Today at Breck
Spring 2015
Catching up With some Alumni artists
Breck’s extraordinary performing arts program has helped launch many professional careers, including that of theater company founders Rob Melrose ’88 and Sara Marsh ’98 – both profiled in previous editions of Today at Breck. For this issue, we thought it would be interesting to check in with eight other alumni who are pursuing their interests in art.
dwell ’88: Alycya Hjelm Cardwell ’88: Alycya Hjelm Cardwell ’88: Alycya Hjelm Cardwe 36 /
What are you doing now? I am CEO and owner of Moore Creative Talent, Inc, the
Tom Hegg is also a Carnegie Mellon graduate and he inspired me on the theatrical side with some participation to help me form an empathy toward performance and our actors!!
premier talent agency in the
After graduation, I was hired as a graphic designer by a local
Twin Cities.
company and produced their logo, a plum assignment for a
Right now we are working
graphic designer.
on a Woody Harrelson film
I utilize my design skills now in working to maximize the
casting character actors who
potential for actors and models through the design of their
have great skills because of
head shots and composite cards.
practicing their craft at our wonderful local theaters like the
I think working with my mother, Andrea Hjelm, who has
Guthrie, Mixed Blood, Jungle, Theatre Wu, the Children’s
been successful in the industry since her college days when
Theatre and many more great venues.
she first met Eleanor Moore the founder, from whom she
What do you like about it?
bought the agency in 1981, because she had functioned as a
I love what I do. Every day is a different day. There is never boredom in our industry, we represent fantastic actors, hair and makeup artists and beautiful people and it is a thrill to
model, producer of fashion shows etc., has been an influence for me. I started working with her when I was 11.
find work for these deserving talent.
What advice would you give a Breck student considering a performing arts career?
I may be casting children and babies for Target print one day
As for advice, follow through with a formal college educa-
and adults for a health care campaign the next.
tion. My initial area of study was graphic design because I
Film and television casting are the most difficult and also the most fun because one gets to view the final product more often.
Anyone (or anything) at Breck influential in setting you on your path? Breck School helped me find my life path, art. Ms. Franke and Mr. Hardy helped me to build a portfolio which was strong enough to gain recognition and an audition for me at one of the best graphic design programs in the country, located at Carnegie Mellon University, where the beginnings of computer graphics were in development.
was an accomplished artist, but now as I am doing something else, all of that experience gives me a better perspective of the business side of art. I watched my college sorority sisters study musical theater at this esteemed college and they found success due to their talent development and as they graduated, their connections with producers and directors nationwide that went to the same college years before them. Build your foundation and use the “loyalty card” to lead you to success.