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Fern Marie (Loudon) Lewis ('63) is now retired from elementary school teaching. She writes that she loves to travel and visit family and friends. Winters are spent in North Myrtle Beach, SC and summers in upstate NY. She is active in the Red Hats Group, church, biking and hiking. She enjoys scrapbooking, writing, reading and music...and swimming! Her favorite quote: "Retirement is the best secret."
Gilbert Green ('67) retired from teaching (39 years) in October 2006 in Wilmington, Delaware. He enjoys hearing from Blackfriars members from the 1964-1967 era. mgengoldfish@verizon.net
George Dummitt (‘69) writes that "the 2007 production of Journey's End at Broadway's Belasco Theatre was a wonderful experience. R.C. Sherrif's play about British soldiers involved in trench warfare in France during WW I is a great piece of Theatre. The design team and director were from Britain, where the show originated, and were very good and a pleasure to work with." George also gave us an insider's account of the impending strike during contract negotiations between Local #1 and the League of American Theatre Owners and Producers. He reminded us that Local #1 has been in existence for one hundred and twenty-one years and contracts are negotiated every three years on average. The union membership unanimously authorized the Executive Board to act on a work action, work stoppage or strike at any time that it deemed necessary. As many of you recall, a strike was authorized and lasted for 19 days.
Barry Kur ('74) Professor and Associate Director, Penn State School of Theatre and voice/speech specialist for all of its graduate and undergraduate actor training programs. Recently elected President of the Lessac Training and Research Institute, see www.lessacinstitute.com, for information on Lessac Voice and Body Training and conferences. Beyond Penn State, teaching summers for the Lessac Institute workshops, and guest coaching regional professional theatres. With three sons out in the working world, my wife, Judi (Oswego Education major, 74) and I have been traveling the US and Europe as often as we can.
Tom Morse ('74) was the sound designer for Passing Strange, the award winning musical by Stew, which opened at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in February 2008. The musical won the 2008 Drama Desk award for Outstanding Musical and the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.
Carl Whidden ('74) returned to Cleveland State University for the second season of its Summer Stages repertory theatre during summer 2008. He appeared in Rough Crossing by Tom Stoppard, Dark of the Moon and the rock musical version of Two Gentlemen of Verona. In addition to performing, Carl taught in the company's apprentice training program.
Richard Jay-Alexander ('74) continues to enjoy what he calls his "polyglot" career. Last summer, he traveled throughout Europe with the Barbra Streisand concert tour (which he co-directed with Ms. Streisand). The concert had already been an enormous success in the U.S. A television special and DVD of the U.S. Tour, with lots of extras should be announced shortly. He served as Executive Producer for two Betty Buckley recordings - 1967, an album that had never been released and Quintessence, with jazz great Kenny Werner.
(Reba McEntire and Richard J. Alexander)
Richard also directed Betty in her show Then & Now at Feinsteins's and directed Mary Cleere Haran Sings Doris Day in the same venue - both to great acclaim. He directed Brian Stokes Mitchell in his Carnegie Hall solo debut, conducted by Paul Gemignani - with guest stars Reba McEntire, Phylicia Rashad, Heather Headley, Nikki Renee Daniels and the Broadway Inspirational Voices. Richard served as Executive Producer on Stokes' debut album - Brian Stokes Mitchell, for Playbill Records. Richard continues to be a contributor to regular podcasts for SONY/BMG Masterworks Broadway.
(Richard J. Alexander directing)
Richard continues to work with Bernadette Peters, both onstage - in concert - as in the recent Disney Hall concert, in Los Angeles, and on recordings, They will be going back into the studio soon (currently rehearsing) to record a new album, with a working title of Body & Soul. Richard came home to Syracuse to visit his Mom and Dad, over Mother's Day weekend and visited SUNY Oswego earlier in the year with his sister and her daughter, niece Samantha, as Oswego was one of her considered schools. The timing was perfect, as Betty Buckley was in town, singing with the Syracuse Symphony and giving a Master Class at Syracuse University. During summer 2008, he directed Les Miserables in concert at The Hollywood Bowl, with the legendary Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Stites ... and an all-star cast. The cast included: Tony Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell as Javert, Tony Winner John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys) as Marius, Lea Michele (Spring Awakening) as Eponine, Multi-Award winner Rosie O'Donnell as Madame Thenardier, Melora Hardin (The Office) as Fantine ... and more! In addition to directing, Richard continues to write for publications and directs short and long-form film and video projects and has become a fan of doing his own editing. " It's always great to bump into alumni - on the road ... or wherever. I honestly don't know where the time goes, but I guess when you're doing what you love and what you dreamed of (and then some) ... it does!" Richard is currently in talks for a number of projects, which he says, could "change my course - all over again!"
Benita Zahn ('76) returned to Oswego as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the Torchlight dinner and ceremony for graduating seniors and their families in May.
In addition to her work as anchor of Metroland's "Most Trusted Area NewsTeam," Benita performed her debut cabaret act (which sold out) last summer at the Fort Salem Theatre, and summer 2008 sees her at the theatre performing in I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road by Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer.
Robin Curtis ('78) performed her one-woman show, The Sexual Odyssey of a 50 Year Old Woman
in Waterman Theatre as part of the ARTSwego performing arts series, in November 2007. She also spoke about her writing and career to students during a post performance discussion and in classes.
Virginia (Cemelo) Madore ('79) has designed costumes for Troy High School productions since 1993 (all except one!). She is a Teacher Assistant at W. K. Doyle Middle School in Troy. She is a member of the St. Joseph's Church choir and a cantor. She has had two exhibits of her photography in Utica, one in October 2007 at Utica Public Library.
Brian Russell ('80) appeared in the Broadway production of The Farnsworth Invention at the Music Box Theatre. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the play starred Hank Azaria.
Kevin Kennison (‘82) was a Visiting Professor in Acting/Directing in the Theatre Department here at Oswego for the year. In addition to teaching acting classes, the Senior Seminar, Theatre 110 and The Business of Show Business, he directed the department's production of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. After a summer of meetings in Los Angeles he returns to NYC to cast the upcoming feature film, Behind Door Number Two. He will also return to coaching actors and holding workshops in New York and regionally. Kevin will stay involved with the Theatre Department through committee work for the new School of Communication, Media and the Arts, holding workshops, recruiting and as a New York liaison for current students and alumni, including a possible on site New York program.
Craig Duswalt ('83) is America's Shoestring Budget Coach, as well as an author and a professional speaker, and can be seen at www.CraigDuswalt.com. He has written four books, Marketing Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget, Creating Wealth on a Shoestring Budget, Outsourcing Your Life on a Shoestring Budget, and Outsourcing Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget. He is currently writing book #5, Fundraising For Your Non-Profit Organization on a Shoestring Budget. His RockStar Business Seminars teach entrepreneurs and businesses how to become the best - a RockStar - in their industry, and how to "save a ton of money on marketing and advertising."
Lynn Stork (‘84), after six years in Washington, D.C., has re-located to the University of Rochester as an Event Support Manager.
Greg Adair (‘85) writes that after a brief sojourn in LA, he's returned to NYC. He has played the leads in the films Running Joseph (dir. By Marcin Tyzska) and The Confession (dir. By Herb Brooks). Greg's website is www.gregoryadair.com
Joe Cigliano ('85) completed work (as a set costumer) on the David Mamet film, Redbelt in LA. The film was released in May 2008. At the end of the summer he heads east for work on another film in Connecticut.
Lori Webb (‘85) is coming up on her 20th anniversary of living in Copenhagen. She just started a new job for a company that helps get budding entrepreneurs into business through training, education, coaching, tool development, etc. The company will be starting up an affiliate in New York and Lori will be in charge of internationalizing, re-branding and doing research and development for Startup Academy US, which is a part of the entrepreneurship education leg of the company that deals with academia.
Dexter Jones (‘86) is living in NYC, teaching dance at The Pulse Performing Art Studio and dancing with three companies: Pat Cannon's Foot and Fiddle Dance Co., The World Dance Theatre Co., and Okara Dance Co. His Myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/flapballchange
John O'Brien (‘86) recently appeared in the film The Bucket List and the TV series Desperate Housewives, and was seen in the summer 2008 West Coast Ensemble production of the Sondheim musical Assassins.
Jon Kinnally ('87)
is currently a writer/producer for the ABC series Ugly Betty. He lives in Los Angeles with Chris Young, his boyfriend of eight years, and their three cats.
Doug Jacobs (‘88) recently starred as Freda VonRhenburg in Anything, by Tim McNeil at The Elephant Theatre in LA. The 'Santa Monica Blvd. trannie hooker/ Mississippi widower' love story ran for 3 months and was nominated for a GLAAD Award. Doug also worked on an indie film, Phil Cobb's Dinner for Four, with Oswego Alumna Thérèse McLaughlin ('84) The film is presently in post-production.
Kym Coates Carlisle ('89) teaches Make-up for Motion Pictures at Full Sail www.fullsail.com, which has just become an accredited University. In addition to working on student films she'll work on a film with a Full Sail graduate in summer '08. She continues to design for opera, her first love. Her work has been seen at opera companies in Orlando, Augusta and New Orleans.
Tim Mollen ('91) lives in the Binghamton area with his wife, Amanda. He keeps busy with acting, directing and writing projects. In early 2009, he'll be directing Martin Sherman's Bent - and he'll be inspired in part by Ron Medici's beautiful staging of the play in the early 1990's. Tim's weekly humor column, Lost Journal is currently in three newspapers, and he is working to get it into wider syndication. You can read his columns (including a few about Oswego) on his website : www.timmollen.com
The above photo is from the December 2007 production of A Christmas Carol at the Cider Mill Playhouse in Endicott, NY. Tim played Marley's Ghost.
Erica Sodos (‘91) lives in Boulder, Colorado and works as a professional clown. She frequently presents workshops on theatre games, improvisation, writing, directing and creating pays. She has also developed a new one-woman play, The Power of Magic, which combines clown and character work, storytelling and magic. She taught workshops on physical theatre and clowning for our students and participants in the 49th Annual High School Drama Festival in May. Go to www.rosyrosebud.com for updates on her work.
Dan Walker (‘91) is currently working as Associate Lighting designer for the close to Broadway bound production of Billy Elliot. Much of the time he works from his home office with his wife, Amy and children, William (4) and Emma (2). Some recent lighting design credits for Dan include Bucknell Dance Company (2004 & 2008), Master Class (a benefit for the Metropolitan Opera Guild on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre), Summer Play Festival (SPF 2004) on Theatre Row (Beckett, Clurman, Kirk, Lion & Studio Theatres), The Irish and How They Got That Way, by Frank McCourt at The Irish Repertory Theatre and on tour.
Dan's recent Broadway Associate/Assistant designer credits include the aforementioned Billy Elliot (opening fall 2008), Tom Stoppard's Rock ‘n' Roll, Deuce (which starred Angela Lansbury), Frost/Nixon, Mary Poppins, History Boys, Lennon, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Democracy, Jumpers, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Urban Cowboy, Flower Drum Song, Sweet Smell of Success, Seussical-The Musical, Uncle Vanya, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
He worked as Associate Designer on the US Tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (San Francisco), Radio City Christmas Spectacular-Dreams, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida (Disney), Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Evita, Man of La Mancha; and on the International tours of Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida (Disney) and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Dan can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Jennifer Li (‘94) wrote and co-choreographed a dance theatre production, Dirty Mean Tricks in April 2008. It played at the Unknown Theatre in LA and featured live original music by Velvet Monkey.
LA Weekly had this to say about the production: "Marissa Labog and Hassan Christopher are always compelling dancers and here they have collaborated with director Jennifer Li on the choreography and their moves are backed by live music from Velvet Monkey. Described as ‘a haunted carousel ride between the lines of reality and imagination,' Dirty Mean Tricks is the latest from this theater that has emerged as an adventurous dance venue."
Andrew Miano ('95) returned home to Los Angeles in June of '08 having spent the last 3 months of '07 shooting a film called Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist in NYC and then heading down to New Orleans to produce a film called Cirque du Freak. He's looking forward to slowing down and spending some time back in his office trying to figure out what the next production will be having spent the majority of the last two years on the road. He writes: "in addition to trying to produce some television, I'm also trying to put together a musical in New York. And of course the most important thing in my life, my four year old son, Oliver, continues to amaze me on an almost daily basis as does my wife with her ability to put up with me." Andrew was an executive producer for New line Cinema's The Golden Compass (which starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig). The film won an Oscar for Visual Effects.
Nancy Fox (‘95) continues to produce and direct with her Oswego based theatre company, Port City Theatre. To keep up with the company's activities visit the web at www.portcitytheatre.org. She has been busy producing and directing: I Do, I Do, Anne Frank and Me, The Orphan Train and the touring production of John, His Story.
Jeremy Aldridge (‘96) is the Director of Lake Street Community Center in Los Angeles and recently directed Louis and Keely Live! at the Sahara for the Sacred Fools Theatre Company. It is a world premiere musical inspired by the true story of Louis Prima and Keely Smith in their Vegas heyday.
Anita Bradt (‘96) reports that her drama classes (Florida High School at Merrit Island) are packed at 30+ students with a waiting list to get in. One of her plays, a comedy called The Cusp of Greatness, has been picked up by Playscripts.Inc. You can check them out at http://www.playscripts.com/
Diana Preisler (‘96) continues to manage the a cappella group Blue Jupiter and now performs full time with them. They performed in Asia during summer 2007, visiting Okinawa, Japan, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Macau, China. Blue Jupiter is about to release their fourth cd, titled Golden Lucy. www.BlueJupiter.com
Jay Garrett ('96) taught playwriting and screenwriting during the spring 2008 semester for the Creative Writing Program in the English Department here at Oswego.
Abby Rodd ('96) continues as Technical Director for the Glimmerglass Opera, located in Cooperstown New York. For the summer 2008 season she steered John Conklin's re-imagined Globe Theatre set to completion. Three operas and one music theatre work were staged, with minimal changes, on the unit set. The season was chosen with connections to the plays of Shakespeare in mind, and featured Kiss Me Kate, Giulilo Cesare in Egitto, Das Liebesverbot (a Wagner retelling of Measure for Measure), and Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi.
Scott Kolanach (‘97) is now Senior Lighting Designer at The Groundlings Theatre in LA.
James W. Thompson, Jr. ('98) designed the Hollywood Reporter's 36th annual Key Art Award show. In addition to designing the show, he was asked to perform in a short film titled Conmen Edit a Trailer that was shown during the award show. You can view the film: at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upIUBniuRBg. In August, Jim leaves to spend a year in the Philippines teaching Art Direction and drawing classes at the International Academy of Film and Television located in Cebu. He will design a feature film for Big Food Entertainment, the company that owns the film school. Here are a few links to the school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGdN-YGlFAwKeep up with Jim's website is www.JWTproductions.com On DVD in July was another film he designed, The Adventures of Johnny Ta: A Kung Fu Fable.
Becky Fox (‘98) worked on the show Mind Of Mencia for Comedy Central playing in a spoof of Indiana Jones.
Ben Derby ('99) and Kathy Frisino ('99) have relocated to Seattle. Kathy is a graphic designer for PEMCO Technologies and also has
started her own business, Derbyhaus Design, through which she does freelance design and marketing consultation for small businesses
and non-profit arts organizations. She still finds time to act within the local theatre scene and she and Ben are both active
members in the Seattle Choral Company. Ben is an Associate General Manager for A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in downtown Seattle.
Along with the general manager, executive director and artistic director Ben works on budget/season planning, union negotiations,
contract negotiations, building operations, board relations, and fund-raising. The company focuses on developing and producing new
work. They are currently in rehearsals for a new Steven Dietz play, Becky's New Car, which opens in October.
Steve Fecteau (‘00) continues to work at Mount Sinai as a trainer, which offers him the opportunity to write, direct, act in, and edit videos for large events at the medical center. He also has worked on some educational films. He writes, "Basically I'm approached to make whatever is going on more fun by creating some comic video segments for the presentations, so it is a great job and I love it."
John Smiley (‘01) has spent much of the year touring across the United States with Theatreworks USA. He performed the role of Mudge (a 190 lbs. dog) in the musical Henry and Mudge. He is also a proud member of Actors Equity.
Erik R. Norris (‘02) appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, released in May of 2008; and will appear in the film Nowhereland (starring Eddie Murphy) to be released in 2009. You can find out more about Erik and his professional activities at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2494456/
Sara Lyon (‘03) is enjoying her work as the lighting director at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Sara Tarquinio ('03) received a dual Master of Science for Teachers degree in Secondary English Education and Special Education from Le Moyne College (May 2008). She is currently a 10th grade English teacher at C.W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, NY. Sarah recently became engaged and will be married in the summer of 2009!
Paul Wilson (‘03) is working for an architectural lighting firm called Zerolux, based in NYC. He is an AutoCAD draftsman for them. He freelances in the evenings as a stagehand/designer.
Scott Stabb (‘04) currently lives in Delaware, and writes that in doing theatre locally, the training he received at Oswego - in all areas, from tech to performance - has served him well. He has started to model in both Delaware and Philadelphia, PA.
Greg Brewster (‘05) has recently turned in his touring shoes after coming off the national Broadway tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to become the Technical Director at Babson College in Massachusetts. He will run the state of the art 441 seat proscenium theatre, dance rehearsal studio and more in the Sorensen Center. He is loving life and living with Jess and the cats in Wellesley, MA.
Samantha Mason (‘06) is a working actress, journalist, and occasional model currently living in NYC. This last year Samantha continued to write for Next-Gen.biz, the popular internet news source for the videogame industry, where she is a daily contributor. She also edits and writes for Foot2Mouth.com, a site she helped found with several fellow Oswego alumni.
(Samantha Mason and Frank Cwikilk in The Wild, Wild Women of Wakky-NuNu!)
As an actress, among other credits, she recently played the lead in the short film The Oval Portrait (an award winner from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures). On stage she enjoyed roles such as Stevie Pulaski in the slapstick comedy, The Wild, Wild Women of Wakky-NuNu! and Femme Macbeth in the critically lauded production of Bitch Macbeth, recipient of a four star review by Time Out New York. She can be seen next in Penny Dreadful. More information about Samantha can be found on the web at www.SamanthaMason.ne
Steve Mazzoccone ('06) has done three tours with the National Theater for Arts and Education, performing in two shows by Moliere and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.
He performed in Ryan Sprague's Some Do It Naturally, in NYC during a showcasing play festival on Theater Row. He is a member of Connecticut Free Shakespeare (performed in last summer's Love's Labor's Lost and currently in Much Ado About Nothing). During fall 2008 he'll play Peter in National Theater for Arts and Education's The Story of Anne Frank.
Greg Salmon ('06) is currently approaching his one-year anniversary as the casting assistant at ABC's All My Children.
Megan McGarvey (‘07) played Sandy in the Albany's Park Playhouse production of Grease last summer.
Ryan Sprague (‘07) currently lives in NYC. After graduation, his play Some Do It Naturally was produced in the Wonderland One Act Festival on 42nd Street. His was a Top Ten finalist of 60 plays from around the country. Ryan was one of three nominated for Best Playwright of the festival. Oswego alumni Steve Mazzoccone, Steven Screws ('06), and Meghan Thaney ('05) were in the cast.
(Ryan Sprague, Megan Thaney and Steven Mazzoccone)
Ryan's full-length play, Reach, had a Staged Reading in New York City under the direction of Oswego Alumna, Erin Naughton ('04). Reach was chosen to be presented at the Northern Writes New Play Festival in Bangor, Maine (June 2008). His play was one of 23 three chosen from 500 submissions. Ryan was also busy as an actor, performing in the National Tours of The Giver and Cyrano de Bergerac for National Theatre for Arts and Education. www.nationaltheatreae.com Ryan premiered the role of Duncan in the Off-Broadway production of Idol: The Musical, in New York City. The musical follows desperate high school students who worship past Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken, who actually came to see the show and absolutely loved it. Ryan played the part of Theramenes in the play, Phaedra! for Looking Glass Theatre, NYC, June 26th-29th, 2008 and has a featured role in the music video Binge by the punk band, Victor Bravo. Currently Ryan is developing a Comedy Sketch Troupe with Oswego alumni, Zach Levin ('05), Brian Heyman ('06), and Ryan Powers ('06). For more info on the Comedy Sketch Troupe and Theatre Company, please visit www.ryansprague.com or e-mail Sprague51@hotmail.com
Hiromi Kubo, who studied at Oswego as a foreign exchange student, writes that he now works in NYC teaching Japanese and Japanese culture (Karate, Koto, dance) and coordinates cultural events for the Japanese Art and Culture Center and Music Conservatory. In addition to organizing and performing in music recitals, Hiromi and his students performed in the opera Black Ships at Lincoln Center. He organized a Kimono fashion show for the Cherry Blossom Festival at the New York Botanical Gardens. He was also movement coach for the Sarasota Opera production of Madama Butterfly. He and his wife have a daughter (Elizabeth) and a son (Adam). His email is hiromikubo7@hotmail.com
Heather Luce Piper writes that she is most grateful for "EVERYTHING learned from Kitty Macey - about pattern drafting, fitting, and all-things-costuming!" Her Very Merry Seamstress business took off in growth over the last two Years and she now has a milliner, shoemaker, jeweler and four additional clothing seamstresses working for her. Together with her husband and sister, she opened a new company specializing in a new line of historically-accurate and historically-inspired clothing, scheduled to go to a US-based manufacturing plant in the fall. She was also contacted by Simplicity Patterns and asked if she would design a line of patterns for them, based on her original designs. The designs will bear the Very Merry Seamstress name.
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