Alumni Spotlight: Shane Hill

Name:  Shane Hill

Graduation year:  2001

Degree earned:  Theatre/Communication

Current city:  Abilene

Current job:  Executive Director – Abilene Community Theatre

Alumni Spotlight: Brandon Ray

Name: Brandon Ray

Graduation year: 2000

Degree earned: B.A., Theatre (Music minor)

Current city: Normal, IL (Yes, that’s a real place)

Current area of study: 3^rd-Year MFA candidate in Directing at Illinois State University

Student Spotlight: Miranda Priddy

Name: Miranda Priddy
Age: 19
Classification: Sophomore
Hometown: Stephenville, TX
Major/Minor? Theatre Arts Education/ English

Alumni Spotlight: George Levesque

Name: George Levesque
Graduation year: 1996
Degree earned: Theatre/Political Science
Current city: Abilene
Current job: News Director for KTXS Television, the ABC affiliate. I also anchor the 5pm Newscast.

Alumni Spotlight: Sally Steele

Name: Sally Steele

Graduation year: 2011

Degree earned: B.A. in Theatre (Acting & Directing focus)/English

Current city: Fort Worth, TX

Current job: I’m currently a Production Assistant/Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant to the Technical Director at Stage West.

Alumni Spotlight: Kayla Weinkauf

Name: Kayla Weinkauf

Graduation year: 2007

Degree earned (major/minor): Bachelor of Science, Theatre Education

Current city: Abilene, TX

Current job: Haven House Manager at Connecting Caring Communities, Theatre Teacher at Abilene Performing Arts Company

Alumni Spotlight: Kerry Goff

Name: Kerry Goff

Graduation Year: May 2010

Degree Earned: B.F.A. Theatre (Acting/Directing Focus) Minor: Musical Theatre

Current City: Fredericksburg, Texas

Current Job: Artistic Operations Manager, Fredericksburg Theater Company

Alumni Spotlight: Taylor Compton

Name: Taylor Compton
Graduation year: 2008
Degree earned (major/minor): BFA in Theatre – Acting/Directing
Current city: Abilene, TX
Current job: Technical Director - Historic Paramount Theatre

Our first Alumni Spotlight: Kaitlyn Walker

Name:  Kaitlyn Walker          

Graduation year:  2010

Degree earned (major/minor):  BA Acting/Directing; Minor-Art with a focus in Photography

Current city:  Houston, TX

Current job:  I am currently the Marketing and Development Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Community Service Coordinator and…well it’s pretty much safe to say I do a little of everything at Main Street Theater in Houston, TX.

More Quick Notes

Just wanted to share a more in-depth peek at some exciting things we will be posting about. We are trying to get in the habit of posting regularly, but we are still getting everything together, so bare with us!

Soon we will be taking a look at:

About half of us have recently gotten together to form a improvisation group. While we are still practicing and perfecting, we hope to be able to give some informal performances for our McMurry Community. Jack Piland, a Junior Theatre Major will tell us more about this idea he came up with and his plans for it's future.

In addition to student spotlights, we will also be getting in touch with some of our recent (and not so recent) alumni, to share their success stories, and let them give a little, very honest, peek at life post-grad.

In just a few short weeks we will be performing our third, and biggest, show of the season, our homecoming show! Expect a post on all the information you could want about the show (including info on where to purchase tickets-- you know you want to see this!) and just some of the new and old traditions of McMurry Homecoming (which is kind of a big deal-- at least to us).

McMurry has a long standing tradition of turning out wonderful playwrights, and we plan to speak to a couple of our TETA (Texas Educational Theatre Association) Playwrighting Festival winners. We will share information about how any aspiring writers out there can enter their own plays into the festival, and detail how our Playwrighting class has helped writers at McMurry (not just in the our department).

Again, thanks for sticking with us in this time of development. We plan on being fully functional and working like a well oiled machine in no time!