Community News Archives

A new Carnegie Mellon course is bringing engineers and theater students together to solve live entertainment challenges by redesigning the systems behind modern touring productions with industry partner and global entertainment company TAIT.

Concert stages may look effortless when the curtain rises, but backstage they are giant mechanical systems filled with moving parts, tight timelines, and constant problem-solving.

At Carnegie Mellon University, students are learning how to tackle those challenges firsthand through Entertainment Engineering, a new course that combines mechanical engineering and theater production to solve fundamental problems for the live entertainment industry.

Developed jointly by professors Phil LeDuc and Mark Bedillionfrom the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Kevin Hines and David Boevers from the School of Drama, Entertainment Engineering brings students together from two fields that rarely overlap in the classroom but constantly intersect behind the scenes of live productions.

In its first semester, students collaborated on a challenge sponsored by TAIT, the global company behind staging and automation systems used in concerts for artists like Taylor Swift, theater productions on Broadway and the West End, and live events around the world including the Olympics. The company itself has strong roots at CMU as its CEO Adam Davis and dozens of its employees are CMU alumni.

By Shannon Musgrave

In the idyllic hills of Spring Green, Wisconsin, situated on 110 acres of former farmland, American Players Theatre (APT) has been making magic for its community and providing an artistic home to theater-makers–including many Carnegie Mellon University faculty and alumni– for 47 years. This year, APT was the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award–a prestigious honor that recognizes “a regional theatre company that has displayed a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theatre nationally,” as described on the Tonys website. Unique in both its verdant setting and its core company model, American Players Theatre puts its artists, community, and natural surroundings at the center of its extraordinary work.

APT produces nine shows in rotating repertory each year between June and November. Their seasons are generally a mix of Shakespeare, classics, contemporary works and, occasionally, a world premiere of a new play. Their flagship venue is a 1,075-seat outdoor amphitheater (built on the spot where, in 1977, the company’s founders discovered the hillside’s natural acoustics) and in 2009 they opened a 200-seat indoor theater. APT draws an audience of around 100,000 people from across the country each year.

The Carnegie Mellon Connection

APT’s associate artistic director, Carey Cannon, is a graduate of CMU School of Drama’s acting program and first joined APT as an actor in 2001. She eventually became APT’s company manager, before taking on the role of associate artistic director. Her younger self would have never anticipated building a life and career in the woodlands of the Midwest.

Carey Cannon at American Players Theatre — Carey Cannon leads a talkback at American Players Theatre. Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson.

“I always imagined that I’d be on one of the coasts because that’s where I grew up and what I understood about the theater. I didn’t really know much about regional theater,” she said. “I joke that I don’t know that I’d ever said the word ‘Wisconsin’ except to memorize the state capitals. I’ve never been outdoorsy, yet I’m about to spend 10 hours out in the woods in technical rehearsal for a Chekhov play. So, no, I did not anticipate this life. And it is such a gorgeous life.”

Cannon’s work as associate artist director runs the gamut from casting the season and overseeing the rehearsal process to hosting donor events and managing HR initiatives.

“It’s about humans,” she said. “It’s hot. It’s buggy. There’s weather. Artists require what they require to make art. So a big part of my job is holding space so that the work can be great, which is mostly taking care of humans.”

Some of those humans include fellow alumni and faculty from Carnegie Mellon. Robert Ramirez, Head of the School of Drama, is a frequent director at APT and Daniele Tyler Mathews, a graduate of the School of Drama’s MFA Costume Design program, is in their 17th season with the company.

Ramirez first learned about APT when he was in grad school, and got to experience it for himself as an audience member in 1994. He was working his first professional acting gig at the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival in Platteville about an hour away and decided to drive to Spring Green on one of his days off.

“It just kind of blew my mind,” he said, “this big outdoor space and the quality of the speaking and the acting of Shakespeare–to me, it was just like: Goals. These are goals.”

In 2011, those goals were realized when he was hired by APT’s then artistic director David Frank as a voice and text coach for a production of “Twelfth Night.” Ramirez returned for many seasons working as a voice coach, teaching in the apprenticeship program, and directing in their reading series. In 2022, he directed his first full production for APT–“The River Bride” in the indoor Touchstone Theatre. In 2024, he was asked to direct “Much Ado About Nothing” on the outdoor amphitheater stage, where he returned in 2025 to direct “Anna in the Tropics.”

The River Bride

Gabriela Castillo, Eduardo Xavier Curley-Carrillo, Erica Cruz Hernández, Triney Sandoval & Melisa Pereyra in “The River Bride” directed by Robert Ramirez.

Photo by Liz Lauren.

Much Ado About Nothing

Marcus Truschinski, Rasell Holt & Ronald Román-Meléndez in “Much Ado About Nothing” directed by Robert Ramirez, costume design by Daniele Tyler Mathews.

Photo by Liz Lauren.

Anna in the Tropics

Ronald Román-Meléndez & Melisa Pereyra in “Anna in the Tropics” directed by Robert Ramirez.

Photo by Michael Brosilow

“I never would have imagined that I would feel so at home in a tiny town surrounded by farmland in Wisconsin, but there’s something about the place,” said Ramirez. “I think it’s its dogged insistence on the importance of language and that the plays be heard that really touched me at my core. And they saw that that’s what I was about and so I was invited back.”

For Mathews–a New York City-based costume designer and drag artist (Gloria Swansong)–this summer marks 17 seasons with APT. In that time, they have costume designed 11 productions, including the “Much Ado About Nothing” that Ramirez directed. When asked what keeps them coming back, they point to the company’s commitment to artists and its democratized culture.

“When I first started at APT, David Frank always said that everybody should speak up in every meeting because you never know where the best idea is going to come from,” Mathews said. “It feels like they trust you and you can take risks and you can speak up. You don’t have to stay in your lane. And that just makes the work richer.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Casey Hoekstra, Jim DeVita & Joshua M. Castille in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Costume Design by Daniele Tyler Mathews

Photo by Michael Brosilow

Romeo & Juliet

Isabelle Bushue & Joshua M. Castille in “Romeo & Juliet” – Costume Design by Daniele Tyler Mathews.

Photo by Liz Lauren.

Much Ado About Nothing

Company of “Much Ado About Nothing” Directed by Robert Ramirez. Costume Design by Daniele Tyler Mathews.

Photo by Liz Lauren.

Artists + Audience = Community

Having a core company of artists that come back year over year cultivates a unique connection between those creating the work and those experiencing it from the audience. Cannon says that ethos is a very intentional aspect of APT.

“In order for the work to be this good, you have to have people who are committed to coming back and doing it,” Cannon said. “Dense poetic texts in a 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater without amplification is no joke.”

To keep artists committed to coming back, the theater committed to them. Frank first established the need for a core company in the late 90s, and it has continued to grow under Brenda DeVita’s artistic leadership since she took the reins in 2014.

The deep attachment Spring Green audiences feel toward APT’s resident artists can be exemplified in the company’s current production of Ionesco’s “The Chairs.” One might not presume that an absurdist tragic farce would be a small town box office hit, and were it not for the recognizable faces in the lead roles, it may not have been.

“We have so few seats left,” Cannon said, before the production had even opened. “It’s one thing for ‘Come From Away’ to sell out; it’s another thing for Ionesco to sell out. And that’s because of the two actors who are in it, who are virtuosic. Our audience will be like, ‘What are Jim and Colleen in? Let’s go see that.’”

The relationship is reciprocal for the artists as well. In the hustle of the entertainment industry, it can be rare for theater-makers to really know and connect with the people in the audiences, but for the artists who return to APT year after year, they feel part of the community.

“The guy at the coffee shop knows you, and the lady at the antique shop knows you and she remembers what you like to buy,” said Ramirez, reflecting on his own connection with the people in Spring Green.

Mathews has gotten to know the local community not only through their many years working as an APT designer, but also through their own drag performances, which attract audiences from Spring Green and the neighboring towns.

“It’s been really edifying to bring my queer culture and my drag family to this town and to really get to know people through that,” they said.

From Rolling Hills to Radio City

Having such a tight knit community of both artists and audiences made the Tony win for APT all the sweeter. The award itself has been making the rounds in Spring Green, giving everyone in town the opportunity to see it, take a picture with it, and give the center medallion a spin.

“This town is 1,600 people. The Tonys per capita in this town beats any place in America,” Cannon said with a laugh. “It’s a community award, so it belongs to everybody who’s ever worked here, and everybody who’s ever worked here understands that inherently.”

Ramirez was elated when he heard the news. Both Cannon and DeVita reached out personally not only to tell him about the award, but to also acknowledge his part in making it happen. That kind of communal recognition seems to come naturally for a company whose mission and values are so human-centered.

Carey Cannon and Daniele Tyler Mathews at the Tony Awards.

Carey Cannon and Gloria Swansong outside Radio City Music Hall for the 2026 Tony Awards.

American Players Theatre staff at the 2026 Tony Awards.

Laura Lamansky, Alex Huhn, Jim DeVita, Brenda DeVita, Sara Becker, Michele Traband, Evelyn Matten, Shana Lewis, Laurel Brown, Holly Payne, Gloria Swansong, Kelly O’Rourke, Carey Cannon and Sara Young at the Tony Awards.

American Players Theater’s Tony Award on the tech table.

Several members of the APT staff and company attended the Tony Awards on June 7 in New York City. For Cannon, the experience was profound. She had the opportunity to reconnect with some of her CMU classmates, including Tony nominee Michael McElroy, whom she met for lunch across from Radio City Music Hall.

“I could see a hologram of my 19-year-old self with all those theater baby dreams and hopes,” she said, “and then my actual almost 60-year-old self being in the reality of this beautiful truth that I hadn’t ever thought to dream of.”

American Players Theatre’s current season runs through November.
Learn more at americanplayers.org.

Header photo: “Much Ado About Nothing” 2024, Directed by Robert Ramirez, Costume Design by Daniele Tyler Mathews. Photo by Liz Lauren.

By Shannon Musgrave

The Primetime Emmy nominations were announced this week and Carnegie Mellon alumni once again made an impressive showing for their work across the television industry. This year’s nominees include 19 alumni spanning 11 categories for a total of 28 nominations.

The most nominated show this season is “The Pitt” – the medical drama created by School of Drama alumnus John Wells and co-executive produced by fellow alum Michael Hissrich, set in a fictional Pittsburgh emergency room. The show racked up a whopping 25 nominations.

In the acting categories, Sarah Pidgeon is nominated for her role as Carolyn Bessette in the FX limited series “Love Story,” and Cherry Jones is nominated for her guest appearance in HBO’s final season of “Hacks.”

Alumni from the School of Drama’s Lighting Design program earned 15 nominations altogether, including two for celebrated lighting designer and CMU Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts recipient Robert A. Dickinson, who has consistently shepherded new generations of CMU lighting designers and practitioners into the field.

CMU alums also earned nominations in production design, casting, costume design, sound editing, and special visual effects.

See the full list of alumni nominees below.

Congratulations, also, to alumna Whitton Frank, whose production company Ferryman Collective was nominated for Outstanding Emerging Media Program for their live theatrical virtual reality performance, “Uncanny Alley: A New Day.”

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held live on September 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, and will be preceded by the 78th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 5 and 6. The ceremony will be broadcast in the United States by NBC and Peacock.

School of Drama Class of 2026 visits the set of “The Pitt” at Warner Bros. Studios, May 2026.

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)

Widow’s Bay • Lodging • Apple TV • Apple Studios / Chum Films
Steve Arnold, Production Designer (MFA 1989 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Special

68th Annual Grammy Awards • CBS • A Fulwell Entertainment production in association with the Recording Academy
Kristen Merlino, Art Director (BFA 2005 – School of Drama)

The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Alana Billingsley, Production Designer (BFA 2004 – School of Drama)
John Zuiker, Art Director (MFA 2011 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series

Shrinking • Apple TV • Warner Bros. Television in association with Apple
Brett Benner, CSA, Casting by (BFA 1990 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

DTF St. Louis • Cornhole • HBO Max • HBO in association with Elephant Pictures, Bravo Axolotl, Aggregate, Escape Artists and MGM Television
Molly Maginnis, Costume Designer (MFA 1976 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Series

Dancing With The Stars • 20th Birthday Party • ABC • BBC Studios
Noah Mitz, Lighting Designer (BFA 2005 – School of Drama)
Hannah Kerman, Lighting Director (BFA 2021 – School of Drama)
William Gossett, Lighting Director (BFA 2015 – School of Drama)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • Guests: Bruce Springsteen, Special Surprise Guests • CBS • CBS Studios
Hillary Knox, Moving Light Programmer (BFA 2002 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Special

68th Annual Grammy Awards • CBS • A Fulwell Entertainment production in association with the Recording Academy
Noah Mitz, Lighting Designer (BFA 2005 – School of Drama)
William Gossett, Lighting Director (BFA 2015 – School of Drama)
Hannah Kerman, Lighting Director (BFA 2021 – School of Drama)
Ryan Tanker, Moving Light Programmer (BFA 2010 – School of Drama)

The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Robert A. Dickinson, Lighting Designer (HD 2005)
Noah Mitz, Lighting Director (BFA 2005 – School of Drama)
Ryan Tanker, Lighting Director (BFA 2010 – School of Drama)
William Gossett, Lighting Director (BFA 2015 – School of Drama)
Hannah Kerman, Lighting Director (BFA 2021 – School of Drama)

78th Annual Tony Awards • CBS • White Cherry Entertainment
Robert A. Dickinson, Lighting Designer (HD 2005)

Wicked: One Wonderful Night • NBC • Fulwell Entertainment
Noah Mitz, Lighting Director (BFA 2005 – School of Drama)
Mike Hankowsky, Media Server Programmer (BS 2014 – College of Engineering)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette • FX/Hulu • 20th Television
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette (BFA 2018 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Hacks • Montecito • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Cherry Jones as Kelly (BFA 1978 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Drama Series

The Pitt • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
John Wells, Executive Producer (BFA 1979 – School of Drama)
Michael Hissrich, Executive Producer (BFA 1988 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

Stranger Things • Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up • Netflix • Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment for Netflix
Emma Present, Dialogue Editor (BFA 2016 – School of Drama)

Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Single Episode

Paradise • Exodus • Hulu • 20th Television
Chapel Folger, VFX Producer (BFA 2010 – School of Drama)

*Apologies for any omissions. If you are a School of Drama alum who received an Emmy nomination this year, please email smusgrav@andrew.cmu.edu and we will update this story. Thank you!*

Photo grid L to R, Top to Bottom: John Wells, Michael Hissrich, John Zuiker, Alana Billingsley, Cherry Jones, Hannah Kerman, William Gossett, Noah Mitz, Sarah Pidgeon, Ryan Tanker, Emma Present, Robert A. Dickinson, Mike Hankowsky, Kristen Merlino, Hillary Knox, Steve Arnold, Molly Maginnis, Brett Benner, Chapel Folger.

Carnegie Mellon University alumni shone among Broadway’s brightest stars at the 79th Annual Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday, June 7.

Hosted by music superstar and global icon P!NK, The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards broadcast LIVE to both coasts on the CBS Television Network, and streamed on Paramount+*. Prior to the broadcast, Tony® Award-winner and five-time Tony® Award nominee Laura Benanti and six-time Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess hosted THE TONY AWARDS: ACT ONE, a live pre-show with exclusive content that was available to viewers for free on Pluto TV — a global leader in free streaming television.

The new musical’s producers, writers and costume designer reflect on the training that put them on the path to Broadway

“The Lost Boys” just might be Broadway’s “most” show this season — most spectacular, most rock-and-roll, and most Tony-nominated. It also has the most Carnegie Mellon University alumni as part of its production team, racking up seven of CMU’s 15 nominations this year.

The show’s three lead producers, James Carpinello (CFA, 1997), Marcus Chait (CFA, 1997) and Patrick Wilson (CFA, 1995) met over 30 years ago in the School of Drama as acting students, but early on, Chait had his sights set beyond the stage.

We celebrate our talented alumni who work on stage and behind the scenes to bring each Broadway season to life! The list below highlights CMU alumni who have worked on productions in the 2025/2026 season.*

All Out: Comedy About Ambition

Jake DeGroot – Lighting Designer

Peter Hylenski – Sound Designer

Dan Miele – Associate Sound Designer

Art

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

The Balusters

Erica Hemminger – Associate Scenic Designer

Celeste Lagrotteria – Senior Production Manager

Beaches

Iris Rainer Dart – Book & Lyrics

Tamara Tunie – Producer

Bug

Celeste Lagrotteria – Senior Production Manager

Selby Souza – Assistant Scenic Designer

Call Me Izzy

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Evan Schild – Associate Producer

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Tara Lashan Clinkscales – Actor

Chess

Bradley Dean – Actor

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Evan Schild – Co-Producer/Associate Producer

Dog Day Afternoon

Iris Chiu – Assistant Sound Designer

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Thomas Ford – Associate Sound Designer

Every Brilliant Thing

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Michael Kelly – House Carpenter

Fallen Angels

Tina Benko – Actor

Giant

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Cayden McCoy – Actor

Tripp Taylor – Actor

Liberation

Kristolyn Lloyd – Actor

The Lost Boys

James Carpinello – Lead Producer

Marcus Chait – Lead Producer

Patrick Wilson – Lead Producer

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

Chris Hoch – Book Writer

David Hornsby – Book Writer

Ryan Park – Costume Designer

Henry Blazer – Assistant Scenic Designer

Mamma Mia!

Grant Reynolds – Actor

Brian Webb – Associate Scenic Designer

Marjorie Prime

Sidney Rubinowicz – Production Assistant

Oedipus

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Proof

Tate Abdullah – Assistant Sound Designer

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

Major Curda – Actor

Punch

Will Harrison – Actor

The Queen of Versailles

Stephen Schwartz – Music & Lyrics

Peter Hylenski – Sound Designer

Ryan Park – Technical Costume Design

Andrew Kober – Actor

Ryah Nixon – Actor

Dan Miele – Associate Sound Designer

Henry Blazer – Assistant Scenic Designer

Scott Wasserman – Ableton Programmer

Ragtime

John Clay III – Actor

Ben Levi Ross – Actor

Matthew Scott – Actor

Schmigadoon!

Kaleigh Cronin – Actor

Jamie deRoy – Producer

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

Brian Webb – Associate Scenic Designer

Waiting for Godot

Ankit Agrawal – Producer

Jamie deRoy – Producer

*This list features productions that opened between April 28, 2025 and April 26, 2026.

We apologize for any omissions. Please email Shannon Musgrave with any corrections.

From center stage to creative teams behind the curtain, Carnegie Mellon University alumni are once again leaving a strong impression on Broadway, earning a record-breaking number of Tony Award nominations this year. That momentum is carrying into awards season, where a number of CMU Tartans have been nominated for the 79th Annual Tony Awards®, set to take place June 7.

The 2026 Tony Award nominations were announced on “CBS Mornings” today, including 10 Carnegie Mellon University alumni who are nominated in 8 categories. This year marks 17 consecutive years in which Carnegie Mellon alumni have earned Tony nominations.

2026 Carnegie Mellon University Tony Awards Nominees

Writers David Hornsby (1998) and Chris Hoch (1998), School of Drama alumni, were nominated for their work in “The Lost Boys” (Best Book of a Musical).
Actor Will Harrison (2019), School of Drama alumnus, was nominated for his role in “Punch” (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play).
Actor Ben Levi Ross (2017), School of Drama alumnus, was nominated for his role in “Ragtime” (Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical).
Designer Ryan Park (2009), School of Drama alumnus, was nominated for his work in “The Lost Boys” (Best Costume Design of a Musical).
Producer Jamie deRoy (1967), School of Drama alumna, was nominated for her work in “Giant” (Best Play), “Schmigadoon!” (Best Musical), “Every Brilliant Thing” and “Oedipus” (Best Revival of a Play) and “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” (Best Revival of a Musical).
Producers James Carpinello (1997), Marcus Chait (1997), Patrick Wilson (1995), School of Drama alumni, and Ankit Agrawal (2014), Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy alumnus, were nominated for their work in “The Lost Boys” (Best Musical).
Producer Ankit Agrawal (2014), Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy alumnus, was nominated for his work in “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” (Best Musical).

Quantum Theatre’s latest production gives audiences an immersive peek behind the curtain at the drama of putting on a play.

10 out of 12 by Anne Washburn is a clever comedy set amid the chaos of a technical rehearsal of a play. Quantum’s ambitious production, which runs through April 26, is directed by School of Drama professor Andrew Smith with lighting design by professor C. Todd Brown, and costume design by alumna Carrie Anne Huneycutt. Current School of Drama students are also part of the production with senior directing student Sean Barnett as assistant director, senior costume design student Kendall Swartz as wardrobe supervisor, and senior acting student Olivia Ruhnke in the cast, alongside recent alumnus Evan Vines.

Barnett describes the production as an immersive experience that puts the audience right into the center of the action. Each audience member receives a headset (like those that stage managers use to communicate with the other members of a show’s technical staff), which becomes an important vehicle for the storytelling.

“Imagine Waiting for Guffman mixed with Sleep No More,” Barnett says. “It is a story not only about making fun of ourselves as theatre people, but also one that celebrates the joy, love, and heart we put into the things we are passionate about, which I hope audiences of all backgrounds, theatre people or not, are all able to equally enjoy together.”

Barnett is in his final semester at the School of Drama, where he studies directing. He says working as an assistant director is all about supporting the director’s vision for the piece, and that his training has helped him to anticipate a production’s needs.

“For this show, it has been about being attuned to what Andrew’s intentions for the play were and how he saw conducting the process of staging this insanely technically complicated piece,” says Barnett. “I have been there as another voice for him to bounce ideas off of, helping coordinate schedules alongside our wonderful stage management team, as well as keeping track of and organizing notes for him to give to the actors in a big spreadsheet.

“It has also been such a joy in this process, as I prepare to graduate next month, to flash back to my very first class on my first day of freshman year in Andrew’s Acting I class, as I now work with him professionally in this capacity as a director.”

Curtain Up on the Mellon Institute

Quantum Theatre is known for staging plays in unlikely places, and 10 out of 12 is no exception. While the space it’s performed in may look like a traditional theater, it is actually a space inside the Mellon Institute that was originally created as a recital hall for the scientists that worked and studied there.

Normally closed to the public, the Mellon Institute stands as a temple to science and one of Pittsburgh’s architectural treasures. Designed by Benno Janssen and William York Cocken, the building opened in 1937 and occupies an entire city block. The signature 62 monolithic limestone columns — each weighing 60 tons and hand-carved — create a dramatic exterior. Beneath the surface, the structure extends into bedrock to minimize vibrations that could disrupt delicate scientific experiments.

In 1967, the Mellon Institute merged with the Carnegie Institute of Technology to form Carnegie Mellon University. The building houses faculty from the Mellon College of Science and the Neuroscience Institute.

CBS Pittsburgh’s Boaz Frankel speaks with School of Drama alum Evan Vines and Quantum Theatre’s Alex Ungerman about “10 out of 12” inside the Mellon Institute.

Quantum Theatre’s 10 out of 12 is running now through April 26 at the Mellon Institute. Tickets and more information available at quantumtheatre.com.

Featured photo of the 10 out of 12 cast by Jason Cohn, courtesy of Quantum Theatre.

Since 1960, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) has been the country’s leading hub for research, innovation, and education among practitioners of theater design and technology. Its annual conference, held in a different city each year, serves as a gathering space for live entertainment’s best and brightest, which includes the faculty, students, and alumni of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama.

This year’s conference took place March 18-21 in Long Beach, CA, where attendees took part in participatory labs, professional development workshops, an impressive stage expo, and an awards ceremony where several CMU students and alumni were honored.

Young Designers, Managers, and Technicians Awards

Caifeng Hong

Caifeng Hong (MFA, Costume Design 2025) is the recipient of the Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award, which recognizes an exceptional costume artist who is a current student (graduate or undergraduate) or an early career professional (within two years of graduation).

Julia He

Julia He (MFA, Stage & Production Management 2026) is the recipient of the USITT Stage Management Award sponsored by Clear-Com Communication Systems. This award specifically honors students who demonstrate strong organizational skills, effective communication, and the ability to lead collaborative production teams in demanding live performance environments.

Abby Yu Bi

Abby Yu Bi (MFA, Video & Media Design 2026) is the recipient of the USITT Digital Media Award sponsored by PIXERA. This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated excellence or outstanding potential in the area of digital media design or creative technology in the performing arts while pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree.

Learn More About the YDMT Award Winners

Distinguished Achievement in Architecture

Len Auerbach

(BFA, 1966; MFA, 1967 – School of Drama)

Len is the recipient of USITT’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Architecture. The Distinguished Achievement Awards honor individuals who have established meritorious career records in specific fields of expertise in any area of design or technology in the performing arts or entertainment industry.

The Distinguished Achievement Awards honor individuals who have established meritorious career records in specific fields of expertise in any area of design or technology in the performing arts or entertainment industry.

Learn More

In addition to CMU’s award winners, several faculty and alumni led panels and workshops, while students took part in the many creative and practical offerings the conference had to offer.

Earlier this year, senior scenic design student Jordan Pincus won USITT’s poster contest and her design was sold during the conference. (Check out her work here!)

CMU at USITT 2026

Carolyn Burback and Harshitha Bharghava at USITT 2026

Scenic Design students Carolyn Burback and Harshitha Bharghava took part in the offerings of the USITT conference.

Scott Tedmon-Jones and Dick Block at USITT

Scenic Design alum Scott Tedman-Jones with Professor Dick Block at CMU’s booth on the USITT Expo floor.

Cat Wilson, Crystal Lee, and Mike Berger at USITT

Lighting Design alumni Cat Wilson, Crystal Lee, and Mike Berger reunited at USITT.

Stage & Production Management alumna Alana Clapp representing Cirque du Soleil on the USITT Expo floor.

Stewart Blackwood presenting a panel at USITT

Sound Design professor Stewart Blackwood (left) presented an Introduction to Creating Flexible Sound Cues panel at USITT.

Sydney de Haan and Katie Welker at USITT

Senior Costume Design student Sydney de Haan and senior Scenic Design student Katie Welker worked the CMU School of Drama booth on the expo floor.

Stage & Production Management alumna Danielle Bergman presented a session on “Creating the Stage Manager’s Toolkit for Sensitive Content.”

Scenic Design students Carolyn Burback and Harshitha Bharghava took part in the offerings of the USITT conference.

Scenic Design alum Scott Tedman-Jones with Professor Dick Block at CMU’s booth on the USITT Expo floor.

Lighting Design alumni Cat Wilson, Crystal Lee, and Mike Berger reunited at USITT.

Stage & Production Management alumna Alana Clapp representing Cirque du Soleil on the USITT Expo floor.

Sound Design professor Stewart Blackwood (left) presented an Introduction to Creating Flexible Sound Cues panel at USITT.

Senior Costume Design student Sydney de Haan and senior Scenic Design student Katie Welker worked the CMU School of Drama booth on the expo floor.

Stage & Production Management alumna Danielle Bergman presented a session on “Creating the Stage Manager’s Toolkit for Sensitive Content.”

Header photo: Alumni Sebastian Zavalza (second from left) and Issac Jo (third from left) served on a USITT panel titled “Integrating Antiracist Practices Into the Design Process.”

Tartans on the Rise celebrates recent alumni who are making an impact in their organizations and in their communities, across the nation and around the world through leadership, innovation and career achievements.

This year, three of the 16 honorees are alumni from the School of Drama.

BFA Acting, 2018

Sarah Pidgeon

Sarah Pidgeon’s profile as an actor is growing across the stage and screen, with a Tony nomination and major leading roles in just the last five years.

“There’s a complexity that I want to bring to all characters that I play,” Sarah says. “They’ve had so many different colors to them, but they all share a strong sense of self with both nuance and intelligence.”

More About Sarah

MFA Dramatic Writing, 2015

Tracy Held

Tracy Held’s passion for environmental issues shapes her art. She’s a writer and producer with a personal mission to elevate conservation conversations by weaving green themes into her stage productions and screenplays. By shaping the narrative around conservation, she hopes to inspire others to get more involved with solving the climate crisis.

More About Tracy

BFA Directing, 2022 | MAM, 2023

Moses Garcia

The Tony- and Grammy-winning musical “Buena Vista Social Club” features a live Afro-Cuban 10-piece band onstage with a multilingual book, making it the first Broadway musical fully sung in Spanish.

As the show’s inaugural and ongoing associate director, Moses Garcia played a formative role in bringing this celebration of Cuban culture to life onstage.

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