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a message from the presidentOn September 7, 2010, Cornish College ofthe Arts hosted our Convocation to open the2010 – 11 academic year. It was my honorto welcome our students, faculty, and staffto the beginning of another year of discoveryand artistic growth. This year’s freshmen class,the class of 2014, is unique. It is Cornish’s100-year class — the class that will graduateduring the celebration of Cornish’s Centennial.It has been my great pleasure and privilegesince I arrived at Cornish in 1994 to guideand reinvigorate the College as we face thechallenges and emerging opportunities of anew century. At the center of my efforts, I havetried to remain true to the core inspiration ofNellie Cornish’s ideas about the education ofthe entire artist. This is an opportune time totake stock both of the rich tradition that hasnurtured Cornish and of its unfolding potential,which is embodied above all in the talents andenthusiasm that our students, faculty, andstaff bring to this community.One of my greatest joys has been to witnessthe gifted work of our faculty and alumni.The alumni and faculty representing Cornishin the pages that follow are wonderfulexamples of the rich quality of educationoffered at Cornish, and the way in whichthat education prepares our students for alife in the arts and in the world.Our faculty and alumni have enhancedCornish College of the Arts’ reputationlocally, nationally, and internationally. FromRon Erickson, who first designed costumesfor Cornish 30 years ago and continues towork with arts organizations across theNorthwest, to Peter Dylan O’Connor andMJ Seiber who are helping to build one ofSeattle’s newest and most exciting theatercompanies, Cornish feeds the culturallandscape. Reaching further out, LukeKehrwald has taught live sound engineeringin Mongolia, and William Nellor, whograduated from Cornish 60 years ago,shares highlights of his extraordinary careerin advertising, cartooning and painting.Karen Guzak is one of the ultimate examplesof the Cornish alumnae who contribute asartists, innovators, and citizens – her rolesinclude artist, teacher, community developer,and now, Mayor of Snohomish, Washington.Cornish College of the Arts is a place wherestudents, faculty, and staff can experiencethe whole human enterprise of creativityand innovative thinking which is essential inorder to meet the challenges of the 21stcentury. I hope this publication deepens yourunderstanding of our diverse community.Sergei P. Tschernisch, PresidentCornish College of the Arts

Cover ImageSergei Tscherinisch.Photo: Frank Huster.LeftSergei Tscherinisch.Photo: Frank Huster.table of contents2 the master builder sergei tschernisch4 the he(art) community karen guzak6 up his sleeves ron erickson8 discipline and discovery holly farmer10 im(merce)d merce cunningham minEvent project12 if you build it.... peter dylan o’connor and mj sieber14 one of the original ‘mad men’ william nellor16 the joy of improvisation greg ruby17 the art of sound luke kehrwald18 bass(ic) instincts lamar lofton19 people to watchjim kent, tiffany lin, liz tran, don darryl rivera23 campaign for cornish, new trustees24 commencement25 2010 cornish alumni reception1

the master buildersergei tschernisch president ‘94 –‘11Having built his biggest and bestorganization yet in spearheading the renewalof Cornish, Sergei Tschernisch contemplateshis next challenge...Many men and women have been integral tothe success of their organizations but theircontributions can often be difficult to explain tothe general public. Where Sergei Tschernischis concerned, however, it’s easy to measurehis contribution. You can go and stand on it.“It” is a brand new campus for Cornish Collegeof the Arts.Sergei, as President of Cornish, has ahandsome office on the top floor of the newcampus’ main building. It is an office he willsoon hand over to a new president. From itsbank of windows, you can look back at thegreen swath of Capitol Hill where Cornish wascomfortably, if quietly, ensconced for thebetter part of a century. The distance isn’tmuch, as the crow flies, but it has been ajourney toward the center of Seattle that hasbeen of great consequence for the College.To his successor, Sergei will bequeath avibrantly re-imagined Cornish loaded withtalented new students and a dedicated andwell-supported faculty, and imbued with anew sense of purpose and identity. The shortgeographical move and the addition ofstudent housing has redefined Cornish as adistinctly urban institution with strong newties to the city’s rich arts community.To lead the rebuilding of an arts institutionsuch as Cornish should be the once-in-alifetimecapstone to anyone’s career — SergeiTschernisch has done projects of thismagnitude several times. Along the way, he’smet just about everyone of note in the artsin the last half century.His is an improbable life. You can literally startthe Sergei Tschernisch story with: “When buta babe in arms, little Sergei escaped with hismother from the war-torn Ukraine.” Really,you can. At the age of two, he was already,in a sense, involved in the arts. For the restof the war years, his mother, an opera singer,worked in shows all over Europe. As Sergeiputs it, he was “born in a trunk.”After the war, his folks made their way tothe United States and moved to the BayArea, settling into a new life as immigrants.Times were tough, and Sergei was workingby the time he entered his teen years. By hiscollege years at San Francisco State inthe 1950s, the theater bug he was born withbegan to assert itself in earnest. Thoughhaving no experience or training, Sergei determinedhe would work his way into a localtheater company.Sergei Tschernisch at CalArts, 1979.Sergei Tschernisch and John Aylward,ACT (A Contemporary Theatre), 19672

the he(art) of communitykaren guzak art ‘76“Community service is a greatopportunity for spiritualgrowth…It’s a big art projectthat improves the qualityof life for a lot of people.”AbovePhoto: Matt BrownThere are people on the planet whose life istruly their canvas. Make no mistake, the artof living and creating a life in art are not thesame thing. For those seeking a masterclass in doing both well, you might take apage from the book of Renaissance woman,Karen Guzak.To begin with, her world is an adventure inalliteration. She is a painter, printmaker,public artist and politician. But those are justa few of the flowers in her life garden. She’salso an award-winning building designer, theowner of a successful yoga studio, an avidgardener, and the creator and host of asummer music series. In short, Guzak is aforce to be reckoned with and an amazinglycreative spirit.Her passion for art became clear somewherearound the age of four. “I remember the dayI was inspired to create my first painting.” Sheshares. “I wore a plastic apron and surroundedmyself with tempera paints. I painted a giantsun disc and when I finished, I had this hugesense of ‘Wow’.” By the time she was readyfor college she had other interests as well. “Ihave an abiding interest in science and mathso I became a pre-med major.” She went onto receive a Bachelor of Science degreein medical technology from the University ofColorado in 1961. When her youngest childwas in preschool Karen began taking artclassed at night and on the weekends. Thefamily moved to Seattle where she decidedto deepen her pursuit of art. “Cornish was thegateway to my art career” Karen muses. “AtCornish I was able to embrace an importantpart of myself. After trying on many styles,Cornish is where I really started working onmy work. I walked away with a sense ofwhat it really takes to be a professional visualartist and solidified my commitment to that.”Her career took off. Over the years Karen hasexhibited extensively nationally and abroad;in galleries, museums, and beyond. She hasbeen commissioned to create numerouspublic art projects for the King County CouncilChambers in Seattle, Seattle-Tacoma Airport,Overlake Transit Center in Redmond and more.Always drawn to leadership roles, Karentaught art at Seattle Pacific University,The Factory of Visual Art, and at Centrumin Port Townsend. She has also beenvery active in the Northwest art scene asthe President of the board of Artist Trust.In 1989 Guzak found herself in need of acommunity of artists. While most of usmight join a club, Karen found a warehouseand converted it in to artist’s live/work spaces:Sunny Arms Artist Cooperative, (namedfor its proximity to the Sunny Jim peanutbutter factory) where she lived and worked.A few years later she did a repeat performance,renovating a building into the UnionArt Cooperative developed with Gene andLois Graham.So what inspires a visual artist to design abuilding? “I really wanted to build a community.I love learning new things and collaborating,and I had some kind of innate confidence inmy ability to figure things out, to negotiateconflict.” The idea of revitalizing a space —making it safe and maintenance free4

— combined her artistic skills with herproject management skills. “It was a greatchallenge to create a beautiful, functional,long lasting space.”A number of years ago Karen and her lifepartner Warner Blake moved to Snohomish.They renovated the former Saint Michael’sCatholic Church, transforming it into what theycall AngelArmsWorks — their home and artstudio. In regards to living in a church spaceGuzak jokes, “It’s divine, darling.” And thetruth in that is evident. “Church as studio,” sheshares, “it’s amazing. The space is blessedwith so much forgiveness. Of course we’vetilted the spirit to the feminine, and dedicatedit to the creative muse.”And that’s putting it mildly. Her artistic passionquickly spilled out into what has now becomean extraordinary garden and a meaningfulpiece of her life’s work. “Being in the gardenis so life affirming. It’s simple and true.”At this point, many of us might take what littletime was left in a day and see what’s on TV.But Guzak’s boundless curiosity and energyled her down yet another path. “I startedyoga when I was 50. I wasn’t at home withhow I wanted to be in my body.” After awhile, she realized that in order to really committo yoga in a meaningful way, she needed toteach. “I bought a studio. I thought it wouldbe helpful for the community.” And it is. TheYoga Circle Studio is a successful business,offering classes in yoga, meditation and Pilates.“I love spreading the principals of yoga. It’sall about creating peace of mind and passingit on.”“Cornish is where I reallystarted working on my work.I walked away with a senseof what it really takes to be aprofessional visual artist...”That same desire for personal andcommunity peace, inspired her to get involvedin her community in a deeper way. Shebecame a member of the Citizen’s AdvisoryCommittee for Strategic Planning; theBoard of Historic Downtown Snohomish; theChamber of Commerce; the SnohomishWomen’s Network, the Garden Club, theHistoric Society and more.And when frustrated by her inability as acitizen to affect change regarding the Bushadministration, she felt compelled to dosomething locally so she joined the city council.“In junior high I was the president of thestudent council. I was very interested, eventhen, in taking a leadership role and beingof service.” Bringing the same passion to thetable, Karen’s leadership role grew, resultingin her recent election as Mayor of Snohomish.“Community service is a great opportunityfor spiritual growth, working for a morepeaceful, effective, celebratory community.It’s a big art project that improves the qualityof life for a lot of people.” This is a throughline in everything Karen does. She tends toher community with the same art and heartthat she tends to the rest of her life garden.“I want to have my life count for something. Iwant to make a positive impact in someway. To make a difference.” And so she does.The wow that she felt as a four year old afterher first painting of the sun is the resoundingfeeling of anyone lucky enough to crosspaths with her. Whether enjoying her art,collaborating with her on a project, beingin her living/work space or feeling the impactof the positive community changes thatshe’s behind, the Guzak wow factor is huge.– Lisa HalpernPhoto: Warner Blake5

up his sleevesron erickson head costume design“I am a Costumer, I make clothes forimaginary people.” —Celestine Ranney, 1982Costumes are a magical element of theater,and the designer is the magician. Thinkabout it. When you enter a fitting room, yougenerally seek clothing that highlightswho you are. Step into a fitting with costumedesigner Ron Erickson, and you’ll emerge assomeone else entirely.For many years Ron Erickson has conjuredup spectacular garb with which to clothethe inhabitants of worlds that playwrights setforth and directors envision. His craft helpsbring the script to life by transforming textinto visual metaphors. Armed with a needleand thread, he manages to transform ideasinto physical form. His art is one of the keysthat helps actors build their character fromwithout, as they build the character fromwithin. His costumes astonish, entertain andwork harmoniously with the collective vision ofa play to assist the audience in understandingthe story and its characters.Erickson grew up in Issaquah with no exposureto the arts. “At the time, there weren’t manyobvious ways a creative person could employtheir talents. I thought the only opportunityout there was to work for Walt Disney. LuckilyI had teachers who mentored me as anartist.” These mentors saw talent in Ericksonand helped him see more possibilities forhis creative future. “Having mentors was soinvaluable and inspired in me a desire tomentor. I try to continue that legacy with mystudents.” Before he had students of hisown, he was a student at the San FranciscoAbovePhoto courtesy of Ron EricksonArt Institute where he studied painting. Hewent on to receive his BFA in sculpture fromthe University of Washington. While at theU.W. he took scenic and costume designcourses. “It was such a revelation. I discoveredthat all the knowledge I accumulated in artcould be directly applied to designing fortheater — especially sculpture: 3-D designis what sets and costumes are allabout… I consider costumes to be a kind ofbody sculpture.”This newfound realm inspired him deeply. “Iwas a sponge, I absorbed everything, I wouldgo through costume racks in the CostumeShop and study how things were constructed,I volunteered to help the instructor whotaught scenic design with projects that he wasworking on at Intiman or the Rep. I learnedby doing, by experiencing. It was great fun.”As he explored the world of theater, Ericksondiscovered a love of the research aspect ofCostume Design. “The history, the fabrics, theclothes and how they affect posture andmovement. The first thing I do after talking tothe director and reading the play is hit thebooks to find images that inspire me, fit thetime period and relate to the characters. Ialso enjoy developing the character throughcolor, line, texture and metaphor. Gettingunder the skin of the character and findingout what makes this person tick and howI can make that apparent for the audience.”To those outside the theater, you might notconsider the costume designer as a collaboratorwith the actor. But it is an essentialpiece of the puzzle in the building of acharacter. “A wonderful thing that happensin a fitting is when the actor says: ‘this reallyhelps my character’ or better yet, ‘now Iunderstand my character.’ The process ofdesign for me is about the characters in theplay and what their life is about, and how Ican help get that across to the people sittingin the dark wanting to believe in what’shappening in front of them.” This is the purestaim for a costume designer, and Ron’scommitment to the call has received noticefrom coast to coast.“I was told once by a “Costume God” in NewYork that my renderings show a sensitivityto the actor, I like to think that is true.” It iswith this same humility that he supportsperformers out in the world and inside theworld of Cornish.6

“For me, the combinationof discipline and discoveryis an addictive cocktail. Ithelps me remain mentallyflexible.”Eventually the strength of Holley’s artisticvoice would bring the legends she wasso drawn to directly into her career. Aftergraduating from Cornish in 1994, Holleywas steered toward the University ofWashington’s dance program by instructorand current Cornish Dance DepartmentChair Kitty Daniels. Near the end of Holley’sMFA program, she was invited to becomea scholarship student in New York in theMerce Cunningham Dance Company,where she stayed for 13 years — one asan apprentice, and twelve as a dancer.“I could write a book about it, and peoplehave...The nuts and bolts of my workwith Merce are a lot like the relationship ofa craftsperson to a designer. Everyday, heAboveHolley Farmer and John Selya in Come Fly Away.Photo: Joan Marcus.dealt his material, and my job (as craftsperson)was to realize it in my body. He was absolutelyprolific in new movement ideas and thecreation of intricately beautiful steps whichusually presented a physical problem tosolve. I enjoyed his steps, he enjoyed mysolutions. His method of training for thecompany was a bear; punishing and physicallydamaging at times, but oddly joyful andnecessary to having the physical and mentalstrength to perform his work. For me, thecombination of discipline and discovery isan addictive cocktail. It helps me remainmentally flexible.”In April of 2009, just as Holley was preparingto leave the Merce Cunningham DanceCompany, she was approached by choreographerTwyla Tharp for a part in Come FlyAway, a tribute to Frank Sinatra that openedon Broadway on March 25, 2010.“She offered me the part with the emphasisthat I be interested in working with her, not inthe hopes the production would play onBroadway. Over the years, I had auditionedfor her, and dreamt of working with her. Icouldn’t believe my good luck nor cared lesswhere the piece would be seen — I wasthrilled to finally work with Twyla. The hoursin the studio were eye-opening.”The symbiotic relationship between choreographerand dancer varies from partnershipto partnership. Different ideas and styles arebrought to the table every time, accentuatingand developing various skills, new and old,within a dancer. For her role in Come FlyAway, Holley reacquainted herself with balletand how to relate to a male partner, whilebeing introduced to a new way of learningunder Twyla’s direction.“The burden and the blessing of dancers isthat we rely on choreographers to teach usnew things — I would say that is about 50%of what continues to draw me to dance. Theother 50% is being fascinated by my abilityas a dancer. Twyla was a radical newexperience for me. Her way of dealing withcontinued on page 309

im(merce)dmerce cunningham minEvent projectMerce Cunningham’s first day as a Cornishstudent began with Nellie Cornish announcing,“I don’t want to see you sitting aroundday-dreaming. It’s okay to dream, but notto day-dream.”Nellie’s message stayed with Cunninghamuntil the end. His daring vision revolutionizedart making and contemporary performance,and Cunningham was so dedicated to arrivingat his studio every morning on Manhattan’sLower West Side, that according to one ofhis final collaborators, film-maker TacitaDean, “When he failed to show up the weekbefore he died, the news rippled through thedance community as far as Europe – a suresign that something was wrong.” Mercier“Merce” Cunningham, born in Centralia,Washington, one of the creative giants of thetwentieth century, died in New York on July26, 2009.This year Cornish celebrates its famousalumnus with the Merce CunninghamminEvent Project, an entire academic yearof community events and campus-widecollaborations: free performances, amultidisciplinary art exhibition, master classes,lecture-demonstrations, panel discussions,open rehearsals, workshops for youngchoreographers, and community outreachactivities in partnership with local publicschools and cultural institutions. At the centerof the celebration, Cornish Dance Theaterstages a Cunningham minEvent — anuninterrupted sequence of excerpts fromthree Cunningham masterworks, in venuesthroughout Seattle.Kitty Daniels, Dance Department Chair, saysthe project has taken on a life of its own. “(It)started as a simple desire to stage a danceby Merce Cunningham, but it has growninto an immense project drawing interest andinfluence from so many different communities.It enables us to do something Cornish hasalways wanted to do, place artisticcollaboration at the center of campus life.”UPCOMING EVENTSCornish Dance Theater Fall 2010 ConcertNovember 19, 8:00 pm November 20, 2:00 & 8:00 pmBroadway Performance Hall$10 general admission;$5 students, seniors, Cornish alumniACT A Contemporary Theatre:Bullitt Theatre minEvent PerformancesFebruary 4, 6:30 & 7:30 pmFebruary 5, 6:30 & 7:30 pmFreeHistoric Paramount Theatre Tourwith Cunningham Tribute PerformanceFebruary 5, 10:00 – 11:30 amThe Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine Street FreeSAM Performs: Merce CunninghamminEvent PerformancesApril 21, 6:00 & 7:00 pmSAM Downtown, 1300 First AvenueFree with museum admissionInterface Panel:Klein, Cage & CunninghamMarch 4, 12:15 pmCornish Main Gallery, 1000 Lenora StreetFreeDetailswww.cornish.edu/merceAboveOpening reception, Cunningham in the Northwest,Cornish Main Gallery. Photo: Winifred Westegard.10

For Daniels, a key shift came when CornishExhibitions Curator Jess Van Nostrand decidedto curate the interdisciplinary exhibitionCunningham in the Northwest. Co-curated byVan Nostrand and Cornish Visual ResourcesCurator Bridget Nowlin, the exhibition, whichclosed October 24, was the first art exhibitfocused on Cunningham’s relationship to hishometown region. Van Nostrand and Nowlindrew on archives and contemporaryart collections from around the country, andworked with dancers, designers, musicians,architects, librarians and family members.“Really it’s a mirror of Merce’s life” offers Nowlin,“a mirror of how Merce’s art influenced andengaged artists of all disciplines and audienceswith so many different interests.” Adds VanNostrand, “To do Merce’s work justice youhave to come at if from different media, or elseyou aren’t telling the whole story. Hisphilosophy and approach totally transcendany particular medium.”During the opening reception, more thana hundred gallery goers were treatedto the waves of sound of Stuart Dempsterperforming “Underground Overlays,” a workhe composed for Cunningham in 1995. It wasa fitting tribute to Cunningham’s love ofchance and motion that as Dempster and histrombone glided through the gallery, AndyWarhol’s mylar Silver Clouds, from the dance“Rainforest,” floated through the audienceand overhead.Seattle sound sculpture Trimpin also cameto campus in September to share hisexperience collaborating with Cunninghamon Installations (1996). And on October 8,Cunningham in the Northwest was activatedby Merce Cunningham’s choreography whenCornish Dance Theater danced the minEventto live music by John Cage performed byCornish’s Indeterminacy Ensemble. If you’restill unclear what a minEvent is, imaginedifferent strands of choreographic and sonicgenetic code recombined to create somethingnew and wonderful.Patricia Lent, a former Merce CunninghamCompany member, guided Cornish dancecontinued on page 32TopCornish students in Patricia Lent’s master class.Photos: Michelle Smith-LewisBottomPatricia LentPhotos: Michelle Smith-Lewis11

if you build it....peter dylan o’connor (theater ‘94) & mj sieber (theater ‘01)“Having so many people inNCTC from Cornish is ahuge part of the aesthetic.And all of us are committedto contributing to the citywe love.” MJ SeiberAbovePhotos: Courtesy New Century Theatre CompanyOh, it’s outrageous to consider creating art,isn’t it? But life is short. And intense. And weneed art to inspire and amuse us. NewCentury Theatre Company (NCTC) believesin the importance of scandalous risk, andworks diligently to give Seattle audiencessomething juicy to be inspired by. NCTC isa collective of extraordinarily gifted performersand artists hailed for outstanding theatricalspectacle including four Cornish alums: PeterDylan O’Connor, MJ Sieber, Hans Altwies(TH ‘93 – ‘96), and Ray Gonzalez (TH ‘01).Other well-known Seattle theater artistsround out the company including SeattleShakespeare casting director Amy Thone,who currently teaches acting at Cornish.Looking for inventive, breathtaking entertainment?NCTC delivers. Guided by theirpassionate vision, this remarkable collectiveof theater artists is, in part, anchored by aCornish connection. “Having so many peoplein NCTC from Cornish is a huge part of theaesthetic.’ MJ Sieber says. “And all of us arecommitted to contributing to the city we love.”Peter Dylan O’ Conner credits Cornish withchanging his life in a profound way. “Cornishwas an amazing experience for me.” Heshares. “I struggled with some demons whenI was a kid and got low grades in school.Cornish made room for me and gave me atremendous sense of identity. They didn’tcare about my GPA, they cared about who Iwas and my potential.” O’Connor thrived inthe Cornish environment. “One of the greatthings about Cornish is they didn’t offer justone way to do something. They gave us abunch of tools and a toolbox and said: playwith these. Some of them might not work foryou now, but who knows; down the roadyou may find them useful. And I have. I alsoneeded a lot of discipline and it was reallygood for me to be focused and on my feetall the time. The opportunity Cornish gaveme was amazing and really effective for me.It helped keep me out of trouble.”Over the years, Peter has used many of thetools he harnessed at Cornish. He has actedon many Seattle stages, worked as themaster carpenter at Capitol Hill Arts Center,and is often hired to create fight and dancechoreography for numerous Seattle theaters.Coming full circle, Peter is currently thescenic shop supervisor at Cornish. “I owetons to Cornish because the artwork I dokind of saved my life.” Peter shares. “It’s greatto work for Cornish now and be committedto the kids; knowing that they very well couldbe going through something big in theirpersonal lives. I’m accessible to them andunderstand what they’re going through.I want to help them build a life that worksfor them.”Indeed, building has been a throughline forhis journey. Not only has he built all thesets for NCTC, his participation in the groupstarted on a rooftop while remodelingcompany Member Michael Patten’s house.“Paul Mullen, Hans Altwies and I got intoa conversation about theater. Clearly this wasa conversation these guys had been havingover the years, fueled by the desire for creativeempowerment.”MJ agrees. “I‘ve alwayshated waiting for permission to do my art. Ihappened to be friends with this group of12

artists who felt similarly. At one point each ofus just decided to start taking steps to makeour dream theater real.”“We challenge ourselves tobe highly creative, push ourown envelope as an artists,and take mild resourcesand create stunning art.”MJ SeiberSieber’s dreams were fostered at Cornish. “Myexperience at Cornish prepared me well formy individual art and the giant undertakingthat is NCTC. I feel like Cornish gave me theability to become a well rounded, functioningartist. It allowed me to learn anything I wantedto. It also enforced some pretty wonderfulboundaries within which art often thrives best.I think I was born curious, was nurtured intoan artistic person and became an artistbecause of my time at Cornish. I am alwayscreating something and I’m most excitedwhen I’m learning how to do somethingdifferently. I feel like I contributed. I never feltlike part of a community until my time atCornish. School was a challenging processfor me, and I truly would not have survivedwithout the amazing community around me.It always felt safe knowing you were there tolearn and get better, and everybody therecreated a perfect environment to help youdo so. At Cornish it was okay to try andfail miserably.”Not surprisingly, NCTC has done the oppositeof fail miserably. It has quickly become ajuicy piece of the Seattle theater scene. “Thisis a unique collection of artists that couldn’texist in any other city.” MJ says. “Part of ourmission is that we’re a theater of Seattle forSeattle. We have all committed to living here,and we hope that NCTC can help deepena culture of theater-going.” “Ultimately,”O’ Connor says, “We want to add to Seattle’stheater scene.”Since its inception, NCTC has entrancedSeattle audiences and has been highlylauded. In fact, Seattle Magazine namedNCTC the 2009 Theater of The Year, andwrote in a review: “They burst out of the gatewith a hugely acclaimed production of TheAdding Machine, followed by the stunninglygood Orange Flower Water.” NCTC alsowon four Seattle Gregory Awards includingTheater of The Year. The review from theaward panel says it best: “NCTC is inspiring…smart, technically solid, innovative, disciplined,brave, bold, unflinching, passionate, insatiable,and honest.” The Seattle Weekly raved, “Ican’t remember when I’ve seen a betterproduction.” The Seattle P-I agreed saying,“Bold, ambitions and electric…just what onewould hope for from NCTC.” The Strangersaid that NCTC is “…the most exciting thingto happen in Seattle theater in a long time.”With all the attention, this group remainshumble, diligently working towards buildingand mounting their next show. “New voicesin any art form are always welcome.’’ MJmuses. “Whether or not a community findsthem relevant is another thing. We werelucky. But we don’t come from any radicalpoint of view other than we all are batshitcrazy about good theater. We do it cheaplybecause we have to and we can.” O’ Connoradds, “One of our biggest strengths is ourcommitment to taking risks. We believe it’simperative not to let a lack of resources keepus from being bold. We challenge ourselvesto be highly creative, push our own envelopeas an artists, and take mild resources andcreate stunning art.”Stunning, indeed. Keep an eye out forNCTC, and get yourself to their next show.Why? Because they deliver theater that isoutrageously delicious.– Lisa HalpernL to R. Front row. Stephanie Timm, Betsey Schwartz,Jennifer Lee Taylor, Amy Thone, MJ Seiber.Second row. Peter Dylan O’Connor, Darraugh, Kenman,Hans Altweis.Third row. Michael Patten, Ray Gonzalez.Top. Paul Morgan Stetler13

Bottom LeftFunny FizzlesTopSierra Club Cartoon. “It’sorganic steel wool and it’sapproved by the Sierra Club”affect the planet, various industries, andthe environment. It won many awardsthroughout the advertising industry. I alsohad my work featured in the internationalSwiss publication “Graphis.”After many years in San Francisco I openedmy own advertising agency in Santa Rosa,just north of San Francisco, where I servicedmany national accounts. In addition to myadvertising accounts I collaborated with aclose friend to create a half page colorcomic strip for national newspapers called“Funny Fizzles.” It was composed of humorousfailed items from the patent office donein cartoon style with appropriate dialog. Itwas syndicated by United Features Syndicateand appeared in Sunday newspapersthroughout the United States. The sameidea was also produced in a paper backpocket book that was distributed by SignetBooks, also titled “Funny Fizzles.”It was ten years later that I retired fromadvertising and my wife and I moved to theisland of Maui where my paintings wereexhibited in galleries in Honolulu, Lahaina,Kaanapali, and Wailea. I also developedmany items for the tourists’ trade that weresuccessfully marketed throughout theHawaiian Islands.We moved back to the mainland after manyenjoyable years on Maui to be near ourfamily and grandchildren. I continue my finearts pursuit and exhibit in local galleries. Ialso do an environmental cartoon series forthe Northern California Sierra Club tabloidpublication. I donate this work as a contributionto their admirable work for environmentalissues. When I recently discovered that 60years has passed since my Cornish graduationit seemed almost unbelievable. It has been along and enjoyable experience and my thanksgo to Cornish for helping me prepare forthat journey.– William Nellor (’50)“I also appreciated beingsurrounded by all of theother arts taught there. Ithad been my first exposureto classical music and Ienjoy that to this date.”Top RightBurnt ToastBorn Again SculptureBottom RightI Feel Like a Hamburger9 x 12 oil15

the art of soundluke kehrwald performance production ‘07The world is full of all kinds of people, allkinds of art and all kinds of music. However,one universal experience happens inside aperformance venue. The lights go down, theaudience settles, and the first notes of musicemerge from the instruments on stage, or thefirst words emerge from the lips of a poetat Town Hall. Unless something goes terriblywrong, the audience most likely doesn’tspend much time thinking about how thesound of the performance has been designed.But Luke Kehrwald does. He thinksabout it all the time. Why? Because that’shis passion.Luke discovered an interest in sound afterhelping out on several shows in high school.He quickly learned the relationship betweenbad equipment and bad sound. Inspired, Lukebegan buying equipment in order to createa system that would accurately translate thesound emanating from a performer as authenticallyas possible without changingor coloring the sound process. After highschool Luke attended Cornish, hoping to takehis passion to the next level. “I received alot of one-on-one training at Cornish that reallyallowed me to tailor my education to myinterests”. Luke recalls. “I was able to delvedeeper into the science behind equipmentthat I now use on a daily basis. ThroughCornish I have also made many connectionsthat have helped my business grow.” Thebusiness he’s referring to is his successfulconcert audio event production companycalled Performance Sound, which providessound systems for a wide variety of liveevents in many different venues includingTown Hall Seattle, Meany Hall, Mountain“I received a lot of one-on-onetraining at Cornish thatreally allowed me to tailor myeducation to my interests.”Sound and Dan Sound Inc. “I see myself asa craftsman that supports other artists,”Luke shares. “My craft is all about creatinghigh quality, evenly distributed sound regardlessof the challenges of the performanceor venue. My ultimate goal is to supportwhatever art form is being presented, in thebest way possible.” After considering theartistic goal of the performance and theacoustic nature of the venue I come up withthe best solutions possible to achieve theperformance in the very best way. Often I’llcreate several different system designs onpaper to help him figure out how the soundwill fill the space.”Recently, Luke took his sound skills onthe road. “I spent three weeks in Mongoliateaching live sound engineering to localtheater technicians. This was definitely themost unique, interesting and challengingexperience I have ever had.” The project wasconceived by the Mongolian Arts Counciland the U.S. Mongolian Arts Council and waspartially funded by the state departmentthrough the cultural envoy program. Thechallenge was teach eighteen professionalsound engineers who spoke no English. “Itwas an exceptionally challenging task to teachsound engineering through an interpreterto such a large group, but my class was veryengaged and really excited to learn.”Most of his students had years of experienceworking in venues around Ulaanbaatar, thecapital city of Mongolia. But with no accessto professional training, there was a gap inavailable options for sound solutions. Lukespent the days teaching class and theevenings visiting different venues, evaluatingtheir equipment and helping out on shows.“The project in Mongolia,” Luke remembers,“was very successful and a good first steptowards improving the production value ofmany venues in Ulaanbaatar.” Whether herein Seattle or halfway across the globe, onething is clear…with or without a translator,the art of translating sound is evolving theworld over, one sound system at a time.– Lisa HalpernPhoto courtesy of Luke Kehrwald.17

ass(ic) instinctslamar lofton music ‘96Lamar Lofton is like a jazz riff in human form,moving dynamically from one idea to anotherall within a compelling framework, and alwaysending a story with style.“There’s a few of us comingup the line who are all aboutdoing it with no amp… it’slike salting your food beforeyou taste it. Some playersthink: it’s got to be loud. Howabout: it’s got to be good.”If you’ve seen him play, you know Loftonbrings up the level of performance just by hispresence. He is a top-notch bass playerwhose full, rich sound fills a room —unamplified, which is the way he prefers it.“There’s a few of us coming up the line whoare all about doing it with no amp. If you listento European classical music — you knowthe bass is there — it’s not demanding, itspart of the whole sound.” Of course ifsomeone hires him and wants him to use anamp he will — it’s just not a default. “I wasat a small house party recently and the bassplayer was amped — it’s like salting your foodbefore you taste it. Some players think: it’s gotto be loud. How about: it’s got to be good.”And good he is. Lofton’s delicious sound,coupled with a keen sense of time, makes forriveting bass playing. But there is more to hiscraft than laying down roots and keeping time.His presence on stage is bright and positive.He seems to slip inside and underneath themusic in a collaborative, effortless way.Music has taken Lamar all over town andall over the map. His trio has played atmany of the tops spots in town includingThe Triple Door, St. Clouds, Serafina,MOHAI, Benaroya Hall and many more. Andother bands have taken him on the road tofar flung places including Honduras andChina, where he performed for the Chineseminister of trade.Like many great things in life, it was a bit ofchance that led Lofton to the bass. In juniorhigh, while visiting an uncle, Lamar picked uphis uncle’s electric bass and began hiscreative journey. He focused on bass in middleschool and played in the Garfield HighSchool orchestra and jazz band. A quick study,he flourished on the bass and decided tofurther his studies at Cornish. “Aside fromPhoto by Christine Taylor,2009.being in high school band, I didn’t have anylessons or really know about Jazz untilI went to Cornish,” says Lofton. “It was awhole other world.”One of his mentors in the world of Cornishwas Hadley Caliman. “Sometimes I wouldn’tbe working hard enough and Hadley wouldget on me.” Lamar remembers. “He wastrying to raise me up in a really intense way— he wouldn’t let stuff slide. And it paidoff. One day in class Hadley said ‘Someone’sbeen practicing.’ And that’s all I needed.Those three little words carried me the restof the semester.”After three years studying during the dayand jamming at night, Lamar graduated andjumped into the Seattle music scene. Amusical chameleon, his interests are broadand deep from jazz standards and Be-Bop tothe realms of Ska, Reggae, Dub and beyond.Whatever the style, Lofton constantly seemsto dig deeper as a musician, viewing eachgig as an opportunity to create somethingexceptional. Musically, he is not afraid tostep out on a limb to try something new, andthe result is innovative, extremely compellingmusic. Keep an ear out for Lamar Lofton. Heis fast establishing himself as one of the upand coming bassists in the region.– Lisa Halpern18

people to watchPhoto: La Vie Photogaphyjim kent dance ‘05Elegant, understated, light, athletic… JimKent was born to dance. Thank goodnesshe figured it out.Unlike many professional dancers, Jim didn’tstart dancing the minute his toes touchedthe ground. Rather, he discovered his naturaltalent and passion for dance through ajourney that began with a teenage interest inmusical theater.Jim hails from two interesting, and wildlydifferent places. His early childhood wasspent in Comfrey, a small farming town insouthwest Minnesota where the populationwas so small that kindergarten through 6thgrades attended the same small schoolhouseclass together.When he was 12, his family moved to Hilo, onthe big island of Hawaii. Jim admits this wasa tough transition, being a non-native, in sucha culturally rich and protective new environment,not to mention a place so vastly differentfrom Comfrey.However, Hilo High School did have musicaltheater, and the spark ignited. Often cast asthe romantic lead, he relished a life in the“theater.” Prompted by his growing passionfor the ultimate “triple threat” of musicaltheater — singing, acting, dancing — hestarted exploring dance.Barely able to touch his toes, Jim begantaking ballet, modern, Pilates and yogaclasses around town. And, despite his beinga true beginner, his natural aptitude fordance began to manifest itself quickly. Jimremembers thinking, “I feel like I couldactually be really good at this.”Still focused on a life in the theater, he enteredMinnesota State University as a TheaterArts major. During his freshman year a theaterprofessor asked everyone in the class toevaluate if they were really, truly passionateabout pursuing a life in the theater. Jimcame to the conclusion that in fact, no, hewasn’t. He did, however, miss dance…After hearing about Cornish through an oldhigh school friend, Jim bought a ticket toSeattle and auditioned for the Cornish DanceDepartment. The audition went well andsoon after Jim formally began his trainingand life as a dancer.This new life as a dancer was alternatelyintimidating and illuminating. Throughimmersion in the different classes and philosophiesbrought by his instructors, hewas learning how to marry technique withpassion, how to be aware as a dancer,how to make choices as a dancer, how tointerpret. He also began to perform.Though cast as an understudy, a definingexperience during Jim’s time at Cornish wasa work titled Earth, by Wade Madsen.Jim describes it as “sculptural and romantic…ballet without really being ballet.” As anobserver, these are qualities I would attributeto Jim’s dancing today.He has moved beyond a freshman understudyto a superb dancer who bringsthe technique of ballet and the sensibility ofmodern and contemporary dance to hiswork. And, like many artists, he admits hisongoing challenge is, “finding my voice,being confident in myself.”As a professional dancer, Jim has workedwith Seattle’s leading choreographersincluding Molly Scott, Zoe Scoefield, OlivierWevers, Mark Haim and most recentlyDayna Hansen.The big question facing Jim right now is“what’s next?” He’s able to work consistentlyin Seattle, with the most exciting choreographersand dancers the city has to offer. But,there’s always that pull to New York, wheremany of his instructors suggested he go aftercollege. If that’s his choice, it will be our lossand New York’s gain.– Mari London19

people to watchNeumo’s Show.Photo by Bruce Tom.tiffany lin music ‘08Tiffany Lin explores the potential of sound,creating music that utilizes the piano inmultifaceted, provocative, and engaging ways.the school’s rich history, its excellent facultyand alumni, and its influence on Seattle’sarts community.only performed live, the manifestation of amaterial object will combine her music with atangible item.Born in Taiwan and raised in California’scentral valley, Tiffany began studyingclassical piano at a young age, eventuallycontinuing her musical education atCalifornia Institute of the Arts. Tiffany soontransferred to Cornish, where she earnedher Bachelor of Music in 2008, because ofPhoto by Joysha.J.FajardoThe potential to say something through musicinspired Tiffany to develop her work with thepiano. Much like John Cage’s developmentof the prepared piano while at Cornish inthe 1940s, Tiffany uses the entire instrumentto create a complex and intricate fusion ofart and sound. Her unique work with pianos,including the project This Old Piano, wheresingle pianos are deconstructed and designedinto new instruments, have earned her aSeattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs CityArtist Projects Grant, a Jack Straw ArtistSupport Program residency, and a fellowshipfrom the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.Tiffany’s is currently recording her first twoalbums to be released in spring of 2011. Thefirst, a solo work for prepared piano, willinclude improvisation, extended technique,and multi-track sound layering. Tiffany’sgoal with the work stems from her interest toslowly move “off the page,” and becomeindependent from composed music. Hersecond album will have a more playfultone, incorporating her love of toy pianos.Inspired by ragtime music, she will createoriginal arrangements and explore the genre’sfoundational elements. The two recordingswill be a unique experience for Tiffany; havingIn addition to her solo work, Tiffany performswith The Toy Boats, a group inspired byher interest in playing for pet funerals withtoy instruments. Musicians on instrumentsas diverse as toy piano, percussion andaccordion, milk jug, glockenspiel, and tinwhistle join together to create a uniquerepertoire of original compositions and compellingcinematic arrangements of traditionalEastern European and world folk music.The quartet focuses on creating a delicateand mesmerizing acoustic experience inunorthodox venues: libraries, public fountains,bicycle trails, historical museums, and more.Their guerilla-performance style has led themto work with 4Culture as part of the sitespecificKing County Performance Network.Tiffany will continue to develop her musicalcraft and evolve as an artist, and who knowswhat will inspire her next.– Lindsay Hastings20

people to watchLiz Tran.Photo by Desiree Haigh (AR ‘02)liz tran art ‘02Liz Tran loves trees, plain and simple. Shegrew up climbing them as her personalescape from the world. Growing up in EugeneOregon, Liz helped her family’s boat buildingbusiness by sweeping up wood shavings andthus began a wonderful career of gettingher hands dirty. A self proclaimed lifelongstudent, Liz is always trying somethingnew: a new material, a new technique, a newway to look at trees.Liz felt a strong pull not only to Seattle, butspecifically to Cornish. It was at Cornish thatLiz developed a strong emphasis on materials.Her love of trees transcends into the materialsshe uses to tell her story: wood panels, paperand wood carving techniques being a few. Lizthinks of trees as portraiture instead of stilllife, “very anthropomorphized” says Liz.“Cornish wasn’t what I thought it wouldbe, but it was what I needed. It gave mepermission to be free in my work.” Liz hasexhibited all over the east and west coastas well as internationally including Marnaysur Seine, France and Shenzhen, China.Her work will be featured in New Views atLaura Russo Gallery in Portland, Oregon,January 6 through 29, 2011. Funding for theexhibition is provided by the Carl and HildaMorris Foundation.She is currently represented at Bonner DavidGalleries in Scottsdale Arizona and the SeattleArt Museum Gallery in Seattle Washington.– Lindsay WalterTree Party by Liz Tran.Tree Party is a series of mixed media paintingsinspired by living in the Pacific Northwestthat uses my surroundings as a platform forcreating colorful, imaginative and hopefulwork. The paintings are inspired by the localnature and are a reaction against the lengthy,dark and wet winters of Seattle (my hometown).In my basement studio I create worksthat push back against the constant graywith an explosion of candy colored scenes.Intuition is my guide as my paintings providean escape from the regular world. I enter apainting without conscious preconceptionsof what the work should be. What emergeare snapshots of an imaginary world. I createenvironments in which I want to live (or atleast spend the winter in).Over the past eight years I have developeda unique form of mixed media painting.The paintings are composed of ink, acrylic,graphite and layers of Japanese paper,mounted onto panel, and then covered witha layer of beeswax using a hot iron. Oftentimes I will carve into the surface, revealingthe layers of painting underneath. Elementsfrom my original prints and sketches are oftenadded during the final stages of “painting’’.– Liz Tran21

people to watchAboveDon Darryl Rivera in SCT’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.Photo by Chris Benniondon darryl rivera theater ‘06In the mere four years since he graduated fromCornish with a BFA in Theater, Don DarrylRivera has performed nearly non-stop withnine different theaters, with no signs that hiscareer will be slowing down anytime soon.You may have seen him at Intiman, SeattleShakespeare Theatre or Seattle Children’sTheatre (SCT) where he went from workingin non-union roles to becoming a memberof Actors’ Equity Association, the labor unionthat represents more than 48,000 actorsand stage managers in the United States.He’s grateful for the opportunities SCTprovides. “They help you become a unionmember and now I can get health insuranceand see an optometrist,” he says.Don’s also grateful for the training he receivedat Cornish. Thanks to the skills he learnedfrom his physical acting teachers, he is ableto use his body efficiently and safely —imperative when he performs 11 shows aweek for eight weeks. His preparation forIntiman’s A Doctor in Spite of Himself wasinfluenced by text work classes that taughthim how to ground himself in a world he hadn’tdirectly experienced.A Seattle native, Don knew he wanted to staylocal to study theater. He is proud of theacademic success he enjoyed at Cornish, andcredits the strong student/teacher relationshipthat motivates students.His advice for the class of 2010? Take abusiness class in your art form, whateveryour discipline. It’s helpful for negotiatingcontracts, budgeting, and promoting yourcareer. He also notes, “The Cornish alumninetwork is amazing — the connections youmake at Cornish are super strong.”Don plans on “staying local” for quite a while.“The Seattle theater community is sowonderful and it’s a tight-knit group. I thinkwe are on to something here in Seattle —the support is wonderful, we push eachother to make art and really expand boundaries.It’s a very exciting time!”– Chris StolleryDon Darryl Rivera as Roger, the boy who may have been arat, in SCT’s world premiere of I Was a Rat!.Photo by Chris Bennion.A Doctor In Spite of HimselfPhoto by Chris Bennion22

for the future of the artsyour gift makes a difference!Your gift makes a difference! Many of ourmost talented students struggle economicallywhile attending Cornish. And the averageindebtedness upon leaving Cornish is $34,000.A sobering statistic when you consider thatmost of our graduates work in fields whichare sorely undercompensated. Yet theircontributions to our region’s cultural sceneare enormous!You can make a difference in scholarshipsupport for young artists by making a giftto the Cornish Annual Fund. Simply mail inyour gift using the attached envelope or bygoing to www.cornish.edu to make a gift online:Every gift, of any size, makes a difference!This fall students will be phoning alumni,parents and friends of the college to keepthem posted about Cornish activities andask for their support for the Cornish AnnualFund. To learn more about donors who aremaking a difference in the lives of students,view our most recent annual report atwww.cornish.edu/about/annual_report/.Thank you!a welcome tonew trusteesalex albenAlex Alben has played a leadership role inhigh tech companies that pioneered the fieldof electronic media. As an executive atRealNetworks and Starwave, Alben drew onhis experience in the entertainment fieldand his expertise in intellectual property lawto launch innovative and highly successfulproducts. He has executed business strategiesby supervising product development andmanaging business development. Alben hasrepresented the high tech industry in nationaland global policy groups. In 2004, he ran forthe U.S. Congress from Washington’s 8thdistrict. He is a recognized community leaderand longtime Cornish supporter.janet frohnmayerJanet Frohnmayer is a longtime educationadvocate. She is currently the Director of theMercer Island School District Board ofDirectors and has been actively involved onthe board since 2004 serving as both thevice president and president. She is alsoa member of the Washington Women’sFoundation, Seattle, the Puget SoundCommunity School and the Seattle PublicTheater. Frohnmayer has been presentedwith numerous awards including, the PTACouncil Golden Acorn Award for outstandingvolunteer, the Lakeridge ElementaryGolden Acorn Award and the WashingtonAssociation of School AdministratorsCommunity Recognition Award.dianne loebDianne Loeb is currently the Board Presidentof Jewish Family Service here in Seattle.She has also served on the Board of theUniversity Preparatory Academy, JewishFederation of Greater Seattle, Seattle RepertoryTheatre, Pilchuck Glass School and MedinaChildren’s Services. She has been an activemember on the Rainier Scholars MarketingCommittee, Seattle Art Museum EducationCommittee, Jewish Federation of GreaterSeattle Planned Giving Committee and theMuseum of Glass Governance Committee.Loeb is dedicated and longtime philanthropistin the Puget Sound.sean owen (music ‘97)Sean Owen is a longtime friend an alumnusof Cornish College of the Arts (MU ’97).He went on to complete his doctorate inMusicology from the University of Southampton,England and is currently a FinancialAdvisor for Ameriprise Financial Services.He is actively involved as a member of theCornish College of the Arts Alumni, SeattleClassic Guitar Society, Nature Conservancy,the Sierra Club, the Mountaineers and OneSquare Inch of Silence.23

commencementOn May 13, Cornish College celebrated the graduation ofthe class of 2010 at Benaroya Hall. Honorary Degrees ofDoctor in Fine Arts were conferred to Bill Evans, choreographer,performer and dance educator, and Norman B. Rice, formerMayor of Seattle, community leader and arts advocate. BenCameron, Program Director, Arts, Doris Duke CharitableFoundation delivered the commencement address.Photos:Michelle Smith Lewis24Top LeftSarah Elizabeth Grosman,TheaterTop Right & Center LeftMembers of the class of2010.Center RightTimothy McCuen Piggee,Sergei Tschernisch, JimKnapp.Bottoml. to r. John Hill, Norman B. Rice, Bill Evans, SergeiTschernisch, Ben Cameron, Jenifer Ward, Hollis Near,Chris Kellett, Richard E. T. White, Lois Harris, DaveTosti-Lane, Kitty Daniels, Grant Donesky, Kent Devereaux,David Ulrich.

2010 cornish alumni receptionsThe Office of Alumni Relations held fourdifferent events in 2010 that broughttogether Cornish alumni from everydiscipline and generation.chicagoWith Cornish’s resident student improvgroup, Improvolution, competing at thenational College Improv Tournament inChicago, Theater Department ChairRichard E.T. White traveled to the WindyCity in February to cheer them on andvisit with area alumni at Schubas Tavern.1976 – 85 alumniMusic alumni Kris Iverson (’78) and RoseTamburri (’79) opened their Wallingfordhome in April for a gathering of alumni whoattended the school when it was knownas the Cornish Institute! Former studentscaught up with old friends and enjoyedperformances and exhibitions of eachother’s work.annual seattle alumni receptionCapitol Hill’s Grey Gallery & Lounge wasthe venue for the April 2010 AnnualSeattle Alumni Reception, where alumnifrom Art and Design mingled with thosefrom Music and Theater, and folks graduatingin 1973 and 2009 met for the firsttime. With a suggested donation at thedoor, alumni and faculty helped raiseover $700 for the Cornish Alumni ScholarshipEndowment, which will help ensure thatexceptional artists in all disciplines can continuetheir studies and follow in the footstepsof their alumni predecessors.a cornish gathering in berkeley (june)Cornish held its very first event in California’sBay Area this June, at the Bernard MaybeckCottage and Sackhouse Gardens, homeof Cornish parent Katherine Brown and herdaughter, Theater student Claire Ball.Alumni joined parents of current, formerand incoming students for an al frescosupper in the venue’s magnificent outdoorspaces, and moved to the “schoolroom”for a short talk about the home’s history byHarrison Fraker, UC Berkeley professorand parent of new Cornish Art studentColin Fraker.These are just a few of the “official” Cornishalumni receptions from 2010; smaller,alumni-organized reunions take placethroughout the year, as well. If you’reinterested in hosting a reunion — either inSeattle or another city — please contactAlumni Relations at alumni@cornish.eduor 206.726.5052, and we’ll do what wecan to help!– Nichole Maiman WatermanTop LeftSeattle Alumni Reception:Megan Hill (TH ’02) andNoah Bell (DE ’04)Top RightA Cornish Gathering in Berkeley: current Art parent David Sloane, John Ruszel (AR ’09),Tallulah Terryl (AR ’03), Gene Reddick (DA ’82 – ’89), and new Art student Elizabeth SloaneBottom2010 Annual Seattle Alumni Reception: Ernie Rhoads (DE’89), Melinda Hannah (DE ’01), Rhea Bez (DE ’01)25

faculty newswirebonnie biggs (art)Interim Department Chair Bonnie Biggs cocuratedand exhibited in last summer’s Vetri// Alt: Alternative Glass at Virginia’s OldDominion University, and curated the 6thAnnual Hutch Exhibition this year as partof an ongoing partnership between The FredHutchinson Cancer Research Center andCornish. The exhibition was founded as away to extend the life and viewing pleasureof the Art Department BFA Exhibition andbring a vibrant visual presence into the workenvironment of a world-class research center.Bonnie Biggs, from Vetri // Alt: Alternative Glassellen boyle (theater)Ellen Boyle performed the role ofClytemnestra in Seattle ShakespeareCompany’s January production of Electraunder the direction of former Theater facultymember Sheila Daniels, and will begin atwo-year Anusara Yoga Immersion andTeacher Training program under the directionof Denise Benitez in early 2011.robert campbell (art)Santa Fe, New Mexico’s Currents 2010, whichshowed concurrently with SITE Santa Fe’s8th International Biennial Exhibition, includedYellow, a video installation by Robert Campbell,along with work by video art pioneerSteina Vasulka and Cornish alumnus HisaoIhara (AR ‘00).greg carter (performance production)Greg Carter directed The Laramie Projectthis summer at Seattle’s Strawberry TheatreWorkshop, a company he founded in 2004.Laramie partnered with Breaking the Codeto form the last chapter of Strawshop’s“Biograph” series, which has brought to lifestories of real people including Galileo, BillieHoliday, Leni Riefenstahl, and “The ElephantMan,” John Merrick.steve casteel (dance)wade madsen (dance)deborah wolf (dance)Steve Casteel (DA ’01) will be joined by hisCornish colleagues Deborah Wolf and WadeMadsen as producers and choreographersfor the 8th Biennial Men in Dance Festivalthis October.bonnie cohen &kathleen collins (theater)Kathleen Collins (TH) directed a new play bycolleague Bonnie Cohen (TH) at theNorthwest New Works Festival, and led theworld premiere of New Century TheatreCompany’s On the Nature of Dust at ACT.elizabeth heffron (theater)Her Mother was Imagination, a new playby Elizabeth Heffron, premiered at AnnexTheatre this summer. The full-length, futuristicwork featured current Theater studentSarah Warren and recent graduate CarrieMcIntyre (TH ‘09.)jacob kohn (design)Jacob Kohn recently completed a new seriesof limited edition giclée prints that showedat several venues this past spring, and atthe Rob Schouten Gallery in Greenbank,Washington in August.natalie lerch (music)adam stern (music)Soprano Natalie Lerch performed an eveningof one-act operas as part of the CornishMusic Series; the works included King Harald’sSaga by Judith Weir (directed by KathleenCollins, Theater) and Francis Poulenc’s La VoixHumaine (directed by Daniel Wilson andaccompanied by Adam Stern.Ellen Boylegretta harley (theater)Gretta Harley (MU ‘02) began summer 2010with the debut of her first comic book at theOlympia Comics Festival, and continued bycomposing and directing the music for SeattleShakespeare Company’s Wooden O Festivalproduction of Much Ado About Nothing. Thiswinter, Gretta will produce and perform aconcert of her new compositions at the GoodShepherd Center’s Chapel PerformanceSpace, and will record her second album withWe Are Golden, her band with Seattlechanteuse Sarah Rudinoff.Natalie Lerchwade madsen (dance)This summer, Wade Madsen performed withalumna Kristin Carpenter (DA ‘09) in SanFrancisco, and returned to Boulder, Coloradofor his 27th year of teaching andchoreographing at the Boulder Jazz DanceWorkshop. Wade will also be restagingpart of his collaboration with Seattle Dance26

Project this season, as well as creatinga new cabaret show with Victor Januszin December.barbara noah (art)Barbara Noah was selected by MichaelDarling, the Jon and Mary Shirley Curatorof Modern and Contemporary Art at theSeattle Art Museum, for the Seattle PrintArts 10th Anniversary Exhibition atKirkland Arts Center. The Seattle Art Museumalso included her work in a new acquisitionsevent this past spring, and Barbara will beshowing selected works from her Likely Storiesseries at Davidson Galleries in November.program entitled, Picturing America: PrincipledDissent and Democratic Practice, whichwill provide professional development forteachers of American history to integratethe study of images into academic subjects.jarrad powell (music)Jarrad Powell (MU ‘83) premiered his newevening-length work, Home, with Scott/Powell Performance, and directed GamelanPacifica in its Cornish Music Series collaborationwith Javanese composer RahayuSupanggah. The ensemble also recentlycompleted work on its new CD on NewWorld Records, Scenes from Cavafy: Musicfor Gamelan, which will be released internationallythis fall.murl allen sanders (music)Murl Allen Sanders premiered his newcomposition for chorus and symphonyorchestra, funded by a CityArtist grant fromthe Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts andCultural Affairs, in May 2010 with OrchestraSeattle and Seattle Chamber Singers.adam stern (music)peter mack (music)natalie lerch (music)Conductor Adam Stern will be collaboratingwith two of his Cornish Music facultycolleagues during the 2010 – 11 season.January 2011 has Peter Mack joiningStern and the Seattle Philharmonic for aperformance of Beethoven’s PianoConcerto No. 5, and in March 2011, NatalieLerch will be the soprano soloist withStern and the Port Angeles Symphony inSamuel Barber’s song-cycle Knoxville:Summer of 1915.Barbara Noah, Acmelisa norman (theater)Lisa Norman toured prisons and militarybases with Freehold Theatre’s EngagedTheater production of Julius Caesar. The90-minute adaption of Shakespeare’sclassic is part of Freehold’s mission to developpartnerships with organizations that representculturally under-served populations in thelarger community.bridget nowlin (art)tamara moats (art)Bridget Nowlin and Tamara Moats received agrant from the National Endowment for theHumanities and partnered with the Seattle ArtMuseum and University of Washington,Bothell, to organize and lead a teacher-trainingJarrad Powell and Rahayu Supanggahkathleen rabel (art)Kathleen Rabel is preparing work for a 2011solo exhibition of painting and sculpture atGremillion & Co. Fine Art in Houston, Texas.Kathleen Rabelpaul taub (music)After flutist Paul Taub performed a 30thanniversary recital at Cornish in winter 2009,he presented two weeks of highly acclaimedconcerts with the Seattle Chamber Playersat On the Boards, produced and playedon the Drums Along the Pacific tour with thePacific Rims Percussion Quartet, andproduced May Day! May Day! – A New MusicMarathon at Town Hall. Summer broughta performance at Symphony Space in NewYork, and the production/performance oftwo events for the National Flute Associationconvention in Anaheim, California.deborah wolf (dance)Deborah Wolf reprised The Hipdeep Family,originally created for the 2008 Men in DanceFestival, for The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2009 atOn the Boards, and other recent projectsinclude works for Bellingham Repertory Dance,Eastside Moving Company, and a CornishBFA Thesis solo, co-choreographed withMolly Scott.27

alumni newswire2010Steven Ackley (TH ’10) and ZachNystrom (TH ’10) formed Boom! TheaterCompany and expanded its membershipto 14, and are now working on their firstcompany-generated piece, The TaphonomyProject, which depicts a possible next stepin human evolution.Tigran Arakelyan (MU ’10) is a graduateconducting assistant with Western IllinoisUniversity’s Symphony and ChamberOrchestras, and was invited as one of eightconducting fellows to the Seasons FestivalConductors Workshop in Yakima, WA thisOctober. He will conduct the YakimaSymphony Chamber Orchestra in a premieringpiece by Gracie Sutherland “SuperFighting Robot” and working with conductorsDonald Thulean, Brooke Creswell andLawrence Golan.2007The Irrealist Theater presented Amniotes:An imaginary History of the end of the Worldfrom 1954-20XX by William Brattain(TH ’07), featuring actors Sharon Dummar(TH ’05) and Jeffrey Willey (TH ’05),installation artist Maxx Lexington (HeathLambe, AR ’08), kinetic sculptorCasey Curran (AR ’06), sound designerLily Nguyen (PP ’05), and videographerLisa Reynolds (TH ’05).s and p, Casey Curran (AR ‘08)artist driven art blog dimensions variable,Sharon Arnold (AR ‘06) is currentlyworking at the Gage Academy of Art inSeattle as the Youth Programs Manager.2004Dorothy Lemoult (TH ’04) completed hersecond year at California Institute of IntegralStudies as a graduate student in CounselingPsychology/Drama Therapy, and will leadinga drama therapy workshop at this fall’s Armyof Angels Conference in Asheville, NC.Leah Matthes (PP ’04) is the PersonalAssistant to the CEO at London’sAmbassador Theatre Group, which owns,operates, and produces live theater at40 venues across the United Kingdom.2002Diem Chau (AR ’02) was commissionedby Wieden + Kennedy to carve 66 crayonsfor this year’s Nike World Cup press kits.In 18 days, she created likenesses of sixinternational footballers, including Portugal’sCristiano Ronaldo.Tigran Arakelyan2009Susan Thieme (MU ‘09) sang La ZiaPrincipessa in Suor Angelica at Operafestivaldi Roma. She has recently begun hergraduate studies at the University ofTennessee-Knoxville’s Opera Studio.20085th Avenue’s Adventure Theatre performer,Diana Huey (TH ‘08) won the “GoldenAudition Spot” on the television series, Glee!Ashley Widman (DE ’08), who internedwith NBBJ Seattle during her senior yearand was hired full-time upon graduation,accepted a position in NBBJ Architecture’sNew York office to work on the NYUKimmel Pavilion Medical Center project.Pinky Estell (PP ’07) is now a first-yearTechnical Direction graduate studentat University of North Carolina School ofthe Arts.On May 7, Willow Fox (AR ’07) performedher multimedia work The Reliquary at theFestival International de Vidéo Danse deBourngogne in Autun Burgundy.Lighting designer Ian Smith (PP ’07) recentlyassumed the position of Assistant TechnicalDirector at California Shakespeare Company.2006Casey Curran (AR ’06) and Justin Lytle(AR ’09) were chosen from more than 250applicants to be part of MadArt in the Park,an outdoor installation project of six artistsat Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park that focusedon the interactive nature of sculpture inpublic spaces. In addition to founding theDiem Chau for Nike World Cup Press KitsThe Seattle Shakespeare Company/WoodenO production of Much Ado About Nothingfeatured original composition and music directionby Gretta Harley (MU ’02), musicalperformance by Scott Adams (MU ’00),and the acting talents of Sage Price (TH ’10),Timothy Smith-Stewart (TH ’10), andCarol Thompson (TH ’10).2001Courtney Sale (TH ‘01) is currently in theMFA directing program at UT Austin andholds the position of Event Coordinator forthe 50th Anniversary Fantasticks Weekend.28

alumni newswire continued1990Christopher Peak (TH ‘90) is teachingPhysical Characterization for the BerkeleyRepertory Theatre School of Theatrewhere student will explore techniques andmovement histories, finding a physicalcenter and investigate the inverse process.On the Rock, Christopher Peak1989Earnest (Ernie) Rhoads (DE ‘89) hasrecently been published in the newinterior design textbook “State of theInterior Design Profession” edited byCaren Marten and Denyce Guerin andpublished by Fairchild Books, NY, NY.Ernie contributed by writing the chapter:“The Importance of IncorporatingEmbedded Knowledge into the InteriorDesign Body of Knowledge.”1987Letter’s End, created and performed byWolfe Bowart (TH ’87), received a2010 Helpmann Award nomination — theAustralian equivalent of a Tony Awardnomination — for Best Touring Production.1984In September 2010’s Earshot, reviewer JohnEwing called Conversational Music, thenew CD by drummer Aaron Alexander(MU ’84 – ‘85) — an early practitionerof what has become known as the “AvantJewish Downtown Music Scene” — andMusic faculty member Julian Priester:“a fine recording that demands repeatedlistening.”in memoriamActress Sharrie Rose (TH ’98) passedaway on June 25, 2010, while hikingTemescal Canyon in Pacific Palisades, CA.discipline and discovery continued from page 8dancers is head to head. She is a directorwho speaks her mind and allows dancersto be part of the process verbally as well asphysically. She carves out time to motivatethe people around her and her positivitycharges outward. One hundred and eightyeightperformances later, I’m happy I listenedto her, and happy I got to learn from her.”plans to continue pushing herself, workingwith new and different choreographers inorder to make those connections that are soimportant for the expansion and growthof an artistic practice, and encouraging thecollaboration and education that happensbetween choreographer and dancer, as wellas teacher and student.ok to change your {teaching} plan.’ Inspirationis on my mind — I’m going to fuel it, andpass it on, and change the plan...many times,I’m sure.”– Nichole RathburnCome Fly Away ended its run on Broadwayon September 5. As a free agent, Holley“I started teaching at Merce’s Studio a fewyears ago with his pedagogical advice: ‘It’sgreat news about the alumnigiving challenge!Alumni, remember what it was like to jugglefinancial aid, scholarships, and part-timejobs in order to complete your education?Thanks to alumni like Amber Hedrich Knox(PP ‘99) and many other caring alumni, thenewly established Cornish Alumni ScholarshipEndowment (CASE) will help generationsof future gifted students as they completetheir education.To date, alumni have given more than $10,000to the alumni giving challenge. With matchingsupport from the Charles Simonyi Fund forArts and Sciences, the total raised thus faris $20,000.The Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts andSciences has extended the alumni givingchallenge through May 31, 2011. All giftsfrom alumni will be matched, dollar for dollar,to create the first-ever alumni-poweredendowed scholarship.Alumni from all eras and departments areparticipating, and every gift helps!You can sign up for monthly electronicgiving at www.cornish.edu /alumnigiving,or call 206.726.5064 to charge by phoneor mail your check.Thanks in advance for helping those whofollow in your footsteps!30

the master builder continued from page 3“When I graduated from Stanford, I decidedto become a movie star. Obviously. Whatelse is there to do in this world?” he says,taking his improbable story forward. Hemoved to Los Angeles to facilitate this. Hedidn’t do half badly, either, appearing ontelevision in programs such as “Mission:Impossible” and “The Paper Chase.”Northeastern University in Boston. To bridgethe academic experience with professionalexperience, Sergei helped form nuArts, whichbecame the leading presenter of contemporaryperformance work in New England.Then the bursting of the high-tech bubble inBoston led him back to the L.A. area, to aplum assignment as Dean of the Arts at Loyolaahead for this master builder, but Sergei isnot sure what they’ll be. “For the first time inmany years I’m not sure what I’ll be doingnext. So many possibilities lie ahead.”That’s a great exit line, and this isn’t the end.You had to see the look in Sergei’s eyes.Yes, there was a bit of Cincinnatus returningto the farm in that look, but there was alsoBut his interests began to shift. “Somewherealong the line, I found myself directing moreand more plays,” he relates. “Drama is by itsnature cooperative, not only in its internalworkings, but in its openness to incorporatingother art forms. Becoming a stage directoris the apotheosis of this. It’s falling in love withbringing all the elements together, not onlythe acting, stage design and technical artsyou would expect, but also any music, visualarts, and perhaps even dance that may berequired. Being a director is about helpingother artists achieve a unified vision.” Beinga director, it turns out, provides the perfecttraining for building an art school.Sergei was ready, therefore, when he got acall from Herbert Blau. Blau had been namedthe Provost of California Institute of the Arts,which was at that time in the throes ofcreation. Blau asked his old comrade to helplay the foundations with him and CalArt’sPresident, Robert Corrigan. “It was a marveloussituation,” Sergei says, “The best way tostart any art school is to have brilliant peoplegather and talk for six or seven months.”So it was that Sergei broke into the buildingtrade—building institutions, that is. For12 years, from the talking stage to the stagestage, he helped build CalArts. For Sergei,the pleasure of building is a journey in which“the joy comes from seeing how thingsemerge, develop, and grow.” He could havesettled in for the long haul, but decided heneeded to broaden his horizons with a moveto the East Coast where he remained for alittle over a decade.Sergei began his east coast journey with workon a performing complex for the University ofMaryland. When that project was postponedby the University, he was serendipitouslyinvited to head the Division of the Arts atMarymount. It was the job of a lifetime, but ajob that emphasized “the various managerialskills of a deanship.”Sergei began to get feelers from the northwestfor a different kind of job and was invitedto take a trip up to Seattle to have a look atCornish College of the Arts. “I had no plansto leave Loyola Marymount,” he remembers.“However, the minute I walked into thebuilding on Capitol Hill and began to meetfaculty, students, and staff, I was hooked.”At Cornish, Sergei found a stage for the boldstrategies he is most fond of, resulting in thecreation of a new faculty structure, expandedfaculty support, key appointments to facultyand staff, new academic programs, enhancedcurriculum, development of an interdisciplinaryfocus, and creation of a strategic planand master campus plan. Then there is thenew campus…Back to Sergei’s office. His is the office of thePresident of an art school of heightenednational repute. He’s done it again. Time torelax and enjoy the accomplishment. It’stime to move on. There are more challengesa gleam there of the inveterate gamblerwatching the dice carom off the back bumperof a craps table. So, if you’re standing bythat metaphorical table waiting to place yourbets on what Sergei will do next, the smartmoney is on something exciting getting built,and sooner rather than later.– Maximilian Boceksave the date!Tribute to Sergei P. TschernischSunday, April 10, 2011ACT Theatre, 700 Union Street, SeattleJoin us for a special evening celebratingPresident Sergei P. Tschernisch, honoringhis 17 years of leadership for the college andhis contributions to our community. Allproceeds benefit the Sergei P. TschernischEndowed Scholarship Fund.Watch for an invitation in early 2011.AboveSergei director, Fando & Lis, CalArts, 1977Actors pictured: Kate Purwin, Corey Dorson31

im(merce)ed continued from page 10students through the minEvent choreography.During a three-week residency, Lenttaught classes and choreographic workshops,directed open rehearsals, and gave free publiclecture-demonstrations on Cunningham’sgroundbreaking methods.Still some may wonder, ‘Why dedicate awhole year to Merce Cunningham?’especially considering many find his dancescold, abstract, even boring. It is the radicalideas driving Cunningham’s work thatinspired The New York Times to describehim as, “The greatest living artist sinceBeckett.” Dance may count Cunningham asone of its barrier-breaking pioneers, but therealms of performance, music, film, theater,conceptual art and motion-capture technologyalso directly benefited from his experiments.Cunningham’s decentralized, multi-focuseduse of performance space dismantlednotions of the proscenium stage derivedfrom the Renaissance. And his use ofChance Operations as a choreographic toolchallenged the idea of art as self-expressiondominating western aesthetics since theRomantic era. Cunningham’s chance methods,which he described as a “mode of freeingmy imagination from its own clichés,” includedthe making of charts and rolling of dice todetermine a dance’s movement, content andstructure. As a result, in a Cunningham dance,any movement might randomly follow anyother movement, based on his conviction thatin art, as in life, it is possible for anything tofollow anything else.Cunningham and his collaborator John Cage’sreconsideration of the boundaries betweenart and life redefined music, dance and performanceby including found sounds,movements and daily actions. Cunninghamand Cage asserted any sound, action, or linedid not require external narratives or overlaysof emotion to be expressive: “If the dancerdances, everything is there,” wrote Cunningham.“When I dance, it means: this is what I amdoing.” Explains Daniels, “Both (George)Balanchine and Cunningham were saying, ‘Ifyou do this movement one hundred percent,if you’re committed fully, then the meaning andexpression will emerge — the body movingin space is eloquent and articulate.”The most controversial of Cunningham andCage’s innovations concerned the relationshipbetween dance and music, which theyconcluded only occur in the same time andspace and, therefore, can be createdindependently of one another. Cunninghamdancers heard the music for the first timeas they danced the performance. This spiritof independent coexistence and chancepermeated all of Cunningham’s collaborations.“The Cunningham minEvent Project is theperfect program for different organizationsin the city to collaborate on celebrating oneof their own,” says Van Nostrand. “Mercemodeled that kind of collaboration. It’s notjust about honoring Merce’s legacy. It’salso looking at his work and ideas with ourcontemporary context and asking, ‘Whatdoes this mean in 2010 – 2011?’ Merce wasahead of his time. It’s interesting to test hisideas from a contemporary perspective andsee if they still stand-up. It’s worth dedicatinga year to asking that question.”There are many upcoming opportunities todo just that: In November, Cornish DanceTheater and the Indeterminacy Ensembleperform the Cunningham minEvent atBroadway Performance Hall as part of the2010 Cornish Dance Theater Fall Concert.In March, Cornish’s Interface Series hosts aninterdisciplinary conversation with Seattleartists Catherine Cabeen, Tonya Lockyer andJarrad Powell on the legacies of Yves Klein,Cunningham and Cage. And February throughApril, site-specific minEvents appear aroundSeattle, staged for the unconventional spacesof the Seattle Art Museum, ACT’s BullittTheatre, and as part of a free tour of thehistoric Paramount.Cunningham embodies Cornish’s originalvision of the allied arts. He came to Cornish tobe an actor and took-up dance by chance.It was at Cornish he met the composer JohnCage — his life-long companion andcollaborator. Of his time at Cornish Cunninghamsaid, “I’m very grateful for it, because itbrought me a connection with not a singleart but with all of them.” As Cunningham’sniece, Jody, aptly put it, “Cornish opened uphis world, and the rest is history.”– Tonya Lockyerwant to know more about cornishthroughout the year?sign up for our monthly enewsletterwww.cornish.edu/newsfollow us on facebookwww.facebook.com/cornishcollegeoftheartsAboveCornish students in Patricia Lent’s master class.32

in memoriamPlease join us in recognizing these individuals who contributedto Cornish College of the Arts across the years.Hadley CalimanRetired Cornish faculty member and notedjazz saxophonist Hadley Caliman passedaway September 8, 2010 in Seattle aftersuccumbing to liver cancer. He was 77years old.Caliman joined the Cornish jazz faculty in 1984and taught continuously at Cornish foralmost twenty years. “Hadley was a muchbeloved and respected member of ourmusic faculty,” said Cornish president SergeiTschernisch. “He was a warm, sweet, manwith a great heart, who was intensely passionateabout his music. He lived to playjazz. He will be missed.”Known for his searing tenor saxophone soundthat earned him a favored place as thesideman of choice for numerous jazz, rock,and R&B artists in the 1960s and 70s,Caliman recently reignited his recording careerafter retiring from teaching at Cornish in2003. His most recent recordings, Gratitudeand Straight Ahead garnered superlativereviews from jazz critics in the U.S. and abroad.– Kent Deveareux, Chair, MusicWe also recognize the passing of GeorgeShangrow, who played an integral part increating and nurturing Seattle’s richclassical music scene, including OrchestraSeattle, Seattle Chamber Singers andKING-FM.Dick FrielOne of a kind, larger than life, and lovedby a world of friends, Seattle marketingexecutive, aviation pioneer, and charityauctioneer extraordinaire Dick Frielpassed away early on January 14, 2010.He was a giant in the advertising andpromotion business, credited with thesuccessful branding of Aviation Partners’fuel-saving Blended Winglet Technology,on more than 3,000 Boeing aircraftand jets worldwide.The countless hours Dick spent raisingmoney for charities, applying his uniqueauctioneering concept, is legendary.Dick and his wife, Sharon, have raised morethan $300 million for charities aroundthe globe.Dick recently served on the boards ofPONCHO and Big Brothers of KingCounty. He was President of PONCHO in1984 and past Chairman of the Boardfor the Washington Arthritis Foundation.Other past board appointments includeSeattle Children’s Home, United CerebralPalsy, Spastic Children’s Clinic and theSeattle Symphony. In 1996, Dick waspresented the prestigious Anna Cliseaward for outstanding dedication andcontribution to Children’s Hospital andRegional Medical Center. In 2001, Dickand his wife Sharon were presented thePennington Award, the highest recognitionChildren’s Hospital can give for theirdedication and contribution to the hospital.– Tamara WilsonMarjorie NelsonMarjorie Nelson, former Cornish Faculty,actor, director, producer, and activist, diedFebruary 12, 2010 after a brief illness.When I started at Cornish, I was pleased tohire Marjorie to teach workshops in theAlexander Technique to some of our students.I remember vividly how moved and inspiredthe students were afterwards, talking abouthow gentle yet revelatory her touch was.My first memory of Marjorie is also my firstmemory of Seattle Repertory Theatre — asearing production of John Arden’s anti-wardrama Serjeant Musgrave’s Dance, highlightedby Josef Sommer’s brilliant incarnation ofthe central role, and Marjorie’s earthy, cynicaland pointed performance of his ideologicalantagonist, Mrs. Hitchcock. She and Sommerwere paired again later that season as Eddieand Bea Carbone in A View from the Bridge,where her versatility was evident in the heartwrenchingsensitivity of her portrayal ofa woman who loved a man who was fallingapart in front of her eyes. Marjorie exemplifiedthe company ethic of the early days of theRep with her versatility and unerring aim atthe heart of every character she played. Ibecame a theater worker because of thosetwo productions as much as anything I sawin my college years.A couple of years ago I spent a lovely afternoonat her house, her reminiscing about herearly years as an actress, her associationwith theater legends like Brecht, Laughton,Howard Da Silva, Phoebe Brand and more,me marveling at the depth and richness of herexperience. It was theater wonderland for me.– Richard E.T. White, Chair, Theater33

1000 Lenora Street Seattle WA 98121 www.cornish.eduCreditsInSight is published annually by theOffice for Institutional AdvancementKaren L. BystromDirector of Communications206.726.5169kbystrom@cornish.eduContributors:Maximilian Bocek, Lisa Halpern, Lindsay Hastings, Tonya Lockyer,Mari London, Willam Nellor, Nichole Rathburn, Chris Sande,Chris Stollery, Lindsay Walter, Nichole Maiman WatermanDesign:Emily Hooper©2011 Cornish College of the Arts. All right reserved.art dance design music performance production theater | humanities & sciences