2023 ISSUE
INFINITE UNIVERSE Camille A. Brown stays true to her own voice as she expands her sphere of influence.
ALSO Doing the impossible: UNCSA alumni drive innovation at TAIT. North Carolina film industry stages a comeback as the film school turns 30. Alumni share experiences with the turning tide for artist well-being.
In March 2023, UNCSA revealed renderings for the new lobby of the historic Stevens Center, a highlight of Phase 1 of the comprehensive renovation of the school’s largest learning laboratory. The renovated lobby and second-floor space will create a more expansive experience for patrons and bring the Stevens Center in line with the modern theaters of today, while finding inspiration in the 1929 building’s historic neoclassical and art deco elements. UNCSA is collaborating with the nationally recognized design and architecture team of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and Steinberg Hart to create a world-class, state-of-the-art venue for students and patrons. The building will go dark in November 2023 for construction.
Architectural rendering by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and Steinberg Hart
STEVENS CENTER, REIMAGINED
Letter from the Chancellor
DEAR UNCSA COMMUNITY,
Photo by Wayne Reich
I am proud to share the latest issue of Scene, the annual UNCSA magazine, which features a variety of timely stories about alumni and others making an impact on our university and our world. Foremost among them is Dance alumna Camille A. Brown, the subject of our cover story (Page 10) and 2023 University Commencement speaker, who is in constant demand as a choreographer and director both on- and off-Broadway and in opera, film and television. Her inspiring words at commencement this year made an indelible mark on all who attended, particularly our graduating students who now join our prestigious ranks of alumni. Our alumni have been bringing never-before-seen entertainment to life with global arts and entertainment industry leader TAIT (Page 20), bringing the film industry back to North Carolina (Page 17) and leading an industry transformation toward more focus on artist well-being (Page 14). I was particularly thrilled this year to connect with alumni at a series of events in New York City, something that I plan to continue. Reconnecting with friends and supporters, and seeing firsthand how our alumni are thriving in their careers with the help of their UNCSA network, is among the most fulfilling work I have the privilege of doing. In this issue you will also meet our new (and first) associate vice chancellor and vice provost for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, B. Afeni McNeely Cobham (Page 9), and a tenacious student from war-torn Ukraine, Uliana Klimchuk (Page 7). There are far too many alumni accolades to mention in one magazine. Still, one that stands out is Joshua Conyers, whose remarkable story from homelessness to the Metropolitan Opera will inspire you (Page 6). You can read more stories about our talented students and alumni anytime on our website at uncsa.edu/news. This year on campus, our wide-ranging performance season (Page 4) showcased our ever-expanding embrace of interdisciplinary work in the arts, something that is uniquely possible at UNCSA and is a focus of our current strategic plan. The season saw musicians onstage in the extraordinarily acted and designed “Amadeus”; the opera “Orlando Paladino” with an outer space setting, created by Design & Production; and Spring Dance featuring the first performances of Merce Cunningham’s “Travelogue” since 1979, by the schools of Dance, Music and D&P. The past year also brought several milestones to UNCSA. In September, School of Dance Dean Endalyn T. Outlaw discussed the climate of the dance industry and Black role models in ballet with trailblazer Misty Copeland in an event for students, alumni, donors and students from area schools. In February, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust pledged $2.28 million to support a significant expansion of the UNCSA Posse Arts Program, which helps recruit, train and support talented students who might be missed through traditional avenues. We are also pleased to have made progress in the comprehensive renovation of our beloved Stevens Center (left), finishing the design and planning phase and setting the stage for the completion of the project. I can’t wait for the day that I can welcome all of you to the reopening of our world-class performing arts venue, updated with today’s technology and other enhancements that will benefit students and patrons alike. I hope you can find time to read this magazine cover to cover. The stories and photos illustrate the excellent job that our faculty and staff are doing to prepare the next generation of artists for successful professional careers and to lead the global arts and entertainment industry of the future. Enjoy!
“ Our wide-ranging performance season showcased our ever-expanding embrace of interdisciplinary work in the arts, something that is uniquely possible at UNCSA.” — Brian Cole, Chancellor
Brian Cole Chancellor 3
A VIBRANT ARTS LANDSCAPE The 2022-23 performance season embraced the transformative power of collaboration. UNCSA’s five highly ranked arts schools united talented students, renowned faculty, celebrated guest artists and esteemed institutions to push creative boundaries and showcase diverse perspectives. This tapestry of artistic voices, spanning traditional to contemporary, enriched our worldview and fostered a vibrant arts landscape.
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1. The schools of Dance and Design & Production revived Merce Cunningham’s “Travelogue,” set to John Cage’s “Telephones and Birds,” with design by Robert Rauschenberg. Through the partnership between UNCSA, the Merce Cunningham Trust, John Cage Trust and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, a new generation of artists paid tribute to the collaborative nature of the original production.
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3. In a groundbreaking collaboration, the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute and the School of Design & Production reimagined Joseph Haydn’s opera “Orlando Paladino” in outer space. Taking cues from “Thor: Ragnarok,” Stage Director Steven LaCosse and Design & Production students crafted a one-of-a-kind universe filled with heroism and comedic brilliance.
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Live or Livestream: Discover inspiring performances at uncsa.edu/performances.
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4. Winston-Salem State University School of Health Sciences and the UNCSA School of Filmmaking partnered to integrate virtual reality (VR) into the training curriculum for nursing students. This collaboration demonstrated the impact of arts in education by providing students with immersive technologies that strengthened clinical judgment and increased knowledge retention. 5. “The Nutcracker” remains a cherished holiday tradition, uniting hundreds of students from the schools of Dance, Design & Production and Music. The 2022 production featured a record number of dancers performing with the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra under acclaimed Guest Conductor Jiannan Cheng. The performance was further elevated by the ingenuity of talented student artisans, who brought the magic to life with sets, props and lighting.
Photos by Garrett Garms, Allison Lee Isley, Peter Mueller and Wayne Reich
2. The schools of Drama, Design & Production and Music collaborated to bring Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” to life. Helmed by Drama faculty member Quin Gordon and conducted by Music faculty member Mark Norman, who worked alongside students to develop the score from 67 excerpts of Mozart’s work, the production featured student musicians performing in period costumes onstage.
Every day, UNCSA students, alumni, faculty and staff make their mark on the world. In the following Short Takes, we present stories from across disciplines of how our talented artists and leadership are shaping the future of the arts. Step into the world of an alumnus who found his home in opera, of students channeling their experiences with war into filmmaking, of high school graduates combining their love of music and math, and of new leadership bringing inclusivity to the forefront of creativity. Read more stories like these throughout the year at uncsa.edu/news.
“The Ripping” Artist: Rosabella Sinclair, H.S. Visual Arts ’23
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SHORT TAKES SOUND BITE | JOSHUA CONYERS
“ Life experience really matters .. . it all informs me as an artist. I think that journey will never end.” — Joshua Conyers
When did you know that you wanted to be an opera singer? I was a sports kid, but I always knew I wanted to sing. I started a boy band, Boys in Harmony, in middle school. We planned to be the next Boyz II Men. In high school, a good friend started doing a program where he’d go to regular school for half a day and the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts for the other half. He taught me a song in Italian, and I got accepted to the Governor’s School. I took music theory, music history, theater training and voice lessons every week. I thought that if I had to do all this to be an opera singer, just forget it! But then we took a field trip to New York and went to the New York City Opera and the Met. I had never been to anything like that and just fell in love. As I started giving it a chance, I fell more in love.
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Who have been your greatest influences and inspirations? During my junior year, I met Drs. Marilyn Taylor and Steven LaCosse. They came and heard me audition for the college voice program because I couldn’t afford to go to Winston-Salem. I received the Kenan Excellence Award and a full scholarship to UNCSA. When there were school breaks and I needed shelter, Drs. LaCosse or Taylor would let me stay at their homes. They are more than mentors. They are family. They support me to this day. What’s a day in the life of a working opera singer? I’ve only been home four days since Jan. 1. I’ve gone from Chicago to Washington, D.C., and from Washington to London. I do a lot of protecting myself to make sure I will be able to perform. I watch what I eat and drink, especially when coming up on a performance. I always ensure my voice is nice and clear and ready to go. What’s on your bucket list? My dream places to sing are La Scala in Milan, Italy; the Met, where I’ll be this fall; the New York Philharmonic, where I’ll be in December; and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. How have you grown as an artist? Life experience really matters for an artist – from being a homeless teen to having a lot of support in college, from thinking I wasn’t good enough to getting married and finding my footing as a professional singer – it all informs me as an artist. I believe that journey will never end.
As told to Lynn Felder
Photo by Scott Suchman
The trip from the Bronx to the Metropolitan Opera House is about 10 miles – an hour by train. Still, That trip has been even longer for alumnus Joshua Conyers (B.M. ’10, Fletcher Opera P.A.C. ’15). Reached by phone in London, where he was about to perform with the English National Opera, the rising-star baritone described his early life as “years of moving from shelter to shelter in the Bronx.” When he was 12, he went to live with his grandmother in Virginia and began to experience a degree of stability and security. Since then, Conyers has achieved personal, academic and professional success as an opera singer. He makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in October and New York Philharmonic debut in December. This fall, Conyers joins the Eastman School of Music faculty in Rochester, New York, as a full-time assistant professor of voice. But UNCSA has a special place in his story and heart.
SHORT TAKES
Photo by Wayne Reich
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT | ULIANA KLIMCHUK It was February 2022, and Uliana “Ulia” Klimchuk anxiously awaited a decision from the School of Drama. The Ukrainian native auditioned virtually for the program at the suggestion of a teacher. On Feb. 24, Director of Recruitment Quin Gordon pressed “send” on an acceptance email that would remain unopened for weeks. Fatefully, on that same day, Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine. Klimchuk’s attention turned to the immediate impact of war. She spent long days volunteering in a refugee center in Varna, Bulgaria, where she was staying with her mother and brothers. They checked in often with her father, who remained home in Kyiv. “I cried so much when I saw the email (from Gordon),” Klimchuk recalled. “I hadn’t cried that much since the start of the war.” It was an emotional decision to move 5,000 miles away during wartime. Still, Klimchuk’s father encouraged her to continue pursuing her dreams. At the end of the summer, she arrived in the States for the first time and traveled to Winston-Salem to begin her training. Like many new college students, Klimchuk has balanced school, social life and maintaining a connection to her home. And she’s surprised by how easy it has felt most of the time. “It’s easy to study because I love it so much and I feel so passionate,” she said, adding that keeping up with family and friends can be difficult, however. The tensions of war create uncertainty in every communication. “I never know when I get a call if it’s going to be bad or good,” she explained, sharing that she once hurriedly stepped out of class to answer a call from a family member, assuming the worst. It turned out they had simply been confused by the time difference. Klimchuk described the war as a constant distraction but acknowledged that much of the world has moved on as Ukraine has faded from the news cycle. “It’s terrifying that people will forget,” she said. The war has provided inspiration for Klimchuk’s own storytelling and for multicultural artistic collaborations with UNCSA peers. During the fall, she connected with Bella Howard (B.F.A. Filmmaking ’26). They, along with their all-female crew, created a short film, called “ ” (“Happy Independence Day”). Spoken in Ukrainian with English subtitles, the film offers a firsthand account of the war from a Ukrainian native living abroad. The film stars Klimchuk and a friend of hers who was visiting from Ukraine during the production. This past summer, Klimchuk and Israeli directing student Ron Weiss (B.F.A. Drama ’25, H.S. Drama ’21) have been working in Tel Aviv. Supported by a grant from the Semans Art Fund, a private foundation that provides funding to current UNCSA students for summer study, special projects, research and performances, Weiss is directing a series of plays written by Klimchuk that explore their experiences with war. This fall she returns to campus to continue her training and create new art inspired by her experiences. Though the last year and a half has been different from what she once imagined, Klimchuk feels abundant pride and admiration for her resilient homeland. “People continue to follow their dreams, but it’s all in the hands of war. Life stopped for a moment, but then it goes on. This is what human beings do. We can’t stop existing. I’m grateful for the opportunities I have. I admire Ukraine’s bravery. And I am so proud to be Ukrainian.”
By Hannah Callaway
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SHORT TAKES PICKLE PAIRS | ETHAN AND RYAN MASH
“ If we hadn’t had each other, we would not be anywhere near where we are today.”
For recent School of Music High School graduates Ethan and Ryan Mash, twins from Durham, North Carolina, playing the horn is just the beginning of their love for the instrument. Over the past several years, they have not only experimented with and developed their skills in repairing and modifying horns but have also designed and created mutes for horn players. Now, they are beginning undergraduate degrees in computer science and hope to pursue careers as horn makers and horn product designers. While they had been exposed to music their whole lives by their horn-playing father — who plays for fun — their musical journey really started in the sixth grade when they chose to play the horn themselves. “We thought it would be really cool to play the same instrument as our dad,” explained Ethan. “Horn is one of the most complex instruments,” added Ryan. “It’s very rewarding because of how challenging it is to play.” As soon as they started playing, they also became interested in horn repairs and would watch YouTube videos to learn the basics. By the eighth grade, when their middle school band director entrusted them with cleaning instruments, their interest only grew. After transferring to UNCSA for their senior year of high school, the Mash brothers really hit their stride. With the encouragement of Associate Professor Maria Serkin, Ethan and Ryan dove even deeper into horn repair. “At UNCSA, there is a lot more creativity — our interest in repairs was really encouraged by Dr. Serkin,” Ryan said. There was also a greater need at UNCSA, where students own their instruments and are responsible for maintaining them. The two have since grown their horn repair business to include over 300 tools in their workshop at their parents’ home in Durham. “We put every scrap of money we can on getting tools — once we have tools, we can do repairs and earn more money to buy more tools. It’s a cycle,” explained Ethan.
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It was also at UNCSA that they embarked on their latest endeavor: designing and developing horn mutes. Mutes can be prohibitively expensive for students but are necessary for professional playing; when Serkin showed them a handmade wooden mute she’d purchased, Ethan and Ryan saw an opportunity. “At first, we thought, ‘We’ll take this design and make it plastic,’” recalled Ethan, “but the design was imperfect. We think we can do better and make it mathematically perfect.” The brothers then threw themselves into hundreds of hours of research and development. “I taught myself how to code in Python (a high-level programming language) and figured out how to take these equations and put them into a set of points I can input into my 3D printer software,” Ryan explained. After nearly 100 test prints, they were finally happy with their product. They are now selling them to horn players across the continent and at the International Horn Symposium in Montreal. Looking forward, Ethan and Ryan plan to continue their horn repair and mute-making business while simultaneously pursuing their college degrees in the fall. Ethan will attend Yale University for computer science and Ryan will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for computer science and music. Being apart will be both a challenge and an opportunity because, as Ryan explains: “We have different strengths and they work together extremely well. … If we hadn’t had each other, we would not be anywhere near where we are today.”
As told to Melissa Upton-Julio and Sasha Hartzell
Photos on Pages 8 and 9 by Wayne Reich
— Ryan Mash
SHORT TAKES BACKSTAGE | B. AFENI MCNEELY COBHAM
B. Afeni McNeely Cobham, Ph.D., known as “Dr. MC,” began her tenure this past April as the first associate vice chancellor and vice provost for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) at UNCSA, bringing decades of higher education experience and a heart for preparing inclusive artists. Q: You’re making history as UNCSA’s first executive dedicated to EDIB. What drew you here? This is a perfect opportunity to be part of an institution cultivating the next generation of artists, because entertainment, for better or worse, profoundly influences our society. It’s a wonderful marriage of my experience and expertise in dealing with race, identity and culture within the context of higher education, where we’re asking students to honor tradition and also step outside of themselves to be conscientious about how we are inclusive in the art we deliver and the role we play in the entertainment industry. Q: You developed a course on hip-hop culture a decade ago. What does it mean to prioritize EDIB in the arts? There’s no greater platform than art to move forward and celebrate the countless ways human identity shows up. From LGBTQ and race to religious identity or neurodiversity, we enter into conversations with diverse lived experiences. Using hip-hop made it easier for students to unpack issues around their favorite artists and gain an appreciation, understanding, empathy and connection to others through art. Q: The spotlight has been on social justice issues again in recent years. Has this renewed national attention affected how you approach your work? The current conversation is not new. It seems to have a 20-year cycle. In a society where we bill ourselves as the greatest in the world, why do we still have a shortfall in these areas? James Baldwin said, “The artist’s role is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” That quote is the bedrock of my work as a partner, doing my best to make people conscious. Q: What are your goals for your first 365 days as a Pickle? A listening tour will help me understand what’s been done thus far and how my knowledge and expertise can help bring momentum or shift some things in a different direction. I plan to enter conversations as a colleague, administrator and member of the Pickle community. I look at this role as an educator offering recommendations on advancing equity. All of this is tied to my upbringing. I grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, in an era when it was a pretty tough urban experience. It made me a better student, educator and person. When we have this equity conversation, the objective is to complement who you are so that you have the capacity, stamina, empathy and heart to engage whomever you meet.
As told to Kristin Zachary
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THE EVER-EXPANDING UNIVERSE OF
CAMILLE A. BROWN FROM UNCSA TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND, BROWN STAYS TRUE TO HER OWN VOICE AS HER VISION GROWS By Candice Thompson
part of the Metropolitan Opera season, dance is integral to telling boxer Emile Griffith’s profoundly moving life story. In a magnificently jubilant early number, choreographer Camille A. Brown (B.F.A. Dance ’01) uses the rhythms and dances of the African diaspora to drop the audience right into a St. Thomas carnival, evoking the spirit of Griffith’s youth in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Later, she reconfigures the Twist and the Mashed Potato, setting these classic social dances against Blanchard’s jazzy score to create the defiant and funky vibe of a gay bar Griffith frequents. She even pored over boxing warmup videos to craft scenes that offer a realistic shape to the sport portrayed onstage, drawing out its more percussive qualities. Brown’s ability to meticulously chart this emotionally resonant journey with rhythm and movement — one that is in dialogue with generational and cultural touchstones — makes her work critically successful and popular with audiences. “I’ve always loved social dance,” Brown said. “It sets place and time and the idea of culture for me. It’s important for every scene I’m building to have a seed, whether it’s the music, a movement, a place, a time.” Frequent collaborator Maleek Washington, who has worked alongside Brown as an assistant choreographer for theater and opera productions and danced in her work as a member of Camille A. Brown & Dancers, likens her to the legendary American dancer, choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham. “They are both anthropologists,” said Washington, noting the ethnographic underpinnings of Brown’s creative process. “When she looks at a work, she is looking at the time period and the social class, every notion of what it should look like. And that’s why she is an amazing choreographer, because that anthropological mindset of hers can switch into gear through research.”
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Camille A. Brown in “BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play”
Photo by Sharen Bradford
IN TERENCE BLANCHARD’S OPERA “CHAMPION,” seen this past spring as
“I’ve always loved social dance. It sets place and time and the idea of culture for me. It’s important for every scene I’m building to have a seed, whether it’s the music, a movement, a place, a time.”
Photo courtesy of Camille A. Brown
— Camille A. Brown
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Alongside such fastidious research, Brown’s relentless work ethic and commitment to following her artistic voice have paved the way for a multifaceted career. Her choreography pushes the boundaries dividing dance styles and continues to reach beyond the discipline of dance. In 2021, she became the first Black director of a mainstage production at the Metropolitan Opera, co-directing “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” with James Robinson as well as choreographing. In 2022, she directed the Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,” making her only the second Black woman to direct and choreograph a Broadway show. (The first was Dunham in 1955.) Her accolades are many and include Tony nominations for both her choreography and direction, the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, a Dance Magazine Award, an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Choreography, a Princess Grace Statue Award and an International Society for the Performing Arts Distinguished Artist Award. The 2022 production of “Mr. TOL E. RAncE” — part of her trilogy exploring race and identity — was nominated for a 2023 Bessie Award for outstanding revival. This past May, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from UNCSA as well as an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Drew University. In Brown’s UNCSA commencement speech, she offered the Class of ’23 insight into the resilience it takes to make it as an artist and stay true to yourself. “Rejection has been my greatest liberator,” she said. “The rejection of not always fitting into the ideal body led me to find my own voice through movement. After graduation, I would continue hearing a lot of noes. But as demonstrated time and time again, a no would always lead to a yes and that yes was far greater than the original no.” “She’s a mighty force that overcame some challenges and was successful despite those things, not because of those things,” said UNCSA Dean of Dance Endalyn T. Outlaw. “I thought she would be ideal to speak to a graduating class about to embark upon their journeys. They’re going to face many, many challenges that will require that they create opportunities and yeses for themselves.” Brown grew up in Jamaica, Queens, and took her early dance classes — ballet, tap and African in the 3- to 6-year-olds group — at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center. There she met teachers Carolyn DeVore, Brian Hawthorn and Roger C. Jeffrey, who became important mentors. 12
“The three of them really have shaped how I think about what it means to be a dancer,” Brown said. “They taught me that everything is intentional and has a purpose, and to give your best and do it to your fullest. They helped me to set my own standard that was really, really high.” At the same time, she was developing an awareness of the social dances that have become a hallmark of her work. “‘Soul Train’ was still on when I was growing up,” Brown remembers. “I watched Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson videos. And my mom introduced me to musicals.” She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the school that inspired the film and television show “Fame,” featuring Debbie Allen. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Allen became one of Brown’s role models. Allen’s story of being denied admission to UNCSA prompted Brown to consider the school for her undergraduate study. “I wanted to go to (University of) North Carolina School of the Arts because Debbie Allen wanted to go there,” Brown shared. Brown related to Allen’s experiences with body type bias as a fellow Black dancer. “My whole training, I had issues with not being the ideal body type and not being cast for certain things because I was told I wouldn’t fit the costume,” she said. “But my mom taught me to focus on something you love and find your voice. And I found mine during our composition classes with (Associate Professor of Contemporary Dance) Trish Casey. She asked us to think about what our personality moves us to do, and it was really exciting to see how our personalities lived in our movement.” Later, Brown would absorb more about the structure and craft of dance-making from Associate Dean of Contemporary Dance Brenda Daniels. “Slowly, through the four years, I was really understanding what it meant to create and how to create,” Brown said. “I have my own process now, but those tools gave us a springboard to go in our own directions.” After graduation, she danced six seasons with Ronald K. Brown’s EVIDENCE, absorbing the dances of the African diaspora before launching her own concert dance company that excavates a myriad of African American stories and identities. Over the years, she has folded in numerous choreographic credits working in theater, on- and off-Broadway, film and television, and in more recent years, opera. Her titles have also grown to reflect her new role as a theater and opera director. Along the way, she
Photo by Marc J. Franklin
“for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,” 2022
“Mr. TOL E. RAncE,” 2022
“Camille has this ability to situate a culture, a history, a vibe of Blackness into her work. There’s something that’s always very authentic about it.”
Photo by Christopher Duggan
— Endalyn T. Outlaw Dean, School of Dance
has nurtured a thriving company, developed the Social Dance for Social Change school under her company’s Every Body Move community engagement platform, and built a broad professional network that has helped many other careers lift off. More than two decades into Brown’s career, her creative process is interrogative, instinctual and collaborative, reflecting the low ego nature of her practice — a practice that prizes listening and being in community. “I ask a lot of questions,” Brown said. “How do I want an audience to feel? How do I want to feel? What do I want to see onstage? What is the idea? What does the music sound like based on the theme we’re talking about? What does my spirit want to talk about now? And then from there, I go.” When she was brought on to direct and choreograph the revival of “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,” those questions also came with the burden of history: What and how much of a cherished past production should stay? “‘For colored girls’ is over 40 years old and I was actually kind of freaking out about that because I knew that everybody knew the poem and the show,” Brown said. “It was highly regarded; dearly loved. I was a little nervous, and I didn’t want to disappoint. But one of my friends told me: ‘Don’t think of it as anything else but an offering.’ It shifted my entire perspective and changed my thinking. It took me out of the space of trying to make it something and just let it be what it was inside of my mind. And that’s the offering of the show.” Audiences got a look at some of Brown’s new offerings this past summer: her choreography in the Shakespeare in the Park production of “Hamlet” and for the new Broadway-bound show “Hippest Trip — The Soul Train Musical” at American Conservatory Theater. Looking into 2024, Camille A. Brown & Dancers will premiere a new work that takes up where her trilogy left off. Like Allen and Dunham, Brown’s trajectory is defined by a wide-ranging artistic vocabulary and a sweeping ambition to tell stories across the divide of different art forms and disciplines. “Camille has this ability to situate a culture, a history, a vibe of Blackness into her work,” Dean Outlaw said. “There’s something that’s always very authentic about it. Her life would probably be easier if she went with the formulaic, repeating what has been successful in her work. But what I’m always impressed by is that her work never looks the same.” When asked how she keeps so many different projects on track while leading a dance company, Brown said she turned the “me into we,” just as her commencement speech encouraged UNCSA graduates to do: “Think about the ‘we’ instead of ‘me.’ We never do anything alone. Always think of yourself as a team player.” For now, Brown continues to focus on her dance company and choreography. “I feel like I’m holding two careers, but I can only do it because I have a team,” she said. “We’re always crafting together. I’m proud to say that I have a community that I can tap into if there’s a project or I need advice. I have a pool of people that I know I can trust and that want the best for me. “As an artist moving through this world, having the safety of a home base, a place where you can be yourself, is really key.” Candice Thompson is a dance critic and writer living in Brooklyn. She has written extensively about dance for Andscape, ArtsATL, The Brooklyn Rail, Dance Magazine and Fjord Review, among other publications. 13
KEEPING PACE UNCSA ALUMNI ON AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY
ON A SPRING AFTERNOON in the heart of the
theater district in New York City, a group of UNCSA students, alumni, friends and supporters gathered around the stage at 54 Below, the renowned cabaret venue known as “Broadway’s Living Room.” They were there to hear from five alumni thriving in a variety of artistic careers in the city that never sleeps. An hour later, the audience had learned about the artists’ first jobs, big breaks, artistic epiphanies, responses to evolutions in the industry, and the myriad ways the UNCSA community has helped them along the way. At the forefront of the conversation was how the industry addresses challenges related to artist well-being — a topic reflected in UNCSA Forward, the institution’s five-year strategic plan. Following is an edited version of the conversation led by Chancellor Brian Cole.
From left: Brian Cole; Cenovia Cummins, Music ’84; Avery Glymph, Drama ’95; Gilana Lobel, Film ’05; Trey McIntyre, Dance ’87; Elisheba Ittoop, D&P ’07 14 14
Chancellor Cole: One of my favorite parts of this job is meeting so many incredible alumni. You are such an important part of this institution’s past and its present — and, together with our current students, its future. One thing we talk about a lot is the training that we offer at UNCSA and how it is relevant to the industry. How do you feel your industry has changed over time? And how have you had to evolve to keep pace with those changes? Elisheba Ittoop: Something I’ve noticed that’s changed is we’re having kinder, more considerate conversations. There’s more care being paid to working hours and conditions. I came into an industry that was maybe a little more brutal. It was basically “you work till you’re dead.” Do not say no to a gig. If you say no to a gig, you’re done. And with Gen Z coming up, I just don’t feel that from them. They care more about their mental health. I’m really excited about this younger generation coming up. Trey McIntyre: I agree with that quite a bit. I think there’s a massive sea change happening, especially in ballet. I remember the general feeling in the past that dancers could only fit into a prescribed role from above, and there was no room for real artistic growth in the way that there is now. And I feel like the young people have driven so much of that. Learning from young people and changing myself to be in a place of listening more and learning more in the room, it’s changed me dramatically as an artist. I’m finding there are ways to inspire and move people forward that are incredibly generative.
Photo by Raunak Kapoor
By Katherine E. Johnson
McIntyre: I remain to this day a voracious creator, and I’m just never happier than when I’m working, when I’m making something. I feel fulfilled; I feel balanced doing it. But I think there’s a certain trap: When it is your work and your job, anytime you create, it needs to be for some outcome. And so the distinction that was best for my mental health was, yes, everything can be a creative project, but it doesn’t have to always lead somewhere. For me, the pandemic was incredible because I didn’t have people calling on me who had needs. That was a time when I really got to reconnect with my most authentic creative spark and it brought me a lot of happiness.
Gilana Lobel: I would agree that the tides are changing in the industry. I think it’s an exciting time for people entering the industry because there’s all this emphasis on mental health, taking care of each other and finding better, more efficient ways to produce entertainment. When I started in the film business, you worked a hundred hours a week, making no money, and it didn’t really matter if you had feelings or thoughts. Avery Glymph: The cultural and labor shift is palpable. I’ve experienced it. As a director, that is a big thing for the students these days, and those are the students that are going to enter the profession. It’s starting to happen professionally, even more so. I’ve seen it in the students I’ve taught and students I’ve directed. Cenovia Cummins: I started working full speed in 1990, so that’s a long time ago. The business was so different then. As a freelancer, I was able to survive by casting my net into as many things as I could. I joined rock bands and country bands, and as a result I made myself more lucrative for things like, “We got a show; we need you to play guitar and violin.” Now I see the younger kids are doing that too. Classical is definitely your building block. But being flexible and learning other styles of music has been a lifeline for me. Chancellor Cole: Mental health and wellness is an important discussion on our campus, nationwide and in higher education. You all work in a demanding industry. How do you approach that with your own lives in terms of your careers, and how do you achieve balance? Glymph: Therapy’s great. Understanding your behavior, understanding what makes you behave the way you do — that is, I think, the definition of acting, character work and character analysis. I found that the things my therapist had me read were excellent for acting work.
Cummins: When you start out, you say yes to everything. Then, you get established and you have to fight that little voice that says, “I’m not going to get called for the next gig if I don’t say yes to this.” It’s a hard thing to fight. You have to value yourself. You have to know you have earned your worth and your accolades and learn how to create your boundaries. And I will say, in the workplace they are really becoming aware of self-care. At my show, “Funny Girl,” we have meditation Sundays before the show, which is really nice. Ittoop: I believe in the campsite rule: Leave the space, leave people better than you found them. It’s a big thing for me to, yes, take care of myself, but to also take care of people around me, especially younger people, especially Black, brown, queer, etc. Because oftentimes, they’ve come into an industry that maybe pays a little lip service to them but still is not set up in a way for them. And I want to help take care of them a little so they can keep improving things for subsequent generations. Chancellor Cole: I have enjoyed this time together so much. I’m so grateful to all five of you for your connection to this institution, commitment, time to be here today, and for what you create daily.
Lobel: I don’t fully subscribe to the idea of balance. I’m very much, “You need the ebb and the flow, because if you’re balanced you’re stagnant.” But it’s taken me a long time to realize that there’s more than just one direction, one path. I think it is important for all of us to know that we can lean in many different directions. And then another thing is navigating your boundaries. I don’t think you can know your boundaries until you’ve had a lot of experiences and tried lots of different things.
N ET W O R K W IT H U N C SA A L U MN I T H R O U G H “ U N C SA C O N N EC T S” A ND MO R E AT U N C SA . ED U / A L U MN I.
ALUMNI PANEL:
Cenovia Cummins
Avery Glymph
Elisheba Ittoop
Gilana Lobel
Trey McIntyre
Cummins is a violinist and concertmaster of The New York Pops, Riverside Symphony and the School of American Ballet Orchestra; has recorded with Madonna, Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett; and has played with orchestras for Broadway shows “American Idiot,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “West Side Story,” among others.
Glymph is an actor whose stage credits include the Broadway productions of “Life of Pi,” “The Skin of Our Teeth” and “The Tempest”; theater productions of “Amadeus,” “One Night in Miami” and “Hamlet”; and film and TV work including “Search Party,” “Madam Secretary,” “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Ugly Betty.”
Ittoop has an M.F.A. in sound design. She’s a designer, audio producer and composer who serves as a designer, composer, and engineer for The New York Times, as well as digital audio producer for WGBH’s Masterpiece Studio.
Lobel is a producer and a production manager for film and television and who has worked on projects such as “Russian Doll,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Lucky Grandma.” She is the author, along with UNCSA School of Filmmaking alumna Jennifer Haire (B.F.A. ’02), of “Keys to the Production Office: Unlocking Success as an Office Production Assistant in Film & Television.”
McIntyre is a dancer and choreographer who has created more than a 100 pieces in the span of his career. He’s worked with the Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Queensland Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and many more. He founded the Trey McIntyre Project.
Music ’84
Drama ’95
Design & Production ’07
Filmmaking ’05
Dance ’87
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UNCSA IN NEW YORK
UNCSA ALUMNI, FACULTY AND STAFF ENJOY A SPECIAL NIGHT IN THE STARS OVER BEAUTIFUL NEW YORK CITY Guests reconnected with old friends, got to hear from Chancellor Brian Cole, and took in performances by UNCSA alumni including Master of Ceremonies T. Oliver Reid (B.M. Music ’93), pianist Mikael Darmanie (B.F.A. Music ’09), dancer Chelsea Ainsworth (H.S. Dance ’06) and musical guests Bandits on the Run, which includes Regina Strayhorn (B.F.A. Drama ’13, H.S. ’09) and Sydney Torin Shepherd (B.F.A. Drama ’13, H.S. ’09). Stay tuned for more UNCSA alumni events near you. 16
Photos by Raunak Kapoor
SPRING CELEBRATION AT LINCOLN CENTER
HOMEGROWN SUCCESS STUDENT, ALUMNI PROJECTS HELP KEEP NORTH CAROLINA IN THE FILM BUSINESS
“A LIttle Prayer,” 2023
By Preetam Nayak
Photo courtesy of “A LIttle Prayer”
KNOWN FOR ITS picturesque landscapes and
multitude of distinct locations, the Tar Heel State has been a thriving hub for the film industry for decades. From the upcoming “Summer Camp” with Diane Keaton and Kathy Bates, shot in western North Carolina, to “Halloween Kills,” directed by Filmmaking alumnus David Gordon Green (B.F.A. ’98), shot in the eastern part of the state, North Carolina is no stranger to bringing big-ticket projects home. Films like comedy classic “Talladega Nights,” epic coming-of-age historical drama “The Color Purple,” sci-fi action film “The Hunger Games,” and countless others have set the precedent that North Carolina is rich not only in location but also in talent, both in front of lens and as well as behind it. With one of the nation’s top film schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is well situated to both train talent and attract it back to the state. Despite all this, the journey to permanently establish North Carolina as a film hub hasn’t always been smooth.
The state’s film industry was dealt a blow in 2015 when the film and television tax credit program shifted and the allocation amount was scaled back. This move, which lowered the fiscal benefit for productions filming in North Carolina, led producers to look for better deals in nearby states. Despite a track record of successful projects like “Iron Man 3” and “Cabin Fever” (produced by School of Filmmaking Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies Lauren Vilchik), that raked in hefty box-office numbers, and “Eastbound & Down,” created by Filmmaking alumnus Danny McBride (B.F.A. ’99), that garnered loyal viewership and boosted the local economy, the state lost upward of $400 million in jobs across multiple industries and economic investments, according to a timeline curated by the Raleigh News & Observer. Fast-forward to 2021: The state’s film and television grant program increased the rebate amount for productions and North Carolina once again caught the eye of producers and studios despite the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the North Carolina Film Office, the changes contributed to the state’s film industry closing out a historic year and reaching an all-time high with $416 million spent on productions. 17
“ The resilience of the film industry is like no other industry that I’ve seen. It’s remarkable.” — Rebecca Clark, executive director, Piedmont Triad Film Commission
“The resilience of the film industry is like no other industry that I’ve seen,” said Rebecca Clark, executive director of the Piedmont Triad Film Commission. “It’s remarkable.” Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, said the impact on the state’s economy is critical. “Sixty percent of (what they spend) goes to labor – local jobs … and then about 40 percent of that is money that they spend on vendors and goods and services. … That’s why we do what we do, because the productions create jobs, and (the filmmakers) spend money on small businesses.” In 2022, the North Carolina Department of Commerce reported that filmmakers spent more than $258 million on 74 films, television shows and streaming projects. These projects alone created more than 16,000 jobs across the state. “The film industry in North Carolina was very robust and then it faltered,” said UNCSA School of Filmmaking Dean Deborah LaVine. “What we know right now is that the industry is not a single entity and there is not just one way to make work in the industry.” Almost a decade since the initial film incentive change in North Carolina and 30 years since the UNCSA School of Filmmaking was established, the state of production has rebounded, allowing major and independent productions to favor the Tar Heel State once again. The revitalization of the state’s film industry has significantly benefited UNCSA Filmmaking students, alumni and faculty.
FINDING SYNERGY
Productions such as Hallmark’s “A Biltmore Christmas,” Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” and the Judy Blume adaptation “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” boast UNCSA alumni in a variety of production roles. Filmmaking alumna Breanna Ray-Smith (M.F.A. ’20) has parlayed her training to land coveted roles, such as program coordinator for the Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington. She has also worked on “Hightown,” Amazon Prime’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Boys of Summer,” among other projects, and is the growth and outreach director for North Carolina Black Creatives.
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“Graduating from UNCSA gave me a specific outlook on the North Carolina film industry and provided invaluable skill sets to contribute to the arts in my home state,” Ray-Smith said. Independent projects like “The Mourner,” co-directed by alumni Dan Mercer (M.F.A. ‘19) and Matthew Vermilyea (M.F.A. ‘19); “Suga Brown” by alumna Clarke Phillips (B.F.A ’22) and “Sammy, Without Strings” by alumnus Ralph Parker III (B.F.A. ’22) are also generating buzz on the film festival circuit. “There’s not just one center any longer,” said Dean LaVine. “Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta are central hubs, but with the advent of working remotely, an artist can live anywhere to develop their ideas and even create their work. For our filmmakers, there’s a rich opportunity to develop their stories in this region and other areas close by.” Filmmaking alumni McBride, Green and Jody Hill (B.F.A. ’99) offer a prime example. They created Rough House Pictures, which they moved from Los Angeles to Charleston, South Carolina, in 2017. The production company is responsible for hit projects like “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Halloween,” and has become a powerhouse while creating and setting film and TV in the Carolinas. In a feature on McBride, The New York Times wrote, “It seems like creative utopia. The region’s lower production costs have made it easier for Rough House to develop an array of dream projects, relying on local crews fed and ferried by local businesses.”
A SUNDANCE SUCCESS STORY
“A Little Prayer,” written and directed by alumnus and Winston-Salem native Angus MacLachlan (H.S. Visual Arts ’76, B.F.A. Drama ’80) and co-produced by Assistant Dean Vilchik, is another recent success story. Filmed locally in Winston, the film was a hit at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it secured a distribution deal through Sony Pictures Classics with Variety writing that MacLachlan (“Junebug” screenwriter, also shot in Winston) “has slowly but surely emerged as an auteur of authentic stories representing the American South.”
Photos by Wayne Reich and Connor Ryan
The crew for “A Little Prayer” was composed almost entirely of current Filmmaking students and alumni, and it stars several Drama alumni, including Celia Weston, Anna Camp (B.F.A. ’04) and Steve Coulter (B.F.A. ’81). Filmmaking alumnus Abraham Bengio (B.F.A. ’18) was the sales agent and oversaw distribution of the film. “For students to see a professional shoot, take it all the way through production, through film festival, to sale is an incredible experience,” said Vilchik, co-founder of the nonprofit Film Partnership of North Carolina, a training program that helps build the skill sets of underrepresented individuals in the local and regional film industry workforce. “(For students) to gain experience in production while simultaneously tapping into resources to increase their creative portfolio is key and the best value for the education at UNCSA.” As a filmmaker, having a project screen or premiere at a major festival could be a career-defining moment — having a Sundance-related project on your resume even before graduating is monumental. Alumna Jessica Zingher (M.F.A. ’23) worked in distribution for the film prior to graduation. “Watching Lauren and other professionals put topics we discussed in class like distribution, marketing strategy and deal-making into action was an incredibly valuable experience,” Zingher said. The film was an example of how a Triad-area project could be successful. “Our devotion to the region … that spirit and that energy attracts like-minded people,” Vilchik said. “From the investor pool to the support of the Arts Council, to the support of UNCSA, to the support of the city, it became an all-hands-on-deck kind of thing. … “Because of the school, because of the highly trained students, because of the timing and all of the resources we could pull together locally, it was effectively an affordable way to make the film,” Vilchik said. With the recent success of “A Little Prayer,” Vilchik said that several more projects with alumni connections could be in the pipeline to film in North Carolina in the near future.
“ Graduating from UNCSA gave me a specific outlook on the North Carolina film industry and provided invaluable skill sets to contribute to the arts in my home state.” — Breanna Ray-Smith
“AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY”
The momentum is continuing in 2023 with several greenlighted productions and nearly $10 million in grants and rebates utilized in the first quarter alone, according to the North Carolina Film Office. This increase in productions doesn’t just positively affect the local film scene — it also creates more unique opportunities and resources for filmmaking students. “For the student who wants to make films about their origin stories, staying in the region and knowing you’ll have the facility, the infrastructure to make your films, I think is an extraordinary opportunity,” Dean LaVine said. North Carolina is once again establishing itself as a mecca for film production. Its diverse scenery continues to inspire, while its local film community and wealth of talent promise a future of cinematic excellence. The evolution in North Carolina has not only transformed the state into a sought-after destination for filmmakers but has also propelled the school to the forefront of nurturing emerging talent; tomorrow’s award-winning films are only an idea away.
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DEFYING THE IMPOSSIBLE DESIGN & PRODUCTION ALUMNI BRING NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN ENTERTAINMENT TO LIFE WITH INDUSTRY GIANT TAIT
The Weeknd, 2022
By Lauren Whitaker
Apple Music Halftime Show featuring multiple Grammy Award winner Rihanna. The 118.7 million viewers were also watching the work of UNCSA alumni as employees of industry giant TAIT, one of the world’s most innovative suppliers of live entertainment experiences and an employer of numerous alumni of the School of Design and Production (D&P) at UNCSA. In 2022 alone, TAIT accelerated the worldwide return to live entertainment with clients as diverse as Adele, Lady Gaga, the Royal Opera House, Time Magazine’s 100 Summit at Lincoln Center, Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience, MSC Cruises and countless others. TAIT employs creative engineers, fabricators, producers and technologists across 20 offices worldwide and has worked on projects in more than 30 countries across all seven continents. D&P Dean Michael J. Kelley, an alumnus of the scene design program, says the school has built a strong relationship with TAIT that benefits students before and after graduation. For example, TAIT employees have presented workshops at Intensive Arts (a traditional two-week period devoted solely to arts projects), including one where they taught students how to fly actors onto a set. “That was a big wow,” Dean Kelley said. “The students loved it.” TAIT nearly always attends D&P’s annual Job Fair, and students have gone to the company’s career day at its global headquarters in Lititz, Pennsylvania. “Our alumni love working there; I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Kelley continued. “The School of Design and Production is proud of its excellent track record in employment for our graduates. TAIT is just one example of the incredible industry connections and networking opportunities that UNCSA offers — and we are so proud of our many Pickle ties to the groundbreaking work TAIT is doing in the global entertainment industry.” Currently, about a dozen UNCSA alumni work at TAIT, bringing to life never-before-seen live entertainment experiences.
Photo courtesy of TAIT
ON FEB. 12, 40 percent of American households tuned in to watch the Super Bowl LVII
“ The best part is working with all these extremely talented, creative and intelligent people.” — Justin Fenniman
Photos courtesy of Justin Fenniman, Sarah Grover, Jacob Ostdiek and Sydney Yeoman
Clockwise from top left: Jacob Ostdiek Justin Fenniman Sydney Yeoman Sarah Grover
“ The School of Design and Production is proud of its excellent track record in employment for our graduates. TAIT is just one example of the incredible industry connections and networking opportunities that UNCSA offers.” — Michael J. Kelley Dean, School of Design and Production 21
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THE MECHANICAL INTEGRATOR
THE MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER
Making Sure Everything Works
Putting a Theater Background to Good Use
Mechanical Integrator Jacob Ostdiek (B.F.A. ’19), who concentrated in scenic technology, was one of the alumni who helped create the floating platforms that held Rihanna and her dancers in what TAIT team lead Aaron Siebert called “the most technically advanced Super Bowl halftime show that’s ever been done.” Other alumni who worked alongside Ostdiek on the project include Casey Roche (B.F.A. ’04), Dan McLaughlin (B.F.A. ’11) and McLane Snow (B.F.A. ’07), who all concentrated in technical direction; and Daniel Porter (B.F.A. ’08), who concentrated in lighting. As mechanical integrator, Ostdiek is the person who makes sure everything works. “I take everything that TAIT is delivering to a client and make it work together,” he said. “After it has been designed, built and painted, I have to make sure it works, can tour around the world and is serviceable. I work on-site with production and other vendors to achieve the artist’s vision.” Since joining TAIT shortly after graduating, Ostdiek has also worked on projects for some of the world’s biggest artists, including Adele’s Las Vegas residency; tours for the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish; and JUMP by Limitless Flight, the world’s first hyperreal wingsuit simulator, winner of a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association. Though the JUMP project took most of a year for Ostdiek, it was very fulfilling. “Getting to play a part in designing, building, installing and bringing the idea to life was a blast,” he said. “It’s hard to beat when a moment from a show goes viral and our work is plastered all over social media.”
Mechanical Design Engineer Justin Fenniman (B.F.A. ’19), who concentrated in scenic technology, enjoys the TAIT working environment. “The best part is working with all these extremely talented, creative and intelligent people,” he said. “It’s a great resource to bounce ideas off anybody in the room. With so many shows under TAIT’s belt, if you can’t figure it out, you can probably find another show with a similar situation you can build from.” What is a mechanical design engineer? “In short, I draw pretty shapes and make drawings,” Fenniman said. “I take the design process from the project’s start, where I estimate hours and develop some design concepts. From there, I flesh out the design and meet with the fabrication and integration teams to make sure the design can be built and installed. Then I make construction drawings for the fabrication team and send the parts off to the machine shop. “If I did my job right, it ends there, but there is always some support and revision work after that,” added Finneman, whose work at TAIT includes Carrie Underwood’s Las Vegas residency and Gorillaz’s shows at this year’s Coachella festival. Since joining TAIT in 2021, Finneman has been challenged by learning to design machinery. “It’s very different from building flats and platforms,” he said. “Thankfully, my theater background doesn’t leave me at square one. With a strong base of drafting and creative problem-solving, once you learn the rules, it quickly all comes together.”
Photo courtesy of TAIT
Elton John: “Farewell Yellow Brick Road,” 2018
THE SCENIC ARTIST
THE MENTORS
Investing in People Who Share Core Values
Advice That Rings True
Scenic Artist Sydney Yeoman (B.F.A. ’19), who concentrated in scene painting, has found it challenging to work in a creative role within a manufacturing setting. “I am constantly being pushed mentally and physically,” she said. “Every brushstroke is made with intention, and the decision fatigue can be hard to work through sometimes.” But the TAIT environment is helpful. “Being encouraged to participate in conversations that lead to tangible changes keeps me invested in more than just the end product but the people I work with as well,” she said. Yeoman appreciates TAIT’s core values. “I feel lucky to be part of a company that recognizes its responsibility to lead the way in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion, safety and sustainability – not only for our internal teams but for the industry at large.” After working as an intern for TAIT during the summer of 2018, Yeoman joined the company full time in 2019. Her most compelling project to date is Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. “I’ve seen this project through two iterations,” she said. “The first was designed for indoor arena venues with a large proscenium arch adorned with gold bricks and larger-than-life sculptures. “The second was redesigned to play in stadiums, where the proscenium was shortened with large handmade gold roses weaving in and out of gold bricks,” she said. “The artistry and logistics that went into making these projects happen are great examples of what our team is capable of producing – a beautiful and rugged product that still stuns audiences years later.” Yeoman has also worked on scene designs for Grammy winners Adele and The Weeknd and nominees Eric Church and The Black Crowes.
Grover learned that skill from faculty mentor Eric Nottke, whose advice continues to resonate: “Project managers don’t need to have all the answers; they just need to know who to ask.” The other alumni also remember lessons from faculty. Ostdiek named several mentors who helped him get where he is today. “The advice I think about most often is from Jack Miller: ‘KISS — keep it simple, stupid.’ It is really easy (and often fun!) to come up with big, complex solutions, but the best ones are the simplest,” he said. Yeoman said she was lucky to have two faculty mentors: Howard Jones and Susan Crabtree. “Howard trained me to initiate my artistic process simply and build complexity as needed. As an artist, overthinking can be a big obstacle to overcome,” she said. “Under Howard, I learned to quiet my own thoughts and build artistic instincts that I could rely on.” During her final year, Yeoman was paint shop foreman, which required her to work closely with Crabtree. “Her unwavering support made it possible for me to find my voice, which has helped me in my current position at such a large company,” Yeoman said.
THE PROJECT MANAGER Solving Problems Every Day For Project Manager Sarah Grover (B.F.A. ’21), who studied stage management, a short-term project with an interesting client can be just as exciting as a huge tour. “I worked on a project with the Drone Racing League last year,” she said. “We sent a bunch of rigging gear and a couple of (small cranes) down to Las Vegas to rig a 100-foot-long net. It was the kind of project where we gathered the gear, devised a plan, figured it out and fit up on-site.” As a project manager, her role is to take a client concept through the shop all the way to delivery. “I am the advocate for the client to the organization and for the TAIT team to the client,” she explained. Since arriving at TAIT in 2021, Grover has worked in the permanent install market, which has handled projects such as the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. “These theme parks pose different but similar challenges to what I faced in theater,” she said. “They are built for long-term, often daily and frequently outdoor use by the general public — not just for a week or so by cast and crew in a theater venue.” Grover enjoys solving problems daily with “some of the smartest people in the industry. Whether working with new technology or repurposing the old, the work and the people keep me on my toes and learning.” Most of her colleagues have 10 or more years of experience than she does. “I go into conversation with lots of questions and can’t be afraid to ask them to explain it to me again in small words,” she said. “Thankfully, my co-workers are very good at what they do and even better at explaining it.”
PICKLES APLENTY With all those Pickles on the TAIT payroll, it’s not unusual for the alumni to collaborate. Yeoman’s boss, Karla Ramsey, graduated with a B.F.A. from UNCSA in scene painting in 2007 and is scenic operations supervisor at TAIT. Every day, Yeoman said, she crosses paths with alumni who are managers, project managers, estimators, integrators, designers and even subcontractors. “TAIT has its fair share of Pickles,” said Ostdiek. “From lighting and sound alum to School of Dance graduates, you never know who you will run into on the road.”
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HERE, THE FUTURE OF ART AND ARTIST ALIGN RISE TO GRE AT NESS AT U NCSA
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Front cover photo by Josefina Santos. Back cover photo by Jeremy Cowart.
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