Alumni News

If you graduated from one of the programs in the Department of Theatre and Dance at WCU, we would love to hear what you are doing! Click here to update information.

Continuing Theatre and Dance Education

Kirk Bixby '06 has been accepted into the Music Theatre Masters Program at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Kirk just finished two seasons with the North American tour of Fiddler on the Roof.

Peter Collier '11 is interning with the Labyrinth Theater Company in New York City. Pete is also currently studying acting at the Maggie Flanigan Studio.

Jillian Glace '08 graduated with her MA in Creative Art Therapy with a concentration/specialization in Dance/Movement Therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

Dale Nadel '03 is an MFA candidate in Production Design and Technology, Props and Costume Crafts at Ohio University.

Michael Nguyen '10 is working on his MFA in Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He is also teaching dance at Longwood Performing Arts.

Mike Thatcher '09 is a graduate assistant at the University of Houston Professional Actor Training Program where he is pursuing his MFA.

Alumni in Production and in the Classroom

Doug Atkins '12 will be playing Albert in Bye Bye, Birdie at the New Candlelight Theatre this summer in Wilmington, DE before moving to New York City.

Jessica Barth '01 can be seen as Tami-Lynn in the movie "Ted", the first live-action film by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

Shannon Cooper '00 is the owner/artistic director of Shannon Cooper's Academy of Dance in Coatesville, PA.

Gina (DeStefano) Curry '90 is the director of Schmata Productions Community Youth Theater, a non- profit community youth theatre program for 4th-12th graders. Based in Malvern, PA, they run a variety of programs including a summer arts program.

Paul Decker '05 is the newly appointed theatre director for Bridgeton High School. He is revising the theatre curriculum to establish a four-year progression of theatre education, and researching ways to create a four-year program in TV/Film and Dance for the high school. Currently working on his masters in education at Seton Hall University, he aspires for a position as a district arts supervisor in New Jersey.

Jon DeGaetano '10 is working as an electrician on several off-Broadway shows including Sam Shepard's newest play Heartless and Into The Woods with Shakespeare in the Park. He also designed the lights for Footwerx, a tap concert at the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia. He crosses paths in fellow alum Matthew Frew '11 when they are working on the same NYC shows in different capacities.

Michael Durkin '08 is the artistic director of The Renegade Company in Philadelphia, PA. Michael also directs for the company, most recently Heiner Müller's Hamletmachine and Medeaplays.

Colin Earyes '11 will be playing Danny Zuko in Grease this summer at the Premier Theatre Company in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Colin has also recently signed a 12-month contract with the CW Network. He is based in New York City.

Andrew Esposito '12 is currently a stage management intern with Wolf Trap Foundation in Virginia. He will be the assistant stage manager for their production of the opera Don Giovanni in addition to various recitals.

Matthew Frew '11 has been busy behind the scenes. After graduation, Matt interned for Jay Duckworth at The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, in the props department, where he worked the 2011 season of Shakespeare in the Park on All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. Both were designed by Scott Pask (Tony award winner for scenic design, The Book of Mormon) with whom Matt worked directly. During the fall of 2011, Matt worked on Love's Labor's Lost (Scenic Design, John Conklin) at The Public, as well as King Lear, starring Sam Waterston. In December 2011, he got his first off-broadway gig as a Properties Master with The New Group (Avenue Q) on a show called Russian Transport. He signed with The New Group again for An Early History of Fire. He then worked as a deck carpenter at Classic Stage Company's Midsummer Night's Dream, starring Bebe Neuwirth, Christina Ricci and Anthony Heald and crossed paths with fellow alum Jon DeGaetano '10 who was on the lighting hang. Matt is currently working on We Play for the Gods with Women's Project Theatre at Cherry Lane Theatre and has plans to work as a prop artisan for The Public Theater's 50th anniversary production of Into the Woods at The Delacorte Theater.

Whitney Hayes '12 can be seen as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray in the Ocean City Theatre Company 2012 Season. She was last seen professionally at the West Virginia Public Theatre in Morgantown as Matron Morton in Chicago.

Allison Kofke '10 is teaching dance at Longwood Performing Arts and Shannon Cooper's Academy of Dance.

Daniel Kontz '11 is establishing himself in Video Production, Photography, Graphic Design, Theatrical Sound and Video Design in the Philadelphia theatre scene. For more of his work, check out: danielkontzdesign.com

Christina Koons '10 is the owner/instructor of Spotlight Dance Studio in Duryea, PA.

Andrew Lowy '09 is a general management assistant at Stuart Thompson Productions in New York City. Since joining STP, Andrew has worked on 11 Broadway shows and 2 tours, while the production company has won 14 Tony Awards including those for The Book of Mormon. Andrew has also worked at the Manhattan Theatre Club, The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, and Paper Mill Playhouse.

Sara Painter and Mary Beth Rim '99 produced a short film "A Turn of the Blinds" which was screened at the Walking Fish Theatre in Kensington and was accepted at the Inaugural Film Festival in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Megan Pisors '07 will be playing Charity Barnum in Barnum in Camden, NJ and will be playing Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn, NJ this summer. Megan is also a private voice teacher at Next Stage Dance and Acting Academy in Barrington, NJ.

Frank Schierloh '11 was seen in South Pacific with the Ritz Theatre Company in Haddon Township, NJ and Bat Boy: The Musical with the City Theatre Company in Wilmington, DE.

Donald Shorter '02 is currently performing in the national tour of La Cage Aux Folles. Shorter is a former dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in New York City.

Jason Stump '10 is performing with "Tap: The Show" with Matt Davenport Productions at Hersheypark before it starts a tour this fall. Jason just completed a contract as a dancer for Carnival Cruiselines, spending time in the Carribbean.

Christen Svingos '06 is a performer/choreographer based out of New York City. This past spring, she choreographed Hairspray at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore, MD.

Andy Truscott '09 is a Development Intern with the Pig Iron Theatre Company in Philadephia, PA.

Keep up to date with the Department of Theatre and Dance and its alumni on Facebook:

West Chester U Dept of Theatre and Dance

West Chester University Theatre Alumni Community

West Chester University DPW Alumni Dance Chapter

This page last updated 11/8/12.