Class Notes Crewdson Recognized with Endowed Instructorship Appointment Head of School Rebecca T. Upham announced in November that Christa Crewdson, Middle School drama teacher, has been named as the latest recipient of BB&N’s endowed Marian W. Vaillant Future Leader Instructorship. Crewdson, who has been a drama teacher and 8th grade advisor since 2009, is described by her colleagues as a “high-impact community member.” Indeed, her effect on the Middle School program and its students has been nothing short of dramatic. Christa is widely hailed for her stellar work with the Middle School theater program. She helped revive the annual MS Musical production, working in close collaboration with music teacher Kathi Gellar. Her students’ dramatic productions are known for taking chances and being gutsy. A recent example was the performance of Mother Hicks in 2014, a play whose plot relied heavily on the use of American Sign Language (ASL) by one of the characters.
Upper School Fall Play: Holy Ghosts Upper School students took to the stage this fall for another dramatic performance with their version of Romulus Linney’s play, Holy Ghosts. The production tells the story of one Coleman Shedman, a hard-living individual whose wife, Nancy, has run away with a southern Pentecostal reverend. In an attempt to get his wife back, Coleman and his lawyer visit the church where Nancy’s new intended husband preaches, but things do not proceed quite as planned. Both funny and moving, the production highlighted the many talents of BB&N’s theater program, acting, crew, and directing.
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Equally bold has been Crewdson’s insistence on motivating her casts to participate in statewide competitions such as the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival. Over the past few years, BB&N productions have earned two overall gold medals and three silver medals at this festival. More rewarding in Christa’s eyes, though, are what her students learn in the process: “Our kids meet other kids from all over the state. It’s great exposure for them. They also learn independence, as they have to rely on themselves and each other during their performance.” One of the most transformative impacts Christa has had on the Middle School community springs from her work with improvisational theater for this age group. She arrived at BB&N with an already impressive presence in the local artistic world, having founded and directed three different improv groups (Improv Jones Providence, Improv Jones Boston, and Improv Jones Jr.). Christa introduced that same infectious energy and collaborative spirit to the MS campus with the establishment of “The Players,” an improv group that found perfect synergy with young adolescents’ ability to think quickly on their feet, combined with their zealous, spirited, and sometimes awkward quest to make sense of the world around them and find their own unique voice. In addition, many of her Middle School students in past years have joined Crewdson’s outside improv groups as well—a testament to her gift for fostering connections among her students and the region’s artistic community. Christa is also called a “gem of a colleague” by her co-workers. It’s no surprise at all that she chairs the faculty’s all-school “professional enrichment and recreation” committee. In addition, she and husband, Mike, are the parents of a BB&N first grader, Callie. Brava, Christa, on your appointment as BB&N’s third recipient of the Marian W. Vaillant Future Leader Instructorship!
Former Chair of the Board of Trustees Honored by Boston Business Journal Former BB&N board chair, Laura Hodges Taylor ’74, P’04, ’08, recently received the Corporate Leadership award from Boston Business Journal at the publication’s 2015 Leaders in Diversity event this October. Hodges Taylor, a partner at Goodwin Procter, was one of two recipients of the annual award which recognizes companies and individuals for their work promoting and enhancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Hodges Taylor is a founder and chair of Goodwin’s Women’s Initiative, which focuses on the retention, development, advancement, and leadership of women lawyers. Through her work with the Women’s Initiative, she has been involved in development of the firm’s unconscious bias training, leadership programming, visibility programming, and sponsorship and mentorship for women attorneys. Under her leadership, the Women’s Initiative has grown to include an Executive Committee, a Steering Committee, and seven Local Councils. In addition to her work on behalf of the firm, Hodges Taylor is also Co-Vice Chair of WILEF, leading the Boston chapter of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), an organization dedicated to enhancing business development, advancement, and leadership opportunities for women lawyers at the country’s largest law firms and corporate departments. 12
PICTURED x 1 x Isaac Martin ’18, Tatum Nadherny ’17, Caroline Scheer ’18, and Daniel Kutsovsky ’18 x 2 x Molly McGourty ’16 and Charlie Heveran ’17 x 3 x Thomas Mandile ’17, Nick Piccirillo ’17, and Jacob Leder ’16 x 4 x Phoebe Tsao ’16, Thomas Mandile ’17, Nick Piccirillo ’17, and Jacob Licht ’17, 13