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Alumni Achievements

Jennifer (ab ove, left) is Annie of the Little Einsteins in the national touring ‘Playhouse Disney' live show.

Current Position: Immediately after I graduated from Whitworth, I worked full time with Walt Disney World Entertainment doing parades and shows. I am currently a touring performer with "Playhouse Disney Live!," a live tour production adapted from four shows on the Disney Channel's "Playhouse Disney," the program block for preschoolers. As an original cast member, I am part of an international tour group that performs in venues across the United States, South America, Central America and Mexico.

Why Whitworth? "I was initially interested in Whitworth because of the school's excellent Jan Term program. To have a month to study abroad or to take fun classes – like ice skating or dancing – appealed to me. I knew Whitworth was the right school for me after a friend's recommendation (and her high regard for Whitworth) and after visiting campus."

Whitworth Activities: Jubilation, International Ballroom Dance Club, International Club, cheerleading, campus representative for the Walt Disney World College Program.

Quote: "Through my studies at Whitworth, I learned how to adapt to many challenging situations. Working in entertainment, you definitely have to be flexible and think on your feet. Whitworth helped me hone these skills. Also, while I was studying in the theatre department, my beliefs and what it means for me to be a Christian in theatre were formulated. My time at Whitworth was enriched through classes such as Theatre History, Stage Makeup, Fundamentals of Directing, Improvisational Acting, and Technical Theatre. Delving into more than just one aspect of theatre has greatly helped me in my profession."

Influential Whitworth Experience: "Theatre Professor Diana Trotter influenced and nudged me to think ‘outside the box.' She pushed me in classes such as Theatre History and Voice for the Performer and encouraged me to uncover my own beliefs in the class Gender, Performance and Pop Culture. Diana encouraged me to think for myself and expected me to rise to her high standards. I was able to find my own voice – and actually use it."

Career Goals: "I aspire to eventually become a casting director."


Here's what some Whitworth graduates are doing with their theatre degrees:

• Alicia Doyl, '07, works at a number of theatres in Seattle, teaches theatre part time to elementary students, and works at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

• Sarah Thomson, '09, is music director for the Walla Walla Community College Children's Theatre.

• Kasey RT Graham, '03, spent 2005-07 as assistant musical director and musical director of the national touring productions of Oklahoma and The Producers.

• Sarah J. Marken, '06, is a national tour director for the African Children's Choir.

• Chelsea Globe-Kallio, '05, is working with Open Door Theatre, which performs social-issue plays for schools in the Seattle area.

• Matthew T. Park, '08, and Beau A. Chevassus, '06, perform in their own mime troupe, Beyond the Glass, in Seattle.

• Sean Cowan, '06, is completing an M.F.A. in acting at Regent University, in Virginia, after establishing and running a professional improvisational acting troupe in Portland, Ore.

• Meghen J. Chaffin, '06, works in full-time youth ministry using dance and theatre, in Aalesund, Norway.

• Crissy A. Greenberg, '06, is completing a law degree at Gonzaga University; she uses community-based theatre strategies in her work with Spokane's nonprofit Center for Justice.

• Silvia Lazo, '06, is executive assistant to the Spokane Opera and is completing an M.Ed. at the University of Montana.

• Seth Ambrose, '05, teaches music in San Francisco and is a licensed trainer in the Alexander Technique.

• Jacob Rorem, '05, is touring with Missoula Children's Theatre; in fall 2009, he will enroll in Princeton Theological Seminary's Ministry and the Arts program.

• Nate Tomsheck, '00, earned an MFA in technical theatre from the Yale University School of Drama and is a theatre professor and the technical director of Price Theatre at LaGrange College, in Georgia.