Welcome to the National Theatre Conservatory’s Alumni News, a forum where our former students can post updates about what's going on in their lives, careers, families and more.
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October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
December 2008
October 2009
Mayhill Fowler (Class of '00)
I'm getting my PhD in History from Princeton, spent 15 months researching in Ukraine, and am now writing my dissertation. I write on Soviet history and culture, but specifically theatre (networks of artists and state officials in the 1920's and 1930's to explore issues of creativity in unfree societies, if you're interested!)
Pete Simpson (Class of '96)
A quick alumni bulletin. This is late coming, unfortunately, but if there's still time, please pick up an issue of September's American Theatre magazine. The script of the play I did this past April, Richard Maxwell's People Without History, was printed in full.
Maria Christina Oliveras (Class of '07)
Maria-Christina Oliveras will be guest starring on Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" starring Edie Falco. Details on air date to come.
She recently received the AriZoni Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for the world premiere of Unbeatable, which also won for Best Production. This summer, she played Joanne in Rent to sold-out houses at the Hangar Theatre, directed by Devanand Janki. She is in the midst of several new works in NYC, including work with the Lark Play Development Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and Ars Nova, among others. Please see her website for more details: www.mariaoliveras.com
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September 2009
Kate Hurster – (Class of ’09)
I will be playing Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 2010 Season. I'll also be in the Ensemble of the musical She Loves Me and will do some understudying as well. OSF Artistic Director Emerita Libby Appel is directing Pride and Prejudice and Art Manke (who directed DCTC's The Miracle Worker last season) will be choreographing. I couldn't be more thrilled!
Jeffrey Baumgartner (Class of '87)
Dear Friends!
Please join us for performances of Billy Bishop Goes to War, the two-hander play with music about a WWI Canadian Ace fighter pilot, featuring Jeffrey Baumgartner, with musical director William Nelson. Performances in two locations: Source Theatre, Aurora Sept 16, 17, 18, 19 and Chicago Sept 24, 25, 26, Oct 1, 3 at Flat Iron Arts Building, intersection of North Av/Damen/Milwaukee Ave. Tickets are $15 general admission and are available at the door or by email eatsky1@gmail.com or 630.606.5375. Seating is limited; curtain 8pm all performances.
Presented by Cap-a-pe Productions, in association with JB ArtWorks and Flat Iron Artists, the musical premiered at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre in 1978, and has toured nationally and internationally many times since, as well as inspired a CBC and BBC co-produced television program. Billy Bishop won the 1981 Los Angeles Drama Critics' Award, the 1982 Chalmers Canadian Play Award, and the 1983 Governor General's Award for drama, as well as an ACTRA award for best television program. Gray and Peterson revised the show in 1998, adding one new song and presenting events through the eyes of an older Bishop recalling his wartime experiences. Billy Bishop Goes to War continues to be one of the most popular Canadian musicals.
Christian Haines (Class of '09)
I just completed a short film called The Dress which filmed up in Tarrytown, NY at the historic Lyndenhurst estate. I have also put together two short play festivals over the last couple months called Shotz (ie p30) with Studio 12 Ensemble and they have both exceeded my expectations for success. I believe we have a home for this event in a super cool live work loft on Broadway and East 3rd in Manhattan. Many alumni were involved.
Dina Corsetti (Class of '88)
She currently appears in The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, a film starring Gavin MacLeod and Robert Guillaume, opening on September 18. The official movie website lists specific cities and theatres across the country. http://www.sperrymovie.com/
Jeffrey Nickelson
February 22, 1956 - September 5, 2009
It is with great sadness that we post this link to The Denver Post about the passing of Jeffrey Nickelson. Jeffrey graduated from the NTC in 1993 and went on to found Shadow Theatre Company in Denver. Keith L. Hatten (who many of you know from his work at DCPA) has assumed the leadership of Shadow Theatre. If you have remembrances, stories, or thoughts about Jeffrey you would like to share please send them to ntc@dcpa.org and we will post them.
Daniel Renner
Dean, National Theatre Conservatory
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August 2009Studio 12 Ensemble (Ivan Lopez Class of '07 and Richard Thieriot Class of '08)
6 Original Short Plays from the minds of S12E.
Space is extremely limited.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
8:00pm - 8:45pm
684 Broadway, #5W
New York, NY
RSVP by emailing
s12eshotz@gmail.com to get on the list.
Bret Scott (Class of '04)Bret will be starring in August Wilson's,
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, with the
Shadow Theatre Company. Directed by Keith L. Hatten, the play runs September 3 through October 17.
Leigh Miller (Class of '09)I will be playing Adam in
Yankee Tavern, a World Premiere of the new Steven Dietz play. Directed by Artistic Director, Chip Walton, the show runs September 12 through October 24 at the
Curious Theatre Company.
Danielle Slavick (Class of '08)SEZZE SUN is playing at SoHo Rep's Walker Space in New York August 5-16.
Steven Cole Hughes (Class of '01)Friends, family, colleagues:
I'm havin' my first play published!
Some of you saw the production in Creede last summer, some of you saw the reading in NYC in the winter, and now you ALL can own it and proudly display it on your bookshelf at home.
BILLY HELL. It's a western. Here's the link -
http://www.originalworksonline.com/billyhell.htm
It's available for pre-order until August 7. Pre-order is only $7.95, then it goes to its normal whopping price of $10.95. I get, like, a nickel from every purchase, so the more copies purchased, the sooner I get pulled out of this recession.
AND, you can have your very own copy to do readings from at the dinner table for your parents! What are you waiting for?!
(Seriously, though. This is exciting for me. Buy a copy of my play. It's funny and cheap.)
Studio 12 Ensemble (Ivan Lopez Class of '07 and Richard Thieriot Class of '08)The Studio 12 Ensemble presents
Lonely Planet
by Steven Dietz
Aug 6-8 at 7:30pm
Aug 9 at 2pm
Aug 13-15 at 7:30pm
Directed by Jennifer Le Blanc ('08)
Starring Zach Evenson ('08) and Richard Thieriot ('08)
AEA Showcase - $18
For Tickets:
http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=LON12
Ailish Riggs (Class of '08)I am teaching with the Old Dominion University Theater Department in Norfolk, Va and I will be directing a production of
Eleemosynary at the Governor's School for the Arts.
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July 2009
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Class of '07)
As part of the Playwrights Realm's Writers' Jam Session, I will be doing a reading of Cori Thomas' play, My Secret Language Of Wishes--it is a beautiful piece and I'm honored to be a part of an extraordinary cast, including Heidi Armbruster, Nora Cole, Laura Heisler, Marva Hicks and Nilaja Sun.
Also, if you are serendipitously in the Finger Lakes region or need a respite from NY, I will be playing Joanne in Rent at the Hangar through August 23. Drop me a line--it is gorgeous up here!
Michael Mallard (Class of '08)
I never thought that my debut in an off-Broadway theatre would be as a designer, but I will take it where it comes. For the past two months I have been the production designer for East 3rd Productions send off of Nelo Cruz's A Bicycle Country,(New York premiere, by the way) at the Lion Theater in Theater Row.
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June 2009Danielle Slavick (Class of '08)
Danielle will appear in
SEZZE SUN, directed by Stanley Brode and produced by
Odyssey Productions at the Capital Fringe in Washington DC in July 2009 at the Bodega – at The Corner Store 1013 7th St N.
Performance Times:
July 22-26, 2009
Washington, DC as a part of the Capital Fringe Festival
August 1-15, 2009
New York, NY
Tickets are available from
Theatermania.
Jeffrey Baumgartner (Class of '87)Jeffrey recently played the titular roles in BARRYMORE'S GHOST (John Barrymore) and Leonard Nimoy's one-man show VINCENT, based on the life and art of van Gogh. He appeared in the Chicago world premiere musicals THE BOWERY BOYS (Marriott Lincolnshire), DANGEROUS BEAUTY (American Music Theatre Project), THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), as well as Tieresias in Frank Galati's OEDIPUS COMPLEX (Goodman Theatre), Robert Falls' KING LEAR (with Stacy Keach as Lear, Goodman Theatre) and as Leonid Gaev in Tina Landau's CHERRY ORCHARD (Steppenwolf).
Also an accomplished painter, Jeffrey recently celebrated the one year anniversary of the founding of JB ArtWorks studio gallery in Chicago, located in the historic Flat Iron Arts Building, and has been exhibiting regularly. This summer he will be teaching at the prestigious Governor's School at Christopher Newport University, Virginia. Having served as director of theatre at the university level for a number of years, he was producing artistic director of Borealis Theatre Company and the Fox Valley Shakespeare Festival for 15 seasons and is currently producing director of Cap-a-pe Productions.
During the summer '07, Jeffrey travelled to Greece for five weeks with a production of LYSISTRATA and a whirlwind tour of the ancient amphitheatres, inspiring a Greece series of paintings including The Parthenon, The Oracle at Delphi, Lion Gate at Mycenae, and a Greek Fishing Boat (which sold recently). In the fall, he will be appearing in BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR, a one-man show with music.
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May 2009
John Behlmann (Class of '07)
This summer John will play opposite Amy Irving in Tennessee Williams' Glass Menagerie at the John Drew Theatre in the Hamptons.
In the fall, John will be starring as Orlando in Shakespeare's As You Like It at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., where he will reconnect with former NTC Voice/Speech Chair Gary Logan. The production will be directed by Maria Aitken, recent Tony nominee for her direction of The 39 Steps.
In the meantime, John continues to work with Matchbook Productions' Eileen Little ('06), Bradford Shreve ('07), and Steven Cole Hughes ('01) to bring low-flying trapeze to the New York stage.
Steven Cole Hughes (Class of '01)
You are invited to a staged reading of Behold! The Fig Leaf Apron a play by Steven Cole Hughes. This new play is about a group of teenagers who may or may not be addicted to the Internet, who, when they are all thrown together at an Internet Rescue School, find friendship, love and trapeze. With rock and f**kin' roll songs! And when we say staged, we mean Staged! We're gonna have low-flying trapeze, live music and Bradford Shreve on the bongo drums...
Tue, June 2 at 7:30pm
Soundance, 281 N. 7th St. buzzer #7
Williamsburg, Brooklyn (take the L to Bedford)
$10 Admission
This is a benefit for Matchbook Productions
We'll have delectable wine and Cheez-its
Featuring the talents of: John Behlmann ('07), Kendra Kohrt ('05), Jen LeBlanc ('08), Eileen Little ('06), John Pieza ('05), Brent Rose ('06), Bradford Shreve ('07), Danielle Slavick ('08), Bria Walker ('07), Justin Yorio ('02) and William Norman as "the band". Visit www.matchbookproductions.org.
Mat Hostletler (Class of '09)
Mat will be appearing as Laertes in Hamlet and as Valentine in the Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Colorardo Shakespeare Festival in Boulder, July 1-Aug 9, 2009. For more information visit www.coloradoshakes.org
Julia Pace Mitchell (Class of '04)
I won! The Santa Barbara Independent Award at The Indy Awards last night for my performance in In the Continuum. (Awards are given out annually by a panel of judges drawn from theater critics at The Independent and the Los Angeles Times.)
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Class of '07)
I recently shot an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" airing in June. Previews begin off-Broadway for NIGHT SKY, May 22.
http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_NIGHT_SKY_At_Baruch_
Performing_Arts_Center_20090504
I am also in the midst of a number of readings and workshops for the NYSF/Public Theatre, Lark Play Development Center and Page 73 Productions.
Julia Pace Mitchell (Class of '04)
I have have been keeping busy on the west coast. I recently left Santa Barbara where I was performing in the award-winning play In the Continuum at Ensemble Theatre Company's Alhecama Theatre. I also recently worked on LA Theatre Works Radio series of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men. The film Notorious had a great opening weekend and now is out on DVD. -- http://www.thedailysound.com/thisandthat/040909this
Sarah Callies (Class of '02)
I recently wrapped a lovely little indie called Lullaby for Pi with Rupert Friend, Clemence Poesy and Forest Whitaker. I'll be in LA for a short commercial gig in a few weeks and will record a couple of songs for the soundtrack. I just got back from teaching and lecturing at Arizona State and loved the experience...wonderful students and some great work.
Michael Fulvio (Class of '08)
Michael is starring in The Dishwashers by master of comedy playwright, Morris Panych and directed by Byam Stevens. For tickets call 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com.
Susanna Florence (Class of '07)
Van Giles Risser, born July 20, 2008
Josh Landay (Class of '05)
I'm the standby for Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu and Ed in the new Las Vegas company of THE LION KING at Mandalay Bay. We open May 15--it's been a really exciting process.
January LaVoy (Class of '02)
January is starring alongside Tony Award-winning actress, Jayne Houdyshell, in MCC’s World Premiere, Coraline at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre. For tickets to call 212-279-4200. For more information visit www.mcctheater.org.
Read the Playbill announcement here www.playbill.com/news/article/129012.html
Pete Simpson (Class of '96)
Pete recently returned to New York with his wife, Naama, after a two-year (!) stint of performing with, co-directing and co-managing Blue Man Group's European theatrical tour (Amsterdam, Netherlands; Stuttgart, Germany; Basel, Switzerland). He has taken part-time work with Blue Man in New York.
Upon his NY arrival, he was also cast in Richard Maxwell's People Without History, which received some good press, including the New York Times review here: www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/theater/reviews/24peop.html
Pete was also cast for the European tour of the award winning experimental group "Elevator Repair Service"'s stage version of The Sound and the Fury (Amsterdam and Vienna in June of this summer) http://www.elevator.org/shows/show.php?show=sound_and_fury
Pete workshopped Pulitzer-finalist Will Eno's new play Middletown at the Vineyard Theater; hoping it moves on!
He has also re-teamed with Obie Award winning playwright/director Young Jean Lee to perform in her Off-Broadway production of King Lear. A workshop for it was publicly staged this May and will workshop again in the Fall. The show will open at Soho Rep in January of 2010.
Juliet Lashinsky-Revene will be directing Pete in her film, Suction later this summer. http://julietlashinskyrevene.com/
Pete's also extremely excited for his guest professorship in the spring of 2010 at his alma mater (University of Wyoming) where, along with his teaching duties, he'll be playing the title role in Hamlet with his own "sometimes" actor father (and retired VP of the university) playing the role of the Ghost!
Upon returning to New York in May of 2010, Pete will join the experimental group "Rainpan 43" for its original production, The Accountant (http://www.allwearbowlers.com/)
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April 2009
Eileen Little (Class of '06)
Hello one and all!
Matchbook is in the middle of a very busy month! Eileen just got back from performing at an amazing CD Release Party for "What Time Is It Mr. Fox?" at The Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts, where she learned that rigging on a hundred year old wooden beam might not be the smartest idea but we all made it out alive so all is well!
Then this weekend John Behlmann ('07) and Bradford Shreve ('06) (under the watchful eye of Steven Cole Hughes - '01) will be performing a modified version of Matchbook's last performance, "Danza de Bastoni e Corde." However this time role of Eileen will be played by a banana. No we are not kidding.
If you haven't already, please check out our new website and check back often as we will be adding more photos, videos and a fancy blog! You can also now find us on facebook!
www.matchbookproductions.org
Soundance Studio Theater
Saturday April 25th @ 8pm
281 N. 7th St. #7
(between Havemayer and Meeker)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Take the L to Bedford Ave. of the G to Metropolitan
Parking is ample.
$10 suggested donation
CALL 212 767 9406 for reservations/information
Maria-Christina Oliveras (Class of '07)(Class of '07)
Maria-Christina kicked off the New Year at Baltimore Centerstage in Lynn Nottage's FABULATION, starring Natalie Venetia Belcon. www.centerstage.org she subsequently returned to NYC where she has been in the midst of a number of workshops and readings with New Dramatists, NYSF/Public Theater, NYTW, the Lark Play Development Center and Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre for writers Michael John Garces, Thomas Bradshaw, Chiori Miyagawa, among numerous others.
She will be appearing off-Broadway in
NIGHT SKY, directed by Daniella Topol later this Spring.
www.nightskytheplay.com.
This summer, Maria will be playing Joanne in
RENT at the
Hangar Theatre, directed by Dev Janki. Back to top
March 2009
Eileen Little (Class of '06)
Hello one and all!
Matchbook would like to announce an upcoming performance!
The long-running aerial showcase Above the Belt which used to be at the Zipper Theater has relocated to the Bleecker Street Theater at 45 Bleecker Street. This time Eileen Little and Bradford Shreve ('07) of Matchbook Productions teams up with John Behlmann ('07) and Steven Cole Hughes ('01) for a riveting performance as what can only be described as, "Oh dear lord what just happened?"
Ivan Lopez (Class of '07) and Richard Thieriot (Class of '08)
We founded the Studio 12 Ensemble, a new theatre company in NYC. Our inaugural production of second. is premiering in April. The play is directed by Stephanie Cozart ('97) and features Jennifer Le Blanc ('08), Ivan Lopez ('07), Danielle Slavick ('08), Justin Walvoord ('06) and Justin Yorio ('02).
Lindsay Campbell (Class of '03)
I'm still working at CBS and this week we're producing a new web series written by none other than the gorgeous and fabulous John Behlmann (Class of '07), acted in by myself, Behlmann and last year grad, Zach Evenson. I also have Shannon Koob ('00) helping me to coordinate production. Then later on this week when we shoot in LA, Judd Frazier will also assist with production coordination.
Rob Wells III (Class of '08)
Last summer, I did three commercials for CBS College Sports which ran during the college football season. Then in September, I did three episodes of "As the World Turns" and in the fall, I shot my episode of "Kings" (my episode is the 7th one of the first season) which airs in a few weeks. And I just finished a three day shoot with Tommy Hilfiger a couple of weeks ago, and I am schedule to do two more contract shoots with them this summer!
Morgan Hallett (Class of '01)
I am currently doing a play called The Ladies Man which is a co-production with IRT and Geva Theatre Center. Then this summer i am going to do Quartermaines Terms at Williamstown with Jefferson Mays.
Steven Cole Hughes (Class of '01)
This past summer I acted in two plays at Creede Repertory Theatre, Fools, which was directed by ex-Denver Center director Nagle Jackson, and Life is a Dream, which was directed by former company member Jamie Horton. Starring with me in both of those shows were current NTC student Caitlin Wise and NTC grad Annie Butler. Creede Rep also produced my play Billy Hell, which starred my wife Kendra Kohrt ('05) and was directed by Maurice LaMee (NTC sometime in the 80s), and it won the Denver Post Ovation award for Best New Work.
I shot an episode of the short-lived CW tv show "Easy Money" in Albuquerque, NM, this summer.
This past Fall I was commissioned to write a play for the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. I spent a week interviewing high school kids in their school cafeteria, then I went away and wrote a play about them, and they put it up as the Fall Drama. It was very well received by the shool paper.
I am currently working with Eileen Little ('06) and Brad Shreeve ('07) on creating some trapeze-based theatre in NYC, and I have a commission with ye olde Denver Center.
John Behlman (Class of '07)
I just played a young JFK in a reading of a new play at Irish Rep here in New York. I've just picked up a recurring role on "All My Children" as well. I play Dr. Burke, the new psychiatrist to Annie, one of the contract roles. My first episode airs March 10, and I've got more down coming down the pipeline. I've also been hired by CBS to completely re-write and re-structure the entire first season of their new web series "Heckle U" about a pair of college basketball hecklers. Proctor & Gamble are sponsoring the show, which will start to air just in time for NCAA March Madness. I'll also be in the show, as will, hopefully, many other NTC alums.
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February 2009
Danielle Slavick (Class of '08)
I am starring in That Pretty Pretty, or The Rape Play by Sheila Callaghan at The Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre.
December 2008Maria-Christina Oliveras (Class of '07)I am currently in the midst of the US/Mexico Exchange at the Lark Play Development Center;
The Maids of Honour, by Ernesto Anaya; translated by Migdalia Cruz; directed by Daniel Jaquez--
www.larktheatre.org.
In December, I will be doing a workshop of the new Liz Swados musical,
Dance of Desire, based on Federico Garcia Lorca's
Yerma conceived and directed by Kay Matchullat, written by Caridad Svich.
I am kicking off the new year at Baltimore Centerstage, playing multiple roles in Lynn Nottage's,
Fabulation, directed by Jackson Gay.
Richard Thieriot (Class of '08)
I'm going to the Shakespeare Theater in DC in April to be in
Design for Living directed by Michael Kahn.
Richard has also been nominated for a
Denver Post Ovation Award, Best Actor for NTC’s production of
Harvey.
January LaVoy (Class of '02)
I’m doing a new musical at MCC Theater this Spring,
Coraline, with Jayne Houdyshell and David Greenspan.
Home at the Signature Theatre has been extended through January 11th.
Jennifer LeBlanc (Class of '08)
I have just been cast as Regan in
King Lear at the National Black Theatre of Harlem.
Jeffrey Nickelson (Class of '93)
Shadow Theatre Company has been nominated for seven
Denver Post Ovation awards. Jeffrey Nickelson was nominated the Colorado Theatre Person of the Year.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone was nominated for six awards: Best Drama, Best Actor Drama, Best Actor Comic Role, Best Ensemble, Best Director – Jeffrey Nickelson, Best Lighting Design.
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Photo, Top: National Theatre Conservatory alumni (shown here are January LaVoy-left and Morgan Hallett) are working in theatre, television and film across the country.