Welcome to the 15th edition of our Alumni Review! The last twelve months have been busy and productive. I am pleased to say that our students are engaged in a diversity of research, teaching, and artistic activities. Many of you have supported our students at conferences, theatre events, and in the field for which we are most grateful. Attending the ASTR conference in 2017, I was humbled by the fact of how many times GC alumns were mentioned in dispatches. Congratulations to Hilary Miller who was awarded the Barnard Hewitt Award for her book "Drop Dead: Performance in Crisis, 1970s New York.” Congratulations also to Bertie Ferdman who received the ASTR Research Fellowship Award for her project "Theatre in the White Room: How Dramaturgy and Curatorial Practices are Intersecting in the Contemporary Arts." Life in the program has also been busy and productive. Among the many faculty activities in 2017: The Marvin Carlson Theatre Center officially opened at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and Professor Jean Graham-Jones’ was appointed to the Lucille Lortel Chair. Please do sign up for the latest program news at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ PhDTheatreCUNY/. You are always welcome to drop by the program when you are in NYC, and don't forget to come to our alumni events at annual conferences. Thank you again for staying in touch with us. We’re always delighted to hear from you. Peter Eckersall Executive Officer Hello Everyone. Welcome to the 15th ed. of the Alumni Revue. Where do I start? Platitudinous cynicism seems to be the norm of public conversation lately, so much so that even I, at times, have begun thinking in ‘fake’ news terms. I would once more like to thank our faithful alumni for their continued contributions to the field and their generosity to the Theatre and Performance Program, to our students, and, most importantly, to the Alumni Revue. I am always grateful to the Administrative Assistants, who work tirelessly to get up-to-date and relevant information even while taking care of their academic studies. This year we hosted a dual-purpose event in the form of an Alumni Meet and Greet and Professor Jean Graham-Jones’ appointment to the Lucille Lortel Chair, on Monday, October 16, 2017. A copy of the official invitation is on page 97 of the Alumni Revue and a few pictures of the event are posted on the Theatre Program’s Alumni page: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/Page-Elements/ Academics-Research-Centers-Initiatives/ Doctoral-Programs/Theatre/Alumni. Domestic and International events might continue to be troubling but, even though it might come off as a platitudinous statement, life really does go on! We hope you enjoy this latest edition. Best regards. Lynette C. Gibson Editor From the Editorial and Graphic Arts Assistants Mayurakshi Sen It has been an incredible privilege to be able to edit Vol. 15 of our Alumni Revue! I have gained insight into the very rich and diverse community of our GC theatre community. Having witnessed the continued passion and the shining successes of our program alums, I find myself motivated to work harder to pursue my research interests. Christine Snyder The Alumni Revue editing process reminds me as a student early in the PhD process of the vast array of topics, histories, and practices available to those of us who study theatre and performance. It’s been a pleasure to engage with forty and more years’ worth of Graduate Center scholarship. Jennie Youssef It has been both hopeful and inspiring to see what kind of amazing opportunities and exciting futures are open to those of us who are soon (and also not so soon) to be alumni of the program. Dr. ABBOTT, Erik email: [email protected] 4, Place Léon XIII L-1929 LUXEMBOURG Graduated: October 2014 Professional life: Founder and Artistic Director, Actors Repertory Theatre Luxembourg (Actors Rep), a professional English-language theatre company. Founded in 2012, we have presented 10 productions since 2013, with at least three planned for 2018. We are currently working to bring one of our 2017 productions to the US. (www.ActorsRep.lu). Professional Director, Actor and Playwright, Various Direct and act professionally for Actors Rep and others. Two of my plays have been professionally produced this year. Theatre Critic, Wort.lu/en I write theatre articles about reviews of local and touring productions for the online English version of the national newspaper, the Luxembourger Wort. Independent Scholar Current fields of interest/research: Contemporary European Theatre and Performance, Carnival, Theatre Management Recent publications/papers: No recent publications (except a few reviews for the Wort). However, two of my plays, #WTF Happened? On the Phenomenon of Trump, and Dear Santa..., were produced by Actors Rep in 2017. The Trump piece was originally commissioned by Théâtre d’Esch, a major regional professional theatre in Esch- sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. Selections from it were presented at the theatre in May as part of the city’s ‘Nuit de la Culture’ celebration. The complete revised version was produced by Actors Rep at the Théâtre National du Luxembourg in September. We are currently working to bring it to the US. Family: Spouse/Partner: Dena Child(ren): none listed Grandchild(ren): none listed Hobbies, Community Service, Volunteer: I do extensive volunteer work with a non-profit (UK registered charity) in York, England (in recent years primarily as a writer and editor), and at various places on the Continent. What you would most want your GC colleagues to know: nothing listed =============================================================================== Dr. ABRAMS, Joshua email: [email protected] 126 Casewick Road West Norwood, London SE27 0SZ UNITED KINGDOM Graduated: September 2008 Professional life: Deputy Dean, Academic The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HY United Kingdom Current fields of interest/research: Contemporary Performance, Food Studies, Immersive Performance Recent publications/papers: “Sriracha and the Performance of Identity,” in Fonds of Food: Sauces and Identity in the Western World, ed. Andrew Donnelly, Beth Forrest, and Deirdre Murphy (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2017); “On Oysters” in sketch, Mourad Mazouz and Pierre Gagnaire, (2017, Bloomsbury Press); “Gloss: Esprit de Corps”; “On Scale”; “Gloss: Realism”; “Th’eater” in Imagined Theatres: Writing for a Theoretical Stage, edited by Daniel Sack (2017, Routledge) 75, 156, 183, 200-201; “Design and Décor of Restaurants,” in Sage Encyclopedia of Food Issues, ed. Ken Albala (Sage Publications, 2015); “Performing the Ephemeral: On Ice Cream and the Theatre,” in “On Ice,” Performance Research 18, no. 6 (December 2013); “Mise en Plate: The Scenographic Imagination and the Contemporary Restaurant,” in “On Scenography,” Performance Research 18, no. 2 (September 2013). Family: Spouse/Partner: Jennifer Parker-Starbuck (‘03) Child(ren): 1 (female) Grandchild(ren): none listed Hobbies, Community Service, Volunteer: none listed What you would most want your GC colleagues to know: In 2016, I was elected as President-Elect for ATHE and I’m getting up to speed on that, as well as still enjoying my role as Deputy Dean at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Jen and I had a great last year running ASTR and managed to fit in a fair amount of conference and other work-related travel. I’m still working on Food and Performance and aiming to finish the book soon! Hope to see lots of you on the conference circuit or in London. =============================================================================== Dr. AJELLO, Linell email: [email protected] [email protected] 1621 Fern Street New Orleans, LA 70118 Graduated: May 2012 Professional life: Mellon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow Tulane University, School of Liberal Arts Department of Communication 219 Newcomb Hall New Orleans, LA 70118 Current fields of interest/research: nothing listed Recent publications/papers: “A Game of Poverty and Tragic Deliberation,” Constellations: An International Journal of Critical and Democratic Theory 21, no. 1 (March 2014); “Soldiers, Scapegoats, and the Tragic Demands of Operation First Casualty,” International Journal of Cultural Studies 17, no. 3 (2014). Family: Spouse/Partner: none listed Child(ren): none listed Grandchild(ren): none listed Hobbies, Community Service, Volunteer: none listed What you would most want your GC colleagues to know: nothing listed =============================================================================== Dr. ALCIDE SAINT-LOT, Marie Jose email: [email protected] 5574 Witney Drive, #D 313 Del Ray Beach, FL 33484 Graduated: May 1988 Professional life: Communication Consultant nothing listed nothing listed Current fields of interest/research: nothing listed Recent publications/papers: Barack Obama: Speaker of Genius (Educa Vision, 2011). Family: Spouse: Emile Saint-Lot, Computer Sciences Child(ren): none listed Grandchild(ren): none listed Hobbies, Community Service, Volunteer: none listed What you would most want your GC colleagues to know: I recently created “The Speak-to-Win-Project,” which consists of seminars in Business Communication and Public Speaking dedicated to professionals of various fields. I also give conferences in museums, libraries, and social clubs on Cultural Diversity. =============================================================================== Dr. ALEXANDER, Philip A. email: [email protected] 77 Eastern Parkway, #3C Brooklyn, NY 11238 Graduated: