Topic - Alumni (362)

Interlochen alumni win Tony Awards for ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ (News Articles 628216)

melissa.birdsey — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:32:23 +0000

Interlochen alumni win Tony Awards for ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ (News Articles 628216) melissa.birdsey Mon, 06/09/2025 - 10:32 Interlochen alumni win Tony Awards for ‘Maybe Happy Ending’Director Michael Arden and scenic designer Dane Laffrey earned individual accolades as ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ led all productions with six Tony Awards—including the award for Best New Musical. June 9, 2025

Interlochen alumni Michael Arden (IAC 99, IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) and Dane Laffrey (IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) earned accolades at the 78th Tony Awards for their work on Maybe Happy Ending.

Hue Park and Will Aronson’s musical led all productions with six awards—including Best New Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.

Arden, a four-time Tony Award nominee and second-time winner, received the award for Best Direction of the Musical. He has previously won the same award for Parade (2023) and received nominations for Once on This Island (2018) and Spring Awakening (2016).

“The experience of live theatre confirms that no matter how different we may be from one another, we are all connected and we are all here and in it together in this brief, beautiful life,” Arden said in his acceptance speech. “So I implore you, please go to the theatre—whether it's a Broadway show or a school play. Support the arts. Support artists. We need you now more than ever.”

Laffrey—a scenic designer and longtime friend and collaborator of Arden’s—won the award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical with George Reeve. His previous nominations include Best Scenic Design of a Play for A Christmas Carol (2023, with Lucy Mackinnon) and Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Once on This Island (2018).

“This is an incredible honor, and a million thank yous to everyone who has made this production flourish,” Laffrey said in his acceptance speech. “Making a show like Maybe Happy Ending is alchemical, and I've always believed that the key to the alchemy is to find your people… I think the reason I've always believed so strongly in finding your people and holding on tight is because I found one of them when I was 16 years old: Michael Arden. My oldest friend and partner in almost everything—I share this with you.”

During the awards ceremony—which was held Sunday, June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan—All-State alumna Celia Keenan-Bolger (AS 93-95) received the 2025 Isabelle Stevenson Award. The award is presented to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations. In a press release announcing the award, the Tony Awards Administration Committee cited Bolger’s “unwavering dedication to advocacy work through the arts”—including her work as a member of the advisory board for Broadway Impact, her role as an artist-ambassador for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and leadership role in founding Broadway Feeds Bellevue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)” sparkles at Sundance premiere (News Articles 627576)

marycaroline.whims@interlochen.org — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:01:18 +0000

“Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)” sparkles at Sundance premiere (News Articles 627576) marycaroline.w… Tue, 03/11/2025 - 12:01 “Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)” sparkles at Sundance premiereWe sat down with Arts Camp alumna and film director Sierra Falconer, as well as fellow Interlochen alumnus and actor Jim Kaplan (“The Holdovers”), to reflect on the film’s making, lakeside inspiration, and big themes.

A still from Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)

May 21, 2025

In literature and film, the gentle lap of waves against the shore offers an enduring promise of peace and freedom. Camp alumna Sierra Falconer (IAC 07) explores this appeal in her directorial debut, Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake), in which four vignettes explore themes of belonging and coming of age. Principal photography took place on the campus of Interlochen Center for the Arts. Supported by fellow Camp alumna Kate Schnepf as production manager and recent Academy grad Jim Kaplan (IAC 16-17, 19-20; IAA 21-23) who stars as violin prodigy “Jun”, Falconer recently captained her film all the way to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where it met a positive critical reception. Falconer joins Kaplan in reflecting on the inspiration found at Interlochen, what it was like attending Sundance for the first time, and the themes that define the heart of Sunfish.

Falconer and Kaplan chat while filming on Interlochen's campus.

Finding inspiration under the stately pines

Long before she started writing her master’s thesis for UCLA, Falconer was clear on one thing: her debut film would be set in Interlochen.

“ My grandparents have a cottage on Green Lake, so I spent almost every summer there when I was growing up,” she remembers. “We would sail around, look at the campus, and go to the Arts Festival shows at Kresge.”

For her, Interlochen symbolized “the pinnacle of the arts scene”.

“I felt like all the great artists went there. That’s how it worked its way into my film—Interlochen is the place where artists find their voices and find themselves. And I think that's what it meant to me as an artist growing up in the area.”

Interlochen is the place where artists find their voices and find themselves. I think that's what it meant to me as an artist growing up in the area.

Sierra Falconer, director

Falconer was just a second-grader when she attended Arts Camp, so she doesn’t remember very much about her experience there. But she definitely remembers where she sat in the orchestra.

“I had the last chair in the second violin—basically the worst spot you could be in,” she laughs. “It’s funny because in Sunfish, one of the stories is about a boy who is trying to get first chair and ultimately gets first chair.”

That boy is played by Kaplan, himself a real-life violin player who studied at Arts Academy. He started acting as a nine-year-old and soon made his way to Broadway and films. He’s best known for his role in Alexander Payne's The Holdovers. Although he didn’t study acting during his time at Academy, he still found plenty of opportunities to develop his talents.

“ I often collaborated with my friends who were film students,” says Kaplan. “Sometimes they would have assignments where they’d recreate a scene from one of their favorite movies, like Winter’s Bone or Parasite, and I would play characters for them.”

I learned to let go of the competitive nature of art. It became more about realizing that other students loved the same things I did, and we could understand each other because we shared the same passion.

Jim Kaplan, actor

Although Kaplan’s character in the film is deeply concerned with artistic competition, his experience at the Academy taught him the opposite.

“I learned to let go of the competitive nature of art,” he says. “It became more about realizing that other students loved the same things I did, and we could understand each other because we shared the same passion.”

Kaplan says that he and Falconer bonded over their shared Interlochen experience, especially since principal filming took place on Interlochen’s campus.

“We talked about Interlochen a lot while I was preparing for the role. It felt like going back to my roots and living my past experiences, but getting to make some stuff up along the way,” he says.

The cast and crew of Sunfish stand on stage for a Q&A after the film's world premiere at Sundance.

“A dream come true”

Falconer, Kaplan, and a large portion of the cast and crew converged in Utah during the last week of January. Sundance was a chance for all of them to celebrate the film’s completion—and see how it would be received.

“Going to Sundance was a dream come true. It still doesn’t feel real,” Falconer reflects. “We had a big presence at the festival and it felt great reconnecting with everyone.”

All four of the film’s public screenings sold out, and Sunfish also garnered a flurry of positive criticism over the course of the week.

“ It was really exciting when the lights went down,” says Falconer. “Watching your film with a bunch of people who know nothing about it is a very special experience, because you see it through their eyes.”

Kaplan concurs. “Everything plays differently than you thought it would. Parts that you thought weren’t funny are suddenly funny again and everybody’s laughing.”

On the big screen, the themes Falconer’s team worked so hard to capture shone out true and clear.

“Sunfish is all about what it feels to grow up on the lake,” the director reflects. “The characters in each short find themselves in a moment of change. The water becomes a place of healing for them, and they all get into the lake at one point or another. It’s about those moments in childhood where something big happens, and you don’t even realize it till later.”

In the film, Kaplan’s character is struggling in his relationship with his overbearing mother, but finds friendship and acceptance at summer camp. When Kaplan thinks about what Sunfish means to him, he says it’s about connection.

“I think the overarching theme of all four shorts is finding belonging. Each character begins in an isolated state and then moves to a place where they’re more comfortable and connected to others.”

Falconer hopes that audiences walk away from the film feeling nostalgia and relaxation.

“I hope people feel comforted and think back to their childhood. I hope it's a warm experience, like sitting in the sun on a summer's day. I hope that people leave feeling more connected to their families and where they grew up.”

What’s next for these two Interlochen alums? Kaplan is focused on finishing up his freshman year at Brown University, but he’s been working on several projects in the meantime.

“I'm still auditioning and working on a few independent projects that I'm excited about,” he says. “I want to keep acting because I really enjoy the process of getting to know a character.”

Meanwhile, Falconer is looking toward her long-term goals and dreaming up her next film.

“A lot more seems possible since Sundance,” she says.

From the pines to the page: Interlochen inspires novels by alumni, faculty, and former staff (Stories 628136)

melissa.birdsey — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:22:19 +0000

From the pines to the page: Interlochen inspires novels by alumni, faculty, and former staff (Stories 628136) melissa.birdsey Fri, 05/16/2025 - 10:22 From the pines to the page: Interlochen inspires novels by alumni, faculty, and former staffEscape to the serenity of northern Michigan, relive the joy of creativity and connection, and explore powerful themes with books by Erika Randall, Howard Lovy, Dara Levan, and other Interlochen authors. May 21, 2025

Snippets of symphonies soaring through the pines, dancers framed by the sparkling waves of Green Lake, the palpable synergy of collaboration—there’s truly no place quite like Interlochen.

Generations of students, faculty, and staff have been transformed by the unique atmosphere that exists between the lakes. For many, the inspiration they found here animates their creative process for years to come—and in some cases, sparks works inspired by our one-of-a-kind community.

In the past few years, several alumni, faculty, and former staff members have published novels set at or based on Interlochen. We caught up with a few of these authors to learn more about their books and the memories that inspired them.

A road trip of reconciliation and reclamation: Music for Leaving by Erika Randall

Erika Randall’s (IAC/NMC 88-89, IAA 89-91, IAC Fac 99-01, 03-06) passion for dance and love of language have always intertwined: Her first author bio, written when she was just five years old, read, “When Erika grows up, she would like to be a dancer and a writer. Her favorite color is blue.”

“All these things are true,” Randall said in a recent interview with Crescendo.

Amidst her thriving career as a dancer, choreographer, educator, and filmmaker—she currently serves as Professor of Dance and Interim Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at the University of Colorado Boulder—Randall recently added ‘novelist’ to her list of titles with the release of Music for Leaving. Set in the 1960s, the novel follows 61-year-old Eleanor on a road trip of reconciliation and reclamation on Interstate 70.

“I began the novel after losing my dad and while pregnant with my son,” Randall said. “I was so full up with grief and longing and wonder that I needed to write it down. I spent every summer with my dad in Michigan, so I knew that the lakes and Camp had to hold a piece of my heroine’s heart.”

While every mile of the road trip is meaningful, Interlochen serves as a key destination.

“The notion of a one-woman road trip felt thrilling to me and anchored the memories and flashbacks, literally driving the narrative forward,” Randall said. “Eleanor is on the journey of a lifetime, and Lake Wahbekanetta felt like the perfect place for her to release some of the weight she is carrying. I set the story in the very early years of the Academy, but I imagined that the artists then acted much like we did in the 90s—so it’s a bit of a historical fiction look at those early years as seen more through my personal, but still fictional, retelling.”

Along the way, the objects around Eleanor—a peach pit, her engagement ring, her dashboard hula dancer—are given voice to reveal truths such as longing, relief, and hope. The hula dancer is inspired by a real-life figurine that accompanied Randall and her colleagues during her summers on Interlochen’s Camp dance faculty.

“The ‘girls of summer’ on the dance faculty had a hula mascot named Jeremy who bobbled along with us on the back country roads to Otter Creek,” Randall said. “I made a dance in 2003 called ‘The Secret Lives of Dashboard Hula Dancers.’ I was intrigued by how the hula dancer sits on the dash and only sees the past. I wanted to play with road trip music and time and space; this dance became the seed for Music for Leaving years later.”

Those acquainted with Interlochen’s campus and the surrounding area can expect to see familiar landmarks featured in the novel.

“As Camp faculty, stories of polka night at the Karlin Inn fill my memories, so I had to get that historic spot in there,” Randall said. “Music sung in practice rooms in the basement of TJ rings through the pages of this book—thank you to Havilah and Marie for your voices and how they held me through my years at the Academy and lift me up today.”

With Music for Leaving in the rearview mirror, Randall is looking forward to the next chapter in her multifaceted life.

“My cup is very full,” Randall said. “Dancing remains at my center, and I will teach ballet in the fall. I still wake up and write each morning and am working on a new book that weaves memoir, historical fiction, and fiction called Ladyhorse—hopefully out next year.”

As Randall continues her creative journey, Interlochen remains as close to her heart as it does to her fictional heroine’s.

“My time at Interlochen defined much of my interior life and self-knowing and shaped my exterior world of making, career, and friendship,” Randall said. “No one place means more to me. I found my voice at Interlochen—not just as an artist in dance classes with Sharon Randolph, or as a scholar in Destiny in Classical Literature with Howard Hintze or Civil War History with Scott Dean. I heard it in the snow-lonely woods where I first learned to be quiet and listen; in the sunlight spilling across the water, reminding me that I was all that I needed; in the late summer horn solo soaring through the pines, teaching me that I am enough.”

“There is no single memory that time travels me back to the north woods or the dance building or TJ…but just to think of the autumn dapple, the hot summers in the old and perfect dance building, the snow-covered paths to the chapel, and I am there,” Randall continues. “It’s not the times of performances or accolades, but the light and the humans: So many friendships, so much laughter, so much genius in our feral bodies and wild imaginations. So many who are still beloved—Kate, Danny, Marie, Havi, Sammy, 2e, Guy, Lito, Tymn, Jen, Kristina, Kristen, Justin, Shira, Steph, Maggie… the list goes on and on like the memories, friends collected from my teen years and then again when I was lucky enough to return.”

“I feel like one of my greatest blessings is not only knowing Interlochen in nostalgia as a girl, but returning and working there as an adult, knowing all of the sides and all of the stories, and loving it still.”

You can keep up with Randall’s latest projects on her website. Music for Leaving is available for purchase at IngramSpark, via Amazon, and at major booksellers, including Barnes & Noble and BAM!

Music, memory, and maturity: Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story by Howard Lovy

Former Interlochen Arts Camp counselor Howard Lovy (IAC St 84-85) has built a successful career as a journalist, nonfiction author, and book editor since leaving the Land of the Stately Pines. But after years of coaching other writers and penning stories about serious topics such as science, technology, and Jewish issues for notable publications such as Publishers Weekly, Longreads, and The Jerusalem Post, Lovy was ready to explore a new style of writing.

“I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something different,” Lovy said. “I wanted to write a novel.”

Lovy found the inspiration for that novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, while training for the Sleeping Bear Half Marathon.

“The idea was simple: What if a song recorded 40 years ago accidentally went viral today, forcing two reluctant, middle-aged musicians into the spotlight?” Lovy said. “I was so excited about the plot that I ran home, told my wife I was writing a novel, and spent the next four or five months working on it every day.”

The book centers on two musicians—guitarist Jake and violinist Cait—who meet while working as summer camp counselors at Interlochen and quickly develop a romantic and creative relationship. Lovy describes it as, “a fun book filled with lots of music, even cameos from famous musicians, that I think would delight the Interlochen community of any era.”

“While the book is fiction, I drew heavily on my experience as a counselor at Interlochen—the musical setting and the emotions tied to those memories,” Lovy said. “We were completely immersed in music, and that atmosphere inspired me to imagine two characters, Jake and Cait, who meet there, fall in love, and create music together. Interlochen felt like the right place for their story to begin.”

Jake and Cait’s heady partnership is accelerated by the isolated environment of northern Michigan. Lovy has long been fascinated by the sense of detachment from everyday existence that many vacationers and Interlochen students feel during their time in the region.

“Interlochen has always felt like its own world—a bubble set apart from the rest of life,” Lovy said. “I spent my childhood vacationing in northern Michigan, and then two college summers as a Camp counselor at Interlochen. It was a place where I could live almost a different life before returning to my ‘real’ one. That sense of separation helped me imagine Jake and Cait—two characters from very different backgrounds who meet inside that bubble and explode with creativity. Removed from their usual surroundings, they’re free to connect, make music, and fall in love.”

Following the viral success of one of their decades-old songs, Jake and Cait reunite at Interlochen and find that both the place and the person they remember have changed. The ideas of the passage of time and our evolution through life experience are central themes in the book—themes inspired, in part, by Lovy’s own return to Interlochen.

“I moved to northern Michigan about 14 years ago, and as a journalist, I had the chance to revisit Interlochen for the first time since the 1980s,” Lovy said. “I found myself back on campus, but in a completely different role. At first, it was a little strange. I was seeing Interlochen through the prism of memory—this is where something happened when I was 18, that’s where something else happened when I was 19. It really made me reflect on the passage of time. That contrast between memory and present-day reality ended up sparking the idea of weaving those themes into the book.”

Jake and Cait, too, experience the tension between the Interlochen of the past and present when they return to campus as adults.

“Interlochen has changed—there are so many new buildings—but more importantly, it has aged through their eyes,” Lovy said. “As teenagers, it was a place of endless possibility. When they come back in middle age, it’s layered with bittersweet memories, shaped by everything they’ve been through. In that way, Interlochen becomes a character in the story—changing as they change.”

Although Lovy has moved on to other projects—he’s currently working on a nonfiction book about fighting antisemitism—he’s excited to continue writing fiction in the future.

“I discovered that fiction gave me a new way to say things I hadn’t been able to express through journalism,” Lovy said. “It was freeing. In this made-up world, I could explore real themes—religion, music, connection, fame, aging. These are truths shaped by my 59 years of experience, but expressed through an invented story. It’s a way of thinking I hadn’t done before.”

And as for Jake and Cait? Lovy isn’t quite finished with them.

“I have ideas for two more books set in what I’m calling the ‘Jake and Cait Universe,’” Lovy said. “There are still a lot of unanswered questions—like what really happened during their 40 years apart. It’s not exactly a prequel or a sequel. It’s more of a ‘middle-quel.’ I’m not ready to let them go yet.”

Want to learn more about Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story? Listen to Lovy’s interview with Interlochen Public Radio. The book is available for purchase through Vine Leaves Press and Amazon.

A journey of acceptance and awakening: It Could Be Worse by Dara Levan

Those who have spent a summer beneath the Stately Pines know that the true magic of Interlochen isn’t mastering an aria or staging a full-length operetta: It’s finding a supportive community where you are embraced and supported not just as an artist, but as a human.

Author, podcast host, and Interlochen Trustee Dara Levan (IAC/NMC 83-90) knows this well. An alumna of Interlochen Arts Camp, Levan fondly recalls the holistic experience she enjoyed during her many seasons as a dance and operetta student.

“The eight summers I spent at Interlochen imprinted on my heart and have influenced me as an author, podcast host, speaker, and mother,” Levan said. “Dude Stephenson taught me about Gilbert and Sullivan; he also shared profound life lessons both on and off the stage. The tears I shed at ‘Les Préludes’ I now understand weren’t just about feeling sad leaving a safe, nurturing space. My family jokes that Interlochen comes up in every conversation, and it's true! The majestic pines, the Melody Freeze, rehearsals at Kresge, lake water lapping the shoreline, and the experiences that are fostered by a kind, caring community. Most of all, the epic growth that happens when we leave where we're from and discover who we are.”

Levan tapped into her deep well of Interlochen memories to create Camp Intermezzo, the fictional Michigan music camp that serves as a key location in her debut novel It Could Be Worse. The book follows Allegra Gil, a woman who is forced to grapple with a shocking family secret after making a surprising discovery in a piano bench.

Allegra’s story of acceptance and awakening unfolds in both present-day scenes and flashbacks—including memories of Allegra’s summers at Camp Intermezzo.

“Allegra feels understood, seen, and accepted in all phases of her childhood as she discovers who she is while at camp,” Levan said. “Whether she’s insecure about her body image, nervous about performing onstage in front of her peers, or going to her first dance, some of Allegra’s experiences mirror my own journey. I hope the magic of Camp Intermezzo, inspired by my time at Interlochen, is a sensory, uplifting journey for readers.”

Levan has maintained a busy creative practice since publishing It Could Be Worse; she continues to host the podcast Every Soul Has a Story and contributed an essay to the USA Today best-selling collection On Being Jewish Now. Her second novel, Shaken to the Core, will be published with Regalo Press in June 2026.

“Like It Could Be Worse, my upcoming novel has a summer camp setting,” Levan said. “This time, it takes place in Vermont and explores how motherhood and mothering transcends biology.”

Levan also continues to be involved with the Interlochen community as the mother of a recent Interlochen Arts Academy graduate and current member of the Board of Trustees.

“A spectrum of hues from the past and present inspires and invigorates me,” Levan said. “It's the honor of a lifetime to now serve as a Trustee on our board. I'm deeply grateful to give back to this magical place that shaped who I am today.”

It Could Be Worse is available from Amazon, Walmart, Target, and at major booksellers including Barnes & Noble and BAM! See Levan’s website for more information and other places to purchase.

Additional reading: The Charlotte Holmes series and Sunrise Nights by Dr. Brittany Cavallaro

Alumna and current Interlochen Arts Academy Instructor of Creative Writing Dr. Brittany Cavallaro has drawn inspiration for several of her books from her time as both a student and an instructor at Interlochen. Her New York Times best-selling Charlotte Holmes series is set at a fictional boarding school—a nod to her own experience as a student at the Academy.

In 2024, Cavallaro and co-author Jeff Zentner released Sunrise Nights, a verse-and-prose novel about two students who meet on their final night at a summer arts camp. While the idea of sharing an impossible-feeling night with a stranger was inspired by the 1995 film Before Sunrise, the arts camp setting was based on Cavallaro’s summers as an instructor at Interlochen Arts Camp.

“It’s a book about making art despite adversity, and dealing with what it feels like to have a big change in your plans,” Cavallaro said in a 2024 interview about the book. “It’s also an ode to all my favorite indie movies where two characters spend two hours having the best conversation of their lives. I really wanted to write a book that felt like that.”

Have you read or written a book that mentions Interlochen? Let us know at content@interlochen.org.

OnAlumni

Motifs: May 2025 (Motifs 628134)

melissa.birdsey — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:14:52 +0000

Motifs: May 2025 (Motifs 628134) melissa.birdsey Fri, 05/16/2025 - 10:14 Motifs: May 2025May 21, 2025

We’d love to hear from you! Submit your own motif.

Lawrence Starr (IAC/NMC 59-65) retired from the University of Pennsylvania, where he had taught and directed two master’s programs in organizational dynamics. Starr was then recruited to Thomas Jefferson University, where he designed, taught in, and directed two doctoral programs in leadership. Having retired from Thomas Jefferson University, Starr is now Director of Applied Research at Iacocca Institute of Lehigh University.

Karen Couf Cohen, APR, (IAC/NMC 72-74), owner of Karen Couf Cohen Public Relations, based in Franklin, Michigan, has successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, which entitles her the APR professional designation. The announcement was made by the Universal Accreditation Board, a consortium of nine professional communication organizations.

Adam Levin (IAC/NMC 77, UNIV 78) has been President of the Long Island Composers Alliance since January 2024. Learn more about his work on his website or LinkedIn profile.

Alfred Martin, Jr. (IAA 91-92) has been appointed Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at University of Miami and will release his second book, Fandom for Us, by Us: The Pleasures and Practices of Black Audiences, in April 2025.

Paula Dreyer (IAA 92-94) is a pianist based in central Oregon. Dreyer performs concerts in natural settings—such as the slopes of Mount Bachelor, on the shores of Suttle Lake, or in a lava cave at Juniper Preserve. These unique concerts utilize wireless headphones and invite audiences to explore the surrounding area while Dreyer performs. Learn more about her work.

Dana Olkkonen (IAC 94-96, 98-01; IAA 01-03) was named Head of Studio for the Emmy Award-winning Vox Media Studios. In her new role, Olkkonen oversees the television and film business for the entire Vox Media publishing portfolio. Olkkonen joined Vox Media Studios in 2017 as VP of development and led the entertainment division’s Los Angeles-based development team, most recently serving as VP of TV & Film.

Adam Orford (IAA 97-98, IAC St 99) has started a new job as associate professor of law at Fordham University School of Law in New York City. He focuses on climate change, clean energy, and environmental sustainability.

Cameron Martin (IAA 97-00) has been working on the heARTs healing eARTh project for over ten years. The project includes a series of children’s books; the first, Everyone is Different pART 1, will be available on Amazon soon. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Children’s Heart Foundation.

Stanford Thompson (IAC 00-03, IAC St 05-06, 08) was featured on a 60 Minutes segment on March 16, 2025. Thompson is the executive director of the Chicago-based nonprofit Equity Arc, which seeks to create a level playing field for BIPOC classical musicians in the United States.

Silvae Mercedes (IAA 01-02) will appear as Audrey in Shakespeare’s As You Like It in her first season as a member of the Birmingham Actors Conservatory at the Stratford Theatre Festival of Canada. Mercedes was first introduced to the Stratford Theatre Festival during her time at Interlochen Arts Academy, when Alexander Technique coach Kelly McEvenue assisted the graduating class with university audition preparations.

Rad Pereira (IAC 03, IAA 05-08, IAC St 08)—formerly known as Rebeca Rad—will be playing Chesky in Becoming Eve at New York Theater Workshop. They are also on the co-leadership team at Network of Ensemble Theaters, building solidarity economy systems for artists.

Shelby Acosta (IAA 08-11) is currently starring as Prima Flaca in the Broadway musical Real Women Have Curves.

Jay Julio (IAC 12, IAA 12-14) plays violin and viola for the national tour of Hamilton. Julio recently spoke with Interlochen Public Radio about performing on the Broadway tour.

Whan Ri-Ahn (Seong-Hwan Lee - IAA 12-15) is excited to return to the U.S. for the first time since graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy in 2015 for the world premiere of his orchestra piece with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in June. He is also composing a piece for the London Symphony Orchestra.

Peter DiMaggio (IAC 18, IAA 19) is currently in the process of starting an indie record label, Passeri Records. Founded and run by artists, Passeri Records operates under an equitable business model in which artists retain ownership and creative control over their music. DiMaggio’s forthcoming debut album will serve as proof of concept for the label.

Meet Megan Baxter: The Pushcart Prize-winning author shares a peek into her online writing courses (Stories 628140)

marycaroline.whims@interlochen.org — Fri, 16 May 2025 15:30:56 +0000

Meet Megan Baxter: The Pushcart Prize-winning author shares a peek into her online writing courses (Stories 628140) marycaroline.w… Fri, 05/16/2025 - 11:30 Meet Megan Baxter: The Pushcart Prize-winning author shares a peek into her online writing coursesFrom planning first drafts to finding an agent, Baxter supports her students every step of the way. May 16, 2025

For almost every creative writer, the big dream is the same: get published. There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing your essay printed inside your favorite magazine, or holding a proof copy of your book in your hands. If you share this dream—if you want the world to read your work—there’s no surer path to success than learning from someone who’s already done it.

Meet Megan Baxter (IAC 02, IAA 02-04), an Interlochen Online instructor and the ideal mentor for creative writers looking to build a broad readership. She teaches from experience: Baxter has published three books of creative nonfiction; garnered a worldwide readership through submitting her work to publications like The Threepenny Review and Creative Nonfiction Magazine; and even won a Pushcart Prize. She offers a glimpse into what happens inside her online courses, reveals some of the awards her students have won, and even shares a favorite writing exercise.

When did you first become passionate about writing?

I wanted to be a writer by the fourth grade. I loved to read and I had devoured so many books by that age. I thought that there could be nothing cooler than being a writer and giving other people the kinds of experiences I’d had with my favorite books. My middle school English teacher, who was a mentor to me, encouraged me to submit my application to Interlochen Arts Camp. I didn’t want to go at first—I was an obstinate, won’t-try-anything-new kind of teenager. But I got in and after one day of being on the campus, I knew I couldn’t go back to public high school. So I applied to the Academy while I was at Camp and studied creative writing here for two years.

You’ve been very active in the literary world, publishing several books and earning multiple awards. How does your experience translate into helping your students reach similar goals?

I believe that part of our obligation as creative writers is to share our work with other people, whether that is directly connecting with someone and sharing our manuscript or through self-publishing. But the most common path to having other eyes on our work is through the submission process, and I encourage all of my students to participate in that. Submissions and writing competitions are opportunities for writers to have their work read by a bigger audience, which is what we all want. When you win something or get your work into a journal, it always opens more doors for you in the writing world.

How do you create an authentic writing workshop experience within an online class?

As writers, much of our work is text-based, so that translates quite easily into an online setting. I treat my weekly Zoom workshops as a space where we can connect with each other on an individual level, like we're all sitting around a table. I facilitate regular Q&A’s and discussions during these sessions. Then, for the last two weeks of the class, the students get to share their work with one another. My students always really enjoy this part of the class because they get to see what everyone else is doing and hear direct feedback that helps them through the revision process and into the next draft.

How do you encourage writers to create work that truly connects with readers?

The best tool I have as a teacher is to show my students great example texts from contemporary or traditional masters of creative writing. I show my students how the masters use literary tools and what makes them effective. It’s like being a visual artist and going into a museum—if you're learning about painting techniques, you need to see how different masters and time periods have approached the landscape or the human figure. Over time, you find your own voice and style, and individuate yourself from the masterworks to create something unique. I give my students a lot of space to experiment and I encourage them to take risks and try new things.

Have any of your students achieved success in the literary world after working with you?

I've had students win national competitions for young writers, including YoungArts, the Scholastic program, the Adroit Poetry Prize and mentorship programs, and the Davidson Fellowship. One of my students won the Oxford Flash Fiction New Voice Prize as a 15-year-old competing against writers of all ages from around the world. I've also had students who, based on the power of their writing portfolios as well as their academic performance, have earned full ride scholarships to Oxford or to Princeton. I help students who are writing for the elementary school age bracket get their work into publications like Stone Soup and Cricket. With my adult students, I spend quite a bit of time coaching them through the pitch process and teaching them how to get agents. And several students from my memoir writing classes are very close to publishing their books.

What’s one of your favorite writing exercises to give students?

I’ve found that the simplest exercises often end up producing the most impactful creative sessions. For example, to explore the idea of setting, I’ll ask students to list a description of every sense they experience in a particular place. What do you smell or taste or feel? What do you hear? What do you see? It helps students appreciate the idea of setting as more than just a stage, but as a reality they can bring to life.

I also teach my students how to do pre-writing and brainstorming, which helps tremendously with that feeling of trepidation we all have about the blank page. You can use a variety of organizational tools to help you feel a little bit more put together when you get to that first draft. You can start with a timeline, a plot outline, or even a character development sheet that you can reference as you move forward. My students find that to be incredibly helpful.

How do you stay connected to your students after the class is over?

Almost half of my students and I maintain some kind of connection after the course has ended. Sometimes I keep in touch as things progress in their work, or they connect with me through Interlochen Online’s private lessons. That way, I can individually coach them as they work through longer drafts. Some of my students have worked with me for up to four years, and I’ve watched them grow so much over that time period.

But, whether or not they sign up for one-on-one lessons with me, it’s my joy as an instructor to be a mentor to my students even when the class is over. Some of my students have gone on to find success at Arts Academy—like Seal Kirtley, who won the Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition and earned a full ride scholarship to the school. And writing letters of recommendation or helping a student navigate the college application process is always rewarding to me.

Interlochen Online is a year-round source of expert online arts education, offering opportunities for children, teens, and adults to develop and nurture their artistic abilities. Whether through four-week courses, certificate programs, or private lessons, you can experience Interlochen’s world-renowned training in an online environment that fosters creativity, confidence, and collaboration. Learn more about Interlochen Online.

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In Memoriam: May 2025 (In Memoriam 628135)

melissa.birdsey — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:17:53 +0000

In Memoriam: May 2025 (In Memoriam 628135) melissa.birdsey Fri, 05/16/2025 - 10:17 In Memoriam: May 2025May 16, 2025

Ellen Boal, wife of former Interlochen president Dean Boal, of Boulder, Colorado, passed away on March 12, 2025.

Mozelle Bell (IAC/NMC 40-43, UNIV 44) of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away on March 12, 2025.

Sylvia McCallister (IAC/NMC 45) of Stillwater, Minnesota, passed away on May 15, 2024.

Melinda Dalley Wagner (IAC/NMC 47-58, IAC St 59, 62, IAC Fac 64, IAA Fac 62-65) of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away on April 20, 2025.

Jean Shorr Langhaug (IAC/NMC 51-53) of Sarasota, Florida, passed away on March 24, 2025.

J. Wesley Ridley, Jr. (IAC/NMC 54) of Arizona passed away on March 10, 2025.

David Wahr (IAC/NMC 54) of Andover, Massachusetts, passed away on March 30, 2025.

Judith Schlabach (AS 55-56, IAC St 57, Trustee Emerita) of Suttons Bay, Michigan, passed away on March 20, 2025.

Dr. Robert Beitman (IAC/NMC 63) of Brownsville, Texas, passed away on April 16, 2025.

John Cooper (IAC/NMC 66, 68) of Taylorville, Illinois, passed away on June 26, 2024.

Brenda Shotwell (IAA 70-71) of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, passed away on May 20, 2024.

Joan Larimer (IAC St 72, 82-84, 89) of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away on May 11, 2025.

Erik Dyke (AS 72, UNIV 73-75) of Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away on March 15, 2025.

John Frevert (AS 76-77, IAA 78-80, IAA St 85-87, IAC St 86) of Whitesburg, Georgia, passed away on May 13, 2025.

Leif Marwede (AS 78-79) of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on March 30, 2025.

Richard Gray (ICA St 84-94) of Lake Ann, Michigan, passed away on March 21, 2025.

Holly T. Bird (IAA 85-87) of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away on April 2, 2025.

Barbara Wilcox (ICA St 88-19) of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away on March 31, 2025.

Charles (Abraham) Woods (IAC 95-99) of Anchorage, Alaska, passed away on Feb. 26, 2025.

Lindsey Woodward (AS 95-97, IAC St 21-24) of Naperville, Illinois, passed away on May 1, 2025.

Robert Condon (IAC St 02-04) of Frankfort, Michigan, passed away on March 9, 2025.

Interlochen alumni earn nominations for 78th annual Tony Awards (News Articles 628098)

melissa.birdsey — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:18:55 +0000

Interlochen alumni earn nominations for 78th annual Tony Awards (News Articles 628098) melissa.birdsey Tue, 05/06/2025 - 10:18 Interlochen alumni earn nominations for 78th annual Tony AwardsDirector Michael Arden, set designer Dane Laffrey, and composer Benjamin Velez are among an exceptional cohort of nominees for Broadway’s most coveted prize. May 6, 2025

Several Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy alumni are among the nominees for the 78th annual Tony Awards.

Director Michael Arden (IAC 99, IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) received a nod for Best Direction of a Musical for his leadership of the Best New Musical-nominated production of Maybe Happy Ending. Arden’s fellow alumnus and frequent collaborator Dane Laffrey (IAA 99-01, IAC St 01) earned a nomination for Best Scenic Design of a Musical (with George Reeve) for his set and video design for the show.

Songwriter, bassist, and producer Michael Thurber (IAA 03-05, IAA 05-06) received a nomination for Best Orchestrations (with Andrew Resnick) for his work on Just in Time.

Real Women Have Curves composers Benjamin Velez (IAC 99-01) and Joy Huerta earned a nod for Best Original Score.

In addition to the alumni nominated for individual awards, several Interlochen alumni and faculty were among the casts and creative teams of Tony Award-nominated productions:

Best New Musical
- Maybe Happy Ending | Michael Arden, Director; Dane Laffrey, Scenic and Additional Video Design
Best New Play
- Oh, Mary! | Tony Macht (IAC 07-10, IAA 11-13), “Mary’s Husband’s Assistant”
Best Musical Revival
- Floyd Collins | Adam Guettel (IAC 80), Music & Lyrics
- Gypsy | Majo Rivero (IAC 15-17), “Dolores”
- Pirates! The Penzance Musical | Rick Faugno (IAC Fac 22-24, IO Fac 23-), “Pirate/Policeman”

Actor and All-State alumna Celia Keenan-Bolger (AS 93-95) will receive the 2025 Isabelle Stevenson Award, an honor presented to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations. In a press release announcing the award, the Tony Awards Administration Committee cited Keenan-Bolger’s “unwavering dedication to advocacy work through the arts”—including her work as a member of the advisory board for Broadway Impact, her role as an artist-ambassador for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and leadership role in founding Broadway Feeds Bellevue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 78th Tony Awards will be presented at a live awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2025. Tony Award winner and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will host the event. The ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. ET, will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ in the United States.

Presented annually by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, the Tony Awards celebrate excellence in Broadway theatre and are widely regarded as one of the most coveted honors in the industry. Nominees are selected by the Nominating Committee, a rotating group of approximately 50 theatre professionals who are asked to see every new Broadway show. Since the awards were first presented in 1947, 18 Interlochen alumni have received a total of 34 Tony Awards.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Company Artist Derek Brockington to deliver 63rd Interlochen Arts Academy commencement address (News Articles 628075)

melissa.birdsey — Mon, 05 May 2025 17:37:28 +0000

Dance Theatre of Harlem Company Artist Derek Brockington to deliver 63rd Interlochen Arts Academy commencement address (News Articles 628075) melissa.birdsey Mon, 05/05/2025 - 13:37 Dance Theatre of Harlem Company Artist Derek Brockington to deliver 63rd Interlochen Arts Academy commencement addressA 2015 graduate of the Academy, Brockington performed with the Grand Rapids Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2018. May 5, 2025

Dance Theatre of Harlem Company Artist Derek Brockington (IAA 13-15, ICA St 13-14, IAC St 15) will deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2025 during Interlochen Arts Academy’s 63rd commencement ceremony. The event will take place Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. at Kresge Auditorium.

Born in Chicago and raised in Michigan, Brockington received his ballet training at Grand Rapids Ballet School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Ballet West, and the Pennsylvania Ballet Summer Intensives. He joined Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2018 after stints with the Grand Rapids Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet. In addition to his role as a Company Artist, Brockington also serves as the company’s Social Media Coordinator and co-created the viral “Dancing Through Harlem” video, which was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Brockington has performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine and Robert Garland, among others, and his choreography has been featured in Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Sunday matinee performances.

The commencement ceremony will also feature remarks and performances by the Academy’s 2025 Senior Speaker and Senior Performer honorees. Musical Theatre major Isabel Fuzi (IAA 22-present) has been selected as the 2025 Senior Speaker. Senior Performer Sasha Townend (IAC 21-22, IAA 23-present), a Popular Music Performance major, will perform Noah Kahan’s “You’re Gonna Go Far” with the Academy’s Popular Music Ensemble.

Each year, Interlochen Arts Academy celebrates the multifaceted artistic and academic talents of Arts Academy seniors through the selection of one Senior Speaker and one Senior Performer. All seniors are eligible to apply for these honors. Candidates participate in a rigorous application and audition process led by a selection committee composed of faculty, administrators, and students.

In Memoriam: March 2025 (In Memoriam 627575)

melissa.birdsey — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:13:18 +0000

In Memoriam: March 2025 (In Memoriam 627575) melissa.birdsey Tue, 03/11/2025 - 10:13 In Memoriam: March 2025March 12, 2025

Jean Bardonner (IAC/NMC 46) of New Palestine, Indiana passed away on Feb. 15, 2025.

Dr. James Barber (IAC/NMC 50-51, UNIV 52) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away on Jan. 8, 2025.

Ann Sherman Bernstein (IAC/NMC 51-53) of Mendham, New Jersey, passed away on May 21, 2024.

Sarah Richards (IAC/NMC 58, IAC St 62-64) of Honolulu, Hawaii, passed away on Jan. 26, 2025.

Douglas Sturdevant (AS 64, IAC/NMC 65, IAA 65-66, UNIV 66-67) of Ottawa, Canada, passed away on Jan. 14, 2025.

Harry Pevos (IAC/NMC 66-72) of West Bloomfield, Michigan, passed away on Oct. 9, 2024.

Lawrence Starr (IAA Fac 67-77; IAC St 68, 71-72, 74-75; ICA St 99-00, 01-04) of South Bend, Indiana, passed away on Feb. 27, 2025. Starr thoroughly enjoyed teaching mathematics at Interlochen Arts Academy and often reminisced about the wonderful students he met there. While teaching at Interlochen, he co-authored a series of high school mathematics textbooks for Random House and served as President of the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1977. Starr family members enjoyed living in the Interlochen area and are grateful for the many opportunities to experience the arts in their backyard.

Daniel Brosier (IAC St 70-73, 77-79, 82-84; IAA St 76-81, 82-84) of Elgin, Illinois, passed away on Feb. 16, 2025.

Debra Johnson (IAC/NMC 72) of Livonia, Michigan, passed away on March 8, 2025.

Dawn Yanok (AS 84-85) of Shelby Township, Michigan, passed away on June 30, 2024.

Susan (DeFreitas) Timmons (IAA 94-95, IAC Fac 18-21) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away on Feb. 26, 2025. Timmons is the author of the award-winning novel, Hot Season, and the editor of Dispatches from Anarres: Tales in Tribute to Ursula K. LeGuin. Her short stories and poems were published widely, and her writing classes were celebrated. She is the creator of Workshops Against Empire, an alternative M.F.A. program for writers who want to change the world.

Elfriede “Elfie” Steigerwald (Volunteer 95-22) of Interlochen, Michigan, passed away on Feb. 13, 2025. Steigerwald, who volunteered in Interlochen’s Costume Shop and ushered at concerts, was named the 2014-15 Volunteer of the Year and received the President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2014—becoming the third volunteer to receive the honor since the award’s inception.

Robert Mueller (IAC Fac 03, 05-14) of Fayetteville, Arkansas, passed away on March 6, 2025.

Mary Felix (IAC St 04) of Traverse City, Michigan, passed away on Feb. 9, 2025.

Katie Baumgarten (IAC 06) of Norcross, Georgia, passed away on Feb. 22, 2024.

Motifs: March 2025 (Motifs 627574)

melissa.birdsey — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:07:43 +0000

Motifs: March 2025 (Motifs 627574) melissa.birdsey Tue, 03/11/2025 - 10:07 Motifs: March 2025March 12, 2025

We’d love to hear from you! Submit your own motif.

Sondra (Raines) Brooks (IAA 74-77) released her memoir, Not Good Enough Girl: A Memoir of an Inconvenient Daughter, on March 4, 2025. The book is distributed by Simon & Schuster and is available at all major outlets.

Jim Stephenson (IAC/NMC 79-84, 86; IAA 83-86; IAC Fac 04; AS Fac 08) composed the score for the Joffrey Ballet’s production of The Princess and the Pea, which ran Feb. 20 through March 2. The Texas Christian University Wind Symphony will premiere Stephenson’s Symphony No. 5 on March 28 as part of the College Band Directors National Association National Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Howard Lovy (IAC St 84-85) wrote the novel, Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story, which will be released through Vine Leaves Press on April 29. Set partly at Interlochen in 1985 and 2025, it follows young musicians Jake Rosner and Caitlin Doyle, whose summer romance ends abruptly. Forty years later, their old song goes viral, forcing them to reunite. The novel explores music, aging, and second chances.

Marshall Gilkes (IAC 94, IAA 95-96) was named Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone at Eastman School of Music.

Mezzo-soprano Cayenne Teeter (IAA 19-20) was recognized as one of four winners in the St. Louis District of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Teeter appeared with the Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center in 2023 and 2024 and will join the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist Program in the summer of 2025.