Champions

Alums Share Love of Theatre with Students
Sharing time, talent and treasure with your alma mater
are welcome attributes of any alumni. Having the perfect
opportunity to match your gifts to your high school makes
this giving even easier. At the invitation of Fr. Mike DeMartinis,
director of the theatre program, four alumni have had the unique
experience of sharing their love of theatre, theatrical experiences,
and points of view with the students of Villa Maria and Cathedral
Prep this school year.
Bill Lacey ’49 directed MacBeth on the Villa stage in November
2012. Bill knows Prep opened doors and gave him the foundation
for his education when, 64 years ago, he appeared in his first
Prep/Villa production. “It was an epiphany for me. I was teetering
between a career as a lawyer or entering the seminary when
I discovered theatre. Subsequently, my career began.” Bill is
Professor Emeritus at Boston University and was Director of
Theatre there. He directed with Boston Shakespeare, Western
Playhouse in Vermont (one of the oldest summer theatres in the
country), and was a founding member of Saratoga Shakespeare
Company. He also taught professional Shakespeare in master
classes at Harvard and Skidmore. Some of his international credits
include guest master teacher and director at Trinity College in
Dublin, Drama Studio in London, and American College of Greece
in Athens.
Bill firmly believes acting is not just speaking the words; there is
a relationship with voice and speech and the physical to acting.
“I was so happy to work with these 30 brave Prep and Villa
students as they tackled ‘the Scottish Play’ last November. With
Shakespeare particularly, I have found over the years, when you
spend time with the text before you get on your feet, the thing
takes off. I like the kids; they were really good to work with. “
Nate Dahlkemper ’08, set designer, and Almitra Clemente
Clerkin ’81 (VMA), codirector and cochoreographer, spent
January on the stage working side-by-side with Fr. Mike and 60
students and alumni to produce and rehearse a perfect musical
for our school, Children of Eden.
“It was great to come back to Prep/Villa to design another set,“
said Nate. “My first set design was for All Shook Up my senior year.
Since then, I have designed over 20 productions. I moved into
the world of film where I’m working on TV shows, including The
Vampire Diaries, Second Generation Wayans, Tyler Perry’s The Haves
and Have Nots, and a new CBS pilot called The Surgeon General.”
Nate knows being at Prep was the best place to start his career.
“My career is taking off, but my roots will always be back in my
hometown at the Erie Playhouse and Prep. Almi cast me in my
first Youtheatre show at the age of seven, and Fr. Mike gave me
my first set design job which got me into college. Coming back
to design Children of Eden seemed like the perfect opportunity to
bring my talents back to the people and place where it all started.”
Almi performed in two shows
at Villa and one show at Prep
as a student and directed
30 shows on the Villa stage
from 1985-2005. “When I
was a student, we did a show
every other year. Now the
students have an opportunity
to work on 16 shows during
their four years!” As past
Youtheatre Director (1992-
2006) and current Executive
Director (2006 to present)
of the Erie Playhouse, Almi
knows the value of theatre
in a young person’s life. “We
all know the arts are vital in
building self-worth, excellent
communication skills, and
physical stamina. Learning
Nate Dalhkemper ’08 on the set of
Children of Eden.
time management is also an intrinsic value of doing theatre.
Balancing the theatre workload with the full-time role of being a
student is tough, but totally doable. Our Prep and Villa theatre kids,
both onstage and behind the scenes, are blessed with parents
who support their work on- and off- stage every step of the way.”
Monsignor Tom McSweeney ’63, directed Prep and Villa’s March
show, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, with 30 students.
“Fifty years ago to the month, I was on stage with Tom Ridge and
Fr. Wally Packard in Arsenic and Old Lace. I have wanted to come
back and was happy to accept Fr. Mike’s invitation to direct Our
Town.”
Msgr. McSweeney is in his 18th year as religion analyst from
MSNBC, was the national director of The Christopher’s in NYC,
and found Gannon University’s Department of Theatre and
Communication Arts.
“It was especially touching to be working with the kids who have
the opportunity to perform and work on a beautiful stage. The
actors and technicians are all developing real skills. Those who
have been in five to six shows are collegiate material already.”
Msgr. McSweeney was also impressed with the students’ sense
of discipline and aura of professionalism. “They were eager to
respond to what I had to impart. They paid attention to the
characters and not to themselves, accomplishing a lot of this
without being told.”
Msgr. McSweeney summed up what all our theatre alumni believe
–we are eager and are looking forward to the next time we can be
involved!
24
SPRING 2013
The Magazine of Cathedral Preparatory School