Sophomores at the APO Semi-Formal (photo courtesy Jen Lefsyk)
Well, not quite. Sure, there was the annual Alpha Psi Omega semi-formal and the annual PACnic this past weekend, but there are still finals to take, and graduation is coming up this Saturday for our departing seniors. As the days dwindle down to a precious few, we thought we’d give our readers some idea of what our graduating seniors will be moving on to, and what some of our returning students will be up to in the summer. You can read the complete list following the break by clicking on the “Read More” link.
We’ll have one more post featuring our upcoming 2009-10 Walter Gloor Mainstage Season, but we will also be winding down this blog for the summer. We will not be totally inactive over the summer, but no doubt the postings will dwindle down to a few here and there. Perhaps we will catch up with some of our students as they work over the summer and get their reactions to their work. If you’re interested in auditioning for our program next year, do stay tuned for our audition dates for the 2009-10 audition season. Those will be revealed in late August as the academic year begins.
And thanks for reading this blog! We at the Department of Theatre and Dance wish you a productive and pleasant summer, and we look forward to bringing you all the action from our 2009-10 academic year.
Students enjoying the PACnic (photo courtesy Cynthia Hannon)
Joe Tolle – I will be spending the summer doing an internship with PRG, or Production Resource Group/Scenic Technologies. I’ll be working in areas of Operations and Asset Management doing things such as: configuration and maintenance of entertainment audio, lighting and video systems, scenic fabrication and automation, project management, and other tasks.
Ned Milliken – I plan on working for Shakespeare and Co. In Lenox, MA. this summer. I will be a box office sales associate starting on May 18th and ending on Sept. 7th. I will be assisting in the day to day operations of their box office as well as working performances in the evenings.
Cynthia Hannon – I just got a job through a fellow Fredonia Alumni, Ken Travis. He offered me a sound internship to work on the up and coming musical called, “Memphis the birth of Rock and Roll.” It will be opening in the Shubert Theater on Broadway. I will be one of the two sound interns. This job starts in August. In the meantime I plan on finding a temporary job so that I can have some income this summer.
Aubrey Flick – I have the privilege of performing the role of Ulla in The Producers this summer. It runs July 17 through August 9, 2009, Thursdays through Sundays at The CENTER for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, NY.
Danielle Pelcher – I will be doing the Chekhov Intensive at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting over the summer. “The course is centered on Chekhov Scene Study, supplemented by daily physical and vocal work designed for the advanced actor.” I’ll be living in lovely Prospect Park, Brooklyn and doing auditions in my spare time.
Ron Grimshaw – This summer i’ll be shipping out to Santa Rosa, California, to work with Fredonia alumni Jeff Whetstone and Jenna Link at the Summer Repertory Theatre as Master Electrician. No plans after that, but there’s a strong possibility i’ll be moving to Chicago to look for work.
Randy Hample - I will be in Geneva NY working for the Geneva Theatre Guild as Dance captain/Assistant Choreographer for The Wedding Singer and will also be in the cast. I am also working the summer theatre camp for the Geneva Theatre Guilds Youth Theatre as their dance captain/assistant choreographer. We will be presenting Grease with students entering 4th grade to graduating seniors in High school. Both productions will be presented at the Smith Opera House.
Andy Herr – I’m doing the Shakespeare in Delaware Park Build, then I’m doing the Life on Campus sketches for Freshman Summer Orientation, then I’m Melettus Cimber in Julius Caesar.
Nick Schwartz - I will be attending University of Connecticut to get my masters in Scenic Design.
Amy Van Deusen – will be running and organizing a musical theatre camp for children grades 3-8 in my hometown of Delmar, NY for 5 weeks this summer. Each week is a different group of kids; I teach them different theatre games, teach them songs, show them clips of various musicals, teach them dance routines, and the end of their week culminates in a cabaret performance for their parents. Come September I hope to move to the city with Kate Mulberry and Amy White, where we plan on living the lives of poor and starving actors.
Prof. Sam Kenney – May 15-17, travelling to Massachusetts to see the premiere of my new work, Emily of Amherst, produced by the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company at Amherst College. (Amherst, MA). June 2-19, teaching ballet, modern and jazz at the New Castle Regional Ballet Summer Intensive (New Castle, PA). June 25-July 17, summer advising, Department of Theatre & Dance. July 20-26, teaching at the Mercyhurst College Summer Dance Experience (Erie, PA). August – Teaching and staging a new choreographic work for the New Castle Regional Ballet (New Castle, PA).In my spare time I’ll be beginning the creative process for a new Dance Ensemble piece which will be a collaboration with guitarist/singer/songwriter Christine Volk.
Prof. Jessica Hillmann – I’ll be doing Part I of a two summer Meisner Technique intensive workshop for teachers, leading to a certification in Meisner teaching. Then I am giving a paper at ATHE on “Musical Theatre, Audience Interaction and the Youtube generation.”
Prof. Tom Loughlin – I’ll be working at Shakespeare in Delaware Park this summer performing the role of Stephano in The Tempest.
Jennifer Lefsyk – Starting in June, Matt Nersinger and I will be doing summer stock at the Huron Playhouse in Ohio. It’s a company of about 35 performers or so, and when we’re not doing one of the shows, we’re working in other aspects of the theatre, including scene shop, costume shop, etc. They’re doing a five-show season in seven and a half weeks; they are: A Grand Night for Singing, Over the River and Through the Woods, The 1940’s Radio Hour, Our Town, and The Secret Garden.
Andrew Sklar – I will be an actor/fighter in the Sterling Renaissance Fair in Sterling NY.
Mark Reeve – I will be performing professionally in High School Musical at Millbrook Playhouse in PA this summer.
Joanna Hernandez - From July ‘09 to February ‘10 I shall be one of four vocal performers for the Navigator ship on Regent Seven Seas cruises. This is a job I received through PGT Entertainment who saw me audition at the Ohio Theatre Alliance auditions and at UPTAs. I’ll be traveling all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and some of the Baltic region. Yay!!
Bethany Sortman – I will be doing an internship at the Chenango River Theatre in Greene, Ny. It’s a small equity theatre and two interns were hired. The first being the “up front” position and the other being the “backstage” position. I was hired as the “backstage” person. I will be running sound, light, building sets, making props, helping with transportation for non-resident designers, and getting coffee. It should be fun, and if not, I will certainly be gaining a TON of experience!
David Ebert – I am at the Seaside Rep Theatre in Santa Rosa Beach Fl. I am performing two childrens shows, Go,Dog,Go and Stone That Sings as well as taking part in an improv story telling hour and performing with the improv troupe “The Flaws”. My contract runs through August, after which I plan on moving to New York.
Sarah Flanagan – I’m going to be co-running Creative Arts Theatre Stars (CATS) of Ellicottville, a youth theatre group. So I’ll be directing two plays (one for each age group), helping with their costumes, props, and set, and doing the kids’ makeup the days of the dress rehearsal and show.
Jessica Cumbo – After graduation I plan on staying in the area to work and save hopefully a decent amount of money. Sometime within the next year I hope to move to New York City and pursue my dreams of performing in experimental theatre and dance.
Brian Moe – Graduate school in Dance at Cal State Long Beach.
Amy White – After graduation I will be working summer stock for Theatre West Virginia, playing roles such as Sharpay in High School Musical and Gertrude in Suessical the Musical. After my contract is over, I plan on moving to New York City.
