Theater Brings Alumni Back to Kean

Kean University’s recent presentation of the comic opera, Pirates of Penzance, delighted audiences with its talented student cast and crew, flawless musical numbers and choreography, and phenomenal costumes and set design. Director Holly Logue, chair of the Department of Theatre, added an additional element to the February 27 performance, a post-event alumni talk back with the cast, crew and audience.

Nine Kean alumni took center stage to share their experience since graduating from Kean with theatre degrees and/or with theatre-related experience. Inspiring current and prospective students with their success stories, they each also expressed sincere gratitude and loyalty to the University. The director’s comments at the close of the interactive event summed up the experience in a few heartfelt words. “Thank you all for coming to our Kean love fest,” Logue said. “As you can see, we are all very dedicated to University. We love this place.”

Meet the alumni participants:

Charlie Del Risco ‘01 is currently attending the American Musical Drama Academy. He played one of the pirates in the production and has a long list of performance credits on and off campus. Del Risco has danced with Axis Danz and the NYC Flaggers at the Clemente Soto Velez cultural center in New York City and has worked backstage as an assistant costume designer for the Trenton Educational Dance Institute and the National Dance Institute, NYC. He is currently on tour with the Shoestring Players and is also a competitive ballroom dancer.

Shayne Miller ’01 was founding president of Alpha Psi Omega, Kean’s chapter of the national theatre honor society. He is currently Director of Press and Public Relations for the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ. Miller has performed and directed throughout the state including productions at the Cranford Dramatic Club, Theater Under the Stars, and Kean University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Millburn Downtown Development Alliance. Miller’s donation of merchandise sold at Kean’s Pirates of Penzance performances directly benefits Alpha Psi Omega.

Nick De Marco ’04 is a middle school language arts teacher in Elizabeth, NJ. He performed and directed at Kean and also came to the University with many performance credits. Since graduating, De Marco has worked in theatre, comedy and improvisation in New York, New Jersey, California, and Canada. He traveled through the U.S. as the host of the Wheel of Fortune contestant search and is currently working with Motive Marketing promoting Ben Stein’s new documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

Laura Gibson Freyre ’04 majored in both theatre and early childhood education. She teaches first grade and considers herself “on stage” every day in the classroom.

Maria Balboa ’02 is a project manager for the Spoon Group, a Rahway, NJ, company that provides high-quality production services to the entertainment industry, including television, Broadway and film. Much of her success today, she said, is directly related to the hands on experience she received as stage manager for several of Kean’s theatre productions. “It felt good to be back at Kean and to talk to the student cast members,” Babloa said. “I remember what it was like to be a theatre major, not knowing exactly what I would be doing in the future. I am glad I could help ease that uncertainty for some of the students.”

Tiffany Festa Firenzuola ’05 teaches technical theatre at Elizabeth High School in New Jersey. She is currently guiding her students on make up and costume design for two student productions – Suessical and The Odd Couple.

Tariq Hamami ‘06 attends Columbia University’s graduate playwriting program, and his motivation to pursue playwriting was inspired at Kean. While an undergraduate at Kean, he produced “No Exits” and has since written several short plays for Off, Off Broadway. In April 2008, Hamami’s full-length play “Spite,” which he began writing at Kean, is premiering at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre.

Michele Mossay-Cuevas ‘93 is a resident choreographer and faculty member at Kean. She is also a choreographer and dance instructor for the Paper Mill Playhouse Theatre Conservatory and served as dance curriculum workshop facilitator and Dance Academy residency evaluator for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for five years. Mossay-Cuevas earned a M.Ed. in dance from Temple University.

Helen McTernan ’05 attends the American Musical Drama Academy and has many performance credits both at Kean and in the region. She also teaches theatre, voice, speech, and physical warm up. “My education at Kean has definitely provided me with a strong foundation for my career as an actress in professional theatre,” McTernan said.