2009-2010 Student Performing Arts Advisory Council

Mission:

 Maintain a vibrant, vital advisory board that advances the mission of Platt Student Performing Arts House 

  Build connections between arts communities at Penn

 Foster alumni connections that support the sustainability of the Penn arts community 

Enhance alumni ownership of the Platt Student Performing Arts House by helping alumni feel proud of their past and current relationship to arts at Penn

Members:

Alumni Representatives

Christopher Barry Bellis, C'06 graduated from Penn with a major in English, concentrating in Literature, Journalism & Print Media Culture. He also obtained a minor in Cinema Studies and is currently working on the creation of his own production company. 

Jessica Brand, C '04 graduated from Penn with a double major in history and international relations.  She is now a lawyer at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.  On the side, she volunteers at the Sitar Arts Center, teaching dance.  She misses her time at Penn, where she danced with Arts House Dance Company, served as the Chair of the Emily Sachs Dance Benefit, and as the Dance Arts Council (DAC) chair for two years.  She was also involved with Penn Life Sketches.

Jason Butler, C'09 graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Communications and Theatre Studies.  He currently works as a Motion Picture Talent and Comedy Assistant at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in NYC.  Previously, Jason worked at Roundabout Theatre Company and The Gersh Agency.  While at Penn, Jason was a member of Penn Players, Penn Singers, Front Row Theatre Company, and Quadramics.

Alex Feldman, C'05, GAR08, GFA08 served as the President of the Penn Glee Club from 2003-2005. Today, he is working for U3 Ventures, a real estate development and advisory firm based in Philadelphia that specializes in integrating the areas around urban universities with their surrounding communities.

Cassandra Georges, C'01 L'05 is a lawyer specializing in dispute resolution. She has fond memories of her time with Onda Latina Dance Troupe and as Performing Arts Council (PAC) Chair.

Becca Goland-Van Ryn, C'06, graduated from Penn with a double major in Theatre Arts and Communications.  Becca currently works as an Account Executive at Serino Coyne, a full-service theatrical advertising agency in New York City.  Becca also works as a Producer at The Gallery Players.  While at Penn, Becca was involved with Penn Singers, Penn Players, Quadramics, iNtuitons and Front Row Theater Company. 

Virginia Graham, C'02 currently works for Bain & Co. as a management consultant.  She is also the President of the Board of Starting Artists, Inc. an after-school arts and entrepreneurship program for under-served youth in Brooklyn.  At Penn she danced with PennDance and was the Dance Arts Council (DAC) chair.

Lolita Jackson, EAS '89 was a member of Counterparts coed a cappella jazz group, Penn Gospel Choir and Quadramics.  While in her day job she is Manhattan Director of Community Affairs for the NYC Mayor's Office, she has continued to indulge her love of singing and has recently performed in Edinburgh, Shanghai and Berlin.  Lolita is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and an organizer of Alumni Bacchanal 2010 during Homecoming.

Paul Pimentel, C'96, is chief of staff to the minority leader in the Connecticut State Senate.  At Penn, Paul was chair of Penn Players and served on the PAC board.  He stage managed and did other tech work for Players, Arts House Dance, and Quadramics.

Student Representatives

Rebecca Adelsheim (Theatre representative) is a Junior in the College with a currently undecided major. She is actively involved as a stage manager and tech member for Pennsylvania Players, Quadramics, Front Row, and Penn Singers. Rebecca is thrilled to be working backstage for Penn's student theater and with this Council. 

 Bhargavi Ammu (Dance representative) is from East Brunswick, New Jersey and is a Junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biology and South Asian Studies and minoring in Religious Studies. She has been doing the Indian Classical dance form of Bharatanatyam for the past thirteen years, and has performed extensively as a solo dancer. On campus, she is a member of PenNaach, an all female South Asian dance team. She looks forward to helping the Student Performing Arts Advisory Council stregthen ties between artists at Penn and the community and alumni, and couldn't imagin a world without performing arts as a focal point.

Ruthie Gold (Singers, Musicians, and Comedians representative) is from Chappaqua, New York. While she is undecided as to her major, she enjoys French, Biology, English and Theatre and will probably end up pursuing one or more of these subjects. She is a cast member of Bloomers, Penn's all female sketch comedy troupe and she loves it! Through Bloomers, she has been able to forge wonderful relationships while performing-two of her favorite things. Bloomers gave Ruthie a jumpstart into life at Penn; immediately she had a niche that was also a supportive community and she looks forward to continuing her Bloomers career.

Scott Ventre (A Cappella representative) is a Junior in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences majoring in Bioengineering with a pre-med concentration. He is currently a member of the Penn Glee Club and the musical director for the Pennchants, an all-male a cappella group on campus. Scott has performed on and off stage in high school and community theatre productions and has performed at Penn for both the Glee Club and Pennchants shows during his freshman year. Scott is incredibly excited to be a part of the Advisory Council and to continue performing on the Penn stage!

Staff Representatives 

Valerie De Cruz has served as Director of the Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center since 1997. She came to Penn after five years as a counselor and Assistant Dean at Oberlin College, followed by four years at Princeton University where she was Assistant Dean for Multicultural Affairs. Valerie has fun co-teaching a fall course with Ty. In this course students are able to explore identity (self, others, portrayal in media, culture and theatrical forms) as well as, uncover the common human and dramatic stories through which groups and individuals might engage issues of difference.

Faculty Representatives

Rose Malague, Ph.D. is the Program Director for Penn's Theatre Arts Program.

Philip M. Nichols, JD. is an Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the institutions of international trade, primarily the World Trade Organization, and on the institutional changes occurring in emerging economies.

Please email Platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu if you are interested in serving on the Advisory Council, which meets twice a year.