Alumni Success
From renowned graduate programs and Hollywood to Broadway and beyond, graduates of the 51 School of Theatre and Dance celebrate successful careers across the globe. In fact, ninety percent of our graduates go on to enjoy a career in the creative and performing arts industry. Below are just a few alumni accomplishments.
performance
Victoria Blade - BFA, Acting is an actress and musician who was recently been seen on HBO's "The Outsider." Previous work includes roles in "Watchmen," "Dynasty," "Blue Bloods," and "Chicago Fire" and serving as Executive Producer for the short film, "Alien Baby."
Cory Blevins - BFA, Acting performs as FBI Agent Buchholz on the EPIX show, "Get Shorty." Previous work includes roles in "Slumptown," "NCIS," "Parenthood," "Dexter," "House," and "The X- Files."
Amanda Cowper- BFA, Acting- is a television producer currently working as a Field Producer for "Late Night with Seth Meyers."
Tiffany Frances - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is performing in the Broadway production of "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations."
Larry Herron- BFA, Acting- is a Los Angeles-based actor who has been seen on television in "Modern Family," "NCIS," "Shameless," "Law & Oder LA," and "Criminal Minds," among many others. Previous work includes performing at the Kennedy Center as Othello and in "The Deception" at La Jolla Playhouse.
Dayna Jarae Dantzler - BFA, Acting- has performed in "Waitress" and "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway. Other work includes roles in" Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" Off-Broadway, and on the national tour of "The Color Purple." She is currently performing in "Fly" at the La Jolla Playhouse.
Scott Jacobs - BFA, Acting is the 2nd Assistant Film Editor for "Space Jam 2." Previous work includes a position as 2nd Assistant Film Editor for "Men in Black: International," assistant editor for "Parks and Recreation," and 1st assistant editor for "Despicable Me 3."
Darren Edward Johnson- BFA, Acting is an Associate Producer at the theatrical production company, No Guarantees, where he has worked on Tony Award-winning musicals "Hadestown," "Mean Girls," and "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations." Previous work includes a position as Assistant to the Director for the pre-Broadway premiere of "Spongebob Squarepants."
Hannah Elless- BFA, Music Theatre Performance has been seen on Broadway in "Godspell," "Bright Star," and "A Christmas Carol." She originated the role of Joon in the "Benny and Joon" premiere San Diego's Globe Theatre. Other credits include Off-Broadway's "The Other Josh Cohen" and "Sumer and Smoke." She was recently cast in "Knoxville," a new musical by Ahrens & Flaherty at Asolo Repertory. She is also a filmmaker and won awards for her film "Laura Ephron Goes to Prison."
Crystal Lucas-Perry - BFA, Acting starred in the Off-Broadway production of the Public Theatre's "Ain't No Mo'," for which she won a 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. Most recently, she starred in the Public Theatre's production of "A Bright Room Called Day." Previous work includes roles in Off-Broadway productions "Bull in a China Shop" and " Little Children Dream of God," roles at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and a role on the TBS TV show, "The Last O.G." Crystal received her MFA in Acting from New York University.
Brian Martin - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is performing in the Broadway production of "Mrs. Doubtfire." Previous work includes roles on the national tours of "Bullets Over Broadway," "Beauty and the Beast," "Guys and Dolls," and "Elf." Brian also performed in "Mary Poppins" at Papermill Playhouse.
Aaron C. Rutherford - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is performing in the Off-Broadway production of "The Office! A Musical Parody." Previous work includes roles in the Off-Broadway production of "Dracula: Finding of a Shadow" and the national tour of "Friends! The Musical Parody."
Jonathan Scotcher Warner - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is scheduled to perform in the Chicago premiere of "Freaky Friday" at Porchlight Music Theatre.
Marcus Shane - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is on the first national tour of "Mean Girls the Musical." Previous work includes roles in "Mamma Mia!" on Broadway and the national tours of "The King and I" and "Anything Goes."
Dexter J. Singleton - BFA, Acting is the Founder and Executive Director of Collective Consciousness Theatre in New Haven, CT. Other work includes a position as Chair of Theatre at Regional Center for the Arts in Trumbull, CT and as an Adjunct Professor at Housatonic Community College.
A.J. Wedding - BFA, Acting is a Los Angeles based film director and producer. Previous work includes short films "The Outlier" and "Aileron," which has received several awards at Film Festivals across the country, including Best Director at the Boston International Film Festival.
Mikey Winslow - BFA, Music Theatre Performance has performed in several Broadway productions, including "Hamilton," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "American Idiot," and "West Side Story."
Lauren Zakrin - BFA, Music Theatre Performance is performing in the San Francisco cast of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Previous work includes roles in "Rock of Ages" and "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" on Broadway, the first national tour of "Wicked," and on NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!"
Theatre Design and technology
Kaitlyn Anderson - BFA, Theatre Design & Technology is in her 6th season as the Associate Production Manager for Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Ben Bauer - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is a New York City-based Lighting Designer who served as the Assistant Project Manager on the renovation of the theatre for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" on Broadway. Previous work includes Assistant Lighting Design for "Jersey Boys" - Las Vegas/Paris and "Emotional Creature" Off-Broadway.
Nicholas Davidson - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is the Senior Lighting Designer for Thinkwell Group, a global design and production agency based in Los Angeles. His designs have been seen at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the NFL Experience Times Square, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter.
Justin Humphres - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is a Scenic and Video Designer whose designs have been presented at venues both in the US and internationally. Previous work includes Associate Scenic Designer for "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations" and "Summer" on Broadway.
Cory Kalkowski - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is currently the Head Electrician on the "Jersey Boys" SETA National Tour. Previous work includes Master Electrician for the First National Tour for "Elf on the Shelf."
Robert D. Maverick - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is a special makeup effects artist based in Hollywood, CA. He has numerous credits including "Star Trek," "Dexter," "Pirates of the Caribbean," Thor," "Boogie Nights," "The Hunger Games," "Westworld," and recently "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Angie McMahon- BFA, Theatre Design and Technology & BFA, Stage Management is a Theatre Specialist at the theatre planning and lighting design firm, Schuler Shook, in Chicago. Previous work includes a position as Technical Director at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Patricia Nichols - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is a New York City-based Lighting Designer whose designs have been seen in Off-Broadway productions of “How Alfo Learned to Love”, “Broken”, “Splintered Souls”, “Fidelity Futurestage”, “Because I Can”, and “Safety”. She served as the Lighting Design for the National Tours of “The Elf on the Shelf, The Christmas Musical” and “The Gazillion Bubble Show”, plus has worked in various regional theaters. Previous and current work also includes serving as the Associate Lighting Designer for the Broadway and all domestic and international productions of "Jersey Boys”, Broadway’s "Pirate Queen”, "Freeman of Color”, and the Broadway and all touring productions of "Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays”.
Joshua Reid - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is a New York City-based Sound Designer who has designed for Geffen Playhouse, Signature Theatre, Theatre Calgary, and Barrington Stage. He served as Associate Sound Designer for the Broadway productions of "The Falsettos," "The Ferryman," "The Visit," The Iceman Cometh," and "The Color Purple" among others. He won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design for "A Christmas Carol" at the Geffen Playhouse.
Danielle Soldat - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology recently graduated from the University of North Carolina with an MFA in Costume Production and is a Draper at Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL. Previous work includes positions at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival and PlayMakers Repertory Company.
Katherine Stefl - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology has been a Costume Designer for the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Her designs have also been featured at The Henry Ford Museum.
Kate Swanborg - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is the Technology Communications and Strategic Alliances Executive for Dreamworks Animation.
Andrew Zaccagnini - BFA, Theatre Design and Technology is the Head Electrician for the first national tour of "Escape to Margaritaville." Previous work includes Head Electrician on the first national tour of "Falsettos."
ARTS ADMINISTRATION
Samantha Rose Berger- BA, Arts Administration is the Manager of Digital Fundraising at the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Conor Christenson- BA, Arts Administration is the Ticketing Systems Coordinator at Roundabout Theatre Company in New York City.
Katy Coy - BA, Arts Administration is the Executive Director of the Valley Symphony Orchestra in McAllen, TX and previously served as the Director of the Association of Arts Administration Educators.
Allie DiSanto - BA, Arts Administration is a Management Associate at the League of Chicago Theatres.
Hazel James - BA, Arts Administration is the Executive Director of Queer Theatre Kalamazoo and Director of Patron Services at the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Elizabeth Sarkady - BA, Arts Administration is the founding Executive Director of The Dirty Blondes, a theatre company in New York City, and Associate Director of Development Operations at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Tyler Siems - BA, Arts Administration is the Company Manager for the "Hamilton" national tour. Previous credits include Assistant Company Manager for "Wicked," "Fun Home," "War Paint," and "Glass Menagerie" on Broadway.
Matthew Sitz - BA, Theatre Studies is the Director of Audience Services at Chicago's Cort Theatre.
Alex Tobin - BA, Arts Administration is a freelance audio technician in New York City. Previous work includes a position as the Audio System Technician/ A2 for the 2019 USTA US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
STAGE MANAGEMENT
David Alpert - BFA, Theatre Studies, Directing/Stage Management is a musical theatre professor at New York State University and director of numerous Off-Broadway plays. He worked as Associate Director on Broadway's "If/Then" and the Tony Award-winning "Trip to Bountiful". He also worked as an Assistant Director on Broadway's "The Best Man" and "Guys and Dolls." He is also the Creative Director for Idina Menzel (Carnegie Hall/Radio City).
Bella Carpio - BFA, Stage Management is the Assistant Stage Manager for the national tour of "A Bronx Tale."
Lauren Cavanaugh - BFA, Stage Management is the Assistant Stage Manager for "American Utopia!" on Broadway. Previous work includes a position as Stage Manager for the Netflix special, "Mike Birbiglia: The New One" and as the Assistant Stage Manager for the National Tour. of "Love Never Dies."
Alan D. Knight - BFA, Stage Management is the Production Stage Manager for the national tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Previous work includes a position as Stage Manager for the national tour of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Les Miserables," and "Mamma Mia" and Assistant Stage Manager for the touring production of "The Sound of Music."
Bridget Williams - BFA, Stage Management is the Assistant Lighting Designer at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Previous work includes a position as the Instructor of Design and Production at Interlochen Center for the Arts.