CALLBOARD – FEBRUARY 2023
Two alumni are up for NAACP Image Awards! Joshua Boone (BFA ’10) has been nominated for several awards for his work in “A Jazzman’s Blues,” including Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture! Mikayla Bartholomew (BFA ’17) plays the leading role in “Dear Mama…” which has been nominated for Best Short Form (Live Action). Incredible to see them in such good company. The awards ceremony is February 25th.
Tyler Fauntleroy (BFA ’17) is in rehearsals with the Phillip Company of the National Tour of “Hamilton”! He will be stepping in as John Laurens /Phillip Hamilton. Congrats Tyler!
Josh Marin (BFA ’12) is currently in the Angelica Company of the National Tour of “Hamilton” as Ensemble and several U/S roles. He went on as King George three times in one week last fall!
Claire Yenson (BA ’13) has started a new job as Casting Director in Residence for the New York Theatre Workshop and is currently working with The Playwrights Realm.
Maggie Horan (BFA ’13) is currently featured in Fleishman is in Trouble as Simone on Hulu
Kevin Inouye (MFA ’12) is currently in season 2 of The Mayor of Kingstown which is being filmed near where he is teaching at Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Playhouse. He wants to see how his episode turned out.
Chelsea Matkins (BFA ’21) & Amita Rao (BA ’20) – Their sketch comedy duo Gag Reflex is up for Best Sketch/Improv Troupe in Chicago Reader’s the Best of Chicago 2022!
Jonathan Becker (MFA ’05) has taken a new job as Coordinator of the First Friday’s Events in Canton, Ohio. His last one was February 3, 2023 and was called Fired Up with lots of live fire stunts. If you happen to be in Canton on the March First Friday, Jonathan says the theme will be “The Luck of the Irish”
Dan Ruth (BFA ’90) is excited and honored to report that his award winning one-man show A Life Behind Bars has been asked to be the featured attraction at the annual conference of the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals in April. These professionals hold the legal keys to helping addicts find help and rehabilitation instead of jail time.
Stefan Sittig (MFA ’97) has been nominated for three WATCH Awards in Alexandria, VA for Outstanding Stage Combat Choreography for Design for Murder and Moonlight and Magnolias and for Outstanding Choreography for Something Rotten. This year’s competition had 98 productions.
Diego Villada (MFA ’08) has been awarded a 2023 Emerging Scholar for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education which is a national publication dedicated to diversity in Higher Education. Diego teaches at the New College of Florida in Sarasota.
Alec Stephens III (BFA ’08) as Alec The Third hosted the gala of Parents Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) at A.R.T./New York’s Mezzanine Theatre. Shanta Thake, the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will receive PAAL’s first leader in Care Award. Alec also performed.
Gayle Turner (BFA ’87) has a new one hour weekly radio show called Stories Matter which began on January 6, 2023 at 2PM on the #1global Business talk and News network on the internet. Gayle will be interviewing some of the following as Robert McGarvey, Steve Spiro and Joan Bowling.
Chandler Matkins (BFA ’18) has taken a new position with Virginia Repertory in Richmond in the marketing department handling social and digital content and all paid ads. Congratulations.
Roi Boyd (MFA ’02) was the featured speaker at the Martin Luther King Day at Unity of Fredricksburg, VA speaking on “The Beloved Community.” Ron is currently a professor of Speech and Theatre at Virginia State University and has his own business, Cultural Libations.
Felia Davenport (BFA ’04) has just opened her new artist show at the Kranzberg Art Foundation in St. Louis called Torn Mixology which will be in view February 3-March 25, 2023. Torn Mixology is a mixed media exhibition that explores the journey of identifying as a multi-racial female. It includes Felia’s background as a Costume Designer and the process of Quilting when quilts acted as maps during the civil war.
Dave Gerson (BFA ’96) was recently in Richmond, Va reading from his contribution to Unzipped! at the Crossroads Art Center.
Tia James (BFA ’04) has opened in Hamlet in the lead role at Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, NC playing through February 12, 2023.
Shanea Taylor (MFA ’08) is directing A Soldier’s Play at Swift Creek Mill Theatre near Petersburg, Va. It will be playing through March 4, 2023
One of our intrepid editors Jerry Williams (BFA ’71) has featured another alum on his podcast. Gene Poe (also Class of ’71) made his living as an extra on movies and TV shows. He tells great stories about everyone from Anthony Hopkins to Andy Warhol. David Califf (BFA ’72) also makes an appearance. BTW, Jerry is always looking for additional people to interview on their careers in film or TV. Click here to listen
Steve Barker (BFA ’01) is happy to announce he has accepted a new job at Bowie State University in Maryland.
IN MEMORIUM
Mark Costello (BFA ’73) passed away December 29, 2022. All three of the Costello boys graduated from Theatre VCU, Michael, Mark and Matthew. Mark was Artistic Director of Theatre Albany in Georgia for over three decades. You can read his obituary here and watch a video the local news aired here.
Natalie New Canull (BFA ’71) passed away on January 9, 2023 at home with her husband Doug and her family in Indianapolis, Ind. From her friend Barbara, “After graduation Natalie went back to her hometown of Indianapolis where she raised 4 beautiful children and became a successful businesswoman creating several exceptional award-winning toy stores….Natalie’s laughter and smile are forever in our thoughts and our hearts. We love you, Nat!”
Compiled by Liz Hopper (professor emeritus) and Jerry Williams (BFA ’71) for the November 2022 Theatre Alumni newsletter