HomeFront Holiday Party/Alumni in the Arts

December 14, 2019

For the twenty-sixth consecutive year, the Pennington School community came together to host its annual HomeFront Holiday Party on Saturday, December 14, 2019. The Holiday Party is a Pennington tradition; Pennington students and faculty members host guests from HomeFront, a local organization serving those in need in Mercer County. The annual party offers neighbors from HomeFront a luncheon provided by Sodexo and served by Pennington students and staff, a visit and photo with Santa, arts and crafts stations, a dance party complete with deejay, bingo for adults, a book corner, and more. A highlight of the party is Santa’s Workshop, where the HomeFront families, parents and children alike, all have the opportunity to “shop” for gifts to give their loved ones.

The Pennington senior class Peer Leaders worked hard to ensure that there was a present in Santa’s Workshop for every child at the party, and the School’s faculty and staff donated gifts for children to give to their parents. There were about 350 guests in total at the event. In

Santa’s Workshop, HomeFront guests selected items for children whose ages ranged from infants to teenagers. In addition, books, hats, scarves, and gloves were distributed to all attendees. The Pennington School’s community supported the cause by donating unwrapped presents, decorating “Giving Trees” around campus with winter gear, and bringing in new and gently used books. Many current students volunteered at the event itself to set up and clean up, and to host individual tables for the visiting families. Parents, faculty, and staff pitched in to help with registration, serve food, and wrap presents.

HomeFront is a Mercer County not-forprofit organization devoted to ending homelessness and poverty in central New Jersey, and the School’s annual party has become a beloved tradition for all involved.

Alumni in the Arts

by Lisa Houston

A Class Act—An interview with Michael Lee Brown ’11

Brown started performing at a young age, learning the business and working professionally from Los Angeles to New York City. A proud Pennington and Marymount Manhattan College graduate, Brown has performed in various regional theatre productions such as: Torch Song Trilogy at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, under the direction of Michael Kahn. He has been seen on television in shows like Happyish, and in live performances with the Dear Evan Hansen company at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and on NBC’s Today, for which he and the cast received an Emmy Award. Brown recently released his solo EP, Way It Used To Be, comprising his original songs. It was produced by Matthew James Thomas (star of Pippin) and recorded at the studio of Duncan Sheik (composer of Spring Awakening). Brown has been teaching acting, vocal performance, and audition technique in New York City and throughout the country for several years and will continue to do so until his next project appears. Michael Lee Brown ’11 performed each week for the past three years as an understudy and as the alternate in the title role of Evan Hansen in the six-time Tony Award and GRAMMY-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. In addition to playing the title role, he covered the other two male principal characters (Connor and Jared) and is the first person ever to have performed all three roles on Broadway.

54 Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20 I caught up with Michael during his last week of performances in November. As his former teacher and director, I have been amazed to follow his career development from a distance and to see him pursue and achieve his dream of performing on Broadway. It is also a thrill to see glimpses of him in his characters and to see his signature talents, which we first saw during his time onstage at Pennington, now being applied to new roles. Michael was a gracious host to many Pennington fans over his time in the show—students, parents, faculty, and our Spanish exchange visitors—always willing to meet backstage or at the stage door, pose for photographs, and sign autographs.

Photo credit: Nathan Johnson

Michael Lee Brown ’11

Michael, what was the best thing about performing on Broadway ? For me, it was feeling how this show in particular affected audiences. Dear Evan Hansen carries so many wonderful themes and important topics of discussion. The show is so relevant and telling of how we live in society today. Receiving letters every week and hearing people’s connection to my performance and the story were truly gifts as both a person and as an actor. It was also super fun to sing the catchy songs!

What was the most challenging thing about performing/ swinging for three different roles ? You shared some of your techniques with the cast of Footloose, a few years back, but let’s share the secrets of Broadway’s most difficult task with all the Pennington readers. I was with the show for three years, and for about two of those years I mainly just played Evan Hansen but was still able to go on for the other two male leads. It was a lot of work in the beginning. I would rent my own rehearsal room after rehearsals and have my mom run lines with me while I did the blocking. I would often switch between characters both during my own rehearsal time and my designated rehearsal times with the cast. The hardest part for me was not saying the other person’s lines when in a scene with a character whom I was also covering. There were also times when I had to go on as Evan Hansen twenty minutes in, or halfway through a show with only second’s notice because the other actor became sick.

What was something you learned at Pennington that you carry with you now in your theatre career ? At Pennington, I learned the importance of being a good person and following your own path. I think that in doing both these things, I was able to achieve my lifelong dream of being on Broadway.

What advice would you give a budding performer ? If you truly love it, keep at it. Own your strengths while working on what you feel are your weaknesses. Performing is just as solid as a career choice as any other, so if you really want to do it, just do it.

What’s next for you ? I will continue my career as an actor. I will also continue to write and create more music.

Other alumni in the arts

Alex Magliaro ’99 Alex Magliaro ’99 was accepted into the M.A. Acting program at Drama Centre London in August and left Citigroup, where he had worked for the past fourteen years. He reports that “Drama Centre has been thrilling. I couldn’t be happier, although it’s much more work than at Citi, but I’m loving every minute of it. One of the things that’s stayed with me from Pennington is how much the theatre was a ‘team sport.’ We weren’t just actors putting on a play; we had such strong working relationships with the techies and backstage that it felt like one big family. I’ve really taken that with me into life at Cornell, at Citi, and now at Drama Centre. Pennington taught me to respect every part of the process.”

Megan Mallouk ’01 As a professional circus artist and instructor, Megan Mallouk ’01 travels the world, performing and teaching. She works on large-scale productions and solo performances as a performer, choreographer, and behind-the-scenes coordinator. She teaches classes and workshops in specific aerial- and ground-based disciplines to various age levels. Her advice to budding artists is “Learn to be adaptable and cooperative. These are qualities that will make you easy to work with and very memorable for when that next job/role/position opens up and needs to be filled. Talent can get your foot in the door, but your attitude and work ethic are what keep you in the business. Plus, don’t be afraid to pursue hobbies that aren’t exactly mainstream. You never know, those talents might just make you valuable and land you in the circus!”

Megan Mallouk ’01

Photo credit: Stacey Michelle, Seriffim Photography

Andy Ridings ’03 Andy Ridings ’03’s most recent projects include a recurring role on the Comedy Central show The Other Two with Molly Shannon and a guest-star role on the CBS show Mom starring Anna Faris. This past summer, Ridings starred in a short film that won Best Comedy Short at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. He has many fond memories of drama classes at Pennington, but the thing he carries with him most of all is the skill of improvisation. “This helped me develop a sense of creating and developing a character inside the world of a script, seeing what else can happen on stage (or set) besides what is written out before you, and making the world and the characters you play your own. It is something that I’m forever grateful for, because I use it in almost every audition, rehearsal, and performance. I love what I do, and it is because at an early age, Pennington Drama encouraged me to act and make people laugh. And now I make my living doing just that!”

Amy Mayes ’06 Amy Mayes ’06 and her husband, Tom Morgan ’05, were Pennington sweethearts! One of Mayes’s favorite projects this year was the Seattle 48 Hour Film Festival. Mayes and Morgan got to act together in a short comedy, and their film, Big Little Limes, won Audience Choice and Best Ensemble Acting awards. Mayes shares this lesson she learned doing shows at Pennington: “Pennington Drama taught me that the best work is made when everyone is working together. If you believe in the greatness of each other, everyone will rise to those expectations and make something special in the process.” She also encourages young artists to “make art if it’s your dream. Most people will give up and do something else. But if you surround yourself with people who believe in you, you can make it your life.”

Adam Tolzis ’08 After being a co-producer on @midnight for Comedy Central, Toltzis worked in the writers’ room on Trial & Error for NBC and is now working on Your Honor for Showtime, scheduled to air next year. He credits Pennington with teaching him the valuable skill of collaboration. “I learned how valuable it is to have a supportive community when creating something special. It really does take a village to make something great. And if you have collaborators and people you can trust along the way—through missteps and progress alike— you end up with a better finished product.”

Coleman Betlyon ’10 Coleman Betlyon ’10 currently works in the automation department at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as the automation programmer, focusing on the various control systems that move and fly the scenery and performers for shows at the Met. He also assists in operating shows, building, and maintaining the

Andrew Agress ’13

Andy Ridings ’03

“I learned [at Pennington] how valuable it is to have a supportive community when creating something special....” —Adam Tolzis ’08

Amy Mayes ’06

James Fleming ’10

Andrew Agress ’13 “Say yes to everything!” —Andrew Agress ’13

“It really felt like the synthesis of all of my experiences at Pennington. The collaboration and joy in that room has been a highlight not only of my time in Pennington Drama, but also of my artistic life. There is power in shared leadership and an ensemble creating an artistic event together without ego.”

—James Fleming ’10

machinery used for automated effects. Betlyon says that, every day in his work, he uses the critical skill of creative problem-solving, which he learned working on tech crew at Pennington. “Even with the resources of the Met, our department often has to get creative with what we have on hand and in a limited timeframe. This is reminiscent of builds and experiences as part of Pennington Drama’s tech crew.” He wants to remind current students that “just because you want to go into the arts doesn’t mean that science and math aren’t important. Depending on the arts discipline you choose, those subjects might end up being critically important. I use them both every day.”

James Fleming ’10 James Fleming ’10 is currently pursuing an M.F.A.degree in directing at the Yale School of Drama. This month, he is directing a.k. payne’s Where Pathways Meet at Yale. In addition to schoolwork, this winter he’ll be directing a reading of Herland by Grace McLeod for Leve Productions in New York, starring Kathleen Chalfant, Midori Francis, and Annie Golden. Fleming fondly remembers many special times in the drama program at Pennington; his Horizon project, Shakesperience, stands out as a truly joyful collaboration. “It really felt like the synthesis of all of my experiences at Pennington. The collaboration and joy in that room has been a highlight not only of my time in Pennington Drama, but also of my artistic life. There is power in shared leadership and an ensemble creating an artistic event together without ego.” He also wants young artists to always seek positive collaborations with other artists and organizations. “Find ones that align, even imperfectly, with your unique vision of the world, and use their resources to push your vision forward and create space for other artists you admire. I believe that in making that work, you can change the world, and that it’s the community you grow with and pull up behind you that will make your legacy.”

Andrew Agress ’13 Andrew Agress ’13 is currently pursuing his M.F.A. degree in dramaturgy at Columbia University. He also writes for The Theatre Times. He co-wrote the play That Sinking Feeling, which was brought to the Minneapolis and Providence fringe festivals this past summer. A lesson Agress gleaned from Pennington was “the value of collaboration and community in the arts. People looked out for each other, and getting to know people in the show and build friendships with them helped strengthen our work together during the rehearsal process. It’s so much easier to give or take ideas or notes and work on something if you care about the collective vision and the people contributing to it alongside you.” His trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012 opened his eyes to the possibilities of these theatrical festivals. It’s inspiring to see him as an active fringe artist to this day. He encourages young artists to simply “say yes to everything!”

Hope MacKenzie ’13 Hope MacKenzie ’13 recently started a new position at Jerry Bruckheimer Television as the assistant to the president of television. Her primary responsibility is to project-manage both the development and production of their television properties. MacKenzie’s artistic pride was sparked at Pennington. “One thing that the performing arts at Pennington taught me is that art is a team sport—no matter what part of the industry you’re in. Every player involved is excelling in their own space to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It was always amazing to see how TPS Drama could

Hope MacKenzie ’13 Isabella Iorio ’17

Tess McGuinness ’14 (playwright)

Photo credit: AK47Division l Media

Photo credit: James Paxton

build a show at Pennington together, brick by brick, and each of us could take ownership and pride in the part that we played in making it happen. Every day, I see the importance of this team mentality in giving any project the wings it needs to fly.” She’s also realized that young adults can be trusted in the industry to make significant contributions. “Adults wouldn’t trust a young person to be their doctor or their lawyer, but they might trust them to take their headshot, design their logo, play them a song, or paint them a picture. My advice to young people is to capitalize on that autonomy.”

Tess McGuinness ’14 Tess McGuinness ’14 currently works as an assistant to an Emmy-nominated producer in independent film, music video,

and commercials. She has been fortunate enough to work directly on a number of exciting projects, including music videos for Weezer and Danny Brown, a feature film, and an NBA commercial filmed in Las Vegas. She has also worked in production for Saturday Night Live for two seasons. She has produced plays at the New York Fringe Festival and has her eyes on a screenwriting graduate school program in the near future. Her love and appreciation for Shakespeare, developed here at Pennington, has followed her throughout her academic and professional life. “In college, I became company manager of the Shakespeare troupe on campus at Dartmouth, which

58 Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20 Henry Sheeran ’14

Photo credit: Leigh Honigman

then led me to direct several productions, which in turn led to my playwriting beginnings. Last summer I produced Sigh No More, a play I wrote based loosely on Shakespearean tropes, that explores the struggles of working regional theater actors.” McGuinness encourages young artists to dive in and make their own opportunities.

Henry Sheeran ’14 Henry Sheeran ’14 keeps busy with many theatrical projects these days. “I am an improviser with Eight is Never Enough (short-form improv shows), Accomplice (a walk-through-the-city-and-meet-zanycharacters show), and Dinner Detective

NYC (like “Clue,” but in real life). I am looking forward to playing Young Lad in The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall this spring in Burlington, Vermont. I’m applying to graduate school for dramatic writing, and working on a new play. I also direct once in a while, work in lighting in various offBroadway theaters, and serve on the board of directors for Bated Breath, an immersive theater company.” Like others, Henry found value in the lessons that theatrical collaboration taught him at Pennington. However, he states, “the most important thing that Pennington taught me is that kindness is a prerequisite in this industry. Especially nowadays. While movies and pop media deify the divas and the jerks who make it to the top, in reality, theater is a tiny world, and if you don’t approach people with kindness and respect, it gets around. And vice versa: people will actually want to work with you.” Tim Secrest ’14 Tim Secrest ’14 spends his days on the road as a video and lighting technician after his recent graduation from California Institute of the Arts. “I’m about to do a two-month European tour with Ghostemane as their video/lighting technician. My most recent projects were being the head electrician/systems technician for Dita Von Teese’s New Year’s Eve Gala at the Orpheum Theatre in LA, Photo credit: Canadian Beats Media the lighting director for the “We Love You Lil Tecca” North America tour, and gaffer for The Howard Stern Show’s LA shows. I’ve worked on various television programs and specials for NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, Netflix, and HBO.” He values and uses the many different skills he learned on tech crew at Pennington, such as set building, hanging lights, and sewing. These simple skills made it easy for him to take his talents to the next level. He encourages young technicians and designers to “not take anything personally. It’s simple, but so effective. It’s an industry filled with big egos, strong personalities, and long hours. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress when you realize it’s just the stress of the production or whatever you’re working on, and it really doesn’t have anything to do with you.” Isabella Iorio ’17 Isabella Iorio ’17 is a current undergraduate studying theatre at New York University, busy with classes and performances. “This past semester I played Nicky in One For The Road by Harold Pinter at Playwrights Downtown during their student play festival. I also played Poseidon in The Odyssey: Book V and Gonzalo and Ceres in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.” She credits Pennington with teaching her the importance of preparation and a good warm-up. In her busy life in New York City, she uses mindful practices to stay healthy and motivated. She encourages others following in her footsteps “to take a deep breath, stay present, and know that if you put the work in, you can make this happen.” “[Don’t} take anything personally. It’s simple, but so effective. It’s an industry filled with big egos, strong personalities, and long hours. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress when you realize it’s just the stress of the production or whatever you’re working on, and it really doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

—Tim Secrest ’14 the work of Tim Secrest ’14

The drama program is lucky to have three alumni back working on productions throughout the current year. Ali Crivelli ’10, Jamie Moore ’03, and Peter Secrest ’13 all add their talents to our current production calendar. They all credit the fact that they felt respected as artists while at Pennington for making it natural for them to continue to use their various talents in the arts in their careers. Like the other alumni featured here, they learned that theatre is a true team sport, that collaboration is essential, and that individual excellence can be easily fostered in theatre productions. Crivelli is this year’s musical choreographer, lending her expertise in yoga, dance, Brechtian theatre, and movement to Urinetown. Secrest works with the production crew and student directors on both the fall and Middle School plays, lending expertise in the design process with both big dreams and practical visions. Moore mentors the Spring Play directors and also designed linocut prints for past theatre trips to Scotland and England. He says it best: “Pennington Drama gave me a place where I felt my creativity was respected. It was a safe place to act, sing, dance, disrupt, and be a part of a team. As a result, it taught me the importance of creating open spaces for others to create. Students feel as though it is a special place where they add value no matter what their level of involvement.” All three of these artists are continuing to make Pennington a brave and creative space for students in their classrooms and on stage.