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Alumni News
Kathryn Bartholomew (BA '02) received her MFA in Acting/Directing in May, 2008 from the University of Missouri Kansas City, and started a theatre company in Kansas City called One Night Stand. While in Missouri, she acted, produced, directed, and taught Movement for Actors to Undergraduate Theatre Majors at UMKC. She is now living in Chicago, and in the process of bringing One Night Stand into the Chicago theatre community. Also, she is working on Road by Jim Cartwright with Ka-Tet theatre, a company created by Purdue Alumni Suzanne Miller and Dan Meisner, and directed by Rich Rand.
Lauren Briggeman (BA '07) will be acting with Pioneer Playhouse this summer. More to follow.
Vanessa Buono (MFA '04) is currently the School Programs Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in to Washington, D.C. and teaches a very popular Acting for Business Professionals course. Prior to moving to DC she lived in Los Angeles, where she appeared on American Dreams, ER and All of US and was a member of the improv troupe The Berubians.
Vanessa Buono (MFA '04) is currently the School Programs Manager at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in to Washington, D.C. and teaches a very popular Acting for Business Professionals course. Prior to moving to DC she lived in Los Angeles, where she appeared on American Dreams, ER and All of US and was a member of the improv troupe The Berubians.
Chris Byers (BA '09) has been working with the local civic theater in South Bend this summer and has interviewed with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
Jeremy Clark (MFA '04) is currently living in Chicago where he has worked with companies across the city, including Raven Theatre, ATC, The Actors Gym, and the Goodman Theatre. He is also a company member with Vitalist Theatre, where he appeared in the critically acclaimed Mother Courage and her Children and A Passage to India. Most recently, he's been seen as The Cook in Amadeus and as Bottom in Short Shakes! Midsummer Night's Dream, both with the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Last June he shot the ensemble feature The Lake at Evening and this winter was the lead in another film, Prairie Love, both of which are due the fall of 09. Jeremy is currently working on Road directed by Rich Rand and impatiently awaiting the arrival of the beautiful Isabella Reese!
Brian Edgecomb (MFA '04) is currently teaching at Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth Fl. Teaching theatre appreciation, movement, acting I and II, and children's theatre. He has directed Thaddeus and Tila and Pyscho Beach Party for PBCC and I am currently directing A Streetcar Named Desire.
Brian Essex (BA '92) received his MFA in Lighting design from Northwestern University in 1997. Designed in Chicago for 13 years being one of 5 designers for Dance. Worked with most every Dance company in Chicago, along with touring for local shows.
Shavonne Holton (BA '06) has led a theatre camp for three summers and produced the Broadway Junior versions of Annie, Honk, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Aladdin, and Seussical. Each year the size of the camp continues to multiply and, next summer, we will be offering a production track for the camp.
Dan Meisner (BA '07) has been diligently working in Chicago building his burgeoning company, Ka-Tet theatre, with fellow Purdue alum and Co-founder Suzanne Miller and Purdue alum Caitlin Mick. He is incredibly proud of Ka-Tet's first production Road directed by Purdue faculty Rich Rand. Road has opened to high critical praise and acclaim in Chicago, and he is thrilled to be working with such an incredibly talented group! You can keep yourself updated with everything Ka-Tet at www.katettheatre.com
Kirk Powell (MFA '03), has been designing, installing and supervising the operation of the sound system at the Superbowl for many years. That spectacular half time show that all comes together during a commercial break, and then performs flawlessly is all due to Kirk's extraordinary talent and dedication, and to the finest live sound anywhere on the planet.
Justin Seward (MA '04) reports that he has grown leaps and bounds since graduating Purdue in '04, and now has a successful and
fulfilling career in Props, thanks to the support and
encouragement that he received at Purdue. In 2004, he earned a Master of Arts Degree in Scenic and Props Design from Purdue. Since then he has freelanced for various companies including the The Boston Symphony, Ft.
Worth Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Reduxion Theatre Company in
NYC, SpeakEasy Stage Company, and North Shore Music Theatre. NSMT
production highlights include the regional theatre premiers of Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hairspray. Currently, Justin resides in
Boston and works for The Huntington Theatre Company as Asst. Props
Master. The Huntington is Boston's largest and most popular theatre
company and one of the nation's most respected. Recent production
highlights include the She Loves Me, the US premiere of Two Men of
Florence (Elliot Norton Award Winner for Production Design), the world
premiere of David!, Grimm’s The Miracle at Naples, Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n Roll, and Pirates! (or Gilbert and Sullivan's Plunder’d)" starring Cady Huffman. In 2007, he built props for the off-Broadway and Broadway shows Streamers and The 39 Steps (5 Tony Nominations), which both
transferred directly to New York after its Huntington run.
Lauren Sivak (BA '09) Upon graduation, Lauren was cast in the Gorilla Tango Theater's production of The Draft and the Brain Surgeon Theater's 1512 W. Studebaker Place, and the Village Players Chad Morton's TV Christmas Miracle. Additionally, she accepted a position as Education Intern with the American Theater Company and is working on getting her Illinois teaching certification.
Lauren Sivak (BA '09) Upon graduation, Lauren was cast in the Gorilla Tango Theater's production of The Draft and the Brain Surgeon Theater's 1512 W. Studebaker Place, and the Village Players Chad Morton's TV Christmas Miracle. Additionally, she accepted a position as Education Intern with the American Theater Company and is working on getting her Illinois teaching certification.
David Swenson's (MFA '04) sound design is celebrated in Original Sound Version for Dead Space video game. It recently won the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Sound Design of the Year Award. Congratulations!
Gerritt VanderMeer (BA '97) spent last season at the Old Globe in San Diego,
playing Orsino in
Twelfth Night and Cominius in Coriolanus. Gerritt and his wife, Carolann, are proud parents to baby boy,
Christopher James (CJ)!
Twelfth Night and Cominius in Coriolanus. Gerritt and his wife, Carolann, are proud parents to baby boy,
Christopher James (CJ)!