Alumni in the News

Wren & Shark, the nonprofit record label of Brian Cassidy (B.M., Music Studies, 2002; M.M., Music Education, 2004), released a compilation album on Jan. 20, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Pianist Hyeyoung Song (D.M.A, Music, 2006) gave a sold-out concert Dec. 28, 2016, at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Presented by Weatherford College, this concert served as a finale to her tour, which included stops in Europe and in her native South Korea. Since 2007, Song has been serving as Artist in Residence at Weatherford College, Texas.

Selina Rosales (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2015) became the artistic fellow for Second Stage Theatre in New York City in January 2017. 

Isaac Gomez (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2013) was featured in the article “Players 2017: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago,” by Newcity Stage in Chicago.

Jessica Nicole Webb (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2009) has been cast as Alex Dettmer on CBS’s The Young and the Restless. Her January role on the soap opera will run for at least five episodes.

Gay Gaddis (B.F.A., Studio Art, 1977) was named one of the Curator Gallery’s artists of the year. Her work will be on view at the New York City gallery through Feb. 18. Photo of Sizzling Summer by Gay Gaddis.

Jelisa Jay Robinson (B.F.A., Theatre and Dance, 2014) is a finalist for the Seattle Public Theatre’s Emerald Prize. The $10,000 prize will connect a nationally recognized playwright to the Seattle area's performance community so the region's voice is heard in national conversations. The winning playwright will be announced March 4.

Emilio Aguilar (M.F.A., Design and Technology, 2005) has been appointed Artistic Director of Teatro Espressivo. Espressivo is one of the most important and vibrant theater companies in Costa Rica. Before this appointment, he worked as resident designer for the theater.

Nikiko Masumoto (M.A., Theatre, 2011) recently performed a short piece from her one-woman show What We Could Carry at a White House event. The presentation, "Generational Experiences of Asian Americans," featured speakers from the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as well as Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian communities. 

J. Quinton Johnson, a former student in the Department of Theatre and Dance, has been cast in the role of Hercules Mulligan/James Madison in the Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning smash hit Hamilton.