Alumni News & Updates

The latest news and updates from our Theatre & Dance alumni.

Updates are posted as they are received. Know of some alumni news? Share! Photos are welcome.

  • Sarah Bedwell ’17 was the assistant to playwright Hansol Jung for the Lucille Lortel Award-nominated WOLF PLAY, which played through April 2, 2023, at the Off-Broadway McCarter Theatre Center. Sarah has a Master's Degree in Educational Theatre from New York University, and is currently at Columbia University, working on an MFA in dramaturgy.
  • Alan Mendez ’17 is the understudy in The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit musical adaptation of The Comedy of Errors. This new adaptation embraces the music of Latin America through its bilingual songs, and allows for all communities to enjoy through the show’s free engagement run. Since graduation, Alan’s credits include Once at Mason Street Warehouse, Socrates at the Public, Evita at the Fulton Theatre, and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, at Hangar Theater Co. The Comedy of Errors tours the five boroughs of New York May 2-21, 2023, and is on stage at the Public’s Shiva Theatre, May 25 – June 11.
  • Tommy Gedrich ’21 joins the North American Tour of Moulin Rouge as a member of the ensemble, starting March 23, 2023! Since their time at ’Berg, Tommy has performed at Radio City Music Hall, played Harry in State Fair with the REV Theatre Co, and shared the Kennedy Center stage with Phillipa Soo and Steven Pasquale in the revival of Guys and Dolls.
       When they’re not performing in the ensemble, Tommy will understudy the role of Santiago — usually played by Gabe Martínez ’10
  • Cameron Silliman ’18 is playing Joan in FUN HOME at TheaterWorks Hartford! Featuring Aaron Lazar, Christiane Noll, and Sarah Beth Pfeifer, the show is now in previews; it officially opening this Friday, Oct. 14, and runs through Oct. 30, 2022.  Read more!
  • Madison Ferris ’14  will star in the World Premiere of All of Me, by Laura Winters, at Barrington Stage Company, Sept. 21 – Oct. 9. Details below. Madi also has a recurring role in the Amazon Prime series Panic. Read more!
  • Kennedy Kanagawa ’08 talks about finding his way to contentment — and making his Broadway debut in Into the Woods. Read more!
  • Jakeim Hart ’16 talks about making his long-awaited Broadway debut in Almost Famous: The Musical — two years after narrowly missing it when Sing Street's Broadway run was postponed by Covid. Read more!
  • Fiona McGrath ’22 leads a group of theatre students and alumni to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Read more!
  • Nick Flatto '10 will direct a new Off-Broadway production of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical, sending up the Netflix hit series Stranger Things. The show will open at the Playhouse 46 at St. Lukes, with previews beginning Sept. 12 and an official Sept. 22 opening. Nick is also one of the show's co-producers.
       Zachary Spiegel '11 is the production's Casting Director, and Kathleen Gallardo ’19 is the Production Stage Manager.
       This is Nick's second turn producing Stranger Sings! The show premiered at Feinstein's/54 Below in October 2018, and ran last summer at the Off-Broadway The Players Theatre.
        Read more here! or visit strangersingsthemusical.com
  • Rachel Shapiro Alderman '01  has been named Associate Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, a newly created position that will “further develop the organization’s commitment to producing bold, boundary-breaking theatre.” Rachel will oversee artistic production, new work development, and community partnerships for the organization. Read more here!
  • Avery Deutsch '16 was announced as the winner of the Clubbed Thumb Theater's 2022 Biennial Commission. Her play There's Something Wrong with that Steer will receive $10,000 and two years of developmental support. Avery is beginning an MFA in Playwriting this fall at The University of Texas at Austin. Here's Avery's website
  • Monique St. Cyr '11 performed at the Obie Award-winning Clubbed Thumb Theatre in June 2022 in Spindle Shuttle Needle, part of their Summerworks series. Monique has been working in regional and Off-Broadway theatre, including Soho Rep., The Public Theater, and The Flea Theater. Check out Monique's website website here
  • Mike Poyntz '19   appeared in a play called Dead Man Walking by award winning playwright Ali Keller and directed by The Lion King on Broadway’s Daniel Gaymon. The play opened in July 2022 as part of the Chain Theatre Festival, at NYC's Chain Theatre.
  • Elena Nahrmann '19  is an actor and aerialist whose career is in full swing! (See what we did there?) In June, she co-starred in the Stagecrafters Theater production of By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. Catch up with Elena in this feature!
  • Jordana (Boydstun) Wright '06  recently published Cannabis for Creatives, a book that explores the relationship between creativity and cannabis. She interviewed 32 artists for the book, including Muhlenberg theatre alums Nelson Ruger '93 (who also designed the cover), Bruno Wu ’07 and Kenton Williams ’01. The book is published by Rocky Nook.
       Jordana is a photographer, writer, educator, and travel enthusiast with over 15 years of experience in the photography industry. She’s also the author of The Enthusiast’s Guide to Travel Photography. Jordana was a double-major in theatre and anthropology, and she says both of her majors have contributed to her professional success.
       “I relied heavily on my anthro education (and even referenced some of my old textbooks!) in performing the interviews and research for this book,” she says. “My theatre degree was specifically in directing. Over the years I've relied on the Directing skills I learned at Muhlenberg to fully realize complex artistic projects, both in photography and in writing books.” Read more
  • Lana Gallo '14  plays Nemo in the original cast of Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! at Walt Disney World. The show opened June 13, 2022.
       “It’s a Broadway style show that’s a reimagined version of Finding Nemo the Musical at Disney World, which unfortunately closed during the pandemic,” Lana says. “I performed there full-time for three years and am so happy to be reprising the role in the original cast of this new production.”
  • Jakeim Hart '16 will make his long-awaited Broadway debut in the upcoming Almost Famous: The Musical, playing the role of band manager Dennis Hope. Jakeim was all set to debut on Broadway in March 2020 as Larry in Sing Street, a role he had played in the show's New York Theatre Workshop production, before COVID intervened, and the show was postponed. (He CAN be heard in the show's original cast recording.)
       “It’s validating after having a broadway debut cancelled because of the pandemic,” Jakeim says. “Makes me feel like the first one wasn’t a fluke and like I’m meant to be doing this with my life. Definitely purpose-affirming.” Read more
  • Kennedy Kanagawa '08 made his Broadway debut in the New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods, earning rave reviews in the role of Milky White the cow and as part of the ensemble cast. the show opened in a limited run and then transferred to Broadway, opening July 10, 2022. Kennedy's dazzling puppetry skills attracted the attention of the New York Times Magazine, which ran the following story. Read more
  • Hannah Turner '19 started a new position at Leadership Brainery, which seeks to dismantle systemic exclusion of marginalized groups in grad school and the workforce. Read more
  • Dani Barlow '13 is one of American Theatre magazine's 10 Rising Black Women+ to Watch in Theatre! Read more
  • Jordan Ahnquist '05 is appearing in an Equity production of "The Play That Goes Wrong" at Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota. The show opened February 11th and runs through March 27th. Find out more
  • Gabe Martínez ’10 will play Santiago (his "role of a lifetime") in the First North American Tour of Moulin Rouge! Rehearsals have just started, and the tour kicks off March 19 from Chicago. Most recently at ’Berg, Gabe played Usnavi in In the Heights and Berger in HAIR, in Summer ’16 and ’17. Check it out!
  • Casting director Kate Sprance '08 has won an Emmy Award for outstanding casting for her work on the acclaimed Netflix series The Queen's Gambit. Read more
  • Three of our alumni are working at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia on their production of Disney's The Little Mermaid. Kevin Kulp ’14 plays Flounder, Alex Donnelly ’14 is working backstage as a dresser, and Laura Frye ’20 is an understudy for the female ensemble. The show opened Nov. 16 and runs through the holidays until Jan. 2. Read more
  • Morgan Reilly '15 made her Broadway debut Dec. 14 in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Freestyle Love Supreme. Morgan will close out the Broadway run and then hit the road, and the show heads out on a nationwide tour in 2022! The tour will be stopping in Philly June 7-12. Read more about the show on Variety
  • Michael Biren '08 was a featured tap dancer in this video created by American Dance Machine for the 21st Century, released in July 2021. Directed by Sam Hoffman, the video recreates Susan Stroman's original choreography for "T'ain't Nobody's Business if I Do," from Bullets Over Broadway. Check it out!
  • Christopher Routh '13 has been making a name for himself in a unique niche: He creates and lights tiny, fully functioning theatre set models — which has led to a following on TikTok and several feature stories. Read more about his most recent creation.
             "During quarantine I used my theater knowledge out of boredom to start set model building. I build miniature sets of Broadway shows and light them and add automation to make them come to life. I have accounts on all social media platforms and go by the username Shoebox Musicals! That’s the name of my set designs. It all started in a shoe box!"
  • Abbie Linnemeyer '20 and Heather Dutton '20 both performed in Grounded Aerial's "Insectinside Live in 360º," a virtual and immersive aerial experience. Abbie and Heather were aerialists as well as dancers in this performance. 
  • Maggie Robertson '13 is Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil: Village! Catch up with Maggie in this PC Gamer interview, in which she talks about landing the role of gaming's most talked-about villain of the year. Read here!
  • Stoph Scheer '07 puppeteered, co-wrote and co-produced "Shadow of a Splintered Mind," a psychological thriller and the first ever The Creatures of Yes short film. Watch it now! 
  • Michael J. Poyntz '19 and Emma Kowalchuk '20 both participated in LOVE ON THE ROCKS, a Short Play Festival presented by the At Home Artists Project. Michael directed the play "No Italian," and Emma performed in the play "Alright, Love You, Bye." 
  • Kate McMorran '15 wrote "Chopstick," which was featured as part of the Playbill Virtual Theatre Festival. Michael Witkes '15 directed the show, and McMorran and Smith Alfieri '15 were both featured. Read more.
  • Lior Shenhay Algrably '19 and Kathleen Rose Gallardo '19 are part of the team behind Morpheus Productions Company, a new theatre company exploring strategies for creating live virtual theatre events. Lior serves as Artistic Director, and Kathleen is the Production Manager and Resident Stage Manager. Morpheus's most recent project was "The Five Stages of Quarantine," which opened November 6th. Read more.  
  • A group of theatre alumni launched a new theatre collective called Theatre of the Electric Mouth, which has released it's first video, "Ask the Void," directed by Davis Alianiello '13. The absurdist audio drama imagines a world where those seeking advice in life and love call into The Void and bask in the guidance of that cantankerous abyss. Zach Trebino '11 founded the collective, which also features Alianiello, Patrick Brzezinski-Scorese '11, Andrew Clark '12, Helen Laser '16, and Sam Turret '13. Watch it now!  
  • Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz '18 and Emma Lockwood '18, the musical theatre composing duo Sunday-Lefkowitz and Lockwood released "King of the Tides," an epic power ballad/sea shanty performed by resident sea captain Alan Mendez '17 and arranged/orchestrated by Harrison Ingemarson. Give it a listen!   
  • Kelly Kirkley '12 co-founder of USE: Underground Skills Exchange, moderated a panel discussion. This conversation featured Jakeim Hart '16 and Robin Riley-Casey, director of the Office of Multicultural Life.   
  • Jeremy Arnold '12 has successfully completed his Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Social Justice at the University of Texas. At 'Berg, Jeremy was a tap virtuoso and cum laude graduate. Check out what he's been up to since his 'Berg days.  
  • Michaela Barczak '19 directed a youth ensemble production titled "The Show Must Go Online," a new musical written for the pandemic. The show opened on May 12, 2020 on the Millbrook Playhouse facebook page. Read more. 
  • Rachael Horun '19 has been serenading quarantined seniors. Read more.
  • Ellen Herschel '15 has accepted a position in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Program at the University of Southern California to pursue her Ph.D. at the Brain and Creativity Institute. Ellen has spent the last three years as the Senior Research Study Coordinator at Northwestern University’s Therapeutic Interventions in Parkinson’s disease lab in Chicago.
         At Northwestern, Ellen learned about use of the arts as therapeutic interventions to improve the symptoms of Parkinson's patients. Inspired by her research participants, Ellen is eager to continue her interdisciplinary studies in neuroscience and the arts. In her graduate work at the Brain and Creativity Institute, she hopes to expand our knowledge of the neural processes behind creative practice and artistic expression, and examine the impact the arts and creativity have on the human brain.
  • James McMaster '12 performance studies superstar from the Theatre Class of 2012 — was hired at the beginning of the school year as Assistant Professor of Gender and Women's Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here's a great Q-and-A with James from the UW website…
  • Kevin Kulp '14 is part of the cast of a one-night-only performance of Cinderella—In Concert, presented by the National Asian Artists Project at the Alvin Ailey Citicorp Theatre, New York City. Kevin is an Equity actor whose credits include National Tours of Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Story: The Musical, and Made in China, and regional productions including Matilda (Walnut Street Theatre), Newsies (Arts Center CC), Anything Goes (Marriott Theatre & Palace Theatre), and Miss Saigon (Signature Theatre Arlingington & Walnut Street Theatre).
  • Peter Smith '10 is performing a one-man show, You Shouldn’t Be Doing What You’re Doing On That Ladder, through Feb. 22, 2020 as part of Philadelphia Theatre Week. Read more
  • A group of EIGHT recent alumni are collaborating on a new musical titled My Buddy, Nellie. The project and its staged reading in February 2020 involve alumni Alan Mendez '17 as composer, Rachel Aberman '17 as book writer and lyricist, Christine Phelan '17 as producer, Melinda Graber '17 as marketing manager, Drew Maidment '18 as director, Kevin Pugh '19 as production stage manager, and starring Ashley Hiester '18 as Nellie and Rachel Horun '19 as Buddy. 
  • Carli Polizzi '19  is designing costumes for the February 2020 Walnut Street Theatre production of Grace for President. Read more.
  • Stephen Soroka '03  is the writer of episode six of RuPaul's January 2020 Netflix series AJ and the Queen! Steve also serves as a staff writer on the series.
  • Jennifer Apple '12  is playing Anna in the first National Tour of The Band's Visit through 2020. Read more.

  • Erin Bradford '17,  Liv Amundsen '17,  Avery Brunkus '17,  and  Dana A. Iannuzzi '03 created the web series Plant Moms, slated for a 2020 release. Bradford serves as head writer and co-executive producer,  Amundsen as co-writer and co-executive producer, Brunkus as creative director, and Iannuzzi as producer/director. Read more.

  • Jakeim Hart '16  is Broadway bound! His show Sing Street will transfer from New York Theatre Workshop to the Lyceum Theatre in late March 2020, with an official opening April 19. Read more.
  • Brian Sherman '99  announced the launch of IPEX Theatrical Artists, a new theatrical literary agency and management company, of which he is founder and CEO. Read more.
  • Alison Maybaum '19 played the featured role of Lola on the April 11, 2019, episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
  • Kaitie Burger '12 a Dance major and former Presidential Assistant for Theatre & Dance, is the recipient of the Young Alumni Volunteer Award. Read more.
  • Kristen Olson '14 plays the lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie, April 3-28 at the Titusville Playhouse, in Titusville, Florida. Kristen was featured in last season's It's a Wonderful Lie at Titusville, and was the primary vocalist in Cirque du Soleil's touring company, Cirque Dreams. Read more.
  • A Broken Umbrella Theatre, a New Haven-based theatre company founded by 'Berg alumni, has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary! The company includes Muhlenberg alums Ian Alderman, Rachel Shapiro Alderman, Kenneth Baldino, Matt Barcewicz, Lisa Daly, Chrissy Gardner, Ryan Gardner, Tony Grinage, Ruben Ortiz, and Sharon Reinhart. The origins of the group can be traced back to Muhlenberg in the late 1990s, where founding members Ian Alderman, Ruben Ortiz, and Ryan Gardner formed a comedy troupe called Uninvited Guest. The members reconnected a few years after graduation and decided to revive the group, which now includes many new artists, and performs original works based on New Haven's history. Read more!
  • Alan Mendez '17 has been cast in the world premiere of Tim Blake Nelson's Socrates, Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre. The show runs April 16 – May 19. Alan will play the roles of Andromachus and Aetios. Read more.
  • Jenna Ng Lowry '17 is Resident Production Stage Manager for Normal Ave, a young non-profit theatre company in NYC. Jenna will also be Production Stage Manager for Normal Ave's upcoming production of Stephen Karam's Sons of the Prophet, opening April 25. Normal Ave has just announced a merger with Medicine Show Theatre Ensemble, and now runs all operations and rentals of Medicine Show's space in Hell's Kitchen — a big moment for an up-and-coming theatre company in its third season.
       "I began stage managing with Normal Ave a little over a year ago, and I'm so happy to have been welcomed into this family of young theatre artists," Jenna says. "I feel honored to be on this journey with a company dedicated to producing theatre that is poignant and relevant to the world we live in today."
  • Erin Bradford '17 and Lily Randall '18 are performing in The Dare Tactic's production of Dark Down Deep, a new work by Cátia Sofia Cunha. Ashley Malafronte '17 is also involved in the production, as the artistic assistant at The Dare Tactic, a non-profit theatre company dedicated to staging original works that feature stories by underrepresented voices and bridging the gap between academic studies and early-career opportunities. Read more.
  • There are three alums working on the Broadway transfer of What the Constitution Means to Me, Heidi Schreck's critically acclaimed play. Catherine (Schwartz) Markowitz '11 is a Co-Producer. Marci Kaufman Meyers '00 is working on marketing as the Group Director at the Serino Coyne agency. Rachel Kaufman '14 is on the General Management team. The show started previews at the Hayes Theater on March 14.
  • Dahlya Glick '15 has released her first single, "Out of Time," available now on all platforms. Dahlya is currently based in Los Angeles, pursuing acting, comedy, choreography, and music. She's currently performing at Second City Hollywood in Shade: A Colorful Musical and More Guns, and at UCB LA in Bachelor the Musical — and also writing for Quick and Funny Musicals at UCB LA. The first album from her comedic female music trio, Femmedy Trio, came out on April 9.
  • George Psomas '05  has been cast in the world premiere of Ken Ludwig's new comedy The Gods of Comedy, at the McCarter Theatre. The show runs March 16-31. Read more.
  • Benjamin Shaw '07  is the US Resident Director for the Broadway production of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child. Check out his bio on the production's website.
  • Emily Jeanne Phillips '14  will play Jennyanydots in the new National Tour of Cats the Musical, opening Jan. 22, 2019. Read more.
  • Carrie Jablansky '15 started work in January 2019 as the Assistant Company Manager for the National Tour of The Book of Mormon! She hits the road after spending six months as Assistant Company Manager on the Broadway production of KING KONG. Read more.
  • Kimberly Dodson '13 joins the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway. She heads into the show directly from the Broadway production of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Kim was also recently named to The Ensemblist's first-ever Ones to Watch list. Read their great profile of Kimberly.
  • Casey Gill '11 and Kevin Kulp '14 performed together on Equity contracts in Matilda, at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Nov. 14, 2018 – Jan. 6, 2019. Read more.
  • Collette Campbell '14 has a one-woman show, Home, Sweet, _____, which runs Oct. 13-22 at FringeNYC. Read more.
  • Helen Laser '16 is the new voice of the Annie's Homegrown brand, recording a half-dozen national commercials. Helen also was recently featured in a promo video for Stratasys 3D Printers, and she recently wrapped a commercial for a new dating app, soon to be released.
  • Claire Taylor '15, after a summer of interning and two years as assistant stage manager and Tour Manager, is now the Assistant Production Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. She was Production Manager for STNJ's outdoor stage production of The Servant of Two Masters. Also this summer, Claire was part of the ensemble for OFFLINE with The Haven Project — an innovative, immersive experience that unfolded over the course of four months online, and culminated in a live performance.
  • Christopher Scheer '07 was showcased in the New York Times, in a piece about his play The Amazing Story Machine, which played through the end of October, 2018. In addition to performing in the play, Chris co-created the show as one-half of the theatre company Doppelskope, which has created several world-premiere family plays in association with Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre — one of which, Grimm!, evolved into The Amazing Story Machine. Caroline Lux '14, a member of the cast, is also featured in the Times photo.
       The Amazing Story Machine was developed with a grant from the Jim Henson Foundation, awarded in January. 
  • Tyler Holoboski '16 and his alter-ego, Petti Cake, have been making a name for themselves in the New York City drag scene. He shared this update.
  • Kennedy Kanagawa '08 played Jack in a concert performance of Into the Woods, presented by the National Asian Artists Project, Inc., and Prospect Theater Company. Read more.
  • Taylor Lane Ross '12 has been working as the Events and Membership Manager for St. Ann’s Warehouse, and planning galas that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and feature celebrities like Jonathan Groff and Joan Osborne. Read more.
  • Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance alumni will get together July 14 & 15 for the 4th annual Sink or Swim Cabaret! Check out the facebook event for more information on the concert!

  • Ann Barkin '13 has been working steadily as a production stage manager, earning her Equity card this spring as ASM of Education Off-Broadway. .

  • Christine Barclay '07's production of Spring Awakening was featured in a recent New York Times article. Read more.

  • Mark McGillivray '14 is another Berg alum whose work you've seen on Broadway — as a graphic designer. Mark designed the posters for recent Broadway productions of Sunday in the Park with George and M. Butterfly, just to name two of his impressive credits. Read more.

  • Dany Guy '08 writes about the creative demands of behind-the-scenes production management in an insightful essay on the WHYY website. Dany is currently the Managing Director of the 11th Hour Theatre Company. Read more.

  • Emily Anabeth Hoolihan '17 has found the perfect job for putting her Theatre major and her double-minors in Music and Jewish Studies to use — at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, in Battery Park City, New York, where she's been working for the past nine months. Read more!

  • Jakeim Hart '16 will guest-star in the season finale of Blue Bloods, this Friday, May 11, at 10 p.m. on CBS. Jakeim will also co-star in the season premiere of The Affair, June 17 on Showtime.

  • Kevin Thomas Mitchell '15 will appear in the May 9 episode of American Housewife on ABC, and is booked to appear in episode #407 of the Hulu series Casual, dropping July 2018.

  • Nicole Esposito '17 will be leaving on board the Queen Mary 2, the flagship of the Cunard Cruise Line. Nicole will be touring the Atlantic Ocean as one of just four production singers on three different revue-style shows. Nicole says, "I just want to say how thankful and happy it makes feel to have so much support and positivity coming from the Theatre & Dance staff about this adventure I am about to have. It only strengthens my love and bond to the college."

  • Kimberly Dodson '13 has been cast in the Broadway production of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, beginning previews March 28, ahead of an April 23 opening night. Kimberly transfers with the show from La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, where she was part of the show's original cast. Des McAnuff directs. Find out more. Read about her experiences.

  • Madison Ferris '14 stars in Broadway's The Glass Menagerie. The theatre alumna is making history in Sam Gold's groundbreaking production. Read a profile in The Morning Call.

  • Michael Biren '08 and Emily Jeanne Phillips '14 are among the cast of a just-announced Off-Broadway musical, Attack of the Elvis Impersonators. The show opens June 15, with previews beginning June 1. Find out more.

  • Pete Barry '97 has had his Robin Hood-inspired movie script Marian picked up for production by Sony Pictures. Margot Robbie is slated to star. Read more.

  • Kevin Mitchell '15 will guest star on the ABC sitcom The Middle on Tuesday, April 11, at 8 p.m.

  • Dan McKenna '16 has been pursuing a Master of Science degree in finance at American University in Washington, D.C. After he graduates this August, he hopes to pursue a career in theatre administration, combining his finance degree with his passion for theatre.

  • Tyler Holoboski '16 has been working for Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. Find out more about his adventures. ‌‌‌

  • Helen Laser '16 is excited to be working and auditioning in New York City and starting her career as an actress. Read more about what Helen has been up to.

  • Krysta Parker '16 is putting her degree to use as a Brooklyn-based dancer and Pilates instructor. ‌‌Catch up with Krysta!

  • David Bish '03 will be performing the role of Amos Hart in the musical Chicago this summer at Potsdam University, Community Performance Series. Chicago will be directed By Donna Drake. David also recently staged a successful production of Into the Woods at Salmon River High School where he teaches. More information

  • Zachary Chiero '09, Tim Popp '09, and Peter Smith '10 all performed in the 2016 Tribe of Fools Holiday Burlesque, Dec. 17. Dany Guy '08 was production stage manager. 

  • Adam Bucci '06 has spent the past seven months touring the country with his latest film, "The 10 Year Plan." 

  • A Broken Umbrella Theatre is premiering its latest project, "Seen Change!" in New Haven, Conn. The cast includes alumni Rachel Alderman '01, Matt Barcewicz '04, Ryan Gardner '01, and Lisa Daly '01. Ian Alderman '00 will direct, while Corin Killins '14, and Shelby Demke '14 will assistant stage manage the production. More information

  • Gabe Martinez '10 has made his return to the theatre world after three years at sea, and can be seen in the second National Tour of Peter And The Starcatcher, winner of five Tony Awards. More information

  • Stephanie Simbari '07 is one of six young comedians to be featured on Oxygen's new reality TV series Funny Girls. The show will premiere on Tuesday, April 7 at 9 p.m. More information

  • Adam Kemmerer '02 will be playing Rock Henderson in "Fabulous! The Queen of New Musical Comedies" at the Times Square Arts Center in February. More information

  • Peter Smith '10 is featured in this article in the South Philly Review, about his work with our friends at Enchantment Theatre Co. and Tribe of Fools. Pete is touring with Enchantment's "The Snow Queen." 

  • Congratulations to Zachary Spiegel '11, winner of the BroadwayWorld Award for Best Colorado Debut in a Musical! More information.

  • Gabriel Nathan '02 is directing and acting in a production of "Our Town" to be performed by mental-health workers of the Montgomery County Emergency Service. Nathan, a development specialist at MCES, began this project last spring at a staff retreat. More information

  • Laura Baehr '12 will be prominently featured in the new reality series FAKE OFF premiering on October 27 on TruTV. Laura is a member of ArcheDream, a black-light mask and dance theatre company, which is one of ten groups competing in the program. 

  • Meredith Stapleton '13 will be premiering her piece, "Coats" at the CHI Movement Arts Dance Center in Philadelphia on October 17. She plans to continue developing her choreography in "Coats" and other related projects after the performance. Check out Meredith's blog to follow the development of her work.

  • Kelly Kirkley '12 has been cast by New Jersey's George Street Playhouse to perform as part of its Educational Touring Theatre Company for the 2014-15 season. 

  • Brendon Votipka '09 is now serving as New Jersey Regional Ambassador for the Dramatists Guild of America. He is also teaching Dramatic Writing this semester at Muhlenberg, and currently resides as the Assistant Director for The Rutgers University Writing Program.

  • Zach Trebino '11 will be starting an MFA in Theatre at Towson University this fall.

  • Gillian Leigh Visco '07 will be playing a lead role in the upcoming revival of "Code of Silence" at the Theatre at St. Clements in New York City. This drama was inspired by the infamous 1994 case in which a New York Police Officer, Frank Livoti, was indicted for killing a man, Anthony Baez, with excessive force in The Bronx. More information

  • Allison Brzezinski '10 was featured in the Huffington Post as a rising female choreographer as well as the founder of the all female ChEckIT!Dance company and the subsequent ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival. This festival, now in its fourth year, provides performance opportunities for female dancers and choreographers, and builds a global community of female artists. View the article here.  Learn more about ChEckIT!Dance.

  • Brandon Girouard '08 recently collaborated with Broadway veteran Shannon Lewis to choreograph and direct the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Special Olympics. Held June 14 in New Jersey, the opening ceremony involved dozens of performers and was viewed by more than 50,000 Special Olympics participants. 

  • Joe Spiotta '13 is in the cast of David Michael Finkelstein's Bar Mitzvah, which just got picked up for an extended run at the Forum Theatre in Metuchen, N.J. 

  • George Psomas '05 is performing in the premiere of Play It By Heart, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Brian Yorkey. 

  • Courtney Romano Hanson '06 made her Off-Broadway debut this spring in Philosophy for Gangsters.

    http://philosophyforgangsters.com/

  • Jenn Haltman '04 directed a production of Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy, produced by The Fishbowl Collective. The production featured fellow alums Craig Hanson '09, Becca Schneider '06, and Brian Byus '07. Production Stage manager was Rael Linder '11.

  • Adam Bucci '06 stars in the film The Ten Year Plan, playing film festivals through the summer. www.10yearplanmovie.com

  • Casey Gill '11 is currently performing in an Equity production of Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina in Hilton Head, S.C. The show runs through July 27. www.artshhi.com and Casey's website: www.caseyelizabethgill.com

  • Amie Lytle '07 is performing in a new adaptation of Uncle Vanya at Harbor Stage Company, Wellfleet, Mass. The show runs through July 12 and then travels to Boston in the fall. www.harborstage.org

  • Brian Weiner '02 recently directed Cabaret at Central Bucks High School West, and the production won four Philadelphia Area Cappie Awards, including Best Musical. He continues to teach audition technique, acting, and musical theatre with several Philadelphia-area performing arts schools and as a private performance coach. Coverage of the Cappies nominations.

  • Samantha Turret '13 has been cast in the title role in The Diary of Anne Frank, presented by Open Stage of Harrisburg. The show will be performed for the public March 8, and will tour area schools March 4-7. 

  • Sari Weinerman '13, Kim Dodson '13, and Andrew Clark '12 are all currently appearing in the McCarter Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol. Sari is playing Charlotte Fezziwig, Andrew is a Dance Captain, and Kim is in the Adult Ensemble. Visit the McCarter website for tickets and information.

  • Eleanor Katz '99 wrote to tell us that, since receiving my MA in acting at East 15 Acting School in London and moving to Chicago in 2010, she has worked with multiple companies in Chicago. Projects have included Hauptmann with Boho Theatre, Inherit the Wind with Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later with Redtwist Theatre, Romeo and Juliet and The Last Daughter of Oedipus with Babes With Blades, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Raven Theatre. This fall (2013), she performed in The Trip to Bountiful, also at Raven Theatre. Her voice-over work continues to keep her busy as well, including work with Microsoft, Hasbro, MSC Cruises, Graderesults.com and Abbott Labs. Read more on her website.

  • Victoria Socci '12 played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of Hairspray this fall. 

  • Noah Herman '06 earned rave reviews for his production of Bunny Bunny, which he directed for 1812 Productions. WDIY-FM reported, "Noah Herman took full charge with this production, and makes an impressive 1812 Productions directing debut." 

  • Marissa Kelton '07 produced and acted in a 1950s-inspired short film entitled Kissed by Inspiration. The film was selected to premiere at the Big Apple Film Festival in November 2013. 

  • Jon Reimer '06 is directing an India-inspired production of Sondheim's Into the Woods, set to open next month in Tokyo, Japan. Another Berg alum, Laura (Doto) Moran '07, who recently moved to Tokyo with her husband, is also involved, appearing in the cast as Cinderella's Stepmother. They enthusiastically credit Muhlenberg for preparing them for a world of theatre possibilities. Visit Tokyo International Players' website to read more about the show.

  • Gabriel Martinez '10 has been working for Carnival Cruise Lines as a production singer for the past year. He has just finished his second contract, during which he was vocal captain for an ensemble of eight singer-dancers in Carnival's newest shows.

  • The Fishbowl Collective (the new studio of New York-based Muhlenberg alumni performance artists) announces My Hero, a concert blending Broadway and Rock featuring the music of indie pop-rock band, Almost Six Six. The performance will take place on Sunday, April 28, at 7 p.m. at XL Cabaret. Read more.

  • Phil Haas '05 has been working since November as the marketing manager for Primary Stages, New York City. He reports that he has been crossing paths with Colleen Sherry '08, has been working at Primary Stages recently as stage manager of The Call, a co-production of Primary Stages and Playwrights Horizons.

  • Amanda Lenti '12 has been hired as the Company Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Read more.

  • Michael Hull '10, will spend the summer at The Hippodrome in Gainsville, Florida, playing Princeton and Rod in "Avenue Q," opening May 29. 

  • Jessica Warchal-King '05, dance alumna and adjunct faculty member, performs March 22 and 23 at Drexel University with her company, Kun-Yang Lin Dancers. She's featured extensively in this piece. Read more.

  • Shannon Lambert-Ryan '03 is co-founder and lead vocalist of the contemporary Celtic ensemble Runa. Last year, she was nominated as Best Female Vocalist by the Irish Music Awards. Read more.

  • Zach Mannheimer '99 was featured in the Des Moines Register as one of "13 People to Watch in 2013" for his work in establishing the Des Moines Social Club cultural center. 

  • Nate Lombardi '00 (aka NateKid) has been combating bullying in schools with his Groovy Project. Great coverage of his work on ABC News. Says one of the students he worked with: "That man right there inspired me to do good in this school. He inspired all of us kids to do things that we would not normally do."

  • Danielle Reidenberg '12 worked over the summer with Enchantment Theatre Company, and interned this fall with Amalgamate Dance Company and Movement Workshop Group. Now, she is off to start rehearsals for her new job, performing for Disney Cruise Line. She will be on the Disney Dream from late January until Sept. 1, sailing from Florida to the Bahamas and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

  • Katie Epstein '11 has been actively building a career in arts development, starting at the Paul Taylor Dance Company, where she participated in the company's first season at Lincoln Center. After spending a summer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Katie is now the Development Associate at José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, Mass.

  • Rachel Shapiro Alderman '01 received the prestigious Reginald Denham Fellowship from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Foundation. The Fellowship is an annual award given to directors to further develop their directing skills by providing financial support for the director's fee for a particular project. Rachel received the award for her production of Freewheelers, at A Broken Umbrella Theatre in New Haven, Conn.

  • Victoria Socci '12 just finished her first professional gig at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, N.H., where she spent the past month playing Wendy Jo in Footloose.

  • Tim Popp '09 is directing a touring production titled The Butterfly Project, produced by Wolf Performing Arts Center. The project will feature the play I Never Saw Another Butterfly, which tells the story of the youth of Terezin, a concentration camp of the Holocaust. Four casts of eight child actors and one adult actress will perform at about 40 schools, places of worship, community centers, and senior centers throughout the greater Philadelphia area. The Butterfly Project will culminate in two performances at the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theatre during the biennial Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, sponsored by the Kimmel Center. 

  • Jed Aicher '94 will play Lennie in Of Mice and Men at The Playhouse on Park, West Hartford, Conn. The production opens in previews Oct. 10, and runs through Oct. 28. Read more in The Playhouse on Park website.

  • Jake Nelson '08 received an MFA in lighting design in 2010 from the University of California, Davis, and now serves as the lighting designer for NMR Staging & Events. In that capacity, he has designed for the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA), Sirona Dental, and many other large companies. Prior to his current position, Jake was a design draftsman for iHeartRadio Music Festival, NFL Kickoff Concert, Super Bowl Fan Jam, and other events, and was the lighting technician on board the Neiuw Amsterdam through Holland America cruise ships.

  • 'Berg-born theatre company Homunculus Inc. presents Strindberg's Ghost Sonata Sept. 6-16, 2012, at the Philly Fringe festival. The production is directed by Zach Trebino '11, with costume design by Angela Palaggi '11, and featuring Laura Betz '12, Andrew Clark '12, Felix Mayes '12, Patrick McTamany '12, Patrick Scheid '11, and Hugh Trimble '10. 

  • Adam Joseph Reich '06 is performing in the ensemble and understudying the title role in the world premiere musical Justin Love at the Celebration Theatre, in Hollywood, Calif., opening Sept. 21, 2012. 

  • Several alumni are collaborating with faculty member Francine Roussel on a production of Jean Genet's The Maids, playing at Muhlenberg Aug. 31 - Sept. 2, at Philly Fringe Sept. 6-9, and at Touchstone Theatre, Bethlehem, Sept. 14-16. The company includes actors Jim Ludlum '09 and Danny Ryan '09, sound designer and stage manager Jeffrey Brancato '12, and lighting designer Ryan Killeen '12, and current student Lydia Baxter '14 as costume mistress and dramaturg.

  • Chris Scheer '07 stars in The Mystery of Irma Vep at Cortland Repertory Theatre, Aug. 29 - Sept. 8, 2012. Read more.

  • Amy Bauer '10 has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual conference on Samuel Beckett, “Beckett and the State of Ireland,” in Dublin this July. The conference features speakers from all over the world, and she is one of just a few graduate students from the United States invited to present. She will present an article on Beckett's later television plays, titled “Animating a Vision.”

        Amy is completing her master's degree in literature at New York University. She is also a full-time teacher of performing arts at Morris Catholic High School, Denville, N.J., where she has tripled the size of the Performing Arts Department in two years.

  • Lauren Curnow '96 will appear in Brundibár at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center in downtown Reading. 

  • Louisa Balch '09 has been admitted into the M.F.A. in Theatre Administration at Yale University, and will begin there in the fall.

  • Christa Wroblewski '09 has been chosen for a year-long paid acting apprenticeship at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville. This is one of the most competitive internship programs in the United States. This year, over 1000 people applied for this opportunity.

  • Eric Stephenson, '09 had his first regional gig last year, doing A Christmas Carol at Cohoes Music Hall. Last summer, he did Bitter Sweet at the Bard Summerscape Festival, and as of March, he was performing in Sunset Boulevard at the Fulton Theatre, Lancaster.

  • A Streetcar Named Desire, at the Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Fla, has Muhlenberg Alumni all over it. The Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Fla. Jed Aicher '94 plays Mitch, The Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Fla. Ruben Ortiz '99 plays Pablo, The Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Fla. Nathan Renner-Johnson '10 is the Production Manager, and The Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Fla. Nelle Ed '10 is the Stage Management Intern.

  • Noah Herman '06 directs Noises Off at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman, N.J., March 9 - April 1. 

  • Jordan Ahnquist '05 played Huck in Harwich Junior Theatre's production of Big River, in February and March. 

  • William Clayton Schmidt '08 received his Master of Arts in Teaching degree in secondary education, endorsed in English, special education, and drama from National-Louis University in Chicago

  • Mike Bloom '11 has accepted a 12-month contract as an actor/director with the Missoula Children's Theatre. He'll be touring the country from May to next May, bringing theatre to and creating theatre with many different communities.

  • Allison Brzezinski '10 has started the dance company ChEckiT!Dance, which is off to a great start. They have held company classes, had their New York City debut of "Out Of..." in Body Blend at Dixon Place, and premiered their piece "Borderline" in the first JT Lotus Choreographer's Showcase at the Ailey Studios. This summer (2011) the company will be starting a new project. See their website for more information.

  • More than 15 Muhlenberg alumni are part of the company of the skin you leave behind, a Punch Theatre production, running April 1-3, 2011, at TBG Theatre, New York City. A collection of five short plays, the skin you leave behind is directed by Vanessa Lancellotti '10 and curated by Brendon Votipka '09, and features eleven Muhlenberg alumni among its performers. 

  • Dance alumna Erin Cairns '06 has several upcoming performances. On April 18, 2011, she'll be at Judson Memorial Church, performing for Rebecca Davis's latest project. She will perform in "Hatch," under the direction of Tanya Calamoneri, May 7 at the Brooklyn Museum and May 9 at the HERE Arts Center. She'll appear at The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church on Friday, May 13, performing her own work inspired by Chris Martin's poem "The Small Dance." And she'll be performing in Esther Palmer's "only shallow people" on June 11 at Green Space.

  • Liz Wasser '08 is writing and performing ‎"Fate, Fury and Musical Theatre: A Kind of Cabaret," presented by the New York Frigid Festival 2011. The piece is directed by Amanda Thompson '07 and features Kennedy Kanagawa '08 and Michael Hull '10. Kristin Sgarro '10 is co-musical directing (along with Kanagawa) and Matt Franzetti '09 is producing. 

  • Caitlin Meehan '06 performed with Monkeyhouse in the Cool New York Dance Festival, at the White Wave John Ryan Theatre in Brooklyn, Jan. 27-30, 2011. The work was by Nicole Harris, also of Monkeyhouse. This is Caitlin's fourth season with the company, and also the company's tenth anniversary.

  • Robert Saenz de Viteri '04 directs the premiere of Michael & Edie, a new play by Rachel Bonds, starring Matthew Micucci '04. The play runs Dec. 3-19, 2010, at Access Theatre, New York City. The play is produced by Viteri and Micucci's company, The Greenpoint Division  

  • Olivia Alvarez '10 had her New York City choreographic debut Dec. 2-5, 2010, as part of the Thang Dao Dance Company's annual Contemporary Dance Festival. She performed her piece "Signal Detected. Connection Error." — which she premiered at Muhlenberg — along with fellow 'Berg alumni Emily Daly '10, Rebecca Haverson '10, Laura Mayerson '10, Dana McGowan '10, Michele Sasso '10.

  • Michael Biren '08 is currently the swing and fight captain for the National Tour of Billy Elliot.

  • Adam Pinti '06 received the 2010 Grace Le Vine Award, one of the prestigious Princess Grace Awards, which recognize achievement and promise in artists working in the fields of theatre, dance and choreography and film.  Read more

  • Rachel Leah Cohen '95 appears beginning Nov. 1, 2010, on 90210, on The CW.  Rachel's website

  • Emily Daly '10 is dancing with Parsons Dance Company in New York City and will begin touring nationally with the company in the spring.

  • J. Michael DeAngelis '01 and Pete Barry '97 premiered their new play Signs from God as part of the Philly Fringe Festival, Sept. 16-18. The play is a production of their theatre company The Porch Room, named for the porch of Muhlenberg's gone-but-not-forgotten Bernheim House  The Porch Room website

  • George Psomas '05 was featured in the Live from Lincoln Center telecast of South Pacific, which premiered Aug. 19.  Read more on the Lincoln Center Theater website

  • Stephanie Flackman '10 and the RJ Fellows program were awarded a $1,770 grant by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to support an arts in health care project developed in the senior capstone seminar with Rev. Peter Bredlau. The project is a collaboration with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and will provide art and arts programming to pediatric patients.

  • Lisa Marie Ianuzzi '11 became a Philadelphia Kixx dance team member for the Pro Soccer 2010-2011 season.

  • Melissa Buffaloe '08 joined the staff of the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia as assistant production manager in September 2010.  The Walnut Street Theatre website

Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance alumni John P. Dowgin '97, J. Michael DeAngelis '01, and Pete Barry '97 have continued to collaborate through their production company The Porch Room. Here they perform their original play "Drop," at the 2009 Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival. Photo by Michael E. Reali.