ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Faculty / Interim Director / School of Music / Term on - Going
Job Titles:
- Graduate Student / School of Music
Alvin Goldfarb was a good mentor to me during graduate school. He listened, prodded, laugh at me and supported me. He insisted that working together was the only way to get a show ready, and he was right. I treasure his pushing me to hone my skills as a coordinator mediator and collaborator. These skills have made me an effective stage manager today. Thanks Al and thanks ISU."
Job Titles:
- Faculty / Director / School of Theatre and Dance / Term on - Going
Job Titles:
- Endpoint Support Specialist
- Endpoint Support Specialist / Dean of Fine Arts
Job Titles:
- ISU University Galleries Director
Peter Spooner first studied art in the 1970s with Edwin Owre at the University of Vermont, and with Lillian Kennedy at the Vermont Institute of COmmunity Involvement (nor Burlington College). He credits Champlain Valley Union High School art teacher Ruth Fraser Furman the encouragement needed to float toward uncertain but satisfying goals in the arts. Peter earned a BS in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin Stout in 1983, and MS and MFA degrees in painting from Illinois State University (1986-88) where he worked primarily with Ron Jackson, and also with Lou Steinberg and Ray George.
Beginning in 1988, Spooner worked with ISU University Galleries Director Barry Blinderman and its then Curator Laurie Dahlberg, developing and facilitating educational programs for ground-breaking exhibitions like David Wojnarowicz: Tongues of Flame, and Keith Haring: Future Primeval. He replaced Dahlberg as Curator when she left to pursue a doctorate, and through 1992 curated a number of regional and national exhibitions, among them BIOkinetic (co-curator, 1989), Behind the Screen, Five Video Artists (1990), David Moreno: Beneath the Skin (1990), and Dennis Oppenheim: Drawing and Selected Sculpture (1992).
Spooner has organized a number of group exhibitions and catalogues around art and science themes, like Botanica and Mathematical Instinct, which traveled extensively in the U.S. at the Tweed Museum of Art, it has been his pleasure to work with historical European and American, and Native Collections. He has developed groundbreaking projects and publications rediscovering unresearched American artists, among them GIlbert MUnger, David Ericson, and Knute Heldner, and has organized the travel of the Tweed Museum's French Barbizon and 19th century American collections of Japan and Italy.
Spooner has taught art, art history and museum studies at a variety of levels and has published essays on the work of many contemporary artists, including Philip Pearlstein, Dennis Oppenheim, Jane Calvin, Rudy Autio, Alexis ROckman, Frank Big Bear, and the 19-20th c. artists Wanda Gag, GIlbert Munger, Eastman Johnson and David Ericson. His essay "David Wojnarowicz: Portrait of the Artist as X-Ray Technician," was published in SUspended License: Censorship at the Visual Arts, ed. Elizabeth Child's University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1997.
Job Titles:
- Student / School of Theatre and Dance
Deborah Barylski (Master's in Directing, 1973) is an Emmy-Awarding winning casting director, a career that spans twenty-nine years (1981-present). Some of her most recent credits are ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, THE MIDDLE, LIFE WITH BONNIE, STILL STANDING, HOME IMPROVEMENT and JUST SHOOT ME, as well as past favorites FRANK'S PLACE, THE FAMOUS TEDDY Z, THUNDER ALLEY and DOCTOR, DOCTOR. She also cast the feature PASTIME, which won the Audience Award at Sundance in 1990. She was nominated for the Artios Award for excellence in casting seven times, and won the Artios in 2004 for ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.
She trained for her casting career at the prestigious MTM Studios where she worked on such classics as ST. ELSEWHERE, LOU GRANT, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW (the one with the Inn), REMINGTON STEELE and THE DUCK FACTORY (Jim Carrey's first television show). Before casting on her own, she worked with Blake Edwards on a CITY HEAT and MICKI AND MAUDE, and with Taylor Hackford on WHITE NIGHTS.
Before breaking into casting, Barylski help a number of positions that grew out of her two-year graduate assistantship in theatre management. Her first job after graduate school was as the Box Office Manager for the Inaugural Season of the Braden Auditorium, 1973-74. From there, she was awarded the first Robert C. Schnitzer Internship in Theatre Management from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she served as the Assistant Manager of the Professional Theatre Program. During the yearlong internship she supervised publicity and promotion for the Theatre Department productions, for a professional theatre series at the Power Center, and for one-month residency of John Houseman's The Acting Company. She also organized an International Experimental Theatre Festival held in on the University campus.
She came to the attention of Dr. Ralph W. Duckwell, Theatre Chair at California State Long Beach, who recruited Barylski to his faculty in 1975. She taught acting, directing and theatre management as well as serving as Business Manager of the department for three years. While in Long Beach, she also served as Company Manager for The Dance Company, a professional dance company based in Pasadena, California and Business Manager for Long Beach Civic Light Opera. In 1978 she moved to Alaska to become the Publicity Director and Box Office Manager of the Performing Arts Center at the University of Alaska campus in Anchorage. She held this position for two years before returning to Los Angeles to serve as the Publicity Director for South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, California.
Dennis Oppenheim remains one of my favorite contemporary artists, one I would recommend to any age or level of student. I have had the opportunity to curate two exhibitions of his work, in 1991-092 at University Galleries, ISU, and again in 1996 at the Tweed Museum of Art. Oppenheim's art is of lasting interest to me because its form-content quotient semes consistently balanced. As my brother used to say: "It says what it means, and it means what it says"
Dr. Paul E. Rosene has more than sixty years experience as a Handbell director and teacher of directors/ringes. Long an advocate of Handbells and Handchimes, he introduced them as an integral part of the Illinois State University Handbell/Choirchime Ensembles in 1972. His university Handbell/Choirchime® Ensembles and instructional curriculum was officially recognized by the A.G.E.H.R., Inc., listing ISU as a "Charter Member" of the Exemplary School Programs in "Handbells In Education," first published in 1990. His groups have performed in twenty-five state and three foreign countries. He has been the Guest Conductor-Clinician for many AGEHR sponsored Festivals and for Church Handbell Festivals/Workshops organizations.
Job Titles:
- Chairman at California State Long Beach
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student / School of Art
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student / School of Theatre and Dance
Job Titles:
- Director of CFA - IT
- Director of CFA - IT / Dean of Fine Arts
- Director of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
Eric Yeager is the Director of the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Instructional Technology team (CFA-IT). He has worked at Illinois State University since 1998.
Education
MS Arts Technology
Illinois State University
Jill Cordle started stage managing professionally in 1983 immediately after graduating as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Her first job was as the stage manager and technical director for a children's theatre company that played in every state east of the Mississippi River. The job included driving the truck with sets for 36,000 miles.
After that, she considered getting out of the business. Instead, she accepted a faculty position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After 2 years it was time for a change. Continuing her education, she went to graduate school at Illinois State University and received MA in Theatre. The theatre department provided her with an internship at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, where she spent her last semester of graduate school as a Production Assistant on the world premiere of the Beth Henley play, The Lucky Spot . She decided New York was the place to be and stayed on at Manhattan Theatre Club, working on props and in the subscription office.
Jill's first few years in New York found her often on the road, touring with various types of theatre companies. She was the assistant technical director for MOMIX Dance Theatre for several years, traveling throughout the U.S., France, Greece and Italy. For two years, she was the co-technical director for The Boys Choir of Harlem. Jill stage managed the National Tours of Catskills on Broadway, Annie Warbucks and CATS . She worked extensively in regional theatre as well as off-off Broadway, including productions at The Women's Project, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Manhattan Class Company, The Director Project for the Drama League, The Virginia Stage Company and The Emelin Theatre. Off-Broadway she stage managed numerous productions at the Manhattan Theatre Club as well as two new musicals at the Variety Arts Theatre, Annie Warbucks and Bring in the Morning . She spent several seasons as the Advance State Manager on the prestigious Summer Theatre Circuit, play at The Westport Country Playhouse, The Cape Playhouse and The Ogunquit Playhouse.
Jill made her Broadway debut in 1998 as the stage manager of ART. A treasured memory of that production was walking into the Royale Theatre on the first day at the same time as Alfred Molina, who was also making his Broadway debut. Since then she has staged managed the Broadway productions of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Smokey Joe's Cafe, True West, Reckless, and Glengarry Glenn Ross. Jill's first show as a Production Stage Manager was The Odd Couple, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Since then she has been at the helm of November and God of Carnage on Broadway.
In 2002, Jill was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Service Award by the Illinois State University Theatre Department.
To date, Jill has stage managed more than 30 shows in a variety of venues.
Along the way she met and married fellow stage manager Ira Mont and had 2 children, Emma and Henry. In 2010 they are celebrating 20 happy years of marriage. She lives in Brooklyn and cannot imagine ever leaving.
"My time at ISU both as a graduate student and working for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival gave me the fundamental skills I have needed as a stage manager. I learned that theatre is a true collaboration. Student were thrown together on project and we sank or swam on our ability to work as a team to get the show up. Summer theatre was no different. Everyone's skills and nerves were tested as we mounted heady Shakespeare plays in the tropical swampland at Ewing Manor.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and Student Affairs
- Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Student Services
- Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Student Services / Dean of Fine Arts
- Dean 's Representative
Janet Tulley enjoys supporting the creativity that abounds in the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts through her work with curriculum, academic advising, financial aid, enrollment, student success, internationalization and data analysis.
She finds human development theory fascinating with her favorite being Sanford's Theory of Challenge and Support. Her free time is spent camping with family, practicing yoga & pilates, hiking and finding the next best tea.
Education
M.Ed. (Master of Education)
Illinois State University
Job Titles:
- Dean
- Dean / Dean of Fine Arts
- Dean / Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Ex - Officio Non - Voting Members
Jean M. Miller received an M.F.A. (terminal degree) in Visual Art from California College of the Arts. She completed graduate studies at Harvard University, New York University, and Long Island University. She was appointed president of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD) in 2019 for a 3 year term.
Job Titles:
- Director, University Galleries
Job Titles:
- Associate for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- College Budget Administrative Associate
- College Budget Administrative Associate / Dean of Fine Arts
Kurt LaShure is the College Budget Associate for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, and is a proud alum of Illinois State University. He completed his Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting in May 2018. Kurt is also an alum of the Big Red Marching Machine. Kurt's previous work experience with Illinois State University includes a student cashier and manager position at the Braden Box Office from May 2014-May 2016, a Graduate Assisitant position in the State Farm Hall of Business from June 2017-May 2018, and most recently as an accountant in the Comptroller's Business Office from May 2018-October 2023. Kurt enjoys spending his time going to the movies, band events, theater performances, listening to music, and you may see him occasionally walking around Normal and the Constitution Trail.
Job Titles:
- Graduate Student / School of Theatre and Dance
A Guatemalan-born photographer now living in New York and Buenos Aires, Palma's language is one of melancholy, solitude, and romantic isolation. His practice involves the use of collage, toned printing, printing on foils, and otherwise artificially distressing the photographic print. This exhibition was organized, and works added to the Tweed Museum collection, with the assistance of Weinstein Gallery, Minneapolis and Martha Schneider Gallery, Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Undergraduate Student / School of Music
Job Titles:
- Faculty / Director / School of Art / Term on - Going
Job Titles:
- Manager, Center for the Performing Arts
- Manager, Center for the Performing Arts / Dean of Fine Arts
Job Titles:
- Director of Development, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
Randy Duncan has the unique privilege to be a three-time recipient of Chicago's prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Choreographer of the Year. Other awards include the 1999 Artistic Achievement Award from the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and the 1999/2000 Black Theatre Alliance Awards for Best Choreography
His career began at age fifteen with the Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre, rising from dancer to resident choreographer and upon the death of Mr. Holmes, Artistic Director. Using elements of ballet, jazz, African and modern dance, he has created works for the Joffrey Ballet, River North Chicago Dance Company, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Spectrum Dance Company (Seattle, Washington), Bat Dor Dance Company of Israel and the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensembles.
His musical theatre credits include choreographing and appearing in Street Dreams, West Side Story, Carousel, Hello Dolly, Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, and Guys and Dolls. His affiliation with Chicago's Goodman Theatre has helped create acclaimed works such as Zoot Suit, Drowning Crow, The Rose Tattoo, and Heartbreak House. His choreography for Apple Tree Theatre's production of Once On This Island earned him a Jeff nomination, while more recently, his work for Apple Tree's Hello Again earned him the 2005 Gay Chicago Magazine After Dark Award for Choreography. Having worked in prominent regional theatres such as South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, CA), Actor's Theatre (Louisville, KY) and Shakespeare Theatre (Washington, DC), he continues his work with director Kate Whoriskey on such plays as Antigone, Clean House, Amadeus, The Tempest and Caucasian Chalk Circle.
Mr. Duncan's first major motion picture (by Paramount Pictures), Save the Last Dance, starring Julia Stiles, earned him a nomination for the American Choreography Award for dance on film. His made for television ballet, Urban Transfer, was produced and distributed nationwide by Public Television Station WTTW. With the production efforts of HMS media, he has since been seen on several PBS series on dance in Chicago.
An avid supporter of HIV/AIDS causes, for the past 11 years, he has donated his time and choreography to Dance For Life , creating world premieres for Chicago's largest dance benefit for HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Duncan, an African-American is a native of Chicago and began his dance studies with Geraldine Johnson, followed by classes at the Sammy Dyer School of Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and Illinois State University.
His guest classes in jazz dance with African influence have brought him to England, France, Amsterdam, Israel, and on an annual basis to Mexico. He teaches at colleges, universities, and high schools nationwide. For the past 12 years, he has been on the faculty of the Chicago Academy of the Arts High School. You may also see him sitting on the panels of the NEA, IAC, and Arts Midwest.
"Illinois State University gave me the opportunity to hone my skills not only as a performed, but to the delight of many fellow classmates and professors alike, a teacher and choreographer. I remember coming to ISU as a vocal music major, under the skillful and talented direction of Mr. Peter Sheutz. Although I attended the school of music, much of my time was spent in the dance studio taking classes with Diane Smith, Don Colvin and a few other dance teachers in the late 70's. I was also chosen to be in the ISU Dance Company which performed in and around campus during my stay at ISU. Although I had gained much as a professional dancer with the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre since age 15, Illinois State University provided me with choreographic and teaching opportunities that had not previously existed in my life. Through the many dance concerts and musical performances, it helped mold me into the maker of dance I am today. For this, I am eternally grateful!"
Ray Roderick (Writer/Director/Choreographer) has most recently conceived/written and directed ‘S WONDERFUL! THE NEW GERSHWIN MUSICAL for the Gershwin Estate and touring 2010/2011. He has written/directed/choreographed THE BIKINIS...A NEW MUSICAL BEACH PARTY! Touring 2011/2012. Ray adapted the script and directed the 1st US National and UK tour of CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG, BANG now licensed by Music Theatre International. He was associate director of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Madison Square Garden for Six years, where he was privileged to work with original director Mike Ockrent. He was also associate director for Susan Stroman's Broadway revival of The Music Man, and subsequently directed the successful 3 year North American Tour. He co-wrote, directed, and choreographed Irving Berlin's I LOVE A PIANO (Carbonell Award nomination best choreography, Florida Stage) now heading in its 3rd year of National Tour and heading to japan. Off-Broadway, Ray directed and co-wrote the new musical THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER (published by Samuel French), and directed and choreographed THE ARK, LAMOUR THE MERRIER and THE STORY GOES ON. He also co-wrote, directed, and choreographed HAVEN HELP US! (Carbonell Award nomination, best new work, Florida Stage), A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE (published by Samuel French) and I LOVE NEW YORK (Bistro Award, Best Musical Review 1999(. Ray was the founding artistic director of Tri-State Center for the Arts, where he remained at the helm for seven years. With partner James Hindman, he formed Miracle or 2 Productions (Miracleor2.com), a licensing and production company dedicated to the creation and development of the new American musical. Together, they have written new musicals ARE WE THERE YET?, COMING TO AMERICA, and THE BIKINIS! At the Denver Center Ray has directed and choreographed THE LAST 5 YEARS, THE TAFFETAS, and I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE! (longest running show in Denver history).
Ray begins his twelfth year as creative director for the United States Tennis Association's US Open, where he creates on court ceremonies for ESPN and CBS live television and is the Director of ARTHUR ASHE KIDS DAY for CBS. He wrote the English adaptation and directed the CHinese production of CHUN YI, THE LEGEND OF KUNG FU now in its fifth year in Beijing and has toured Japan, Russia, and played on the West End at The London Coliseum. Ray directed SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and 42nd STREET at the Goodspeed Opera House, DAMES AT SEA at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, and directed and choreographed an all new Barnum for Westchester Broadway Theatre. He also directed BELIEVE, the award winning SHAMU (killer whale) show for SeaWorld in San Diego and will direct the all new Dolphin Show opening April 2011. As broadway performer, Ray was seen in many shows, including BARNUM starring Jim Dale and Glenn Close, and originated roles in GRIND, CATS, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, CRAZY FOR YOU, and A FUNNY THING THAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM starring Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg. Ray is a graduate of Illinois State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in the performing arts. He resides in New York, is married to Broadway actress Karyn Quackenbush, and is the proud father of SUNY Purchase student and lightning designer Jamie Roderick.
Job Titles:
- President of the University
Dr. Fred Kern, a native of Pittsfield, IL, is the Coordinator of Piano Pedagogy and Keyboard Skills and Professor of Music at the University of North Texas in Denton. He administers an area with three faculty members, nine graduate Teaching Fellows and over 600 music majors studying piano. He was previously on the faculties of William Rainey Harper College and Northwestern University.
He is the author, or co-author, of seven piano methods and numerous volumes of pedagogical publications to which he has contributed original compositions, arrangements and pedagogy curricula. One method, the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library, has been translated to 8 foreign languages. Dr. Kern was recently called a "pedagogical pathfinder" in a research document. His own doctoral research was on the American piano method and in particular, "The Contributions of Frances Clark to Piano Pedagogy."
Dr. Kern is one of piano education's most respected clinicians, having lead workshops in 36 states across the nation, as well as in Canada and Taiwan. He is an innovator in teaching fundamentals of music and pianism with fresh and inspiring perspectives incorporating creative approaches to learning.
His degrees are in pinao performance, music education, and piano pedagogy - B.S. (Illinois State University); M.M. (Illinois Wesleyan University); Master of Music (Northwestern University) and Doctor of Musical Arts (University of Northern Colorado).
My high school band director was Paul E. Rosene, later on the faculty of ISU. In this case, I got to ISU before he did, for at that time it was ISNU. My overall experience in the music department was an exciting period of transition. Four of my best friends from home came to campus when I did and we were all active in the band programs, just as we were in high school. Three of the four even majored in music. ISNU transitioned into ISU in 1964 and the theme for homecoming was, "We have not been Normal in years!"
To my amazement, Robert Bone, president of the university, and his wife, came to my senior recital in 1965, along with my parents and relatives, my first two teachers from home, Evelyn Ransom and Edna Mae Brown, and Benny Kemp, my piano professor. ISU was a comfortable, yet challenging place for me to be among friends, fellow students and scholars. It was in that atmosphere that I was able to move from the musical farm boy of Pittsfield toward a much larger world of the arts that I was yet to learn about.
Job Titles:
- Faculty / Director / Creative Technologies / Term Expires on - Going
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Associate Dean for Research and Planning
- Associate Dean for Research and Planning / Dean of Fine Arts
- Dean 's Representative
Sara Semonis is a graduate of the University of Iowa (M.F.A.-Dance-Choreography) and Western Illinois University (B.A.-Communication-Public Communication and Human Relations). She has been on faculty at Knox College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and held residences and master classes with multiple universities and regional dance companies. Sara has been at Illinois State University since 2003, serving as Head of the Dance Program from 2008-2018. She has created upwards of 70 original choreographic works that have premiered through the United States and abroad. Sara is a current member of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans and the National Dance Education Organization.
Job Titles:
- Creative Technologies / Term Expires Spring 2023
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director and Infrastructure Support Lead
- Assistant Director and Infrastructure Support Lead / Dean of Fine Arts
- Assistant Director of CFA - IT
Seth is the assistant director of CFA-IT. His hobbies include playing music, petting his cats, and eating pizza.
Job Titles:
- Instructional Assistant Professor / School of Music
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the Dean
- Business Communications Associate
- Business Communications Associate / Dean of Fine Arts
- Communications Coordinator for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
Stephanie Kohl Ringle is the assistant to Dean Miller and communications coordinator for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. She has been a member of the Dean's Staff since 2014, serves as the college liaison to the Friends of the Arts Board and the Alumni Engagement Office, and is the co-host for the annual New York Theatre Trip.
Job Titles:
- Faculty / Interim Director / School of Art / Term Expires 2023
Job Titles:
- Student / School of Music