A&E

Whether they’re holding up a homemade donation box at the One-Acts Festival or carrying pieces of portable stage into the lobby because the theater is off-limits to studio shows, the members of the Stuyvesant Theater Community (STC) Slate are the backbone of the STC. If you’re interested in theater and don’t know how to get involved, these five people can answer any questions you might have. After a rigorous selection process that involved written applications and interviews with ’07-’08 STC Slate, the new STC slate has been chosen—juniors Mindy Nam, JJ Russo, Danielle Blackman, Dylan Tramontin, and James Dennin.

“I am happy with the choices and I have confidence that the new STC Slate will do a fantastic job,” senior and ‘07-’08 STC Production Coordinator Joe Kopyt said. “In a math and science school, people think that the theater wouldn’t be good. But […] the STC Slate will help theater thrive in the school.”

Mindy Nam: Communications Coordinator

“I was scared to try out [for STC productions] when I was an underclassman because I wasn’t really sure what the STC was about,” Nam said. “No one around me was in it.” As a junior, Nam finally broke the wall between herself and Stuyvesant theater by auditioning for the fall musical, “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Nam’s experience during “Bye Bye Birdie” inspired her to try out for this year’s studio musical, “Moby Dick! The Musical.” After acting in these two shows, Nam realized what she had been missing out on as a freshman and sophomore and decided she wanted to prevent other underclassmen from making the same mistakes. Nam hopes to do this “by providing the Stuyvesant population with all the information there is about the STC,” Nam said.

“Mindy is extremely enthusiastic and shows a lot of initiative,” senior and current STC Communications Coordinator Kasey Huizinga said. “She came into the theater community later than the other members of the slate, but it actually added to her appeal. She doesn’t come off as a typical theater kid, so it makes it easier for her to encourage more students to give theater a shot.”

As Communications Coordinator, Nam wants to spread the word about Stuyvesant Theater and inform more people about how to become involved in the STC. “Most kids come to Stuy thinking only study, study, study,” Nam said. “They aren’t aware that they can have an amazing experience in STC shows.”

Dylan Tramontin: Financial Coordinator

Tramontin got her start in Stuyvesant theater in the first week of her freshman year. After nailing a part in the chorus of the fall musical, “A Chorus Line,” she “became instantly enamored of all aspects of Stuy theater,” Tramontin said. “Even after just one show, I knew I wanted to be a member of the Stuyvesant Theater Community Slate.”

Since “A Chorus Line,” Tramontin has expanded her involvement in Stuyvesant theater. She has been a cast member in the last three fall musicals, the studio drama of her freshman year and the One-Acts festival of her sophomore year. As a junior, she co-directed “Moby Dick! The Musical,” trying her hand at the offstage aspects of theater.

“Whether she is acting in a show or directing, Dylan is always a lot of fun to be around and work around,” said senior Hannah Temkin, who co-directed “Moby Dick! The Musical” with Tramontin.

In addition to her passion, her colleagues also find merit in her management skills. “She is very organized, and while she doesn’t have much experience in the financial aspects of theater, I think she will be able to pick things up quickly,” senior and ’07-‘08 STC Financial Coordinator Paul Silverman said.

Next year, Tramontin hopes to expand the scope of the STC by generating an interest in non-Stuyvesant theater. By making Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets available to Stuyvesant students at reduced prices through the STC, she hopes to increase interest and appreciation of theater, as well as inspire students to participate in more shows.

JJ Russo: Production Coordinator

Russo didn’t become involved in the STC until his sophomore year. “Freshman year I went to shows, but I didn’t know how things went, so I wasn’t really involved,” Russo said.

Russo co-produced his first show, the studio drama “Proof,” with current junior Jos Diaz in the fall of his sophomore year. “They were very involved for producers,” said sophomore Kendra Miller-Rosenberg, who acted in “Proof.” “[Russo] was always there for crucial moments.”

Yet Russo truly became a familiar face in the STC during “Blood Wedding,” last year’s winter drama, when crisis struck—the show lacked a sound crew. Russo was asked to coordinate sound for “Blood Wedding” and agreed to do so. Russo didn’t face too many problems working in the sound booth; he had gained experience working with his dad, a song writer, in his own recording studio.

With both technical experience and producing experience, Russo then went on to co-direct the 2007 spring comedy, “The Man Who Came to Dinner” with Diaz.

As Production Coordinator, Russo will oversee the production of the three main STC productions: the fall musical, winter drama and spring comedy. Also a Big Sib Chair, Russo is adamant about getting underclassmen involved in theater. “I want to be around for people who haven’t done [theater] before,” he said.

Most of Russo’s peers seem enthusiastic about his position on the STC Board. “He has good executive skills but he’s not overpowering,” Miller-Rosenberg said.

As for the future, Russo is unsure. “I might go study film,” said Russo, who has a passion for film. He has been trying to spread his passion to others through the Stuyvesant Film Community (SFC), a club that Russo founded. Russo also enjoys photography as a hobby. For the time being, Russo aims to keep the STC organized and make himself available for anyone interested in theater.

Danielle Blackman: Technical Coordinator

Blackman is known for her enthusiasm and quick mind both inside and out of the theater. “She has so much energy,” senior and fellow speech team member Alice Xu said.

According to Blackman, her passion for technical theater is rooted in her elder sister. “My sister is a master electrician on Broadway,” Blackman said. “I always had an interest in it. I just never thought it would become such a big part of my life.”

During her freshman year, Blackman became involved in the STC by joining the STC’s art crew. “Except when I joined art, the tech room was right next door,” Blackman said. “I fell in love with the power tools.” After working on the tech crew for “Antigone,” the 2005 winter drama, she found herself working on the tech crew of virtually every show, including the STC’s larger productions, the studio shows, the One-Acts Festival and SING!.

Blackman’s involvement with theater and the Big Sib program has made her dedicated to getting new people interested in theater. “I hate that theater has a stigma that you have to be popular, that you have to know the right people,” Blackman said. “I’m a Big Sib, and I hate seeing my Little Sibs not try out because they think that they’re not pretty enough.”

In order to interest more people in theater, Blackman proposes that the shows overlap with each other, preventing the usual group of confident actors and techies from intimidating newcomers.

Blackman emphasizes how theater caters to all students’ passions, unlike many other programs and activities that require specific talents. “Theater is the epitome of choices,” she said. “If you can’t act, join art. If you can’t paint, join lighting.”

Blackman has big plans for the future “My dream is to be an ambassador,” she said. “But I don’t know. Maybe I’ll change.” Whatever she chooses to do in the future, Blackman is sure to channel her positive energy and extensive knowledge of technical theater into the STC.

James Dennin: Studio Coordinator

Dennin’s first encounter with theater occurred during his freshman year when he auditioned for SING! cast, feeling comfortable because he would be involved with only sophomores and freshmen. Feeling somewhat more adventurous later in the year, Dennin starred as a fairy in the 2006 spring comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Despite starting off in the STC’s larger productions, Dennin feels that studio theater is much more intimate than the other STC productions, which are more concerned with spectacle. “Small shows without a large budget or special effects have to rely upon the nature of their art, not upon dazzling their audience,” Dennin said. “Because of this, they’re more meaningful.” He deepened his involvement in studio theater during his junior year, directing an original one-act and co-directing the Studio Comedy, “I Hate Hamlet.”

“James is going to make a great Studio Theater Coordinator because he is just so passionate about theater, and studio theater in general,” ’07-’08 Studio Theater Coordinator Susan Augenbraun said.

Dennin hopes to put on more student-written plays in the future—he plans to achieve this by holding workshops for students to work on their plays before submitting them.

Though theater will always be a part of Dennin’s life, it is unlikely to play the central role in Dennin’s career. Dabbling in arts of all sorts, he is a writer and considers becoming a teacher, publishing poetry or working with his rock band, The Rubberband. Yet, for the time being, Dennin is focusing on theater. “He is dedicated to putting on great theater, shows that are both entertaining and real works of art,” Augenbraun said.

Although these five talented juniors will not necessarily be on the Stuyvesant stage, their contributions to theater will be central to a year of successful productions. Theater may be an art form, but even artists need structure. With skills and tact at hand, the STC Slate will provide that structure.

Disclaimer: James Dennin was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.