DANBURY, CONN. — The Western Connecticut State University B.F.A. Musical Theatre and B.A. Acting Class of 2020 is being featured in a Virtual Senior Showcase to provide industry professionals the opportunity to view their work. The digital showcase highlights all 21 graduating seniors from the competitive and dynamic theatre arts programs at WCSU. Each senior is featured on a dedicated page on the website, with a headshot and resume, two contrasting song cuts or monologues and a 90-second performance reel.
The B.F.A. Musical Theatre graduates featured are: Isiah Bostic, of Hamden; Ashia Collins, of Poughkeepsie, New York; Heather Conti-Clark, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Shea Coughlin, of Sherman; Colin Gallaher, of Wappingers Falls, New York; Tyler Gallaher, of Wappingers Falls, New York; Mike Katz, of Monroe; Liv Kurtz, of Andover; Annaleigh Lester, of Schenectady, New York; Izzy Mercaldo, of Brookfield; Alaina Mueller, of Windsor; Brandon Richardi, of Boston, Massachusetts; Cynthia Ana Rivera, of Bridgeport; Mark Sumner, of Middletown; Abigail Swartout, of Horseheads, New York; Dominick Ventrella, of Ridgefield; Victoria Ann Wall, of Wallingford; and Stefan Zachary, of Farmington.
The B.A. Acting graduates are: D. Michael Cyr, of Waterbury; Kevin Geraghty, of Fairfield; and Kat Karl of Redding.
During their time at WCSU, these seniors have undergone intensive training in a variety of areas including classical and contemporary acting, legit and contemporary vocal instruction, and in multiple genres of dance including ballet, jazz and tap. The professional faculty at WCSU includes some of Broadway’s finest, including Tony Award, Emmy Award and Drama Desk award winners. Graduates from the Musical Theatre and Acting programs have gone on to appear in Broadway national tours, roles on television series and national commercials.
Tim Howard, associate professor and coordinator of the WCSU Musical Theatre Program, said, “We are very proud of our senior B.A. Acting and B.F.A. Musical Theatre students who take Transition Workshop and Senior Showcase as part of their culminating experience at WCSU. As director of the Showcase, I wanted to find another way to send our seniors off in style, since it wasn’t possible to do the traditional live NYC Senior Showcase due to COVID-19. With the help of my colleague, Assistant Professor Dr. Justin P. Cowan, we honored our talented seniors by creating a Virtual Showcase to be seen by leading casting directors and agents in the Broadway community. We salute our seniors and wish them the very best in their artistic journey. They will be missed!”
To visit the Virtual Senior Showcase, go to www.westconnseniorshowcase.com.
To read more about our B.F.A. Musical Theatre and B.A. Acting (Theatre Performance) programs, visit www.wcsu.edu/theatrearts/. Follow the WCSU Department of Theatre Arts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WCSUDepartmentofTheatreArts/, and on Instagram @wcsu_theatre.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.