Alumni in the News

Matt Huff (M.F.A., Directing, 2004) was recently promoted to associate professor with tenure at Oglethorpe University. He also is part of a creative team that received a 2016-2017 Reiser Artists Lab grant from the Alliance Theater.

Kyle Kennedy (M.F.A., Drama, 1993) was recently named Head of Acting at Middle Tennessee State University where he serves on the acting area advisory board for the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

Natasha Gorel (B.A., Acting, 2014) just closed Oskar and the Curiously Colorful Clash, a touring play for theater for young audiences with The Alley Theatre's Education department in Houston.

Jared Oberholtzer (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2010) is currently the assistant stage manager on Signature Plays at the Signature Theatre, an event in celebration of the theater's 25th anniversary.

Martin Rodriguez (B.F.A., Theatre Studies, 2015) was recently hired by Los Angeles Unified School District as head drama teacher at newly founded charter high school, Hawkins High School to create and develop their drama/theatre program. He is now certified and holds a teaching credential in English and Theatre Arts in California to go along with his Texas credentials.

"Sum You Some Me," a two-person exhibition featuring spouses Felice House (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2011) and Dana Younger (B.A., Drama, 1995) is currently on display Aquinas College's Art and Music Center Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. See it Jan. 17 through Feb. 12. 

Award-winning voice-over artist, voice-over trainer and voice talent demo producer Lainie Frasier (B.F.A., Theatrical Design, 1979) began teaching a voice-over course at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas as an adjunct instructor in spring 2016. In 2005 she co-authored a college textbook for McGraw-Hill entitled “Speak Skillfully and Successfully:  A Guide to Developing Diction and Voice-Over Excellence."

Austin-based Teatro Vivo will produce “The Stories of Us,” a play written by Jelisa Jay Robinson (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2014). The theater described the “The Stories of Us” as a collection of stories that dig deep into the intercultural conflict between African Americans and Latinos, African diaspora identity, and Afrolatinidad. It is scheduled for a three-week run in April.

Jelisa Jay Robinson (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2014) recently accepted a position as a Theatre teacher at her alma mater, North Forest High School in Houston, Texas. She enjoys teaching the next generation about the importance of creativity and critical thinking. She co-directed the winter production and it was a success. 

Catherine Ann Jones' (B.F.A., Drama, 1965) musical, "Calamity Jane the Musical" won best production in Orange County, California. An actor, playwright, screenwriter and author, Jones' "The Women of Cedar Creek," a Texas family comedy-drama was awarded the NY Drama League Award and the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild Award. It is an upcoming production at the Plaza Theatre, Carpinteria, California  (April 2016). "Freud's Oracle," a one-woman show about H. D. & Freud, will be seen at The Ojai Retreat (April 2016), Ojai, California, and also in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the Creativity and Madness Conference (August 2016). Her three books are available online.