I heard from a reliable source that Dr. Stefano is retiring next year. Anyone know about this? Or who his replacement will be?
Yes, Dr. John is retiring next year! No word about his replacement.
Yes, I am retiring at the end of next summer’s 50th anniversary Otterbein Summer Theatre season. My wife and I are looking forward to a lot more time together! I started teaching in 1969 as a teaching assistant at the University of California-Riverside, where I did my MFA. By the time I retire, I will have taught for 47 years, the last 24 at Otterbein. I could not have asked for a better career!
I am very pleased to tell you that my colleague, Christina Kirk, will be chairing the department. She came to Otterbein the same year I did, in 1992, and has grown into an outstanding actor, director, and master teacher of acting and directing.
But she’s not the only one replacing me. We have hired two new acting teachers in the last two years, Lenny Leibowitz (lennyleibowitz.com) and Mark Mineart (markmineart.com). Both bring terrific professional credentials, Lenny as a director and artistic director, and Mark as an actor on- and off-Broadway and in regional theatre. Lenny teaches the freshman acting class and the musical theatre classes, directed Into the Woods last year, and will direct Fiddler next spring. (I get to play Tevye!) Mark is teaching acting styles, acting for TV/Film, and will direct Is He Dead? in the spring.
They join an outstanding team of teachers. Melissa Lusher, who trained at Carnegie-Mellon and the Moscow Art Theatre, teaches acting, speech and dialects, serves as the speech coach on our productions, and directs. Her production of RENT opens this week. Stella Kane is our Director of Dance and our primary choreographer. She danced with Bob Fosse and American Dance Machine. (Look those up, guys.) She starts rehearsals next week for the annual dance concert, which she will choreograph entirely. But for the last month, she has been mentoring Natasha Natraj, a senior Dance Minor, who is choreographing RENT.
They are joined by Melinda Murphy and Lori Kay Harvey. Melinda is certified in Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, and Fitzmaurice Voicework, and in addition to teaching these techniques, she serves as the movement coach on our productions. Lori Kay Harvey is our liaison from the Music Department, and with Lenny team-teaches our junior musical theatre studio, our freshman MT ensemble, and serves as music director for our musicals and for our Senior Showcase.
I’ve gone on at some length because it’s important for all of you to know that Otterbein’s strength is its team, and that even though I won’t be here next year, the program that my colleagues, past and present, have built over the last 65 years will grow even stronger with Chris’ leadership.
Here’s a statement that I wrote recently. I think it captures who we are:
We have created a place based on mutual respect, professionalism, laughter, and joy. We work very hard to create exceptional pieces of theatre which our audiences love. We care for each other, we care for ourselves, we care for the art form, we care for our audiences, and we care about what’s happening in the world. If you want to learn how to become a human being who can do theatre this way and then carry it forward into the American professional theatre, Otterbein is the place for you.
Best wishes,
Dr. John
Dr. John, congratulations on your upcoming retirement! Although my daughter graduated five years ago (how time flies…) from Otterbein, she moved back to the area and is now quite happily settled in Hilliard while working in Westerville. I get to Ohio for a visit every three months or so and continue to try to take in theatre at Otterbein; it’s as much a delight as ever. I’m definitely planning a visit to coincide with Fiddler; I’ll be the one sobbing uncontrollably through the show. There’s something about Fiddler that does me in every time…
Tell me when you’re coming, and I’ll look for you after the show!
I will certainly do so; too early for me to plan now, but I have the dates saved in my phone so I order tickets in plenty of time!
D got a message that we should be hearing by March 1st. Dr. John- is that still accurate? I know in the past sometimes it gets pushed out. Thanks!
@doctorjohn? Sorry should have tagged you in the above^. Hope Fiddler rehearsals are going great! 
It won’t be precisely on March 1 but should happen next week. Rehearsals are wonderful, thanks. If you want to see my beard, go to my Facebook page!
Thanks for the info! And the beard is awesome!!
The result info is much appreciated. Seems like years since NY Unifieds and it’s only been a month.