Hello everyone!
My name is Katie Gudzik, my pronouns are she/her. I am graduating from SUNY New Paltz this December with my BA in Theatre Arts (Performance) and with minors in Music and Deaf Studies. I work with the Front of House team on the departmental productions, I am a Sustainability Ambassador through the Office of Campus Sustainability, and I am in the Honors Program. I am delighted to be writing to you all today on behalf of the student body at the Department of Theatre Arts! We wish you a warm welcome to our 2022-2023 season of storytelling.
I could not be more grateful to be so involved and to be able to take advantage of all the opportunities I am gifted here. The students, faculty, and staff all work incredibly hard to create beautiful, meaningful art and to connect with each other and with all of you. I am a storyteller because I aim to build community, inspire growth, and spread joy, empathy, and love through the arts and beyond. I am passionate about increasing accessibility in the arts, and I always consider the sustainability impact of my work, regarding all people and our planet. My goal is to leave this world a better place than I found it, collaborating with others who hope to do the same. Thanks to this department, I am able to do just that.
This production season in particular consists of contemporary stories rooted in the hardships of our past, inspiring us to change and shape our future. We are the future. We, as students, are the driving force behind making our offerings at SUNY New Paltz so special. Our professors provide the support and guidance necessary to help us pursue our passions along our journeys through higher education, igniting a spark within our souls and feeding our flames with each and every interaction. I will forever be grateful to the faculty here and to my fellow students for fostering such a safe environment to learn, to try new things, to fail boldly, and to succeed beyond what we ever thought possible.
We are profoundly thankful for your presence, your generosity, and your consistent support of our work here at SUNY New Paltz. In essence, we cannot tell stories unless there are people willing to listen. By coming to see our shows and helping to fund our program, you, too, are stoking our fire; flames ablaze and burning bright. We hope to see you at McKenna and Parker Theaters this season so that we may share these stories with you, and we hope that you hold the space in your spirit to feel our spark.
With warmth and gratitude,
Katie Gudzik
she/her
