UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage Virtual will present “The Living Room Project,” the second of a series of online episodes to benefit for the School of Theatre Future Fund, at 8 p.m. EDT, on Thursday, Aug. 13. The fund offers financial assistance to help offset the needs of students in the School of Theatre who are adversely impacted and in need of emergency assistance. The live performance can be viewed for free at sites.psu.edu/pscsvirtual.
"The Living Room Project, " originally conceived by master of fine arts directors Wes Drummond and Rob Schneider, is a collaboration with the School of Theatre and the SOT Affiliate Program Group. Allison Lee, president of the group, is producer of episode two. Lee is an alumna of the bachelor of fine arts in stage management. Her Broadway career includes Disney’s "Tarzan," "Spamalot," "The Addams Family," among others. She transitioned to corporate events traveling domestically and abroad and now, is exploring the world of virtual events.
"The Living Room Project" continues connecting alumni with one another by sharing their crafts and their missions for the benefit of the students of the School of Theatre. As the school prepares to continue the education of its students under circumstances, we never could have imagined, this episode seeks to foster connections with all who view it through our shared experiences with Penn State," said Lee.
The second episode will feature performances and interviews by Penn State theater alumni, including Gillian Albinski (properties master/production designer), Ed Baierlein (president/director Germinal Stage Denver), Steve H. Broadnax III (playwright/director "20/20 Vision"), Cynthia Henderson (actor/director/teacher/founder Performing Arts for Social Change), Adrienne Crane-Ross (Partner Harmony Artists, Inc), Liam Fennecken (National Tours: "School of Rock," "Once," "American Idiot"), Jim Hogan ("National Tours: "Waitress," "Phantom of the Opera"), Nathan Lucrezio (Broadway's "Aladdin," "Diana," Cinderella"), Elle Milewski (playwright "It's Been Two Years"); current Bachelor of Fine Arts Musical Theatre student Becca Suskauer (PSCS's "Legally Blonde," "A Little Night Music"); and special guests John McGinty (Broadway's "Children of a Lesser God") and Brendan Jacob Smith (Broadway's "Hadestown," "Jekyll and Hyde").
Rick Lombardo, director of the School of Theatre and artistic director of Penn State Centre Stage, will host the event. He is an award-winning stage director, artistic director, and playwright.
"With almost all live entertainment in America still in shutdown, so many of our alumni are currently at home and waiting to be able to resume their careers. We created TLRP as a way we can tell some of their stories and connect our alumni and our current students in meaningful ways. With this second offering, we expand with these new stories and offerings from our School of Theatre alumni and students," said Lombardo.
Penn State Centre Stage Virtual is offered free to the public and was created to support Penn State students during this difficult time.
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