PHOTO © MELINDA SUE GORDON . , , s - - a - - - - 0 t in e ed ne ti s ip ith r out c o ary ent, Jury em R to w as l h ouse u $12 T dark Fes ore nt fright H G or he orn od pl t ife t t cont he r ad b ed angerou me t emb h t p ex R d than it it - Grand se Film cu Ro . d Fra from o e w d o lic iew direc was t re ve he ame ce d n p v bout t t — of c oul a i nc ls x n a e ut i a n a a f e mo , , w ure, t if s I e c ion ------e e e e e be o l ’ u 0, balls de r i t ct r e t b e i o u u 8) ed h h r on d ’ 0 nd n e i se e d lm m . t in k w t x ed h lip h 9 j rit e r s hen f und u 0 ears i u o w eat e n t BO e feat oc oc c s th p o hi ks f S I y 2 y caus S a d reen f d e w sec ch g r e gi e r l ur d d 19 x o r M i hil oss H yo t il d o ( hi s. p e n sc o u e r s s be h spi n-of in yet,” at “W 8, i s is m y P 8 n d roduc fo or y- G t r d it h l g as n s a hil o w t e i w at h t 1 o i f r n y’ t w . c n d e az e yo f wh o w s lo al n 99 h l a s ell ies r o a o ( t e , a , i h t or d t W r m o m) 1 able s at n di e t, s r f ta agine a hab h e y f . e e ur te ’ d e ng a r n t s rs n on u g s s tar House i n t fil ’ . fil a to ld o d n y i to e r n ev te C in l sho s i l , y n a n ze s i im Hi u di ce u me f s c li ve l ok e e el cu r s il rn r ys nat ri f la i u a ld ega art n o ni r ou ti a e o el o o tm a buste o i R th p m co a h t va P e th n c he h s e Frat ries a w wa yo p o e s be me he f b f me t me c R l l , , : t t s s r ------e o n s ’ a a e n m al n n he he — e nd nd o Is c fo r an vi w t li cu t ov a e l tors ond t fil cin that dn i o T A uc , co l ed ovie rhap A STE ure B t main do isc o ul ac ng ng Is e X mo itm t t im r ume t i .” You’re m u t d t . o bey e p s c ped rod IPS t and s e s v “ G n ul onc Lo p early w h . R c li is is c es ap go nue G s fle doc you a abo the t ing? it , is ste h s n e tim a her ow ) r a in hoy’ roj ect o pe y l reak an re m o vie s s w ta wr 4) l e as m ou t H n at b v lip l P b n o C s . 0 Av y k 94 l RASS I al p i s ure.” d unchie i o m, be d st g 0 fr Stri s l i m mot a e i h u d f nd he d e i i t HILL ” oc 2 19 t r ri ay s dy gs f r f a ne unk ju b n i d o ( ( r n film t y Ph i s h and c t a o n e OCKBU ca ti r a d a s d w d P h f m rw s g s y n k mo avors an t h e d e u e is o e s r h i e Isl of , t hi he wa i f i d t e r e n e an d s d h t f de om e cr “t or r C d s e by t g , u e he m d i vin s g r c d a s ov b n BL i s n Ha te s p o e d a Hutch d s me r t as ’ - i n Chr n ba d a s t sp cl end St e e e l i h a e o c ong He le H ing s o ou s L n ’ House ore,” & l c s i e e h d lip st i y , yn f L ia . t to a i e a a r lled s l th po s e. c ODD en pr s tl a r My a i se kl h h h ab t av ior. n n o hn ell ky m d t t r hil y g , l er ca o i U o s l T e a ng em bl st o l o ic ic eo in u rs ’ v s n P w w J y ing o po a e oa i Y o en ho de h a h nimal r nd o r MER e f l o ke It ev ma r x h s av e c tr r a a i t e c t vid b N br A e s o w o l m go “ S B s n a a l w en s w e m Sta st t] . m h i OR 9 be h [ UM r r t t s e ------e p e g is e OF se s

to il ’0 x- k k n h i ve X- i S R Di n lly mo ked Bu rld and Th 4) 15 sing Tri spe gov tal ttin ie s bo d ch bu . Hol de fi ad ra made as ’9 arring The s. “ d ng ), e h t way an a wo an go dru Ho es an rheroe an fo r . , w ale si A spli stly b RECT , e st an is H , fr H s HE CAS 03 urp di ach ut ring,” I sc of ster Road s of gratuitous on e s, who co e has wdy, r e g ds up of new / e T y e s 20 la mals dex b i t , lli D as G rs of ( v i a , ba TSO , The ss with rm er at Th e ing ( n n si hi ch izar ts d m. the flatte st-gros , ckbu onl mi ilms u ir a co me ch ro in g e f ker o il sf o g w w p ps th e cks nd r span f g lo r, ct , the pilla g TS e ut a su o g r mas a

blo lli r an ghe men n n he chool ba f but ourse meth ing g, ve i en i rob oy 480 al co med a a in N t ove c s” S the hi Th e o $ hi n nd tho ric r ove io r n Tr F s c . ee d P he g g gi z I y in ie r ilmm a n t hi f is rl i n on ld f wi OVE R d n a as a 2009) d o ed th n lin l isto the s d ( t at te ha be ts . VE 40, mmer s O e d a zarre, t o av G h Ha h s e s o vin med et i er sh t , ec s, iv e su bi d ha n om To he r (2011) ) e f i - st an r r h c Th uc ps, c ol o co I IN y h en d II w s d ick ve ir ks ef —bu Ke I gov ilmmak r li m t ly oo t t f or d 00 a d s. t n n f ic e Th l a il mo rt f ts e e a te no e ct te f i e h h h n be h sp ap re ly w t o Par Pa ra Han ci a t a e h i h t Me woo dust wide, sell r Ph ni ar KIN HAN by RE (20 “fr say

re B

CULT E “O t

UR UR PHILLIPS (CENTER) SHOT THE HANGOVER PART II ON LOCATION IN BANGKOK, THAILAND, WITH STARS ED HELMS, BRADLEY COOPER, AND ZACH GALIFIANAKIS. for the, in Phillips’s words, “un - play than in his Hangover films. The says. “It’s hard for me to have con - heart in his characters. And the in - apologetic and aggressive” come - first movie featured, among other versations that are PG-13, let alone dustry has noticed. After Old dy he would become famous scenes of debauchery, characters make a movie that is.” But is there School , Steven Spielberg sent him a for—such as Will Ferrell streaking simulating masturbation on a baby. a line? Only occasionally, he main - fan letter praising his work. The in Old School . Borat (2006), which In addition to rampant drug use tains, does he stop and question, as first Hangover film won the Gold - Phillips co-wrote and which and explicit language, The Hang - he did during the baby scene,“how en Globe Award for Best Musical Newsweek called “game-changing” over Part II boasts what has been de - this will play in Peoria.” or Comedy in 2010, beating out for how warmly audiences re - scribed in reviews as “a shocking Phillips’s Hangover star Zach two Meryl Streep films. But the ic - ceived its utter political incorrect - array of penises.” Reitman credits Galifianakis once described him as ing on the cake was a handwritten ness, even earned an Oscar Phillips with pushing the bound - having “this cockiness that, for a letter from Emma Thompson. “It nomination (for Best Adapted aries of what’s commercially vi - skinny nerd from Brooklyn, is re - was about how much she just loved Screenplay). “Other comedies that able. “It’s a last frontier thing,” ally weird.” Certainly a fondness The Hangover , and how much she come out of Hollywood have bad Reitman told The Hollywood Re - for expletives and a summer fling thinks a movie like that just adds behavior, but most of them spend porter , adding that Phillips is “up - with Paris Hilton attest to that con - joy to the world,” he says. “I like the last 15 minutes of the movie ping the ante in terms of erotic fidence. But there’s a self-depre - when people put it in perspective. apologizing for [it],” he says. explicitness.” For his part, Phillips cating humility and love for his You’re not really trying to change “Movies that I make revel in the is equally unapologetic about that, craft underneath that. This combi - the world, you’re trying to put a bad behavior.” too. “I’m an R-rated person in nation enables his films to transcend good movie out there. And put Nowhere is that more on dis - general and always have been,” he mere tastelessness, tapping into the people in a better mood.”

NYU / FALL 2011 / 23 DIAZ’S UNCONVENTIONAL WRITING STYLE HELPED HIS LATEST PLAY BECOME A FINALIST FOR THE 2009 PULITZER PRIZE IN DRAMA. C

U Steve Austin. His encyclopedic

L knowledge landed him a side job

T as one of the first professional- wrestling bloggers. It wasn’t high - UR E brow work for someone with a master’s from the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramat - ic Writing in the Tisch School of the Arts, but Diaz felt truly lucky to land the position. And that luck kept paying off—the gig inspired him to pen a play that was nomi - nated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity —which uses wrestling’s de - cidedly unsubtle milieu to explore thorny issues of racial identity, au - thenticity, and American cul - ture—was originally produced by the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago in 2009, and then off- Broadway by Second Stage The - atre the following spring. Reviewers swooned. The New York Times ’ Ben Brantley wel - comed the “delicious crackle and pop of a galloping, honest-to-God, theater all-American satire.” Backstage said that the play “will body-slam you to the canvas with a one-two punch of political satire and the - A Playwright atrical showmanship.” In addition to being a Pulitzer finalist, Chad Deity snagged the Obie and Lucille Lortel awards for Best Play. Chad Deity ’s narrative stems With Punch from a controversy that erupted during Diaz’s stint in the early blogosphere. In December 2004, KRISTOFFER DIAZ’S BRASH NARRATIVE STYLE HELPS WWE introduced Muhammad P H

O Hassan, a patriotic Muslim- EASE AMERICA’S “UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS” T O ©

I American wrestler facing harass - L E I by Justin Warner A ment in post-9/11 society. (True B U R G

O to wrestling’s artifice, Hassan was S played by Mark Copani, an Ital - ristoffer Diaz’s love Piper, and future Minnesota Gov - geons & Dragons with wrestlers). ian-American from Syracuse, affair with profes - ernor Jesse “The Body” Ventura Though his passion waned some - New York.) At a time when many sional wrestling ruled the ring. Diaz (GAL ’99, what in high school, it rebounded pundits and politicians wore K started as a kid in the TSOA ’02) obsessively followed in the late 1990s as a renaissance at xenophobia like a badge of hon - 1980s, when flam - matches, collected action figures, World Wrestling Entertainment, or, presenting a beefy Muslim as boyantly macho characters such as and even immersed himself in or WWE, spawned Dwayne “The a misunderstood good guy Hulk Hogan, “Rowdy” Roddy role-playing games (think Dun - Rock” Johnson and Stone Cold sparked tremendous buzz, with

24 / FALL 2011 / NYU Diaz and others impressed by the is a Puerto Rican wrestler who ventional fashion. Diaz’s plays— risky choice. But Hassan and his gets paid to lose matches, and wor - which total six in all—inter - SPECIALSPECIAL TAXTAX BREAKBREAK FORFOR creators soon retreated back into ries about the social and personal weave traditional scenes, stereotypes. “It fell apart very cost of being a Latino fall guy. The direct-address monologues, CHARITABLECHARITABLE GIVINGGIVING FFROMRROM quickly and turned into ‘Oh, title character, a bling-laden show - PowerPoint presentations, and, YOURYOUR IRAIRA you actually are a terrorist,’ ” boat who refers to himself in the in the case of his first play, Wel - Diaz recalls. third person, represents a new come to Arroyo’s , break dancing Diaz, who the Times recently black stereotype that obliterates and beatboxing. Characters TENDED presented with its 2011 Out - any discussion of racial self-con - comment on the play’s theatrical NOW EX standing Playwright Award, had sciousness. And then there’s the devices, and then comment on R 2011 the comments. “There’s some - FO thing about that kind of style that “Growing up in the MTV helps me actually say what I want generation, and now the to say, which is not straightfor - ward,” Diaz explains. “I think it Twitter generation…I don’t also has to do with growing up think narrative can be simple in the MTV generation, and today in the way it may have now the Twitter generation… USE YOURYOUR IIRARA TOTO MAKEMAKE A I don’t think narrative can be been in the past.” simple today in the way it may TAX-FREETAX-FREE GIFTGIFT TOTO NYU have been in the past. Because NowNow youyou can enjoenjoyy a spent a lot of time thinking about Fundamentalist, a terrorist “bad we do bounce around.” Fitting - taxtax-effective-effective sstrategytrategy fforor race as a Puerto Rican raised in a guy” played by an Indian-Ameri - ly, Diaz says he usually writes in IRA disdistributionstributions in 2011.2011. CCongressongress eextendedxtended the taxx predominately Jewish enclave of can ethnic chameleon, whom multimedia hurricanes of his advadvantagesantages fforor individuals Westchester County. At a young Mace plucks from obscurity and own creation: “I have Facebook who makmakee charitable gifts age, Diaz noticed how his own quickly loses control over. These open, and Twitter open, and the frfromom an IRA account.account. affect shifted from one environ - characters inhabit an America that television’s on—with no ment to another. “You don’t hasn’t fully shifted from a black- sound—and then I have music think of it in racial or ethnic white concept of race. “You talk on, playing something else.” terms, but you know the differ - about Latino being a race con - When he’s not making art, YOURYOUR GIFTGIFT SSUPPORTSUPPORTS NYU’NYU’SS FUTUREFUUTURE ence between spending time structed of other races—what the he’s nurturing new artists. For with your Jewish friends in hell is that?” Diaz asks. “The years, Diaz has taught and men - Use youryour IRA charitable disdistributiontribution ttoo makemake yyourour Yonkers and your Puerto Rican whole language is insufficient. But tored young writers at numerous annual gift, paypay or prprepayepay yyourour cousins, basically in the street in at the same time, it’s a conversa - public schools in New York, in - currcurrentent pledge,pledge, or esestablishtablishh the Bronx,” he explains. tion that needs to be had.” cluding El Puente Academy for a scholarship fund atat NYUNYU.. Such contrasts run throughout Just don’t expect that conver - Peace and Justice in Brooklyn. Chad Deity . Mace, the protagonist, sation to come about in a con - He’s also busy keeping up with Chad Deity ’s ever-expanding P H O

T calendar—new productions of O TAKETAKE AADVANTAGEDVANTAGE OFOF THTHISIS ©

J the play are in the works at the O

A GIVINGGIVING OOPPORTUNITYPPORTUNITY N

M Actors Theatre of Louisville and A R

C • YouYou musmustt be 7700 yyearsears oof ageage.. U the Geffen Playhouse in Los An - ½ S geles. Meanwhile, L.A.’s Center • YYouou musmustt insinstructtruct yyourour IRARA Theatre Group, Chicago’s cuscustodiantodian ttoo makmakee the Goodman Theatre, and the Ore - disdistributiontribution dirdirectlyectly ttoo NNYU.YU. gon Shakespeare Festival have all commissioned new works from Diaz. Although it can be over - whelming, the 34-year-old FORFOR DETDETAILEDAILED INFINFO:O: keeps perspective on how hard it is for most young playwrights to Please contactcontact Alan Shapiro,Shapiro, EEsq.sq. break through. “It’s unbeliev - NYU DirectorDirector of Gift Planningg able,” he concedes. “For a first Phone: 212-998-6960212-998-6960 production to explode like this, on a play that feels very much E-mail:E-mail: [email protected]@nyu.eedu

SHOWBOAT CHAD DEITY IS THE TITLE CHARACTER OF DIAZ’S HIT PLAY, WHICH like my voice on my terms—I’m USES A WRESTLING RING TO EXAMINE RACE ISSUES. very, very lucky.” “I believebelieieve in gigivingvving backk KarinaKaarinanaKwanK n becauseause mymy educatione n ClassCllass of waswas made possibpossiblessible byby 20112011 whatwhatt alumni gavegave to mmeme.”.” Hails from: Old Bridge, New Jersey

Major: Psychology

Why I made a gift to NYU during my senior year: Because I know that without the generous scholarship support made possible by alumni, I would not have been able to receive an NYU degree.

Greatest source of pride: I am the first person in my family to receive a university degree!

Favorite late-night study session snack: Freshly baked cookies from Insomnia Cookies.

Things I have done to give back: Served meals at a soup kitchen in the Bronx and volunteered at the Department of Homeless Services.

Future plans: Receive a degree in public interest law so I cancaan shape legislationlegislation thatthat will changechange liveslives forfor the better.betteer. WeWe need thee generositygenerosity of our entireentire communitycommunity toto support our talentedtalented and ccommittedommitted sstudenttudent body.body. Please makmakee a gift toto TThehe Fund fforor NYU in support of studentsstuudents likelike Karina.Karina. PLEASEPLEASSE MAKE A GIFTGIFT TODAYTODAAYY www.nyu.edu/givingwww.nnyuuu.edu//givinggiving • 1-800-698-414411-88800800-669898-44144

NYUAAlumnilumni CREDITS C

THE SPOTLIGHT’S ON ALUMNI—FROM U L

FILM AND TV TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY T UR E There’s no shortage of singing in this fall’s TV lineup, with MATTHEW MORRISON (TSOA ’01) reprising his role as choir teacher Will Schuester on Fox’s Glee , and the debut of NBC’s Broadway musical drama Smash , directed by MICHAEL MAYER (TSOA ’83) and starring DEBRA MESSING (TSOA ’93) and Anjel - ica Huston… GARRET DILLA HUNT (TSOA ’91) returns as the clueless patriarch for Season 2 of the Fox comedy Raising Hope , while HBO’s How to Make It in America is back in the Big Apple

BRYAN GREENBERG P with stars H O T (TSOA ’00), MARGARITA LEVIE - O © U

VA R

(CAS ’01), and rapper Kid S U L TOM SCHNAUZ A

Cudi… (TSOA C O Y O

’88) is a writer on the critically ac - T E / A claimed AMC drama Breaking Bad , M BREAKING BAD C which was created by executive producer VINCE GILLIGAN HARDT ’10) on saxophone and member)… MARYANN BRANDON was written by KEN MARINO (TSOA ’89) and just wrapped its JARED SCHARFF (STEIN - (TSOA ’84) edited the summer hit (TSOA ’91) and DAVID WAIN fourth season… TUFFUS ZIM - HARDT ’01) on guitar as part of Super 8 , written and directed by J.J. (TSOA ’91), who also directed the BABWE (STEINHARDT ’09) the Saturday Night Live Band, led Abrams, who also produced the fish-out-of-water tale starring Paul plays keyboard alongside fellow by musical director LENNY PICK - upcoming Mission: Impossible - Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as an alumni ROB BLAKE (STEIN - ETT (STEINHARDT faculty Ghost Protocol —co-written by AN - urban couple visiting a hippie DRÉ NEMEC (TSOA commune… Paranormal Activity 3 , NIKKI M. JAMES IN ’94)… BENNETT MILLER directed by ARIEL SCHULMAN THE BOOK OF MORMON (TSOA ’89) directed the (TSOA ’04) and produced by sports drama Moneyball, STEVEN SCHNEIDER (TSOA based on the true story of ’02), brings the fear for Hal - the Oakland Athletics’ loween... At the 2011 Tony general manager Billy Awards, NIKKI M. JAMES (TSOA Beane, played by Brad Pitt ’03) scored Best Performance by and co-starring PHILIP an Actress in a Featured Role in a SEYMOUR HOFFMAN Musical for The Book of Mormon , (TSOA ’89)… ROONEY which stole the show with nine MARA (GAL ’10) stars in wins in all. James beat out fellow the highly anticipated Hol - alumna LAURA BENANTI (TSOA

P lywood remake of The Girl ’02), who was nominated for the H O T O With the Dragon Tattoo , musical adaptation of Spanish film - © 2 0

1 based on the best-selling maker Pedro Almodóvar’s darkly 1 J O

A novel by Stieg Larsson… comedic classic Women on the Verge N M A

R The Judd Apatow-pro - of a Nervous Breakdown . C U S duced comedy Wanderlust —Renée Alfuso

NYU / FALL 2011 / 27