The following students, graduates and faculty are working in the arts and/or education this summer. If you were not included, please send your information to Shannon at sbskelton@ksu.edu
Current Students and Recent Graduates
Janelle Augustine – Production Assistant for Musical Theater Heritage (MTH) Theater at Crown Center’s production of Oklahoma!
Will Averna – Set Construction, Arts in the Park, Overland Park
Emily Barnhill – Painter, Cobalt Studios; Fall – painter at Julliard
Ashley Barrow – Teaching Artist/Drama Therapist, Round House Theatre (DC)
Brett Broadbent – Topeka Civic Theatre Theatre Camp, Technical Camp Counselor
Holden Brown – Scenic Art Intern at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY
Kaitlyn Burns – K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy; company, Shrek at Columbian Theatre
Ellyn Calvert – EA at Dakota pictures, LA-based actor
Trace Campbell – K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy
Olivia Carter – Annoyance Theatre, Chicago
Darrington Clark – Director, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Stage Right Education in KC)
Elizabeth Cook – Agent Assistant, Wolf Talent Group
Blake Cordell – Master Electrician (Queen of the Mist), Firebrand; Master Electrician (Desire in a Tinier House), Pride Films and Plays; Master Electrician (Lefty and Crabbe), Underscore; Sound Designer (Grace), Brown Paper Bag; Sound Designer (King Lear), Red Twist; Master Electrician (Kiss), Haven – all in Chicago
Kristan Crawford (Mills) – Multimedia Producer, KAKE-TV (Wichita)
Kristin Cruz – Arts in the Park; K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy
Ali Davids – Stage Manager and a counselor at French Woods in Hancock, NY
Annie Davis – Scenic Design and Painter, Showboat Theater in Clinton, Iowa
Michael Duncan – Theatre Assistant, Ocean View School, South Africa
Jonah Ericson – Threepenny Theatre Company, Salt Lake City, Utah; Workshop Production of An American in Beirut
Emma Galitzer – McCain House Manager and Administrative Assistant, Tech Director Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop
Drew George – Breckenridge Backstage Theatre (CO), The Baker in Into the Woods
Morgan Grote – Cowtown Opera Summer Academy in Calgary, Canada
Gabrielle Henry – Harvest Productions, electrician at Theatre in the Park in Shawnee
Cat Huck – Crocodile Nasties and Arts & Culture Club, Chicago
Logan Jones – PSM, Southern Gothic at Windy City Playhouse; Production Consultant for The Last Defender at Denver Center for Performing Arts
Kristin Kelley – SM, Wolf Trap Opera
Noah Lindquist – “Lewis” in Pippin with MTKC Pro, June 13-16; “Brother” in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with New Theatre Restaurant (KC), July 11-Sept 15
Shannon Madden – Kaufmann Center, Front of House Manager; establishing SLAM Productions
Cooper McGuire – National NATS competition in Musical Theatre and Classical; only 14 Semifinalists are invited to compete in the national championship in Minnesota this year; performer, Opera Theatre of the Rockies Vocal Arts Festival, Colorado; K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy.
*Meghan McGehee – Actor, Great Plains Theatre (Pirates of Penzance)
Karis Eliese McMurtrey – Scottsdale Musical Theatre – Season Contract: (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Pajama Game)
Kerstin Mesmer – Lighting Technician, Circus Smerkus
Willie Michaels – K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy
Hannah Miller – Teaching Artist, Emerald City Theater, Stage School and Skyline Studios (all Chicago); producer – readings for Climate Change Theater Action
Hunter Nelson – Literary Management/Dramaturg Apprentice (Magic Theatre, San Francisco
Cody O’Hare – Threepenny Theatre Company, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sterling Oliver – Independent film work, Manhattan.
Lucero Padilla – National Semifinalist for the NATS Student Auditions (National Associate of Teachers of Singing) in Musical Theatre and Classical; only 14 Semifinalists were invited to compete in the national championship in Minnesota this year.
*Ceslie Parker-Waller – Actor, Great Plains Theatre (Pirates of Penzance)
E.H. Petropulos – Assistant Wig Supervisor, Be More Chill (NYC)
Elise Poehling – Performer, Unicorn (KC)
Tori Ptacek – Entertainment Host, Disney Cruise Lines
Emma Price – Wendy/Peter Pan for Brett Crandell Studio’s production of Peter Pan (across Kansas performing for children at libraries and elementary schools)
Randy Rhoten – Lead Vocalist, Princess Cruises
*Aaron Rojas – Actor, Great Plains Theatre (Pirates of Penzance)
Morgan Sterrett – BEAT BUGS: A Musical Adventure, Coterie; Company Member at Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival (Miranda in Tempest, Katherine in Newsies, Company in Cabaret, and Aladdin Tribute Concert); ASM, Kansas City Actors Theatre
Emily Trube – Drama Therapist, Topeka Correctional Facility for Women
Shiana Tyler – Tour Actor/Director, Missoula Children’s Theatre
Kelly Urschel – Choreographer, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Stage Right Education in KC); Actor, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Faust Theatre in KC
Alex Wakim – NYU grad school; workshop of An American in Beirut
Mitch Ward – Stage Manager (Kiss), Haven Theatre; Director, readings, Climate Change Theatre
*J.D. Warren – Actor, Great Plains Theatre (Pirates of Penzance, Disaster!, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Emily White-Winter – Just completed National Tour of King and I (SM); Production Assistant at Coterie for Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play.
Sam Wilson – National Semifinalist in Musical Theatre (NATS)
Kim Wong – Scenic designer and paint charge at Great Plains Theatre
Jacob Woolworth – Carpenter, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre
Hannah Yeoman – Dance instructor, Manhattan Kansas
*Actors Equity Membership Candidate Program
Theatre, Dance and Voice Faculty
LaVonne Canfield – Teaching and directing at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts (New York). Director, Cosi, If/Then, Frog and Toad, and Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice; teaching Acting and Performance workshops.
Jerry Jay Cranford – directing and choreographing JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT for the New Theatre in Kansas City; also performing as Jacob and Potiphar. Presenting on two panels in August for the Health of the Voice Artist Midwest Regional Symposium. The panels are addressing the Mental Health of the Voice Artist and Theatrical Voice Interdisciplinary Care.
James Davis – General Manager/Resident Lighting Designer, Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (equity); Stage Manager (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Shout! The Mod Musical); Lighting Designer (Blithe Spirit, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and The Who’s Tommy); Lighting Designer, Ozark Actors Theatre (Our Town)
Kate Digby – Directed and Choreographed The Red Horse Is Leaving, which is touring to New York, NY and Santa Barbara, CA in May; teacher training in Bartenieff Fundametals; leading an interdisciplinary art-science team in the creation of Search for Simurgh for ‘workshop’ performances in Toronto July 31-August 3.
David Mackay – Film and television in Vancouver
Bryan Pinkall – Solo recital with Amanda Arrington, Voices from the Western Front at Sydney Opera House on July 19.
Dana Pinkston – Costume Design, Jersey Boys at North Shore Music Theatre (Boston Area); last year Dana was awarded a Broadway World, Best Costume Design (Rhode Island) for Mamma Mia!
Jo Sanburg – Sound Design, Victory Pyrotechnics; Sound Design Exhibit at Prague Quadrennial
Shannon Blake Skelton – recipient of grant for Pop Culture Association Institute at Browne Popular Culture Library; presenting two papers at Association of Theatre in Higher Education
Ben Stark – Technical Designer- Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (Crazy for You, Antony and Cleopatra and Private Lives); Draftsman – Orlando Rep (Lil’ Abner); Scenic Designer and Technical Director – Manhattan Parks and Rec Theatre Academy; Technical Consultant and Draftsman- First National Tour of Mean Girls.
Jen Vellenga – Director of the newly designed summer theatre program in Manhattan, a collaboration between K-State Theatre and Manhattan Parks and Rec (K-State/City of Manhattan Summer Theatre Academy); Director, the musical HOW TO EAT LIKE A CHILD.
Kathy Voecks – Scenic Design, Black Hills Playhouse, Mamma Mia!