Newsletter

"The Devil & I," a play born at New Paltz, premieres in NYC

A play that was born at the Department of Theatre Arts' annual New Pages festival and produced as a staged reading in Parker Theatre in 2023 found a new venue earlier this year: the Hudson Guild Theater in Manhattan.

"the devil & i"—written by Milo, directed by Sumire Muratsu ’24, and produced by William Reymann ’24, was presented on Jan. 27, 29, and Feb. 1 as part of the New York Theater Festival.

Read the full story!

Luke Anderson ’25

Congratulations to Luke Anderson ’25, who was one of four New Paltz students to receive the 2025 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, the highest honor bestowed upon students by the state university system.

The Chancellor’s Award recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, service, campus involvement and/or the arts. Anderson and his fellow honorees were recognized alongside their SUNY peers at SUNY’s 2025 Award Ceremony on April 29 in Albany, New York.

Anderson has a dual major in Business Management and Theatre Arts with a concentration in Performance. He is a two-time recipient of both the Dr. Beverly M. Brumm Annual and Endowed Scholarship and the Mildred and Louis Resnick Scholarship Fund. Anderson is a leader in the School of Business, where he directs marketing activities for the student-run Management Association and has been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honors society.

We're also bidding a bittersweet farewell to Anderson after three years of amazing service as a student marketing assistant in the Fine & Performing Arts Dean's Office. We're sad to lose his enthusiastic assistance with managing our social media platforms and promoting our countless events, but we wish him the very best in his future endeavors!

Maya Battistella ’25

Maya Battistella ’25 presented her Honors Program thesis titled “Theatre Leadership in Action: Rebuilding a Light Lab, Tech and Design Association, and the Praxis Stage Series” under the advisement of Theatre Arts' Andrea Varga and Travis McHale.

In addition to working with Gab Salerno ’25, president of New Paltz Players, on rebuilding the Theatre Arts' Praxis Series, as well as organizing TADA's group trip to the USITT conference, Battistella says the biggest aspect of her Honors thesis project was the creation of a light lab for the Department of Theatre Arts. In the midst of taking three lighting design classes with McHale over the past two years, Battistella says she realized the department could greatly benefit from having a designated light lab. Affectionately called the "lighting toy box," Battistella says the lab serves as a space for lighting students to get hands-on experience and experimentation with lights before transferring their work to the larger scale of the theater.

"Over the past year, with exceptional support from Dean of Fine & Performing Arts Jeni Mokren, we have designed the room to suit all of those needs," says Battistella. "I’m really excited for future theatre students to have access to an amazing space to play with lights, the ability to be supported in attending USITT, and be able to produce entirely student-driven theatre work. All three of these things contribute to an even better quality of education that will continue to grow as students experience and create more opportunities."

Katie Gudzik ’22, Kiana Duggan-Haas ’23, and Kat Collins ’22

Ribbit Theatre Company, led by Theatre Arts alumni Katie Gudzik ’22, Kiana Duggan-Haas ’23, and Kat Collins ’22, staged a production of "The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe" at Art Attelier in New Paltz March 29-30. The play, based on the story by C.S. Lewis and dramatized by le Clanche du Rand, was produced with special arrangement by Dramatic Publishing of Woodstock, Illinois. See the digital program. 

Fellow Theatre Arts alum Jillian Landsman ’24 starred in the role of Lucy in the play, and current Theatre Arts student James Bello ’26 starred as Peter. Landsman is a member of Cornerstone Theatre Arts in Goshen NY, where she most recently played Cecily in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and will play Juliet in their upcoming production of "Romeo & Juliet" this summer. Meanwhile, "The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe" was the first non-school play for Bello, who is also on SUNY New Paltz's Division II rugby team.

Founded in 2024 by Gudzik, Duggan-Haas, and Collins, Ribbit Theatre Company—named in honor of the group's 2022 production of "A Year of Frog and Toad" on the SUNY New Paltz Campus—is committed to sustainable, accessible, and professional live theatre for young audiences across the Hudson Valley. Learn more about Ribbit Theatre Company.

Grace Hoey ’26 and Gab Salerno ’25

Gab Salerno ’25 and Grace Hoey ’26 of the New Paltz Players hosted a Broadway Divas Cabaret at the Lemon Squeeze in New Paltz on May 4, where the group performed hits by iconic Broadway divas like Liza Minnelli and Patti Lupone.

Lydia Nightingale ’11

Public historian Lydia Nightingale ’11 gave a talk as part of TEDxNazarethUniversity at Nazareth University in Rochester, NY, in September 2024. The topic of the talk, titled "6 principles to capture your audience's attention," was public history and Freeman Tilden's six principles of interpretation. Nightingale reports that the talk was well received.

Watch Nightingale's full talk on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel.

Zach Gibson ’19 and niqo torrez ’22

Theatre Arts alumni niqo torrez ’22 and Zach Gibson ’19 were recently featured in New Paltz Magazine, the alumni publication of SUNY New Paltz, in a story about Theatre Arts alumni who have returned to campus to direct plays for the department's Mainstage Production series.

Gibson—who has worked at regional theatres like Shadowland Stages in Ellenville, St. Michael's Playhouse in Vermont, Denizen Theatre in New Paltz, Advice to the Players in New Hampshire and Performing Arts of Woodstock—served as director for the April 2025 production of "Shrek the Musical." 

torrez, who made their directorial debut here at New Paltz in 2022 with “Pages from a Love Manifesto,”  directed the 2024-25 Mainstage Production series' first play of the year, "Town Hall," in October and November 2024.

"I feel honored and humbled above anything else to be back and to have opened the season this year," torrez told the magazine. "And, I just feel really proud of our students.” 

Read the full article, and check out some great photos from the rehearsals of each play, at the New Paltz Magazine website.

TADA Attends USITT Conference

Sixteen students from the Department of Theatre Arts' Tech and Design Association (TADA) attended the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) annual conference in Columbus, Ohio in early March. The trip was organized entirely by students. Congratulations to all who attended: Maya Battistella ’25, Meara LeFevre ’25, Luiza Braga ’25, Kiersten DeLorey ’25, Phoebe Albro ’26, Ray Buchanan ’25, Oz Fen Wang ’25, Max Rosenfeld ’25, Elisa Rosario ’25, Amelia Murray ’25, Lily Rutski ’25, Theo Wright ’25, Jess Romanowski ’25, Olivia Riddle ’25, Heather Kuhn ’25, and Derrick Ellison ’25.

Max Rosenfeld ’25

Max Rosenfeld ’25, a double major in theatre arts (design & technology) and digital media production, presented the Honors Program thesis, "Olive Branch," in the Honors Center on May 7. Rosenfeld's thesis project was completed under the faculty advisement of Associate Professor Catherine Doherty and Lecturer Travis McHale.

Barclay Travis ’25

Barclay Travis ’25, under the faculty mentorship of Isabel Smith-Bernstein, presented a poster at the 2025 Minds @ Work Student Research Symposium on May 2, detailing his experience directing the staged reading of "Spies are Forever."

"As a Theatre Studies and WGSS student, directing and producing this staged reading served as a final chance to create a space that abides by the values I’ve connected with and brought forth in my time as a Theatre Arts student," wrote Travis, who was also named a fall 2024 recipient of the Academic Year Undergraduate Research Experience award. "My goals were to respectfully represent LGBTQ+ characters, performers, and identities on-stage, and create a rehearsal space that prioritizes comfort and care. By combining what I’ve learned in my Theatre and WGSS classes with my first-hand experiences working in Theatre spaces, I was able to foster a close-knit community of artists that prioritized care for and trust in one another."

Travis was also one of more than 20 undergraduate students to present projects at the Popular Culture Symposium on May 2, where he discussed the topic of "Marginalized Identities as Game-Master: Representation in Actual Play."

Student Works Showcased in "New Pages"

More than two dozen theatre arts major and minors were featured as playwrights, dramaturgs, actors, and directors in this semester's "New Pages" festival, an undergraduate writing showcase where students present scenes from new plays they are currently developing. New Pages took place in Parker Theatre April 22 and 23.

Congratulations to all the students who participated this year:

• Barclay Travis ’25 (Theatre Arts): Director, "Happy Birthday," "False Advertising"; Writer, "Familiar Frequencies"
• Jess Romanowski ’25 (Theatre Arts): Stage Manager
• Mya Espinosa ’26 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "Nearsighted," "Anima," "untitled," "False Advertising"
• Kiersten DeLorey ’25 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "Sunday!"
• Sky Rolnick ’25 (Theatre Arts): Director, "Anima"
• Aditri Khadilkar ’25 (Theatre Arts): Producer, "Anima," "False Advertising"; Director, "untitled," "Bad Therapist"
• Genesis Ramos-Brava ’25 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "Anima"
• Lily Rutski ’25 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "A Wake"
• Grace Hoey ’26 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "False Advertising," "Happy Birthday," "Sunday!"; Director, "A Darkness in Me," "Dracubitch"; Dramaturg, "Nearsighted"
• Christopher Etienne ’25 (Theatre Arts): Director, "Familiar Frequencies," "Sunday!"; Writer, "False Advertising"
• Lennon Lotardo ’26 (Theatre Arts/Adolescence Education): Actor, "False Advertising," "Dracubitch," "Fortunate Sons," "A Wake"
• Noah Cruz Hernandez ’25 (Theatre Arts/Psychology): Director, "A Wake"; Producer, "False Advertising," "Anima"; Dramaturg, "Bad Therapist," "Fortunate Sons"
• Liam Gorelin ’26 (Theatre Arts): Dramaturg, "False Advertising"
• Paige Mansfield ’27 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "False Advertising," "Familiar Frequencies," "Sunday!"; Dramaturg, "Dracubitch"
• Brionna McDonald ’25 (Theatre Arts/English): Dramaturg, "A Wake"; Actor, "False Advertising," "A Darkness in Me," "untitled"
• Keelin Naylor ’25 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "A Wake," "Happy Birthday," "Dracubitch"
• Naya Vulaj ’27 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "False Advertising," "Fortunate Sons," "A Darkness in Me," "Dracubitch"
• Oz Fen Wang ’25 (Theatre Arts): Dramaturg, "untitled"; Actor, "Bad Therapist"; Director, "Nearsighted"
• Ellis Jablonski ’25 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "Bad Therapist"; Actor, "Happy Birthday," "Nearsighted," "Sunday!"
• Donovan Guerin ’27 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "familiar frequencies," "Fortunate Sons," "False Advertising," "A Darkness in Me"
• Megan Hobson ’26 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "Sunday!", "Nearsighted," "Anima," "Dracubitch," "False Advertising"
• Marlee Lustig ’27 (Art History): Writer, "Fortunate Sons"
• Liam Studer ’27 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "A Wake," "False Advertising," "Sunday!", "familiar frequencies"
• Em Glass ’26 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "A Darkness in Me"
• Charlie Downey ’27 (Theatre Arts Minor): Writer, "Happy Birthday"
• Nova Bulin ’28 (Theatre Arts): Dramaturg, "Happy Birthday"
• Kyra Perles ’26 (Theatre Arts and Art History Minor): Dramaturg, "A Darkness in Me"
• Jojo Winter ’27 (Theatre Arts): Actor, "Happy Birthday," "Dracubitch," Fortunate Sons," "Sunday!"xb
• Jake Rizzo ’25 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "Nearsighted"
• Ray Buchanan ’25 (Psychology/Theatre Arts): Dramaturg, "Anima"
• Bridget Donnelly ’26 (Theatre Arts): Stage direction reader
• Bee Messin ’26 (Theatre Arts Minor): Writer, "Dracubitch"
• Rome Torres ’26 (Theatre Arts): Writer, "untitled"

Theatre Arts students present "Spring Salutations"

The spring ’25 Acting I Cohort presented "Spring Salutations" on May 10 in Parker Theatre for "an eclectic array of scenes that promise to delight and inspire." The performance featured Theatre Arts students Princess Aboagye ’27, James Bello ’26, Esmeralda Cotto ’27, Julie Deltuvia ’27, Evelina Deryabina ’25, theatre arts minor Kelly Gerety ’26, theatre arts minor Kat Grunwald ’25, theatre arts minor Emma Hill ’27, Meg Hobson ’26, Alex Martinez ’27, Jess Morales ’27, theatre arts minor Meagan Rosado ’26, and Liam Studer ’27. 

Theatre Arts students present "The Red, White and Fruits of Complacency"

Theatre Arts students presented the world premiere of "The Red, White and Fruits of Complacency" on May 8 in Parker Theatre. The show was collaboratively created by Jehan Beg ’25, theatre arts minor Elizabeth Darcy ’27, Alina Estep ’26, Rocco Grancio ’26, Donovan Guerin ’27, Nora-Lise Hamre ’26, Grace Hoey ’26, Emma Holder-Young ’26, Ethan Jones ’25, Maddy Kaplan ’26, Kiera Lynch ’25, Gina Ruiz ’26, and Rome Torres ’26.

Theatre Arts students named Outstanding Graduates

Several Theatre Arts students were named Outstanding Graduates by the President's Office for the 2024-25 academic year.

“This group has not only accomplished the completion of the expectations, but have excelled in critical areas,” said President Darrell P. Wheeler. “You are to be applauded for the accomplishments that you’ve made in your discipline, for the impression that you’ve made on your faculty and staff and your colleagues and for the impact that you stand prepared to make as you go forward beyond your time as an undergraduate.” 

Congratulations to all our outstanding grads from Theatre Arts: Barclay Travis, Julia Dubinsky, Maya Battistella, and Luke Anderson.