Alumni Notes and News and the Middle and Far East. Dance opened opportunities for me in television, lighting a dance special for Dutch National TV, among other projects. I ended up starting my own video and television production company. Some of the many projects I produced and directed through my company were a Kraft Christmas Special; a live to tape production of The Play of St. Nicholas at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine here in NYC; James Brown’s return to the Apollo; segments for European TV; numerous commercials for Ford; Broadway productions including Tango Argentina, NYC’s Central Park, and the USPS; and elaborate documentary work for the George Balanchine Foundation. “From our studio in NYC we are able to broadcast live by satellite to anywhere in the world. Within a three hour period we regularly have our client’s guest appear on as many as 30 television talk shows back to back—one after the other. We also conduct an on camera workshop for actors (www. act4camera.com).” Robin Pearson Rose ’73 writes “Received 2005 Craig Noel San Diego Drama Circle Critics Award for Best Actress, in The Old Globe’s production of Vincent In Brixon. Made Associate Artist of The Old Globe by Artistic Director Jack O’Brien. Did a recurring role on both seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” for ABC.” David Rotenberg ’76 writes “Fifth novel in the Shanghai series is selling briskly in the bookstores and I just signed a contract to write a big book for Penguin. Son Joey is finishing 3rd year at the University of Victoria and daughter Beth is about to go to Colgate on an athletic scholarship to play hockey—ice hockey.” John Rothman ’75 writes “I keep the faith and continue my acting career based in New York, where I had the great thrill of playing Meryl Streep’s ’75 husband in the romantic comedy Prime, released last October with a location trailer one block from home. We also worked together briefly in Tribeca on The Devil Wears Prada. This past fall I was at Pinewood outside London working on United 93 directed by Paul Greengrass. Last summer I was in The Argument at The Vineyard Theatre. I also report that I had the privilege of reading and talking with three playwrights at the School of Drama—in a program initiated by the great Richard Nelson (Chair, Playwriting). And did I mention that my daughter Lily is a sophomore at Yale and writing plays!!!” Robert Sandberg ’77 writes “My play Can’t Believe It was a winner of the 2005 Bonderman
own English translation in theatres, schools and universities in North America, and in Greek in ancient amphitheatres in Greece, for the last two years, and is now poised to tour England, Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, Australia, and again Greece this summer. And if Socrates, from his perch somewhere in Hades deigns, this lively look at his life and death may indeed enjoy soon a New York run. Yannis has served as head of Undergraduate Drama at Tisch School of the Arts NYU, founder of Yannis Simonides ’72 in his one-man show of the Greek Theatre of New York, executive Plato’s Apology producer of GOTelecom, a documentary production company, head of Hellenic Public Playwriting Award and had a week of Radio in NYC, and now, as he faces with glee development at Indiana Rep. In Between is still and terror his sixtieth birthday, while looking being toured by George Street Playhouse and back at a textured life of rich marriages and will be published by Playscripts. A scene from extraordinary children, he has resigned from it will be in Smith & Kraus’ Best Stage Scenes all day jobs and is embarking on a traveling 2006.” troubadour jaunt, writing, producing and Susan Schwab ’76 recently married Charles performing. Columbia University will see his Goetsch in a ceremony on High Island in Apology in early fall, and his solo piece on the Branford, Connecticut. Alexandrine poet C.P. Cavafy may soon see the John Shea ’73 writes “I have just completed light of day. His email is ysimonides@hotmail. shooting three films: Framed, an English com and he’d be ever so grateful to hear from psychological thriller set in the art world of classmates and old friends. Oxford University; The Broken Shoe Trilogy, Charles Steckler ’71 was married on the an ensemble romantic comedy set in post winter solstice (December 21st, 2004) at 9/11 New York; and The Insurgents, a political the Vermont Studio Center, in Johnson, VT thriller about a CIA operative who turns to Ginger Ertz, sculptor and educational against the government. My wife, Melissa programs coordinator for The Tang MacLeod, and I have also had a son, Caiden, Teaching Museum at Skidmore College in now just over a year old and live in Santa Saratoga Springs, NY. Charles and Ginger Monica.” honeymooned at the American Academy in Charles Siegel ’70 writes “A few years ago Rome in July where Charles made drawings I took early retirement from my position and dioramas on Italian themes. of 25 years, including a stint as Chair of “I have been designing and teaching at the Theatre Program, in the Department Union College (Schenectady, NY) since 1971. of Theatre, Film & Creative Writing at the In January I had a retrospective exhibition of University of British Columbia. I am now my design career in the Mandeville Gallery an Associate Professor Emeritus, believe it in the beautifully restored historic Nott or not. I had always wanted to be a full time Memorial on Union’s campus. The exhibit was theatre artist, and if not now, when? I have an overview of my theatrical work through been keeping pretty busy, actually. I have been photographs, drawings, models, props, scenic in four films, just this year (including one relics, masks and puppets. The Gallery directed by Richard Benjamin), and a while published a 60-page, full color catalog with ago I played Howard in a stage production an introduction by Arnold Aronson and an of The Designated Mourner by Wallace Shawn. essay on the evolution of stage design by Jarka Recently I played Salter in the first Canadian Burian. The exhibit is dedicated to Jarka who production of Caryl Churchill’s new play passed away suddenly in late August 2005.” about human cloning, A Number. Genome Ted Tally ’77 will co-produce Hot Plastic for BC has commissioned a remount to evaluate Focus Features, with Tobey Maguire attached the effectiveness of theatre to open a dialogue as star and co-producer. Ted’s most recent with the public on issues of science and ethics, screenplay, The Reckoning, was written for and I am directing the remount as well as Reese Witherspoon, and he also did a polish acting. So, now I am part of science as well as on Shrek 3 for Dreamworks Animation. art.” Stephen R. Woody ’76 writes “I have Yannis Simonides ’72 has been performing accepted a new teaching position with the his one-man show of Plato’s Apology in his Gyeonggi English Culture Foundation in
YSD 2006
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