Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sincerely,
Jeff Luppino-Esposito
[Alumni Chair Spring/Fall 2010]
Summer 2010 FYP Alumni Newsletter: 2
Alum-Friendly Events
Alumni Hangout Sesh!
A lot of you have voiced an interest in setting up regional meet-ups, and we’ll do that
through the discussion board. If you have any suggestions, send them my way, or just
start a new topic under the ‘discussion’ tab. In the meantime, here are some potential
ideas that you’ve sent my way. We’ll plan accordingly if these work for some peeps:
• The Fall Show: Carousel, Directed by Jacob Lyon, November 18-21 in the SAB
• Return from Summer: Meet current and past FYPers on the first weekend of school
• Homecoming: We can set up an FYP event on Homecoming weekend. We’ll be the
only people singing the Good Old Song in harmony. If we score any points…
• Your Shows: Many of you are in shows, post them on the Facebook page and we’ll
organize group trips to go see it!
• Foxfield: Apparently there’s a big drinking-related event with horses. Sounds good.
• Spring Cabaret: Last semester we started an upperclassman cabaret, there will be one
again next Spring and we want you there! We’ll plan this in the Fall!
Summer 2010 FYP Alumni Newsletter: 3
Editor’s Note: Big shout out to the pre-2000 crowd that got back to me. Be sure to tell
any friends from your FYP days to submit next time. Also as a note for future issues,
even if you’ve been so kind as to share your life situation for this issue, we would love to
hear updates as things change, so don’t hesitate to send in news at any point or when
we next request it! And to those of you who didn’t tell us what you’re doing…please do!
1981-1990
(by graduation year)
Todd Saxton, 1985
I was just back in C'Ville for the first time in a while, and even got
to see my favorite prof and advisor Ken Elzinga. Certainly brought
back memories. I am now exercising whatever few talents I had as
an entertainer as a professor at IU Kelley School of Business. This
may even get me to join Facebook!
2001-2005
Paul Kim, 2001
I'm pursuing a doctorate in conducting at Shenandoah Conservatory. This month I'm the
assistant conductor for Shenandoah Conservatory's opera Street Scene, conducting the
matinee performance on April 25. It's nice to be in a pit again...
in the Peace Corps. But still love theatre - came in handy doing health-related skits (read
- making the locals laugh) in W. Africa
2006-2009
Horace Ballard, 2006
I'm a masters student at Yale, soon to be PhD student at
Brown. I work as a curator in a museum.
***
Keep the love coming!
While we of course want your updates in subsequent issues, it’s also fair game to use the
FYP Alumni Group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162001622846&ref=ts)
to not only tell everyone what you’re up to, but PIMP YOURSELF OUT!
Major thumbs up to Jenny Chow D’Agostino, Edward Daniels and others who have done
just that by promoting their new endeavors and the shows they’re in:
Editor’s Note: We got A LOT of awesome stories from you guys, so in the spirit of
keeping this newsletter under 30 pages, and preserving potential content for future issues,
don’t be offended if I left yours out, it will absolutely be in subsequent issues!! I’ve
compiled any similar stories to help piece together the most complete tale. If you have
something to add or edit to these stories, send it! Also, some ‘Remember that Time’ have
become History Lessons and vice versa.
Top Mysteries Remaining: When did no #4 start? When did Ishy actually begin?? More
Tina Fey dirt!!
Ninja vs. Pirates (the conflict and the potentially racist results)
Carly (Brown) Buxton, 2007
The Pirates-Ninja rivalry (does it even still exist?) in FYP started when I was a castie. It
was all tied to a massive e-mail argument between Walt McGough (VD) and Ben Lovell
(Director) between which were more threatening/awesome: ninjas (Walt's opinion) or
pirates (Ben's opinion). If I remember correctly, Walt started sending out these long e-
mail short stories (he's an amazing writer) about ninjas triumphing, etc., and so we used
the Ninjas vs. Pirates theme for capture the flag that fall. Pirates won, but that didn't settle
the rivalry, which persisted in FYP throughout the rest of my college years.
on (but anyone who saw Ninja Assassin knows that they truly are the greatest and most
powerful beings).
Fighting Fire
(I wish we knew this in 2008…)
Jenn Clardy, 2003
There was a flashpot in "Damn Yankees" and in order to get that one by inspection we
made a couch flame retardant. Really. You could hold a lighter to it for several minutes
and it wouldn't catch on fire.
Beach Week
Andrew Leahey, 2005
I hope that the FYP kids still go to Beach Week and stay in the Sandtrap. I believe Kate
Roehr started that tradition in 2002, and we rented the same house every year afterward.
Noah G. tried to drink 24 beers in 24 hours during our first year there… that wasn’t a
pretty sight, nor was it altogether successful…. And two years later, we got something
like 21 people to skinnydip in the Sandtrap pool, much to the dismay of the
sorority girls with whom we shared the pool. Those were simpler times.
Tina Who?
Eileen Conaway, 2004
You might think of Tina Fey as the most famous member of FYP, but we like to promote
Emmy winning Kater Gordon from our class for her writing for the TV show Mad Men.
Summer 2010 FYP Alumni Newsletter: 13
FYP Lives On
Fall 2009: Urinetown: The Musical
Under the masterful direction of Sam Reeder and Jeff Luppino-
Esposito (oh God I’m blushing), the talented cast, pit, tech and
staff of Urinetown: The Musical brought home another hit for
FYP, selling out the SAB and sending audiences into fits of
laughter. This dark satire served up a large and hilarious dose of
commentary on two things we here at FYP love: Socialism and
Musical Theater. Thankfully no ambulances were needed despite
all the side-splitting humor (trust me, the show was much funnier
than that joke).
Editor’s Note: Just like the History Lesson, we got a ton of great stories from all of you,
so in hopes of limiting the length of this issue and saving stuff for future issues, don’t
worry if you don’t see your submission, it will absolutely be in upcoming issues! Again,
as with ‘History,’ I’ve grouped stories, and some of the info between the History and
‘Remember’ has been swapped where it was better suited.
Coming In Future Issues: Tales of Beach Week, Tom Deluca and much much more!
Injuries
Kate Szuchy, 2004
Remember the time when Patrick Adair jumped on a car in front of his frat, got thrown
off, and broke his leg? And we propped his broken leg up on an empty Jim Beam bottle?
And sang "Oh, What a Night" to keep him from focusing on the pain while waiting for
the ambulance?
Derelicte Party
Whitney (Jones) Robertson, 2006
Remember that time when there was a walkoff at the Derelicte party? And Tim Granlund
took off his pants? Wait, he did that a lot.
Gallon in an Hour
Kara Kalasky, 2006
Remember that time Felipe and Nate R. got a group of people to do a "Gallon of Milk in
an Hour" contest outside of the SAB?
Other
Caroline Short Beisswanger, 1996
A bit of choreography that will never leave my system...CLAP, STAMP! "And a happy
ending, of co-ourse!" And for Drood folks, you'll be glad to know that the Leper costume
is still in my possession and has been put to use in a neighbor's Halloween display and in
a student film.
dumpster, anything whose time had come was referred to as "going the way of chicken
1".
Now
the moment you’ve
all been waiting
for.
The best
part of the
whole
newsletter:
Summer 2010 FYP Alumni Newsletter: 20
DONATIONS!
Funding FYP, Fighting the man.
While this newsletter has been full of opportunities for you to remain involved
and help out the organization, we would be lying through our theater-lovin’ teeth if we
didn’t admit that we need your monetary support more than ever this season.
As you are all aware, the cost of mounting a full-scale musical production has
always been steep, but this year we face a new challenge thanks to our good friends in
Washington. It is now illegal for us to continue to use our current wireless microphone
system as it operates on a frequency that has been reassigned. By some horribly
manipulative technological standards, there’s no way to remedy this problem outside of
purchasing new microphones. (Or building a student theater with excellent acoustics)
And so here we stand, in what we know to be rough economic times for many of
you, asking nevertheless for your financial support. Fortunately, because the FYP alumni
base is so large, any amount you can offer will go a very long way in our quest for
purchasing new microphones even if only a small percentage of you make a donation.
All donations are tax deductible through Alumni Hall, just make a check out
to ‘FYP’ or ‘First Year Players’ or if you make it payable to the UVA Fund be sure
to include ‘FYP’ and the account number (FAA545). Either way, mail it to:
UVA Fund
P.O. Box 400314
Charlottesville VA 22904-4314
You will get a letter of acknowledgement with a tax receipt from Alumni Hall
once they receive the donation! We hope to provide the option of online donations in
the near future, but in the meantime, we have to ask you to help us out here via snail mail.
As we look ahead to yet another Charlottesville Fall and think of the adorably
naïve faces that will be smiling back at us during the interest meetings, we wish for
nothing more than to be able to provide exactly what we promise—the best experience
both on and off stage that this University has to offer. We can only imagine what all of
you have collectively given to this organization throughout the years, you’ve made it into
the amazing thing we know so well. And so in the spirit of selflessness that drives FYP
forward, the inexplicable energy that makes fourth years want to spend their weekends
going to theme parties with first years, we ask now that you consider giving once more.
Thank you so much for your time and I hope you enjoyed this newsletter!
Sincerely,
Jeff Luppino-Esposito
On behalf of FYP ’10-‘11