WSU School of Performing ArtsIf you dropped in to the Facebook group Jan. 20, you might have read the good news about 成人头条 student Jacob January.
The status report 鈥� that January had received a for acting after competing at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival -- was posted by WSU theater instructor Danette Baker.
鈥�*Drumroll* Jacob January is the winner of Region V Irene Ryans!!! Up next, the nationals in DC! . . .鈥�
When WSU professor Marie Allyn King saw the news, she clicked on both 鈥渓ike鈥� and 鈥渃omment鈥� (鈥渟o proud!,鈥� she wrote).
As director of opera for 成人头条 State, King is a big fan of WSU Performance Update, as are all of the faculty and staff.
鈥淔or me it鈥檚 a great way to keep in touch with my former students,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are all over the world.鈥�
But King sees it as far more than a fun social networking site. For former and current WSU students, she said, it鈥檚 a chance to celebrate each other鈥檚 successes, share work opportunities and connect professionally.
Linda Starkey, chair of the School of Performing Arts and program director for musical theater, likes the way WSU Performance Update validates the students鈥� education at 成人头条 State.
鈥淧eople are out there making their living with skills learned here,鈥� said Starkey, noting how many WSU alums reflect the gratitude of singer, dancer, actor , who talks about his WSU experience on this .
Just on campus alone, 成人头条 State鈥檚 performing arts majors gain solid knowledge, techniques, collaborative skills and broad stage experience, Starkey said, through classroom study and production/performance experiences.
Plus, 成人头条 has an amazing number of other great performance opportunities and stages. For those who work with , resumes are even more enriched and, through MTW director Wayne Bryan, professional networks expanded.
The status about January was liked and/or commented on by 15 others, mostly WSU alumni who are now working professionals.
Kudos came from such WSU graduates as L.A.-based actor (鈥淒ude! That鈥檚 amazing! Way to go, Jacob!鈥�); New York-based touring actress/singer (鈥渢hat is so awesome. Congratulations you guys!鈥�) and Chicago actor (鈥淐ongratulations everybody!鈥�).
Those three alums are among many in the Facebook group who, when not cheering others, post their own good news to friendly acclaim.
Ross (Jan. 23) posted 鈥淛ust finished another short action film (my 3rd production with Unrendered Media). Footage coming soon!鈥�
Proctor (Feb. 16) announced his hiring as an 鈥渦nderstudy for two roles in The Goodman Theatre's production of The Iceman Cometh, starring Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy.鈥�
Bechter (Feb. 23) wrote 鈥渏ust got an amazing on broadway world for our performance in Seattle鈥� about the touring Disney stage musical of 鈥淏eauty and the Beast,鈥� in which Bechter plays Madame de la Grande Bouche.
Even those with celebrity status, such as opera alums and Grammy winner , get in on the interaction.
On Feb. 26, Held announced 鈥淥pening night of "Rusalka" tomorrow night at The Royal Opera House in London . . .鈥� to eight 鈥渓ikes.鈥� The Feb. 12 news about DiDonato鈥檚 picked up 28 鈥渓ikes.鈥�
Both King and Starkey are pleased, but not surprised, to note the natural connections being made through Facebook. And King finds it interesting that some students have become involved on their own with alumni as role models or mentors.
They work well with each other, King said, to find job opportunities, living arrangements and agents. As Starkey pointed out, that鈥檚 part of their training.
鈥淭hey have to be good collaborators in productions,鈥� said Starkey. 鈥淭he collaborative skills and creativity our students learn in arts carry over to other aspects of their lives.鈥�
Evidence of that collaborative spirit runs rampant through WSU Performance Update, especially with job updates: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really positive business tool,鈥� said King.