NOVEMBER 2023

Welcome to the November edition of the El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory ALUMNI NEWS!

Autumn is in full swing at OCSA! On Campus, students celebrated Halloween in typical OCSA fashion with costumes and a Thriller flash mob. Our Spotlight this month features James Slaybaugh ‘21, who joined the holiday festivities as a member of the scare cast at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.   

We are grateful this November for our “A Day in the Life” vlogger, Kole Kistler ‘20, a senior at the University of California, San Diego. We appreciate Erika Maggipinto ‘20, Jack Reid ‘23, Noah Strattan ‘20, and Lucy Blumling ‘21 for their Alumni News updates. We also share with you news from beloved teacher Richard Kinsey, whose short film Baby Bee’s Boot received an award for Best Animation Short.  

We are thankful for Stephanie Dorian, whose final OCSA show will be Mac Beth, an all female adaptation of Shakespeare's MacBeth in the brand new Scott & Charlotte Egan Studio Theatre (OCSA's new black box stage) from November 30 to December 16. To celebrate Dorian’s last show, the acting conservatory is inviting alumni to join us for special Mac Beth Alumni Weekend performances on December 15 and 16. See below for information and limited comp tickets.  

But, it’s not all pumpkin spice and everything nice because, alumni, we need you! Stephanie Dorian is seeking alumni panelists this December to “Step Back into the Classroom” to help mentor OCSA students. You can sign up to be a panelist below. 

Lastly, as we enjoy the coziness of fall, our "Blast from the Past" reminds us of a time when things weren’t so cozy for some teens stranded on an island in Lord of the Flies. Enjoy cast photos from this 2017 OCSA production.

We also need to hear from you about what you are doing! This newsletter is for YOU! Don’t forget to forward your stories, job postings, business ventures, performance information and more so we may continue to share information and celebrate our alumni.  CLICK HERE to email the Alumni News.  

The Alumni News will be taking a little break for the holidays, but we will be back February 4, 2024, with all-new and exciting news to keep you updated and connected. Happy Holidays from the Alumni News!

Lastly, don't forget -- “We are always in this together.”

WILL YOU "STEP BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM"?

Are you Available? A Message from Ms. Dorian!

Hi fabulous alumni! 

Are you in town in December? Might you be available/interested in joining us for an Alumni Step Back Into The Classroom Panel with our juniors and seniors? Would you also be interested in coming to our production of Mac Beth that I am directing, during these weeks? We would love to see you for some or all of it! 

For the class visits, you'd come on one of the proposed days during block 8 or block 9 to share your experiences post OCSA and answer questions from our students. As you may remember, these visits are TREMENDOUSLY helpful and inspiring! 

If so, CLICK HERE and complete the form by Friday, November 24. From there, I'll email date confirmations and details the week of November 27. 

Thank you, hope to see you and much love!

Stephanie

James Slaybaugh Was a Scream at Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween-themed event at Universal Studios. The Alumni News sat down for a Q & A with James Slaybaugh ‘21, a current AMDA DTLA student, who was cast as a scare actor this year at Universal Studios to discuss his experience.

Q: After graduation, you attended Hussian College, which was recently purchased by AMDA. Can you describe the program at AMDA and what you are learning?

A: The transition period after AMDA acquired Hussian was quite stressful. We had no idea what was going to happen! However, through at least this school year, classes are continuing to be taught as they were before at Los Angeles Center Studios in Downtown LA. Some of the classes I have had as part of the Acting program are Alexander Technique, scene study, stagework, editing, self-tapes and camera work and stage combat. My goal once I graduate is to work in the entertainment industry and the goal of the school is to get their students ready for that. One HUGE benefit to the switch from Hussian to AMDA is that we now have access to AMDA LA’s primary campus in Hollywood and all of its facilities. I am extremely thankful to AMDA for all they have done for me and my classmates. Without them, the Hussian student body would have needed to look not just for new schools, but schools that would have accepted our credits. We definitely owe them our gratitude.

Q: What are your favorite experiences in college thus far?

A: I have been lucky to be involved in some great productions here at the school. I thrive on performing, so I can’t imagine not being able to do that. Also, forming connections and learning new skills both in regards to acting and just real life! Even after all of the experience I gained at OCSA, I am still learning so many things and receiving valuable insights. I didn’t expect to be as challenged as I have been, which is wonderful. And doing it all alongside incredibly talented peers who are going through the same things I am and learning from very kind and insightful professionals is a pleasure! Living on my own and learning simple things such as cooking, cleaning, etc., has definitely been difficult, but also extremely rewarding. Tomorrow I’m diving into a new recipe for Thai Peanut Noodles, so we’ll see how that goes!

Q: What made you decide to audition for Halloween Horror Nights?

A: I had heard about HHN auditions in 2022. I’ve been to Knott’s Scary Farm and Horror Nights in the past and knew it would be awesome to be involved in something that brought me a lot of good memories and that also fell in line with my desired career.

Q: What was the audition and rehearsal process like? 

A: Very short. During the approximately hour-long audition I got measured before waiting to be called alongside a group of around 30 or 40 other people. Once inside, I had to “scare” a set of practice dummies as if they were guests. Then, I had to showcase “dying” in whatever way I could come up with. After this, I had to wait outside to see if I received a golden “ticket” which meant I was in the running to be hired. It took a LONG time (about a month and a half) for me to hear back, but I eventually received an email that I was in!

Q: What haunted house were you in and what role were you cast in?

A: I was in the Holidayz in Hell house! Guests walked through hellish versions of each of the holidays while getting spooked by all the scare actors. I was a Jack-O-Lantern in the Halloween section!

Q: What were rehearsals like?

A: Rehearsals involved going to a huge meeting with all the other scare actors, watching a presentation from leadership, and meeting your cast. Later I went to the park where "I was brought to my house”, instructed on my position, and then given a few opportunities to scare fellow castmates as practice. After a few days it was showtime for the next two months!

WOW! THIS IS SPOOKTACULAR!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT SLAYBAUGH'S JOB AT

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND THE REST OF HIS INTERVIEW!

Kole Kistler's Life Updates from the Front Seat of his Car

Kole Kistler ‘20 is currently a senior at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in Education Sciences and Critical Gender Studies. Kistler shares a day in his life, speaking passionately about his studies and his goals for the future. 

Erika Maggipinto Interns for Public Relations Firm

Erika Maggipinto ‘20 began a public relations internship in Manhattan in September, 2023. She is working at Jonesworks as a digital intern, and is responsible for overseeing and shooting social content as well as helping in the digital marketing of clients and brands. "Jonesworks is a full-service communications, marketing and management agency representing an elite roster of talent, lifestyle and consumer brands. Jonesworks represents people such as Tom Brady, Venus Williams, J Balvin and more," said Maggipinto.

Jack Reid Returns to Stage in Heathers the Musical

Jack Reid ‘23 returns to musical theater in the Braver Players’ production of Heathers  The Musical, performing January 11 to 14, 2024, in Huntington Beach.  Reid plays Kurt, the dead, gay football player, in this black comedy.  

"Considering the last two plays I was in, Hamlet and Gruesome Playground Injuries, transitioning to Heathers the Musical has been an exciting and fun journey,” Reid said. “The acting conservatory background really helped me be a better performer. It was a struggle at first since I haven't done any musical theater since the Secret Garden at the Chance Theater way back when I was in 7th grade. Heathers is fast paced and full of dance moves with a lot of songs and not a lot of spoken words – especially compared to Hamlet!"

Noah Strattan ‘20 was back in Las Vegas performing magic at the Bellagio.  He performed for a corporate event for 600 guests for a Fortune 500 company.  Strattan, who frequently performs magic at corporate events, said he enjoyed meeting the guests and employees who flew in from different countries.

Lucy Blumling Participates in STEM Panel at

OCSA’s College Fair

Lucy Blumling ‘21 was a panelist at OCSA’s 2023 College Fair on October 19, 2023.  Blumling is a junior at Scripps College studying biology with a minor in French and Francophone studies.  Blumling and the other panelists spoke about how they chose their majors, what STEM-related activities they are involved in on campus, what they would like to do with their majors after college, activities students can get involved in now to help their applications as STEM majors, and how to choose a school if you want to be a STEM major.

Lucy Blumling '21 [far left] serving on the Alumni Stem Panel.

OCSA NEWS

Acting Conservatory Instructor Richard Kinsey

Creates Award Winning Animated Short

Richard Kinsey’s Short Film Baby Bee’s Boot was awarded the Best Animation Short in the London Independent Film Awards. The project began a year ago when Kinsey was approached by Eden Films after representatives saw his illustration work. They asked him to create a children’s animation show for the UK based on his flower faerie named “Purdee.” “Being both flattered and inspired about this project, I immediately began on the adventure to create the world of Purdee, i.e., backgrounds, skies, plants, trees, mountains, rocks etc. And of course, the all-important creatures, characters and assorted beings that inhabit this magic and very innocent garden universe of Purdee,” Kinsey said. “Then, over a time of approximately six months, Eden Films had animated our five-minute pilot for the Purdee series, replete with Purdee, a myriad of creatures, character voices, catchy songs, bright colors and just a great deal of fun, entitling it: Baby Bee’s Boot. The reception of the pilot has been nothing less than amazing, as is evidenced by the London Independent Film Animated short Award. It’s been truly a joyful, challenging and blessed experience for me. Hopefully, there will be much more to come.”

Alumni may CLICK BELOW to watch watch Baby Bee’s Boot.

The Show Goes on in the New Black Box Studio Theatre

As The El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory celebrates its 10th year, we are excited to also announce that the beloved Scott & Charlotte Egan Theatre (the Black Box Studio) has been relocated and is receiving a much-needed and well-deserved upgrade. The Black Box Studio has been a staple for the acting conservatory and its shows for so many years. It had such an unique feel and those who worked within its walls understood how intimate this space was allowing for the audience to be immersed in the shows. The good news is that the new location will be equally immersive and allow for a larger audience capacity. The old studio held about 50 seats; the new and improved studio will accommodate about 125 seats. The “feel” of the new Black Box Studio will not change; however, the many upgrades will benefit the future players that grace its stage.  

The new location of the Black Box Studio is near the Annex where the Production and Design (PD) shop used to be. The new state-of-the-art PD shop has been relocated across the street next to the OCSA business office. What is more exciting for current students, is that the former Black Box space will undergo a complete renovation and be turned into the Serenity Center, a wellness space where students can destress and unwind. The center will open next fall and provide a calm environment for social and emotional support in order to help students achieve their highest academic potential. The old Black Box space will contribute to the OCSA community in innumerable ways. 

All this to say, we are honored to share this news with you as the next generation of Acting students christen the new Scott & Charlotte Egan Theatre (the new Black Box Studio) in the upcoming production of Mac Beth. This will be the first Acting Conservatory performance in the new Black Box! Please CLICK HERE to purchase tickets and we look forward to seeing you there! 

Stephanie Dorian’s Final OCSA Show Will Be Something Wicked

Fair is foul and foul is fair as the El-Erian Family Acting Conservatory’s 10th anniversary season continues with a recontextualized all-female version of Mac Beth directed by Stephanie Dorian. Mac Beth will be Dorian’s directorial finale at OCSA, as she has announced plans to leave OCSA following the 2023-2024 school year to develop her own play, Above Water. While Mac Beth will be Dorian’s final show, it will be the very first show in the newly imagined Scott & Charlotte Egan Studio Theatre (the Black Box).  

Conservatory Director John Walcutt said Mac Beth is a perfect choice for Dorian’s last show (although he hopes to convince her to come back and be a guest director.) Mac Beth is “intense, contemporary, ensemble, strong women...all the things she loves,” he said. “Mac Beth is dark. It plays on your psyche because it's about evil, murder, greed, ambition and the corruption of good people. And setting it in this all-female world? Look out: ‘something wicked this way comes!’"  

Mac Beth, an adaptation by Erica Schmidt of Shakespeare's MacBeth "is a 90-minute retelling of Shakespeare’s famous play through the lens of female adolescents,” Dorian said. “A play within a play, it tells the story of thirteen girls who meet after school to reenact ‘the Scottish play’ in seclusion and lose themselves in the world of the play. This second layer adds unique resonance to teenage girls and the cruelty that can exist in their world. We get to simultaneously immerse in Shakespeare’s incredible story and language while exploring female identity.”

The cast of Mac Beth during the rehearsal process. 

Dorian wanted to direct this play as she wraps up her 16-year career at OCSA because the play provides the actors with a unique double-consciousness and requires each to give a multi-layered performance. "First, they must play the Shakespearean roles well; they must see the daggers before them, conjure the spirits, and ‘get out the damned spots.’ On the second layer, each actor plays a schoolgirl consciously playing Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Macduff, Banquo, or a Witch. This is an exciting challenge for the actors and for me as director,” Dorian said.

In this play, girls escape the confines of regimented gender roles to tell a story of male aggression featuring a woman seeking power by pushing her husband to murder the king.  “I love this!” Dorian said.  “I feel that imbuing the world of adolescent femininity that inspires the play will be an enriching learning and growth opportunity for the cast and a wonderful vehicle to explore female identity.  This quote from Erica Schmidt about her adaptation captures this perfectly: ‘The play exposes the ferocity of adolescence and the intoxicating power of collective fantasy.  To adolescent girls, everything is a sign.  Everything is heightened.  Life is a ritual.  Fantasy can easily morph into delusion as does in the story of Macbeth.’  I think female actors in this age range might be able to get under the skin of the characters and relate to them more viscerally than an adult actor might, regardless of their gender,” Dorian said.

“Perhaps my biggest motivation to direct this play is to give my cast of amazing girls/young women space to be unfiltered, powerful, strong, and understood in new or deeper ways,” Dorian said. “There is something very special about working with an all-female company. In many ways this experience is reminiscent of my production of The Wolves in 2020. Both plays require not just actors with talent; they require actors with grit.” 

Ava DeVoe ‘24, Kaya Sparnicht ‘25, Siena Stark ‘24 and Grace Abbott ‘24 rehearsing for Mac Beth. 

Senior Siena Stark ‘24, who plays Lady MacBeth, said, “It means so much to be working with Ms. Dorian on her final show at OCSA. For me, it’s a full-circle moment, from Our Town and the Day of Our Birth Project in seventh grade, to Mac Beth in senior year. Ms. Dorian has always been a mentor and an inspiration to me, and I am so excited to see what she does next. In rehearsals, you can tell her creative juices are constantly flowing, and she extends her passion for the language to the cast in her way of direction, inspiring all of us to make new, specific choices from scene to scene. She is definitely going out with a bang with this show, but honestly, every single show that she directs is amazing. When I saw The Wolves, I was so touched and provoked and I knew I wanted to be a part of something as meaningful as that. Being in Mac Beth has allowed me to do that and I am so thankful for Ms. Dorian. Also, as a member of the Above Water process, I look forward to seeing how she continues with the show and I hope it can reach more audiences to inspire other artists the way it inspired me.”  

Alumni will appreciate the play’s relevance and its contemporary and recontextualized text, Dorian said. “Mac Beth will be the inaugural production in OCSA’s brand new Studio Theater, which is very exciting! And, lastly, as this will be my final year at OCSA, I would love to see as many of our incredible alumni who can make it.”  

Walcutt seconded Dorian’s feelings. “We'd love to see as many alum as possible show up to celebrate Ms. Dorian and see our brand new black box studio,” he said. “Our ten years of the Acting Conservatory have built to this. ‘A drum! A drum! Macbeth doth come!’ See you there!”  

The production is faithful to the original text, and violence includes fighting and the use of blood and knives with fight choreography by Wyn Moreno. The production is recommended for 14+. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Performances run from November 30 through December 16, 2023. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets at the OCSA box office.

The Mac Beth cast had a Zoom meeting with professional actres Klarissa Marie Robles from New York. Klarissa played Macduff in the original production of Mac Beth at Seattle Rep in 2018. She shared her experience doing the play and answered questions from the cast. Senior Ava Tello, who is playing one of the Macduff’s in OCSA’s production, appears in the top center.

SOON TO BE OCSA ALUMNI

Halloween for the Class of 2024 Is a Thriller

Halloween is still a hauntingly good time at OCSA.  Do you remember dressing up or doing a group costume with your friends?  Did you dance in the “Thriller” flash mob on 10th Street?  Did you win the costume contest?  As usual, Halloween was a spooktacular good time.  This year’s acting conservatory senior class of 2024 took time out of the festivities to pose for their very last Halloween photo together on campus.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Do You Remember When the Beast Was Us?

In January, 2017, Stephanie Dorian and Bodie Newcomb directed dual all-male and all-female casts in Lord of the Flies.  The play focused on themes of groupthink, morality, and civilization.  The dark play was performed by then-middle schoolers in the Studio Theater.  One of the challenges directors faced was translating the play, written for an all-male cast, into an all-female cast.  Rehearsals for the play were filmed for a documentary called Hatching Flies. CLICK HERE to view the documentary.

Maia Sheridan ‘20 and Alyssa Tuohy ‘20 reflect on the loss of civilization and end of innocence they experienced on the island.  

Brandon Young ‘21 and Sebastian Rosales ‘20 react differently to the loss of order.

David Reid ‘21 receives visions that the tribe will turn on him.

Brandon Young ‘21 in a frenzy after killing a boar.

The all-male cast realizes they are alone on the island. [L to R]: Sebastian Rosales ‘20, Jake Lansberg ‘21, James Slaybaugh ‘21, Preston Harris ‘20, Jack Robertson ‘21, Clayton Jarquin ‘20, Jack Henry Kruse '22 and Kubichek MT ‘22.

Sophia Del Rey ‘21, Bella Casperson’ 21, Tasha Zentil ‘21, Caitlin Cheung ‘21, and Millie Williams ‘21 attack Alyssa Vincent ‘21 in a murderous frenzy. 

Alyssa Tuohy ‘20 as Ralph and Katja Davis ‘20 as Piggy strike up a friendship on the island.

The female cast of Lord of the Flies during rehearsals. [Top L to R] Caitlin Cheung ‘21, Alyssa Tuohy ‘20, Camille Sexton ‘21, Sophia Del Rey ‘21, Maia Sheridan ‘20, Millie Williams ‘21.  [Bottom L to R] Katja Davis ‘20, Alyssa Vincent ‘21 and Erika Maggipinto ‘20. 

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OCSA ACTING

SOCIAL MEDIA - CONNECT WITH ALUMNI

THE ACTING CONSERVATORY'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

We are actively searching for our acting alumni and their parents. Please help us by forwarding this email to classmates or posting on social media to get them in the loop. If you know of acting conservatory alumni who would like to receive this newsletter, CLICK HERE to email us!

OSCA has an alumni directory that provides a dedicated space for the larger OCSA alumni community to connect, network, and communicate. You can sign up in less than two minutes when you register with your LinkedIn or Facebook profile. You can also join with your email address.

Once you are registered, use the filters in the directory to:

• Connect: Find and connect with your classmates and fellow graduates. See what they have been up to, reminisce, gather together, and stay in touch.
• Expand: Leverage the shared history you have with thousands of alumni to expand your professional networks. Meet new people and open new doors – for yourself and others!
• Influence: Introduce, employ, and act as a mentor to our graduating students.

CLICK HERE to register and join the network!