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Chicago Shakespeare Theater Executive Director Criss Henderson Encourages MSLCE Students to Collaborate, Innovate During Speaker Series Event

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By Jacob Nelson 

On Feb. 1, Criss Henderson acknowledged a unique quirk of his professional career to an audience of MSLCE students and other members of the Northwestern community: “I have one of the greatest jobs in American theater, but I have one of worst resumes.”

By “worst” Henderson really means “shortest.” That’s because he’s held the same job for the past 28 years as the Executive Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater. During the MSLCE program’s most recent Speaker Series event, Henderson told the audience how a person with little interest in the world’s most renowned playwright became the head of an organization dedicated to his work, and how he’s managed to keep that work exciting over the course of nearly three decades. (more…)

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MSLCE Students Visit Lyric Opera of Chicago

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By Nick Roman

How many cultural institutions reap the benefits of 45,000 steps of foot traffic every day? Lyric Opera of Chicago is uniquely set apart from other opera and cultural institutions because of its location in the heart of downtown Chicago.

MSLCE students got an exclusive look into the organization on a site visit with Lyric’s top management that included a rare opportunity to see backstage.

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USA President and CEO Talks Supporting Artists During MSLCE Speaker Series Event

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By Jacob Nelson

Deana Haggag is the president and CEO of United States Artists (USA), a fundraising organization that grants fellowships to artists in different fields and from different backgrounds across the country. (USA recently announced its 2018 awards.)

During Thursday night’s first Speaker Series event of 2018, Haggag described the origins of USA. The nonprofit began in 2006 as a response to conservative politicians threatening to cut funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

“The government wanted them to defund the artists entirely,” Haggag said, “And foundations were really disturbed.” (more…)

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Greg Cameron Discusses Turning Around the Joffrey Ballet During MSLCE Speaker Series

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By Jacob Nelson

What makes an arts organization successful? According to Joffrey Ballet Executive Director Greg Cameron, an organization’s success depends on three points: leaning towards the mission, developing an aligned team, and creating collaborations with external partners.

“The minute the mission of the organization becomes compromised in anyway is when trouble creeps in,” Cameron said during last Thursday’s MSLCE Speaker Series event. “Developing an aligned team is not always as easy as it may sound.” (more…)

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MSLCE Students Learn How a Late Night Show Gets Made During Visit to The Onion/A.V. Club Studios

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By Charlie Wein

As I entered the 2nd floor of The Onion/A.V. Club studios today, laughter erupted from the room directly to my right. 

It was Friday afternoon, and the creative writing staff was hard at work planning the outline for next week’s episode of “A.V. Club Live.” The weekly late-night style program (presented as a part of the Fusion television network) is The A.V. Club’s first foray into television broadcast. 

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MSLCE Students Learn About Steppenwolf’s History and Future During Site Visit

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By Minda Cerva

On Friday, Nov. 17, MSLCE students had an opportunity to sit down with leaders from Chicago’s Tony Award-winning Steppenwolf Theatre Company for a discussion about their respective careers, the history of the organization, its current focus, and its future plans.

Students met with the Executive Director David Schmitz, Artistic Producer Jonathan Berry, and Professional Leadership Assistant John Rooney. The conversation started with an overview of the work history of both Schmitz and Berry, which served as inspiration for many of the students in the group who are pursuing careers in theatre management and administration. Both of their paths started with masters degrees in directing, and led them to leadership positions at one of the most renowned regional theatres in the country. 

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Disney Director John Musker Talks Making ‘Moana’ and Skyping with Lin-Manuel Miranda During Northwestern Event

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By Nick Roman

Moana, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Aladdin, and The Fox and the Hound: what do all of these have in common? 

Sure, they are favorites among Disney fans of all ages. However, they also demonstrate the creative genius of John Musker, who recently spoke at Northwestern University’s School of Communication. School of Communication students got to listen to the man behind the animation of these films, and witnessed a behind-the-scenes look at some of Disney’s finest classics, getting a new, personal and artistic perspective through Musker’s presentation.

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CBS TV Studio VP of Drama Development Describes Getting His First Break in Evanston

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By Jacob Nelson

Rob Luchow’s first break didn’t happen in Hollywood. It happened in Evanston.

As the Vice President of Drama Development for CBS TV Studio explained during the first MSLCE Speaker Series event of the academic year, Luchow was a Northwestern undergraduate working as a waiter at a pizza place near campus when he first opened the door to his career. He was waiting on a table of Northwestern alums who he had just seen at panel where they discussed their jobs as television writers.

“I told them, ‘It was really cool for you to come to campus, I loved hearing you speak, and I’m thinking of moving to L.A.’ They said, ‘Why don’t you come sit with us?’”

To which Luchow replied, “I can’t. I’m your waiter.” (more…)

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CBS TV Studio VP to Speak at First 2017-2018 MSLCE Speaker Series Event

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By Jacob Nelson

Before Rob Luchow worked in television, he watched it. Lots of it.

“This was the common routine in my house growing up: At 6 o’clock, my family would put on local news and start cooking dinner. At 6:30, Tom Brokaw. 7 was Jeopardy, and 7:30 was Wheel of Fortune,” Luchow said during an interview last week. He added, with a laugh, “I don’t know when I did homework as a kid.”

Years later, Luchow now works as the Vice President of Drama Development for CBS TV Studio. He will be discussing his career in television at the first MSLCE Speaker Series event of the 2017-2018 year, on Thursday, Oct. 5. (more…)

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VP of Comedy Development at Warner Bros. Wendy Steinhoff Shares Words of Wisdom with MSLCE Graduates

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By Jacob Nelson

The third cohort of MSLCE students crossed the stage to accept diplomas during the MSLCE Convocation Ceremony, held on August 24 in the Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston. 

Families and friends in the audience cheered as one by one the names were called by MSLCE Associate Director Kathryn Lawson and the students, dressed in purple gowns, walked towards Northwestern’s Communication Studies Department Chair Ellen Wartella to receive their degrees.

“It’s amazing how quickly this year went past!” MSLCE graduate Quinton Sprull said after the ceremony. He explained that, throughout the program, students “evolved to richer, more analytical creative leaders… It was a great year of growth, accomplishment, and promise.” (more…)

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