Annual Report 2016-17 a Annual Report 2016-17 Dear UNCSA Family, Every day, as I walk across this remarkable campus, I am inspired by the passion, grit and talent of the young artists who call UNCSA home. They have chosen an artistic and academic path that is not easy, and the heights they are able to reach as a result of the rigor that our arts conservatories provide are nothing short of extraordinary. I want to thank you, as a donor and friend, for supporting this one-of-a-kind university as we work to prepare the artists of the future. In fact, it’s not even entirely accurate to call them the artists of the future as so many of them are creating world-class art today. I am pleased to share with you some of the astounding things that our students are accom- plishing, along with great news about our financial well-being. This year was a tremendous Dear Friends, year for fundraising thanks in large part to an anonymous $10 million gift. This extraordinary contribution was a highlight in the trend of overall increased giving to the School. We are On behalf of everyone at the UNCSA Foundation, I am honored to be able to share with you thrilled with what the future holds, especially through our comprehensive campaign, thanks to this report. We are very excited about the financial growth the university experienced over the generosity of donors such as you. the previous fiscal year, and the overall upward fundraising trend we have seen over the last several years. Of course, the good news isn’t all financial. The 2016-17 year brought many other milestones and encouraging accolades. For example, J.T. Rogers, who graduated from the School of It is an honor to serve as president of the UNCSA Foundation Board of Directors, and we take Drama in 1990, brought home the Tony for Best New Play for “Oslo.” The play starred Drama very seriously our commitment to ensure a sound financial footing for this remarkable univer- alumna Jennifer Ehle, ’88, who was also nominated for her work. sity. I am thrilled and humbled by the talent demonstrated by our students, and proud to work on their behalf so that the promise that our institution makes to our young artists—that they Our students are also working to make a positive impact on the world around us. For example, will learn to do what they love, and do it brilliantly—will continue to be fulfilled for generations Sami Eudy, ’17, who received her master’s degree in the School of Music, used her time on to come. campus to bring classical music into the lives of new audiences by establishing the Cross the Line project. Elsewhere on campus, initiatives like ArtistCorps, the medical wig project and This report contains lots of good news about the financial, artistic and academic health of the school outreach programs are enhancing our community and our world. university. In addition to record-level fundraising, we saw a 10.8% increase in the market value of our endowment, as well as significant growth in new donors and alumni giving percentage. UNCSA is also a place where groundbreaking art is created and new audience experiences are pioneered. Last summer, the School of Dance began its Choreographic Institute, an initia- Our students and alumni are achieving extraordinary things thanks to your support, from Tony tive that brings innovative choreographers and dancers to campus to develop and premiere Cover: Awards to Oscar nominations to many other forms of professional success. They cannot original works. The Schools of Filmmaking and Design & Production, meanwhile, are on the achieve what they do on talent alone. It takes hard work and dedication, and UNCSA students leading edge of technologies such as virtual reality and animatronics. Their work will be further FEBRUARY 2017 are among the hardest-working young people I have ever encountered. They have demon- enhanced through the establishment of the Institute for Performance Innovation, supported by strated time and again that, with our help, they can accomplish truly extraordinary things. Tij Doyen, Drama ’17, in the transformative $10 million gift. “The Man of Mode.” Thank you for supporting UNCSA and its students. Your generosity is making a lasting impact There are many other noteworthy items included in the report. The most important thing to on our university, our community, our state and, ultimately, the artistic fabric of our entire take away, however, is our sincere thanks. You—our parents, faculty, staff, volunteers, alumni, society. patrons and friends—have made UNCSA stronger through your generosity of spirit, time and resources, and we are proud to have you as partners. With warm regards, Back cover: Sincerely, James E. Martin NOVEMBER 2016 President Christian Jiménez, M. Lindsay Bierman UNCSA Foundation Board of Directors Drama ’17, in “Side Show.” Chancellor b 1 Annual Report 2016-17 Stories Highlights Points of Pride 1st among arts A record More than School of schools, 60th enrollment of 150 staged Drama is #5 out of 705 top 1305 students performances undergraduate schools, 30th in 2016-17 and film acting program among publics screenings in the nation Money magazine 2016 in 2016-17 Hollywood Reporter 2017 NO JOURNEY WORTH TAKING IS EASY When playwright J.T. Rogers graduated from the School of Drama neither magical nor instantaneous, but the result of patience, in 1990, he knew he was equipped to succeed on the world’s most determination and work. prominent stages—but not without a lot of hard work. “When he came to visit a few years ago, he reminded us that there The payoff to his hard work has arrived. J.T.’s work “Oslo” won were a lot of lean years between school and the exciting opportu- the 2017 Tony Award for Best Play. A gripping drama about the nities he was enjoying, and he urged the students to stay true to negotiations that led to the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, the work,” says Carl Forsman, faculty member and former dean in “Oslo” was hailed by The Washington Post as “hands down the the School of Drama. “We’ll all try to keep following his brave lead. best new play of the season.” The play featured Jennifer Ehle, I am sure there are great things ahead for J.T., and we’re grateful Drama ’88, who won the Lortel Award and was nominated for a for his continuing support of the drama school.” Tony Award as Best Actress. The creative and professional heights that J.T. and other UNCSA The accolades go on: “Oslo” won the Drama Desk Award, the New alumni are reaching are a part of a proud legacy defined not York Drama Critics Award, the Drama League Award, the Lucille by talent alone, but by rigor, persistence and devotion to craft. Lortel Award, the Outer Circle Critics Award and the Obie Award While not every UNCSA graduate lands a Tony, the lessons they for outstanding play. learn on our campus—thanks to outstanding faculty, fellow OCTOBER 2016 students and an engaged community of supporters—help them Cody Robinson, Drama ’17, Though J.T. has now taken his place among America’s most prom- confront life’s challenges and seek out their own career-defining starred in the Arthur Miller ising playwrights, he is quick to remind students that success is moments. production “After the Fall.” 2 3 Annual Report 2016-17 Stories Highlights School of Points of Pride Filmmaking is #14 in the nation The Hollywood Photo courtesy of Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts (Photo Reporter 2016 by Christine Rucker) UNCSA alumni worked on 6 of the A chance to tell new stories 9 films nominated Nikyla Boxley Nikyla Boxley didn’t always want to be an actor. With the ‘You’re enough.’ Krisha Marcano’s mentorship has kept for Best Picture at School of Drama goal of becoming a forensic anthropologist, the Detroit me going.” Class of 2019 native applied to Cass Technical High School, an Inter- the 2016 Academy national Baccalaureate World School with an alumni list She also praises faculty member Quin Gordon. “He that includes Diana Ross, Della Reese and Lily Tomlin. changed my acting career,” Nikyla says. “Learning how Awards There, she found a new path. to be yourself and adding technique on top of that has been an amazing thing.” When her school staged a production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights,” Nikyla’s friends suggested Like many UNCSA students, Nikyla’s journey would not she audition. She’d been a dancer all her life, not an have been possible without scholarship support. Her $10M GIFT POSITIONS UNCSA TO actor—but suddenly a passion for drama ignited. mother, a public school teacher, has multiple sclerosis; SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS she became unable to work. One of her teachers was none other than Marilyn Training rooted in time-tested methods and techniques—the clas- in any other school in the world, to train students in the fastest- McCormick, winner of an Excellence in Theatre Education Thanks to UNCSA donors, however, her scholarship sical model has undergirded our approach to educating and train- growing markets in the entertainment industry,” Provost David award, presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie support has increased each year. Now, her education is ing young artists from the very beginning. At the same time, our English says. Mellon University. McCormick urged Nikyla to attend the almost completely covered. “I’m forever grateful for all leadership and faculty constantly look for innovative ways to pro- National Unified Auditions in Chicago, where she was those who support scholarships,” Nikyla says.