Big Schmooze

Friday, March 23 4:00 -- 5:00 pm in the The Acting Studio, Dorothy Young Center.

Starring: Joy Tomasko CLA '97, Abdel Gonzalez, CLA’06 & Dunja Vitolic, CLA ‘99, & Emily Knox Blitz, CLA

Refreshments will, of course, be served. Be there or be terribly square. YAY!

	At Drew	Since Drew
Joy Tomasko	“... I worked on as many shows as I possibly could and slept in the theater. My favorites were directing Jean Anouilh’s Antigone and my messy play Structures – the latter with Jay Clawson-class of ’96. I loved how hands-on and encouraging it was for students to immerse themselves in all aspects of theater. “While I was still at Drew during my last semester I started interning at The Public Theater in NYC.”	“...I continued working (at the Public Theatre) full-time for about six years in the Producer’s (George C. Wolfe) Office. I worked on shows on and off-Broadway and at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Eventually, I went back to school to refocus on myself as an artist. “I graduated just last year - May 2006 with an MFA in Writing for Performance from California Institute of the Arts (where Esme Allen - class of '05 goes for acting). “I’m now back in NYC among a huge contingent of Drew Mafia– I’m a member of the Women’s Project Theater’s Playwright’s Lab – I teach a class at Fordham, and I’m collaborating with artists on both coasts with a bend towards international opportunities.”
Dunja Vitolic	“…Two majors - theatre arts and psychology. I took every acting class there was and acted in a bunch of productions - plays and musicals (I think Dorine in TARTUFFE was my last role), but besides that, I stage managed, costume-designed, built sets, directed (EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN AUTHOR), danced in the dance shows (what?!?! I did?!?!?!), and was the department assistant in my senior year.”	“I did the actor thing first. Did two children's tours, earning my Equity ….I started a production company and … produced 2 shows in NY (one was Paula Vogel's DESDEMONA). “… I started interning at a casting office … and becoming a casting director (TARA RUBIN CASTING). Our office mainly handled Broadway musicals (SPAMALOT, JERSEY BOYS, SPELLING BEE, MAMA MIA, PRODUCERS, LES MIS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) …. I also worked on the film version of the PRODUCERS MUSICAL. “… I left TRC to pursue a career in television …. I ended up being offered a short-term job … to help cast two TV pilots at Julie Tucker Casting…. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be leaving … to pursue the … "development and production" part of the biz….. I remember what it was like to produce...even at Drew, the director of a show actually took on a lot of producers' duties, and I loved every minute of it.”
Abdel Gonzalez	“While still at Drew, the only things that gave me joy and kept me out of trouble were performing (plays, cabarets, plays in process) and everyday :)”	“I’m acting and co-producing a sketch comedy show in the West Village called Not Another Showcase. Just filmed an industrial for Nokia and commercial for United Emirates. Scene Study/ commercial and film class at Michael Howard Studios (scholarship). First thing I did when I graduated was find my home base in an acting conservatory (Michael Howard Studios- full scholarship) and auditioning for work in the city.”
Emily Knox Blitz	Stage managed and along with her family provided props for Drew Theatre productions for Y E A R S!	After graduation, joined the Peace Corps. Now, based in Geneva, stage managing across continents: as an organizer of AIDS conferences.

Contact the Theatre Department at theatre@drew.edu and DUDS at duds@drew.edu