Bon Coeur
Delphine & Matt Vasko —In Honor of Alexandra Billings
Amanda Washington
Ato Blankson-Wood
Ewurabena Mensa-Wood
Grace E. Wright & Jeremy Novick
Brett Wyman —In Memory of Andrei Belgrader
IN KIND GIFTS
AGBO
Lee Chemel
Amy Ross
*Represents multi-year pledge
WE HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER.
For more information about giving to the School of Dramatic Arts, please contact Sara Fousekis at 213-821-4047 or fousekis@usc.edu.
Play your role in helping build an SDA legacy
Generous contributions are truly the lifeblood of the USC School of Dramatic Arts. They reflect our mission in providing an accessible, rigorous, multihyphenate dramatic arts training experience and are one of the reasons we are ranked as one of the top dramatic arts schools in the world! By making a gift today, you will provide vital scholarship support, enhance professional development opportunities for both students and alumni and help us create the necessary change in our communities through our many inspiring theatre and social changes initiatives.
To make your gift, text the keyword SDA to 71777 or by visiting dramaticarts.usc.edu/giving
https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/SDATASC
