Theatre and Dance

1970s

David (D.C.) Anderson (’76) "created/produced ‘in my room’ - a 20 artist CD (folk genre) to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Peter Bradley Adams, Catie Curtis, Christine Lavin, Victoria Shaw, Mike Reid and 15 others singing songs by Dylan, Springsteen, Curtis Mayfield, Tom Paxton ....look for ‘in my room’ at iTunes.

Cliff Bemis (’70) Now living in NYC, Cliff Bemis, recently appeared on Law and Order, SVU  as well as episodes of One Life to Live.  Cliff headed to Barrington Stages in Pittsfield, Mass. in July to play Mr. Lopes in the world premiere of Pool Boy.

Steven Breese  (’79) is currently serving as dean of the College of Arts & Humanities at Christopher Newport University. He continues to be an active artist and is working on a new acting textbook. Last summer he directed Much Ado About Nothing and performed Serge in Art at Virginia Shakespeare Festival (VSF). This past summer he played Henry VIII in Man for all Seasons also at VSF.

Doug Finlayson (’79) This past spring he directed On The Razzle for Webster University. During the summer he directed Act A Lady at Nebraska Repertory in Lincoln and then Equus at HotCity  in St. Louis. This past fall Doug had the great pleasure of working with B-W alumni DC Anderson and Trista Moldovan on the Webster University/Repertory Theatre of St. Louis/Phantom of the Opera National Tour reading of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.

Bette Lou Higgins (’74) taught a new class for the Cuyahoga Community College Encore program called from "Sea To Shining Sea".  It was a history of America told through music and story.  Several new programs were created for this class including "Under Construction:  Amazing Architectural Achievements" and "American Spirits".  Local writers Carolyn Jack, Kelley Boyer-Sagert, Estelle Brown, and Rosemary Kubera-Goodburn were ghost writers for "American Spirits" which dealt with some friendly (and NOT so friendly) Spirits from American History. 

Janet Horvath Wilson (’77) will start a new position as the Interim Director of the School of Theatre and Associate Producer of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival at Illinois State University. 

Tim Johnson (’78) is residing in NYC and teaching at Professional Performing Arts School, a NYC Public School, Middle and High School, for the Arts. Last summer he directed and choreographed a production of Once On this Island .  

B.J. Jones (’72) production of The Lady With All The Answers starring Judith Ivey at the Cherry Lane in NY was nominated for a Lucille Lortell Award for Best Solo Production. Northlight Theatre, where he is artistic director just extended A Life starring John Mahoney.  More Northlight News here: www.northlight.org

Allyne Koporc-Bentley ('77) has been living in Las Vegas for 5 years now.  She has become part of their opera community (which is very small) and is currently singing with two groups who are trying to promote classical singing.  She graduated from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA - Santa Maria, CA) in 2005, a professional acting conservatory. 

Ron Pyles (’73) continues to serve as president and CEO of NewNet Communication Technologies, a leading provider of messaging infrastructure that enables cell phone "texting" for wireless carriers as well as other building blocks that power next generation telecommunications networks.

 Ric Rose (’78) is at the University of Florida where his students in both theatre and dance are kicking theatrical and terpsichorean butt.  He is still dancing and touring with Dance Alive National Ballet when they need the more mature dancer on stage.    He taught in London with a study abroad program for three weeks last summer. 

Will Stewart (’73) compled his fourth year at Alexandria Friends School as Head of School.

Larry Cousineau (’88)  completed his doctoral dissertation at Bowling Green State University and successfully defended it in early June. He graduated in August with a Ph.D.in history.

Jean Dobie Giebel (’82) is stepping down as the chair of the Department of Drama and Dance at Hofstra University this year to return to full-time teaching and growing her production company Fat Melon Productions, which exists to maintain a core group of producing professionals who are dedicated to the realization of the innovative art and professional development engendered through unique collaborations.  Partnering with PBC Enterprises and Beyond the Box Productions, companies owned and operated by her former students, she is developing theatrical projects, web series, special events, and more!

Dr. Steven J. McCarthy (’82) continues to serve as the Secondary Arts Coordinator for Los Angeles Unified School District, overseeing all arts programming (dance, theatre, vocal & instrumental music, visual & media arts) for all middle and senior high schools, as well as continuation high schools and secondary special education centers.

John Nolan (’81) is the Administrator of Government Relations for Cleveland Clinic.

Shawn Nolan (’82) is working for Reed Rigging, heading up the engineering division.  Reed has been a major supplier of rock-n-roll rigging equipment and services for about 15 years.   

Nancy Telzerow (’89) Nancy has been working on the project of a lifetime. It’s called A to Z with Meryl and Me where she performs 26 scenes from Meryl Streep movies and has been releasing them biweekly since Valentine’s Day. She would love it if you would all watch along at http://www.youtube.com/nancytelzerow 

1990s

Michael Benson (’95) spent six weeks in London as part of his MFA requirements.   During the summer, he working as the paint shop supervisor at Pennsylvania Center Stage and worked on a couple of designs for the fall.   View his website.

Alison Clapper Henderson ('94) teaches Laban Movement and also teaches part-time for the College of Dupage.

Ryan Dietz ('99) performed on the Disney Magic until October 30th, 2010.  He was in Europe for the summer - cruising the Med and Baltic and then back to the Caribbean!  Ryan was in the original cast of a new show called Villains Tonight! It was written by [title of show] creators Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen.  View his website. 

Jill Harbaugh (’95) works for The Cleveland Orchestra as the chorus manager.  In March of 2010 she stage managed Cosi fan tutte at Severance Hall.

Adam Hoffman (’95) works as an actor, director, playwright, monologue coach, and drama teacher.  He has acted throughout Northeast Ohio but his twin professional homes are Magical Theatre in Barberton and the Ohio Shakespeare Festival in Akron. Last year he performed the solo show Hood in the Wood throughout Northern Ohio. Adam has had four plays produced and performed professionally including adaptations of Beowulf, The Hobbit, and The Odyssey.

Bret Hoffman ('98) is a video game designer in Austin, Texas.

Jarel Leal ('97) performs with Bill Rudman's The Song is You Series.  During the summer he played the role of John Adams in the reading of a new musical called Favorite Son at Cain Park.

Jenna Messina ('96)  played the panty-dropping Hildegard in Christopher Durang’s Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them at Cleveland Public Theater.  She also directed the play G.S. by Jonathan Wilhelm for Cleveland Public Theatre's Big [BOX] series and her original play Girl for their Little Box series.

Amy Otterson Picar ('99) works as the special events Coordinator at The Actors Fund in New York City.

Corrie Purdum ('99) stage managed Bat Boy at the Idaho Shakespear Festival and The Complete Works of Shakespeare..Abridged at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.  In the fall she returned to The Great Lakes Theater Fesival.

Clay Van Sickle (’98) is in Los Angeles working as an armorer and stunt performer.  He worked as an armorer for  the History Channel's new reality show Top Shot.  He is still working on the horror film See How They Run which might be finished this year. 

2000's

Bryan Abens ‘02)  spent the past summer stage managing another show for the NY Fringe Festival titled Tales from the Tunnel, which was extended beyond the initial festival as part of the Fringe Encore Series. After that it was back on the road with Theatreworks, once again guiding their production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the fall tour, and then taking up the reigns on their production of Seussical, directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, director of this season’s Broadway revival of Ragtime.

Brian Bowers ('01) returned for a third year as producer of the 48 Hour Film Project in Cleveland.  He performed in Gilligan's Island: The Musical as the professor for the Community AIDS Network and the AIDS Taskforce of Cleveland.

Erin Brett ('02) is in her 5th season at Syracuse Stage.  She staged managed Woman in the Blue Dress in conjunction with the Everson Museum of Art for the "Turner to Cezanne" art exhibit.

Erin Butcher ('09) during the summer worked as a Training Program Assistant, a dresser, for The Amorous Quarrel and acted in a new show called More Words, More Play!  In the fall worked for Shakespeare and Company in Lenox Massachusetts.

Kim Castle ('04) graduated in May with a Master of Libray and information sceince from Kent State University.

Daniel Cecil (’05) works as a freelance writer these days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.