Penn State School of Theatre Alumni Program Group Presents

STAGES

Sunday, April 19th, 2015Theatre Building

School of Theatre Alumni Giving Experience to Students

I’m told we have email addresses for 1,300 Theatre alumni. That’s a big number. Lots of people have passed through our doors; many before it was even this particular set of doors. This number includes some famous faces. It includes many folks who have accomplished amazing things literally behind the scenes and out of the spotlight. It includes hundreds of working professionals in every field of theatrical endeavor and every conceivable venue. And, of course, there are many who turned their talents and skills to other endeavors. We are happy to celebrate each of our alums, whatever path they may have taken. Many have offered to return to campus to provide current students with lessons learned beyond the university.

For the first time, we have alumni leadership interested in organizing those efforts, and this weekend is a celebration of their initiative. I am thrilled that this nucleus of grads has gotten our APG off to such a dynamic start. I look forward to working with them to accomplish great things and to seeing what comes next.

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Penn State School of Theatre Alumni Program BoardRichard Biever, MFA Directing ‘10Jodi Stevens Bryce, BFA Theatre ‘90

Dan Carter, Director, School of TheatreCourtney Cavanaugh, BFA Stage Management ‘09

Bob Clendenin, MFA Acting ‘90Travis DeCastro, Faculty Advisor

Kara Dubbs, Student Representative ‘15Mike Karns, BFA Stage Management ‘11

Kate Pappas BA Theatre, ‘97Carolyn Quinn, Student Representative ‘16

Robert Schneider, MFA Directing ‘09Mike Smanko, MFA Theatre/Design ‘77

Dan Carter, Director, Penn State School of Theatre

Welcome to #psuSTAGES 2015! The Alumni Programs Group (APG) Board was created to find opportunities to collaborate and connect with our fellow alumni, the School of Theatre, and most importantly with current students. STAGES, which stands for School of Theatre Alumni Giving Experience to Students, was designed as a concentrated, day-long festival where working theatre professionals could travel to State College for direct connection with students in order to help bridge the gap between the academic and professional worlds.

The board has worked for the better part of a year on making this happen, and we can’t wait for the 27 classes scheduled today. What I appreciate the most is that it was spurred on by two ambitious undergrads, our student representatives Kara Dubbs and Carolyn Quinn. These two worked tirelessly to help make this happen because they, like you all here today, realize the value of reconnecting with alumni and friends as you prepare for your exciting future.

If you see one of the APG Board Members during the day, stop us and say hello. You are the reason we are here, and we’re pumped to share this day with you!

- Mike KarnsPresident, APG Board

Mike Karns, President, School of Theatre Alumni Program Group

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Use #psuSTAGES to Join the Conversation

Please join us in recognizing the University Park Allocation Committee, the College of Arts and Architecture Alumni Board, and Joyce Hoffman for

their contributions and support.

Funded by UPAC - Your Student Activity Fee at Work.

Thank you for helping us turn our idea into a reality!

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Thank you to F.U.S.E Poductions and Wegmans for sponsoring breakfast and lunch for today’s event!

5:30 PM Closing Remarks (Playhouse Stage)

1:00 PM Afternoon Sessions

NOON Lunch

9:10 AM Morning Sessions

9:00 AM Opening Remarks (Playhouse Stage)

10:00 AM9:00 AM 11:00 AM

Playhouse Stage

Room 118

Room 114

Room 112

Room 206Room 206

Reading Room

9:10AM - 10:00AMDesigner/SM Round Table

11:10AM - 12:00PMSound Design in theProfessional World

10:10AM - 11:00AMStage Managing in the

Professional World

11:10AM - 12:00PMScenic Design in theProfessional World

9:10AM - 10:30AMFilm/TV Audition

Workshop A

10:40AM - 12:00PMFilm/TV Audition

Workshop B

9:10AM - 10:30AMTheatre Audition

Workshop A

10:40AM - 12:00PMTheatre Audition

Workshop B

9:10AM - 10:00AMNon-Performance Based

Internship Workshop

10:10AM - 11:00AMBiz of the Biz for

Designers,Directors and Playwrights

11:10AM - 12:00PMWriting/Dramaturgy/

Education

9:10AM-10:40AMGrad Student

Pedagogy Class**Only for Graduate and

School of Music Students

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10:40 AM - 12:00 PM

DESIGNER ROUND TABLE Playhouse StageThis 50 minute panel discussion introduces students to the designers working in the industry and how they maintain a career in today’s industry.LECTURERS: Kevin Adams, Jason Crystal, Wilson Chin, Michael Griffo, Allison Lee, Kate Pappas, Mike Smanko, Alejo Vietti

NON PERFORMANCE BASED INTERNSHIP WORKSHOPRoom 206Laura Matey, Executive Assistant of the Signature Theatre, and Jen Tepper, Director of Programming at 54 Below, will walk through students on how to locate, secure, and tackle internships in the professional theatre. Students are asked to bring resumes, if they have one.LECTURERS: Laura Matey (Signature Theatre), Jen Tepper (54 Below)

FILM/TV AUDITION WORKSHOP ARoom 112Casting Director Allison Kirschner (Louie, Gotham) walks you through the process of auditioning for film and episodic television. Participants are asked to provide a headshot/resume (if available), and be prepared To cold read. Not all in the class will be cold reading. Please note: Class A and Class B are the same class and should not be attended twice.LECTURER: Allison Kirschner (Casting Director, Louie)

GRADUATE STUDENT PEDAGOGY CLASSReading Room* Only graduate students, and students from The school of music are asked to attend this eventBroadway and Hollywood’s leading vocal therapist, Joan Lader, gives students tips on vocal health and stronger vocal technique, as well as ways to use your body and voice in the enhancement of your acting skills. Participants are asked to come warmed up and in comfortable clothing.LECTURER : Joan Lader (Vocal Therapist, Broadway/Film)

THEATRE AUDITION WORKSHOP ARoom 114Artios Award winner Mark Simon walks you through the process of auditioning for theatre. Participants are asked to provide a headshot/resume (if available), and either a 32 bar cut of a song or a monologue of 1 minute in length. Not all in the class will be performing. Please note: Class A and Class B are the same class and should not be attended twiceLECTURER: Mark B. Simon (Center Theatre Group)

9:10 AM - 10:00 AM

9:10 AM - 10:30 AM

STAGE MANAGING IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDRoom 118Broadway’s Allison Lee and Disney’s Kate Pappas introduce students to the world of stage management and the necessary skill set needed in today’s industry. Topics will include seeking employment, resume building, and new technologies. Participants are asked to provide a resume and examples of their paperwork. Not all in the class will be showing their work.LECTURERS : Allison Lee (Assistant Stage Manager, Broadway), Kate Pappas (Production Stage Manager, Disney)

BUSINESS OF THE BUSINESS FOR DESIGNERS, DIRECTORS, AND PLAYWRIGHTSRoom 206ICM agent Michael Griffo discusses the business components that designers, directors, and playwrights deal with in their professional life. Questions about contracts, royalties, and unions will be discussed. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURERS: Michael Griffo (Agent, ICM)

THEATRE AUDITION WORKSHOP BRoom 114Artios Award winner Mark Simon walks you through the process of auditioning for theatre. Participants are asked to provide a headshot/resume (if available), and either a 32 bar cut of a song or a monologue of 1 minute in length. Not all in the class will be performing.Please note: Class A and Class B are the same class and should not be attended twiceLECTURER: Mark B. Simon (Center Theatre Group)

FILM/TV AUDITION WORKSHOP BRoom 112Casting Director Allison Kirschner (Louie, Gotham) walks you through the process of auditioning for film and episodic television. Participants are asked to provide a headshot/resume (if available), and be prepared to cold read. Not all in the class will be cold reading. Please note: Class A and Class B are the same class and should not be attended twice.LECTURER: Allison Kirschner (Casting Director, Louie)

2:00 PM 3:00 PM1:00 PM

Playhouse Stage

Room 118

Room 114

Room 206

4:00 PM

Room 112

1:10PM-2:00PMRegional Theatre

Careers

1:10PM-2:00PMCareers in Arts

Admin

2:10PM-3:00PMActor/Agent Relationship

4:10PM-5:30PMUnexpected Trajectories*

*UNDERCLASSMEN

1:10PM-2:00PMChoreographing

in theProfessional World

1:10PM - 2:00PMLighting

Design in theProfessional World

2:10PM-3:00PMProjection

Design in theProfessional World

3:10PM-4:00PMVocal Health

4:10PM-5:30PMPortfolio Review*

*D&T/SM UPPERCLASSMEN

1:10PM-2:00PMProperties

Design in theProfessional World

2:10PM-3:00PMCostume

Design in theProfessional World

3:10PM-4:00PMAgent/Designer

Relationship

2:10PM-3:00PMExperiences in

Casting andDirecting

3:10PM-4:00PMExperience in

Producing

4:10PM-5:30PMPerformance Review*

*PERFORMANCEUPPERCLASSMEN/

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CAREERS IN PLAYWRIGHTING, DRAMATURGY, EDUCATIONRoom 206This 50 minute workshop, led by Jen Tepper, Laura Matery, and Robert W Schneider, will introduce students to the world of literary based jobs in the industry. Students will discuss cover letters, resumes, graduate school, and how to self promote their work.LECTURERS: Jen Tepper (Director of Programming, 54 Below), Laura Matey (Executive Assistant, Signature Theatre), Robert W. Schneider (Professor, New York Film Academy)

SCENIC DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDRoom 118This 50 minute workshop introduces students to the world of scenic design and the necessary skill set needed in today’s industry. Topics will include seeking employment, new technologies, and securing regional work. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available)LECTURER: Wilson Chin (Scenic Designer, Broadway/Regional)

SOUND DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDPlayhouse StageThis 50 minute workshop, led by the Public Theatre’s Jason Crystal, introduces students to the world of sound design and the necessary skill set needed in today’s industry. Topics will include new technologies, designing for different genres, and advice on how to get started in the industry. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER: Jason Crystal (Associate Sound Designer, Hamilton at The PublicTheater/Broadway)

1:10 PM - 2:00 PMA

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2:10 PM - 3:00 PMA

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LIGHTING DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDPlayhouse Stage Four time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams discusses the challenges of lighting design and the necessary skill set needed in today’s industry. Topics will include collaboration, new technologies, and how to maintain a career in lighting design. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER: Kevin Adams (Lighting Designer, Broadway/Regional)

COSTUME DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDRoom 118Olivier Award nominee Alejo Vietti has designed for some of the nation’s most prestigious regional theatres and Broadway. He will discuss gaining employment, new technologies, collaboration and how to maintain a career in costume design. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER: Alejo Vietti (Costume Designer, Broadway/Regional)

CHOREOGRAPHING IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDRoom 114Award winning choreographer Stephen Brotebeck will discuss how to create a career as a choreographer. Stephen will discuss how to seek employment, produce choreography showcases, and how to book work as an assistant.LECTURER: Stephen Brotebeck (Choreographer, Broadway)

REGIONAL THEATRE CAREERSRoom 206Forthose interested in pursuing a career outside of New York City, this discussion will cover the regional theatre scene and discuss the pros and cons of creating a career in these areas.LECTURERS: Robert W Schneider (Director), Mark Simon (Casting Director), Steve Wilson (Actor)

CAREERS IN ARTS ADMINISTRATIONRoom 112In this panel discussion, panelists will introduce students to the world of arts administration and how to enter into it. Students will discuss job descriptions, employment opportunities, and benefits of this career path.LECTURER: Laura Matey (Signature Theatre), Jen Tepper (54 Below), Courtney Cavanaugh (MBA)

PROPERTIES DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDRoom 118With over 30 years in the business, Mike Smanko has designed on Broadway and in some of the most prestigious theatres across the world. Topics will include seeking employment, gaining employment, new technologies, and how to maintain a career in properties design. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER: Mike Smanko (Properties Designer, Broadway/Regional)

EXPERIENCES IN CASTING & DIRECTINGRoom 114The role of director and casting director is discussed. Panelists will discuss what their job entail, how to get into the industry, and maintain careers in the field of freelance direction and casting.LECTURER: Robert W. Schneider (Director), Ali Shommer (Casting Director), Mark Simon (Casting Director), Jen Tepper (Director)

THE ACTOR/AGENT RELATIONSHIPRoom 112Jim Wilhelm, of DGRW, educates students to what an agent is seeking in representing a client in the world of acting. He will discuss challenges faced by actors in finding an agent that’s the right fit for them.LECTURER: Jim Wilhelm (Agent, DGRW)

PROJECTION DESIGN IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLDPlayhouse StageThis 50 minute workshop introduces students to the world of projection design, and how it can be utilized to collaborate with other areas of design. Topics will include aesthetic challenges, new technologies, and how to maintain a career in projection design. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER: Alex Koch (Projections Designer, Broadway/Regional)

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THE AGENT/DESIGNER RELATIONSHIPRoom 118Michael Griffo, of ICM, educates students to what an agent is seeking in representing a client in the world of design. Participants are asked to provide a resume and portfolio (if available) Not all in the class will be showing their portfolio.LECTURER : Michael Griffo (Agent, ICM)

VOCAL HEALTHPlayhouse StageBroadway’s leading vocal therapist, Joan Lader, gives students tips on vocal health and stronger vocal technique, as well as ways to use your body and voice in the enhancement of your acting skills. Participants are asked to come warmed up and in comfortable clothing. Only undergraduate and graduate acting students are asked to attend this event.LECTURER: Joan Lader (Vocal Therapist, Broadway)

EXPERIENCE IN PRODUCINGRoom 114Producers Mike Karns and Jen Tepper will discuss the role of a producer in a commercial environment. Students will learn the basics of commercial of producing and what it takes to succeed in this field.LECTURERS : Mike Karns (Producer) Jen Tepper (Director of Programming, 54 Below)

PORTFOLIO REVIEWPlayhouse Stage*This session will ONLY be open to upperclassmen.This 80 minute session allows designers to share their portfolio and resumes with the D&T panelists, as well as ask any questions that were not covered in their individual sessions. LECTURERS: Kevin Adams, Jason Crystal, Wilson Chin, Michael Griffo, Allison Lee, Kate Pappas, Mike Smanko, Alejo Vietti

UNEXPECTED TRAJECTORIESRoom 112This 80 minute panel introduces students to how individuals left their college environment and ended up in jobs they never thought they would have had in the entertainment field.LECTURERS: Courtney Cavanaugh, Laura Matey, Jen Tepper, Steve Wilson

PERFORMANCE REVIEWRoom 114*This session will ONLY be open to Upperclassmen and 3rd Year MFAsThis 80 minute session allows actors to share their headshots and resumes with the panelists. Please bring either a one-minute monologue, or 32 bars of a musical theatre song to perform. Not all will be asked to perform. LECTURERS: Stephen Brotebeck, Joan Lader, Robert W, Schneider, Alison Shommer, Mark B Simon, Jim Wilhelm

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KEVIN ADAMS - Lighting Designer, Broadway/RegionalKevin Adams is on the leading edge of the post-incandescent age on Broadway, exploiting the potential of CFL bulbs, fluorescent tubes, glass and flex neon, and the latest LED technology. His work for Spring Awakening brilliant white light for the 19th-century play's scenes and saturated color from what he calls "electric objects" for the songs won him a Tony in 2007. He picked up a second Tony in 2008 for The 39 Steps, a third in 2010 for his lighting of the Green Day musical American Idiot and a fourth in 2014 for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Another Adams hit: a fabulous wall of light for the musical Passing Strange.

RICHARD BIEVER - Artistic Director, Fuse ProductionsRichard Biever is the Artistic Director of FUSE Productions, now an independent theatre company in State College. He received an MFA in Directing for the Musical Theatre at Penn State, attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC for acting, and received a Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice and choral conducting from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Rich recently directed a concert version of the Broadway musical Smile with many members of the original Broadway cast at 54 Below in NYC. With his wife Heidi, he is the co-director of Singing Onstage in State College. From 2012-2014, Rich was the executive director of The State Theatre.

STEPHEN BROTEBECK - Director/Choreographer, FreelanceStephen Brotebeck recently served as the Movement Associate on the Tony Award winning Broadway production of Peter and the Starcatcher both on Broadway and at New World Stages. Other Broadway: Ghost The Musical, directed by Matthew Warchus. Regional credits include Enchanted April (Co-director and Choreographer) at Arena Stage, My Fair Lady (Assistant Dir/Chor) at the Kennedy Center, Songs In The Key of Equality at (Le) Poisson Rouge and The Great American Songbook Hall of Fame ceremony presented by Michael Feinstein (Director/Choreographer). Other NYC Directing credits include the world premiere of Grease-monkey, Brotography and with Chris Wade, HoLiDaZe (SoHo Playhouse), Scenes from a Balcony, and Anonymous Lives. Regional Directing credits include: Kiss Me, Kate, Grey Gardens, Altar Boyz and Steel Magnolias. His theatrical choreography credits include regional productions of All Shook Up, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, State Fair, Anything Goes, South Pacific, and Honk. Stephen holds an MFA in Directing for the Musical Theatre Stage from The Pennsylvania State University headed by Susan H. Schulman and is a co-founder and the Artistic Director of Broadway Bodies in New York City and Los Angeles. BFA, Western Michigan University. He is currently on faculty at CAP21, America's Musical Theatre Conservatory.

COURTNEY CAVANAUGH - Production Coordinator, Thomas J. Paul, Inc.Courtney Cavanaugh is a Production Coordinator for Thomas J Paul, Inc., a creative marketing agency in Jenkintown, PA. She has previously worked for Tierney Communications as an Account Management Intern, while completing her MBA at Temple University in 2013. Before returning to graduate school in 2011, Courtney worked as a Marketing and Operations Associate in the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, a 14,000 seat outdoor performing arts center in Philadelphia. Courtney is a proud 2009 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University School of Theatre, where she received her B.F.A. in Stage Management.

WILSON CHIN - Set Designer, Broadway/RegionalWilson Chin designed the critically acclaimed Broadway play Next Fall by GeoffreyNauffts directed by Sheryl Kaller, which was nominated for two Tony Awards, including Best Play. He made his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Lucia di Lammermoor and Canadian Opera Company with A Florentine Tragedy and Gianni Schicchi (Dora Award winner, Outstanding Set Design), both directed by Catherine Malfitano. In New York, Wilson has designed at Ars Nova, Atlantic Theater Company, Avery Fisher Hall, HERE, Manhattan Theatre Club, Naked Angels, New World Stages, Playwrights Realm, The Public Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Second Stage Theatre and TACT. Regional credits include designs for ACT, Asolo Rep, Barrington Stage, Central City Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Guthrie Theatre, Hartford Stage, Indiana Rep, The Old Globe, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, The Shakespeare Theatre, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, TheatreWorks, Trinity Rep, Westport Country Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Yale Rep. His many collaborations with playwright Roberto Aguirre Sacasa include the premieres of Abigail/1702 , King of Shadows , Dark Matters , Bloody Mary , Rough Magic , Golden Age , Say You Love Satan , and The Muckle Man . Wilson has also designed new works by Tim Acito, Nick Blaemire, Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, Samuel D. Hunter, Elizabeth Irwin, Rolin Jones, Meghan Kennedy, Kenneth Lin, Andrew Lippa, Terrence McNally, Conor McPherson, Carly Mensch, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Geoffrey Nauffts, Dan O’Brien, Sharyn Rothstein, Victoria Stewart, and Martín Zimmerman. From 2003-2007, Wilson served as an associate/assistant designer to Santo Loquasto on nineteen productions including Broadway productions of Glengarry Glen Ross (Tony Award nomination and Drama Desk Award) , Three Days of Rain (Tony Award nomination) , Shining City, and The Times They Are A Changin’, and Faust at the Metropolitan Opera. Wilson was also an associate designer on the Broadway production of Fela! (Tony Award nomination). Wilson has a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

JASON CRYSTAL - Associate Sound Designer, BroadwayJason has served as Associate Sound Designer on the Broadway productions of Hamilton, It Shoulda Been You, Mothers and Sons, Cinderella, The Performers, Magic/Bird, Porgy & Bess, Venus in Fur, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Lombardi, The Addams Family. Other credits include various national/international tours, The Met, eleven shows at The Public Theatre, and countless other venues throughout New York, He is a proud graduate of Northwestern University.

MICHAEL GRIFFO - Agent, ICMMichael Griffo joined ICM Partners in 2002 as a Business Affairs Coordinator working in both the Theatre and Literary Departments and handled Broadway, motion picture, and book-to-film deals. In 2012, Michael became an agent in the Theatre Department and primarily represents designers – set, costume, lighting and sound – as well as some directors and choreographers. His client roster runs the gamut from multiple Tony award winners to fresh out of college designers and includes Michael Yeargan, David Korins, William Ivey Long, Emilio Sosa, Donald Holder, James Ingalls, Mark Bennett, and Susan Schulman, among many others. Along the way Michael has also found time to publish eight novels.

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ALLISON SHOMER KIRSCHNER - Associate Casting Director, Gayle Keller CastingAllison Shomer Kirschner, associate casting director at Gayle Keller casting, is currently casting season 5 of the Emmy winning series “LOUIE” for F/X and a new indie feature written by Kelly Reichardt. Last year, Allison was the casting associate for the new hit series “GOTHAM” for FOX. Earlier that year she worked with casting director Gayle Keller on “LOUIE” Season 4 and on a new comedy pilot for FX entitled “Man Seeking Woman” produced by Lorne Michaels and Simon Rich. She also worked as the associate on two of WOODY ALLEN’S films with Casting Directors Juliet Taylor and Patricia Dicerto, one of them being MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT. Past credits include: PILOT SEASONS for the CW, FOX and ABC, “Life of Crime” starring JENNIFER ANISTON & JOHN HAWKES ,”Girl Most Likely” Starring Kristen Wiig and HOUSE OF CARDS Season 1 for NETFLIX.

ALEX KOCH - Projections Designer, BrodwayAlex Koch designs projections for theater and live events. Projections design on Broadway; Irena's Vow (Walter Kerr). Selected Off-Broadway and Downtown credits: Bullet for Adolf, New World Stages; Goodbar (Waterwell, The Public's Under the Radar Festival, 2012); P.S. Jones and the Frozen City, Feeder (TerraNOVA Collective); En el Tiempo de las Mariposas, La Casa de los Espiritus (Repertorio Espanol); ReEntry, The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion (Urban Stages); Lenin's Embalmers (Ensemble Studio Theatre). Regional: The Invisible Man (Court Theatre, Chicago; Studio Theatre, Washington DC; Huntington Theatre Company, Boston); ReEntry (Center Stage, Baltimore; Round House, Washington DC; Actors Theater of Louisville); 33 Variations (Capitol Repertory, Albany); La Casa de los Espiritus (Teotro Espressivo, Costa Rica; Mori Theater, Chile). Additional collaborators include the Director's Company, Theater MITU, The Woodshed Collective, the Assembly, SummerStage, Little Opera Theater, Dixon Place, Electric Pear, Shalimar, and the New Ensemble. Technical design for New Georges at 3LD and Big Art Group's Dead Set II & III. Alex has taught master classes at the Colorado State University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Hamilton College. He is a founding partner of Imaginary Media. www.alexkochprojects.com

MIKE KARNS - Producer, Marathon Live EntertainmentMike Karns is a theater producer and entrepreneur with a background in sales and marketing. During his early years, Karns played a key role in the meteoric resurgence of George Takei, who today is commonly referred to as the #1 most popular personality on Social Media. As the owner of Marathon Live Entertainment, Karns has been integral to the creation and development of Social Media content and strategies for clients from Real Estate and Non-Profit to Celebrities like Iain Armitage and Broadway shows like Hamilton and The Last Ship. Karns has produced concert tours, stage readings, and developmental workshops including Telly Leung: Live in London, Broadway at Learning 2013, Seasons of Broadway Fall Concert Tour, and BLooM! A New Musical (In Development). Other credits and collaborators include The Public Theater, The Vineyard, The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards, and The Santa Fe Opera. In 2015, Karns will co-produce his first Broadway show, Allegiance, starring George Takei, Lea Salonga, and Telly Leung. Other upcoming shows include A Little More Alive (Barrington Stage Summer 2015), Seasons of Broadway at BB Kings, and The Great Blue and White Way. He is a proud graduate of The Pennsylvania State University.

JOAN LADER - Voice Therapist, BroadwayFor over thirty years, Joan Lader has provided vocal training and rehabilitation for professional voice users. Ms. Lader received a BFA from Penn State University in Theater Arts with a minor in Music Trained as a Master’s level speech and language pathologist, Ms. Lader specializes in working with singers and actors and, in collaboration with New York’s top otolaryngologists, rehabilitation of injured voices. Her extensive practice includes leading singers and actors from Broadway, Film, Opera, R&B, Rap, Rock and Pop. She has been a frequent guest lecturer at Columbia University, The Voice Foundation in Philadelphia, The Pacific Voice Foundation in San Francisco, NYSTA, Berklee College of Music, and The Commercial Voice Conference at Vanderbilt University. Ms. Lader was most recently a panelist at the American Voices Symposium at the Kennedy Center. She has given numerous Master Classes and Workshops at Yale (Calhoun College), BTP (Broadway Theater Project), “The Lost Colony” in North Carolina, Western Carolina University and the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. She is currently a consultant for the New Studio at NYU and has taught a series of master classes there. In addition, Ms. Lader is a certified master teacher of the Estill Voice Training System (EVTS) and has extensive training in the Alexander Technique as well as Fitzmaurice Voice Work and the work of Arthur Lessac. Her teaching and therapy draw from all of these disciplines in order to individualize and address the specific needs of her widely varying client population.

ALLISON LEE - Stage Manager, BroadwayAllison Lee was the very first graduate of Travis’s brand new BFA program for Stage Managers in 1995. At Penn State, Allison was active in the Blue Band and headed up Outlaw Playwrights for 5 semesters. This was the start of a life of stage managing all over the country and abroad. Her first job started the day after graduation: Center Stage right here in the Playhouse Theatre followed by a yearlong internship at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, NY. ($150 a week anyone?) The next 10 years would find her and her little Dodge, Neon at Chautauqua Conservatory Theatre, Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, on a bus and truck tour for a Russian Ballet Company, Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, 10 seasons of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes (Branson, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Denver, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte), Self Family Arts Center in Hilton Head, SC, California Theatre Center in Sunnyvale, CA, Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, TN, Alpine Theatre Company in Whitefish, MT, touring with YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble both in the US and abroad and finally settling in the Maplewood, NJ just outside of NYC. (and selling the Neon). Broadway credits include Disney’s Tarzan, Spamalot, The Addams Family, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella , and Newsies . Recently, after nearly 10 years of being in one place, she decided to get back on the road (this time via the airports) turning her attention to corporate events spanning the gamut from corporate meetings, to expos, to awards shows, to outdoor festivals.

LAURA MATEY - Executive Assistant, Signature TheatreLaura Matey currently serves as the Executive Assistant & Company Manager at the Tony Award Winning Signature Theater of Arlington, VA. As Executive Assistant, she works under Signature’s Artistic and Managing Directors to help assure the theatre’s daily operations are running seamlessly. As Company Manager, she is responsible for the care and maintenance of the acting company and creative team for all Signature productions. Highlights from her position thus far include working on world premiere productions with artists such as John Kander, Sheryl Crow, and Kathleen Marshall, among many others; helping to launch and organize the greater DC Women’s’ Voices Theatre Festival; and working on the annual Stephen Sondheim Award Gala. Laura previously worked at the Walnut Street Theatre where she had the unique opportunity to create and implement a theatre program at a k8 inner city school. Additional regional work includes The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Adventure Theatre MTC, Penn State Centre Stage, and the Nu Musical Theatre Festival. She received her BA in Theatre from Penn State in 2011.

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S BIOSROBERT W SCHNEIDER - Director/Professor, Freelance

Robert W. Schneider is a freelance theatre director, and a proud member of SDC. Robert received his MFA in Direction for the Musical Theatre Stage from Penn State in 2009, under the mentorship of SDC President Susan H. Schulman. Prior to that, he received a BA in Political Science from California Lutheran University in 2005. In 2014, Robert directed Nine for Fordham University, served as the SDCF Observer to Lonny Price on the New York Philharmonic production of Sweeney Todd , starring Academy Award winner Emma Thompson, and Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, directed Twisted , with Glee’s Darren Criss at 54 Below, directed the movie musical One Door Opens, received rave reviews for his How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in Cape Cod, and will be directing the regional premiere of the Tony Award winning Memphis , in Los Angeles. Robert has had the great pleasure of collaborating with such prestigious theatrical institutions as Center Theatre Group, Lyric Theatre, Second Stage Theatre, York Theatre, New York Philharmonic, Pasadena Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Walnut Street Theatre. As an educator, Robert has gone across the country, leading master classes that transition students from academia into the entertainment industry. Robert has lectured at such institutions as Yale University, Kent State University, Pepperdine University, Fordham University, Pace University, USC, UCLA, UCSB, and countless others.

KATE PAPPAS - Production Stage Manager, DisneyKate has 15 years of experience in event, production and theatrical management and has worked with a wide range of different organizations ranging from non-profits to high profile corporate leaders. All of the opportunities started with a degree and the community network of Penn State. Promptly after graduation, Kate moved to Orlando for her first entertainment leadership role with the Walt Disney World Resort. There, she stage managed five live shows and worked with the creative production teams on special events . The desire to explore other performance companies sent Kate on tour with MacArthur Genius Fellow Liz Lerman as the production stage manager and production manager for the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. This non-profit modern dance company shared community residencies creating site-specific storytelling pieces of community’s stories. As everyone should do, Kate ran off and joined the circus! She spent three years as a Stage Manager for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” in Las Vegas where she learned to weave traditional circus life with cutting edge technology to deliver safe and perfect shows. In 2004, an opportunity to return to the Walt Disney Company came her way and she opened the first non-park entertainment venue at The World of Disney on 5 th Avenue in New York City. As the Entertainment Operations Manager, Kate managed and produced children’s theatre, experiences with Disney’s beloved characters and synergy events with Disney Theatrical & ABC. The return to the Walt Disney Company was the right one for Kate and the next logical move was back to Orlando in 2008 for further career growth. Currently, she is a Production Manager with Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Creative Entertainment. As a production manager she collaborates on new shows, special events and holiday enhancements for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. Her projects include the launch of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, Augmented Reality Stunts in Times Square, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and USITT.

MARK B. SIMON - Casting Director, Center Theatre GroupMark B. Simon is Casting Director of the Center Theatre Group. Current projects include Race , Marjorie Prime , The Trip To Bountiful , and What The Butler Saw . Prior to joining CTG, he was a New York based independent casting director for clients including Hal Prince, Jason Robert Brown, Graciela Daniele, Susan Stroman, Patricia Birch, Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, Nick Hytner, Alfred Uhry, Carol Burnett, Jeremy Sams, Chris Durang, New York City Opera and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Projects have included 13 , Parade , The Last Five Years , Show Boat , Candide , 3hree , Hollywood , Bounce , Lovemusik , Paradise Found , Sweeny Todd , Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life , Sweet Smell of Success , and Ragtime . Treasurer of the Board, Casting Society of America.

MIKE SMANKO - Properties Designer, Broadway/RegionalMike has worked professionally for over 40 years and has been a member of Broadway and touring staffs since 1974. Educated at Montclair State College with a major in fine arts and a minor in theater, he holds an MFA in theater design from the Pennsylvania State University. Additional professional training is in scene painting from Lester Polokov at the Forum and Studio of Design in NYC. Mike has toured the world on the staffs of Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham and Robert Joffrey, traveling to 36 countries on 5 continents to present performances, many times under the auspices of the State Department United States Information Agency. These experiences taught him to condense complicated setups into simpler projects with the use of logic, basic diagrams and color coding. Broadway credits include Filumena starring Joan Plowright, directed by Franco Zefferelli and Laurence Olivier, the original production of Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls, several productions directed by George C. Wolfe, including Bring in da Noise…Bring in da Funk and Harlem Song, and Disney’s AIDA. More recent credits include Edward Albee’s The Goat, The Rocky Horror Show, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hairspray. Having extensive experience with the unique production demands of creating new works for Broadway or other venues, he has a thorough understanding of the serendipitous process of creating stage properties and effects. Touring to most of the major road venues in the US and Canada, he has extensive experience with the demands of preparing a production to tour with efficiency and economy of space and labor. Efficient packaging can often ‘make or break’ a tour. While touring he gained some reputation for being able to ‘handle’ star performers with a combination of good humor, pampering and efficiency. In 1986, he founded Prism Production Services as an entity for the design and fabrication of specialty props. In 1997 Prism was expanded to a partnership LLC and began changing the way that prop supervisors managed their shows. Prism became a full service shop with specialty areas in wood, metal and miniature automation. In addition paint, mold & sculpting, and soft prop fabrication were added. Prism offered a stock of rental furniture, small hand props, ephemera collection as well as rental workboxes and complete tour packaging. With a staff of 23, Prism Production Services had credits on most productions on tour and on Broadway. Prism’s partnership ended in 2004. In 2007 Prism Props was restarted to supply creative stage props & decor to the theatrical industry. Mike has been a member of the I.A.T.S.E. for over 35 years, a member of the Association of Theatrical Artists & Craftspersons (ATAC) since its inception and have contributed to their publication the NY Theatrical Sourcebook. Additionally he has been a member of the United States Institute for Theater Technology (USITT) and participated as a panelist at the 2003 Conference, on the ‘Propping Up the World’ panel in Minneapolis for the Scenic Design Commission. Respecting his educational beginnings, he has remained active in alumni associations and am an emeritus board member of the MSU College of the Arts. He is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and has just joined the first board of trustees of American Theater Group at Hamilton Stage, Rahway N.J.

BIO

S BIOSALEJO VIETTI - Costume Designer, Broadway/Regional

Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (also West End - Olivier Nomination) and the upcoming Allegiance. Selected Off-Broadway: Paint Your Wagon for Encores!, Nightingale (MTC), Grace (MCC) with Lynn Redgrave, John Patrick Shanley’s Storefront Church, Old Jews Telling Jokes (also Chicago), Tryst, Roulette (Studio Ensemble Theatre), The Last Sunday in June, and The Secrets of the Trade (Primary Stages). Regional credits include Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse); the U.S. premiere of The Witches of Eastwick; and productions at Goodspeed Musicals, Alley Theatre, St Louis Rep, Guthrie Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Old Globe, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Williamsttown, NY Stage and Film, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Pasadena Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre and Ford’s Theatre in DC, among others. Opera: Chicago Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Donesk Opera (Ukraine) and Opera Santa Barbara. Other credits include designs for Colorado Ballet, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus, and Radio City Music Hall’s Rockettes (including costumes for the New York Spring Spectacular). Recipient of the TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award.

JENNIFER ASHLEY TEPPER - Director of Programming, 54 BelowJennifer Ashley Tepper is a Musical Theatre Historian and Producer. She is currently the Director of Programming for 54 Below, Broadway's #1 concert venue, where she has overseen hundreds of theatrical concerts. She was recently the Director of Marketing & Communications for Davenport Theatrical, with Broadway credits including Macbeth, The Performers , and Godspell . Tepper has also worked on shows including [title of show] on Broadway, the world premiere of the musical Bloodsong of Love at Ars Nova, Tony Kushner's iHo , and Things To Ruin. She is the co-creator and writer of the Bistro Award winning concert series, If It Only Even Runs A Minute which celebrates under-appreciated musicals. She has also directed and produced benefit concerts for The Broadway Green Alliance, The Actors Fund, BC/ EFA, and The Red Cross, including the concert series Once Upon A Time In New York City , which has presented world premiere work by over thirty writers. Tepper collaborates often with the group known as "Joe Iconis & Family", including several shows, many concerts, and 6 years of producing their annual holiday tradition, The Joe Iconis Christmas Spectacular, most recently at 54 Below. She was also the co-producer at 54 Below of Hit List , the staged version of the fictional musical from Smash . In addition, Tepper is Managing Editor of The Best Plays Theater Yearbook. Other credits include projects and shows with NAMT, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, PBS, The York Theatre, NYMF, Second Stage Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theatre, the Opening Doors Theatre Company, The Producing Office, and The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards. Her book series, The Untold Stories of Broadway , featuring stories about each Broadway theater as told by over 230 theatre professionals, has two volumes published by Dress Circle Publishing.

JIM WILHELM - Agent, DGRWJim Wilhelm is currently the president of Douglas, Gorman, Rothacker & Wilhelm, Inc. (DGRW), one of New York’s most preeminent theatrical agencies since it’s inception in 1988. Mr. Wilhelm began his career in the theatre as actor (earning his Equity card at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera) and has worked as a stage manager, public relations director and casting director before becoming a talent agent. He is the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Talent Representatives (NATR), in addition to sitting on the Advisory Board of “The New Leagues”, the organization that, each Spring, presents graduates of many actor training programs to members of the NY entertainment industry. He is also an active participant in, and a founding board member of, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), an organization whose purpose is to raise awareness of and funds for programs that provide care and services to people in the entertainment industry, and others, living with HIV and AIDS. And, in 2010, he was accorded the honor of being one of the first theatrical agents in history to be made a voter for the annual Tony Awards, honoring the best of the Broadway theatre. Over the years, Wilhelm has represented television and film actors such as two-time Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland (Gone With The Wind, The Heiress), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii 50), Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Stephanie Zimbalist (Remington Steele), Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey), former Miss America Susan Powell (Home Matters), and Karen Valentine (Room 222); daytime television stars Catherine Hickland (One Life to Live), Ron Raines (Guiding Light) and Scott Holmes (As the World Turns); as well as Broadway stars such as Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Alice Ripley (Next to Normal, SideShow), Elaine Paige (Follies, Evita, Chess, Cats), Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid), John Rubinstein (Wicked, Pippin, Children of a Lesser God), Harry Groener (Cats, Crazy for You), Kathleen Chalfant (Wit, Angels in America), Andrea McArdle (Annie, Beauty and the Beast), Douglas Sills (The Addams Family, The Scarlet Pimpernel) and Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime).

STEVE WILSON - Associate Director Of Development, Penn State UniversitySteve Wilson, who joined the staff in September 2014, is proud to reunite with theCollege of Arts and Architecture, where he earned his M.F.A. in Acting in 1997(studying alongside notable Theatre alumni Ty Burrell and Keegan Michael Key). A former professional actor, Steve appeared in numerous Broadway, national tour, regional and stock productions around the United States before retiring from show business in 2010. Most recently, Steve served as the assistant director of development in Annual Giving for his undergraduate alma mater, Miami University. He looks forward to connecting with other College of Arts and Architecture alumni and supporters, helping transform donors’ passion for Penn State into meaningful, lasting impact for students and faculty, and establishing an exciting new life in State College with his wife, Nicole.

#psuSTAGESSchool of Theatre Alumni Giving Experience to Students

Kevin Adams Lighting Designer

4x Tony Award Winner

Jason Crystal Sound Design / Associate

Hamilton, Cinderella

Michael Griffo Agent for Designers

Published Author and Lecturer

Allison Lee* Stage Manager

Cinderella, Newsies

Kate Pappas* Producer

Walt Disney Parks

Rich Biever* Artistic Director

Fuse Productions

Alejo Vietti Costume Designer

Beautiful, Hunchback

Mike Karns* Producer/Social Media Allegiance, Hamilton

Mike Smanko* Properties Designer Broadway/Regional

Courtney Cavenaugh* Production Coordinator

Walnut Center, Mann Center

Allison Kirschner* Casting Director

TV/Film

Joan Lader* Voice Therapist

Broadway, TV/Film

Robert W. Schneider* Director/Educator

Sweeney Todd, Memphis

Laura Matey* Executive Asst./Company Mgr.

Signature Theatre D.C.

Mark B. Simon Casting Director Ragtime, Parade

Jim Wilhelm Agent for Actors

Broadway, TV/Film

Jen Tepper Director of Programming

54 Below

Steve Wilson* Director of Development

College of Arts and Architecture

Stephen Brotebeck* Director/Choreographer

Ghost, Peter and the Starcatcher

April 19th, 20159AM-6PM

Wilson Chin Set Designer

Broadway/Regional

Theatre Building

Alex Koch Projections Designer Broadway/Regional

* Denotes PSU Alumnus