Undergraduate Students
Clea Alsip | Juan Batiz-Benet | Zach Chotzen-Freund | Amin El Gamal
 Amanda Gelender | Roselyn (Rosie) Hallett | Donell (Donnie) Hill
Aumna Iqbal | Malcolm Loungway | Alex Mallory | Vanessa Petrosky
Kenzi Shelby | Claire Slattery | Ellie Wen | Jill Wurzburg
 Clea Alsip
“The Stanford faculty and visiting professors we have the opportunity to work with are simply incredible. Also, because of the tight-knit community, the students have access to so many resources, from performances on campus and in the Bay Area to workshops with world-renowned directors, actors, and writers.” Class: 2008
Majors: Drama and International Relations
Major Concentrations: Acting and Comparative Political History
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
On-campus organization affiliations: Visitor Information Services, Ram's Head Theatrical Society, ThinkBig Conference on International Health and Human Rights
Drama Department credits: Betrayal (Emma), The Last Five Years (Cathy), Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (the Scenic Painter)
Other favorite credits: The Wild Party (Kate), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girl), Company (Marta), Pinkertons (Mary Gutterman)
Future plans: obtain an MFA in Acting and go onto perform and work for various theater companies in Manhattan back to top
 Juan Batiz-Benet
“The people I have worked with have made quite a difference in my life. I have developed close relationships with grads, undergrads, staff, and faculty that I expect will carry on after I graduate. In my opinion, the tight-knit nature of the community is what makes this department special.” Class: 2010
Majors: Drama and Computer Science
Major Concentration: Directing
Hometown: San Diego, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Ram's Head, Asian American Theater Project (AATP), Stanford Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP)
Drama Department credits: In Darfur, Far Away, Suddenly Last Summer, The Reluctant Tragic Hero, Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, Frenzy for Two or More
Other favorite credits: Black Comedy (Director, Asian American Theater Project)
Future plans: graduate school in Computer Science, hopefully, and possibly join or start a theater company back to top
 Zach Chotzen-Freund
“I feel so lucky to have found such a supportive community, and one that nurtures both my intellectual and creative passions. In my work with the Drama Department, both inside and outside of the classroom, I have always felt both challenged and appreciated. What more could I ask for?” Class: 2009
Majors: Drama and English
Major Concentrations: Acting and Creative Writing
Hometown: Santa Barbara, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Shakespeare Company,
Visitor Information Services, Closing the Gap
Drama Department credits: Betrayal (Assistant Director), The Cherry
Orchard (Pischik), Far Away (Guard)
Other favorite credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), Titus
Andronicus (Assistant Director), Macbeth (Macbeth) at the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival, Macbeth (Macduff), Measure for Measure (Lucio), The
Servant of Two Masters (Truffaldino), The Wiz (The Wiz), Fools (Leon),
The Man Who Came to Dinner (Banjo)
Future plans: being happy, which probably means working in theater back to top
 Amin El Gamal
“There is no place that nurtures eager students of theater both intellectually and in production like Stanford Drama. It may be on the petite end, but the density of experience, intellect, amity, and passion makes you feel like anything is possible. Indeed, if you're driven, there's really nothing you can't do, artistically or otherwise.” Class: 2008
Majors: Drama and English
Major Concentrations: Acting and Creative Writing
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Ram's Head Theatrical Society (Board of Directors, 2006-2007), Stanford Shakespeare Society (2006-2007), Stanford Institute for Creativity in the Arts (SICA), Blackstage, Stanford Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP), Stanford Film Society, Stanford Summer Theater, Stage One, The Playwrights Foundation
Drama Department credits: Betrayal (Robert), Farewell to a Cannibal Rage (Olabisi, Simbi, and Fatai), Les Blancs (Soldier), Funnyhouse of a Negro (Mother and Funnyman), The Cherry Orchard (Yepikhodov), The Seagull (Medvedenko)
Other favorite credits: Typical American (George W. Bush), Measure for Measure (Pompey), The Strange Case of Salman Abd Al Haqq (Salman), The Bacchae (Servant), The Duchess of Malfi (Ferdinand), Angels Fall (Salvatore Zappala), Bad Blood (George), The Original Winter One Acts '06 (Producer)
Research: My honors thesis, tentatively titled "Oddly Moving," explores artifice as a vehicle for emotional truth in the queer imagining of the Middle East as seen in the work of Jack Smith and The Screens by Jean Genet.
Future plans: acting, writing, gallivanting, an MFA or a dramatic move to NYC back to top
 Amanda Gelender
“I love that the Drama Department is small enough to foster a tight-knit and supportive community amongst students, staff, faculty, and lecturers. As a Drama major I have had the opportunity to develop close relationships with the incredible faculty members in the Department which has facilitated personal, political, academic, and performative growth for me.” Class: 2009
Majors: Drama and Political Science
Major Concentrations: Acting and Political Theory
Hometown: Castro Valley, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP), Jewish Committee on Human Rights (J-COHR), Students Confronting Apartheid by Israel (SCAI), Animal Rights on the Farm (ARF), Blackstage
Drama Department credits: The Mineola Twins (Jim and Sarah), In Darfur (Maryka), Security (Azar), Roberto Zucco (Girl's Mom)
Other favorite credits: Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider), A Chorus Line (Bebe), Into the Woods (Witch), Crazy for You (Polly), Goliath (Sandy), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Footloose (Ariel), Pippin (Leading Player), Godspell (Joanne)
Grants/Awards: American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Nomination, Stanford University President's Award for Academic Excellence, first place in the Bank of America Regional Finals for Excellence in Fine Arts, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Youth Activist Scholarship, Stanford University Public Service Leader Fellowship
Research: honors thesis in Drama on social protest theater in Israel and Palestine
Future plans: travel, theater, social justice back to top
 Roselyn (Rosie) Hallett
“The Drama Department has become my second home. I can't speak highly enough of the incredible undergrads, grad students, professors, and staff—the friendships and connections I've made here will last a lifetime. This community is constantly inspiring me to become better and helping me to achieve my goals.” Class: 2008
Majors: Drama and English (Honors)
Major Concentrations: Acting and Literary Studies
Minor: Biological Sciences
Hometown: Hamilton, Montana
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Shakespeare Society, Ram's Head Theatrical Society, The Stanford Progressive, Glosses: The Stanford Journal of Undergraduate Literary Criticism
Drama Department credits: Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land ("Director's Assistant"), Far Away (Hat Parade Ensemble)
Other favorite credits: Titus Andronicus (Lavinia) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Fairy), Stanford Shakespeare Society Fall Showcase (Juliet), Gypsy (Louise/Gypsy Rose Lee), Wild Oats (Kate Thunder), Take Her, She's Mine (Mollie Michaelson), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena)
Research:
honors thesis on performance as transgression for pioneers and Native Americans in the American West
Future plans: acting and working in the Bay Area and beyond, writing, traveling back to top
 Aumna Iqbal
“The Drama Department is wonderful in that it offers a diverse array of classes ranging from the academic to a more hands-on experience in theater. You can really get involved in all aspects of a production. The Department has exposed me to works, opportunities, and plays I might otherwise have never heard of.” Class: 2009
Majors: Drama and Music
Major Concentrations: Playwriting, Voice
Hometown: Newport Coast, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Savoyards, Stanford Opera Society, Organization for Opera Patronage at Stanford (OOPS!)
Drama Department credits: Savage in Limbo (light op)
Other favorite credits: The Sorcerer (Aline), Ruddygore (Mad Margaret), Typical American (Author), The Mikado (Peep-Bo), Drinking Songs: Stanford Opera Society 2006 (Giulietta, Cherubino), Monstrous Opera: Stanford Opera Society 2007 (Producer/Director), The Pirates of Penzance (Co-Stage Manager), Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal), Once on This Island (Mama Euralie), The Grand Duke (Propsmistress, Chorus)
Future plans: travel, opera, theater back to top
 Malcolm Loungway
“The Stanford Drama Department offers a unique opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant minds in theater today from all over the world. Countless times when doing research for classes, I found that the top expert in the field I was studying was the teacher her/himself.” Class: 2008
Major: Drama
Major Concentration: Acting
Hometown: Monrovia, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Savoyards, Stanford Opera Society, Organization for Opera Patronage at Stanford (OOPS!)
Drama Department credits: Inspector General (The Servant), Reckless (director; Roy, Tim Timko), Far Away (Hat Parade Ensemble)
Other favorite credits: Noises Off (Gary Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain), Into the Woods (The Baker), The Sorcerer (The Sorcerer), Private Lives (Victor Prynne), Little Shop of Horrors (Orin Scrivello, DDS), Julius Caesar (Antony), Chekhov in Yalta (Maxim Gorky)
Future plans: film acting, film editing, voice over back to top
 Alex Mallory
“The Drama Department has given me invaluable support from my first day as a freshman. Through the years of conversations and classes with faculty and staff I have found my voice as a director and gained an incredible body of knowledge unique to the Stanford community.” Class: 2008
Major: Drama
Major Concentration: Directing
Hometown: Palo Alto, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP), Ram's Head Theatrical Society
Drama Department credits: In Darfur (Director), Security (Director), Roberto Zucco (Child), The Love Talker (Gowdie), Undergraduate Directing One-Acts 2006 (Co-Lighting Designer), The Hungry Woman (Assistant Lighting Designer)
Other favorite credits: Directing: Goliath, Cabaret, Lebensraum, A Crooked Line. Stage Managing: Pinkertons, The Laramie Project
Grants/Awards: 2008 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Regional Directing Award, 2007 Community Arts Fellowship (The Public Theater, New York), 2007-2008 Institute for Diversity in the Arts Fellowship
Future plans: directing in some way, shape or form back to top
 Kenzi Shelby
“I enjoy being in the Drama Department. There are some good people here.” Class: 2010
Major: Drama
Major Concentrations: Stage Management and Technical Production Minors: Computer Science, Human Biology
Hometown: Corvallis, Oregon
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Savoyards (Financial Officer)
Drama Department credits: The Hacienda (tech crew)
Other favorite credits: Pirates of Penzance (Producer), The Grand Duke (Producer, Stage Manager), Zoot Suit (Stage Manager), Wonderland! A musical about Alice (Production Assistant), Peter Pan (Assistant Director), Yeomen of the Guard (Assistant Director, Lighting Design)
Grants/Awards: National Merit Scholar, Robert C. Byrd Scholar, National AP Scholar, Theater Matriarch Award
Future plans: work in the Bay Area, perhaps get an MFA, then move back to Oregon with my (future) husband back to top
 Claire Slattery
“From taking classes in the Drama Department to acting in Department productions, my passion for theater and acting have been emboldened by students and instructors who have helped to create an honest and grounded atmosphere of continual learning and self-exploration.” Class: 2009
Majors: Drama and Communication
Major Concentrations: Acting and Communication Technologies/Media Practices
Hometown: Alameda, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Stanford Improvisors (SImps), Stanford V-Day
Drama Department credits: Savage in Limbo (April), Splendour (Micheleine), The Cherry Orchard (Varya), Patter for the Floating Lady (The Assistant)
Other favorite credits: The Real World: Stanford (Narrator: Vic), The Vagina Monologues (Monologuist: My Angry Vagina), Romeo & Juliet (Juliet), The Miracle Worker (Annie Sullivan), The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn), Love's Labour's Lost (Katherine)
Grants/Awards: Stanford University Haas Center Sand Hill Philanthropy Fellow, Bank of America Achievement Award in the Field of Fine Arts, Chinese Acacia Club Scholarship Award, Kofman Performing Art Scholarship, Outstanding Senior Musician, Outstanding Senior in English
Future plans: theater, grad school, digital communication technology, living abroad back to top
 Ellie Wen
“ I've loved every Drama class I've taken at Stanford, but it wasn't until I stepped into the giant lecture hall for my Computer Science class that I realized how lucky I am to be a Drama major. In the Drama Department, the maximum class size is twenty people which means that we get to work closely and intimately with our teachers and classmates. I have found so many role models, advisers, and friends within the Department... it's wonderful to be a part of this community .” Class: 2009
Major: Drama
Major Concentration: Acting
Minor: Sociology
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
On-campus organization affiliations: Los Salseros de Stanford, Everyday People A Cappella, Asian American Theater Project (AATP)
Drama Department credits: The Hacienda (Ivan's Wife), Psychology: Or Bring a Weasel and a Pint of Your Own Blood (Green Car)
Other favorite credits: The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor), On The Town (Claire de Loone), Twelfth Night (Viola/Sebastian), The Sound of Music (Nun)
Grants/Awards:National Merit Scholarship, Teen People Magazine Award "20 Teens Who Will Change The World," Daily Point of Light Award, Barron Prize for Young Heroes, The President's Volunteer Service Award, Cosmo Girl! "Born to Lead" Runner-Up, Prudential Spirit of Community Award
Future plans: acting back to top
 Jill Wurzburg
“I've been able to work with some amazingly talented and unique people here.” Class: 2008
Majors: Drama and Human Biology
Major Concentrations: Acting and Women and Children: International Rights and Health
Hometown: Los Altos, California
On-campus organization affiliations: The Stanford Improvisors (SImps), Stanford Theatre Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP), Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB), Chi Omega, Chi Theta Chi
Drama Department credits: Splendour (Kathryn), The Castle (Cant), The Fantasticks (The Mute), Stories for the Dead (Jill), How I Learned to Drive (Lil’ Bit)
Other favorite credits: Typical American (Ensemble), Little Women (Amy), Much Ado About Nothing (Don John), The Pillowman (Tupolski), Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Dorothy)
Future plans: some combination of acting, improv, theater in general, and international women's health
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