You can listen to Jazz guitarist Mike Moreno (Jazz ’97) play with the Houston Jazz Collective from the 2021 Houston Jazz Festival on this episode of Encore Houston.
Allen Gilmore (Theatre ’76) was nominated for the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for Yale Repertory Theatre’s Spring production of Choir Boy.
Dustin Kaufman (Inst. ’05) was covered by the Jewish Herald Voice for his virtual teaching and service during the pandemic: “Dustin Kaufman [..] knew when he was bitten by the bug to perform. It was at a jazz concert at Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. ‘The lights went down, and this little drummer got on stage,” Kaufman told the JHV from his New York studio. “This kid looked like he was 13. He wore glasses and looked super nerdy. And then, he started playing, and it knocked my socks off. That really was the spark when I realized, man, I want to be like him.’”
Isabella Byrd’s (Theatre ’05) lighting design was covered by The New Yorker, specifically for two plays currently running in New York City. She was also recently nominated for an Olivier Award for her lighting design on the West End revival of Cabaret.
The HSPVA Black Alumni Network will hold its 2022 Homecoming event from August 5 – 7. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Fashion designer Alan Gonzalez (Theatre ’12) appeared on Houston Life to discuss his work on Disney-Plus’s The Quest and Project Runway Redemption.
Robert Glasper (Jazz ’97) was interviewed by Vulture about his latest project, scoring the HBO documentary series about the Lakers: “Robert Glasper is the only artist to have an album — his 2012 release Black Radio — debut in the top 10 of four Billboard charts at the same time: Hip Hop R&B, Urban Contemporary, Jazz, and Contemporary Jazz.”
Elise Gentry (Instrumental ’21) was recognized along with her team, “The Mecca Minds,” for winning third place in AT&T’s HBCU Innovation Challenge. Gentry was interviewed by the Defender Network, and she spoke about her time at Kinder HSPVA: “[…] what I loved about Kinder High School was the diversity of students and I knew I wanted to continue experiencing that in college.”
Janet Thielke (Theatre ’06) published her first novel under the name Janet Key. Twelfth is a middle-grade mystery adventure story, and is available online. You can learn more about it — and how her time at HSPVA influence the book — in the Houston Chronicle.
Kinder HSPVA Theatre student Shannon Hoffman (’23) and Dance faculty Courtney Jones (Dance ’99) both won Tommy Tune Awards for their work on the fall All School Musical Hairspray — Hoffman for her role as “Penny,” and Jones for her choreography for the musical. Rebecca Lembcke and Grant Eason (both Theatre ’22) were also nominated for their performances.
Kevin McBeth (Vocal ’77) has been elected President-Elect of the Missouri Choral Directors Association. For more than 25 years, Kevin has been the Director of Music at Manchester United Methodist Church in suburban St. Louis. He also is Director of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus.
Two current students – Kaleigh Medlow (Theatre ’22) and Pearl Reagler (CW ’22) – were chosen by Dirt Dogs Theatre Company for their Student Playwright Festival. Each was awarded a $500 scholarship and paired with a Houston-based playwright as a mentor as the plays moved into production. Their plays ran in June at Houston’s the MATCH.
Cathleen Freedman (Creative Writing ’18) was profiled for the success of her senior playwriting project at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, a play about the artist Adélaïde Labille-Guiard titled Self Portrait of a Modest Woman. Don’t miss the shout-out to Chandler Dean (Theatre ’14)!
Lucas Taurins (Visual ’18) collaborated with designer Isabel Wilson on a summer collection. The release was covered by Houstonia magazine.
Zack Tang (Dance ’07) performed as part of the ISHIDA Dance Company’s Houston debut last spring.
On Monday, July 25 Douglas Mills (Vocal ’22) was the guest performer for the opening session of the HISD New Teacher Orientation at Delmar Stadium Field House.
Kinder HSPVA celebrated the school’s fiftieth anniversary with two successful fundraisers and an amazing night of performances at Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. Featured alumni and student performers filled the stage, with special appearances by former and current school and community leadership. Supporters partied into the early hours at Axelrad, toasting to the next fifty years of cutting-edge arts education.
Anaya Brown (Visual ’22) and Kendall Moshay (Dance ’25) won gold medals at the Houston NAACP chapter’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), which will qualify them to compete at the national ACT-SO competition. Brown won in Drawing & Sculpture Competitions, and Moshay won in the Dance Competition for Ballet and Contemporary.
Jay Alexander (Media ’86) was covered by the San Francisco Examiner for his success in adapting his live magic show to virtual platforms during the pandemic.
Tamarie Cooper (Dance ’87) premiered her 25th “autobiographical vaudeville, topical song-and-dance spectacular” at the Catastrophic Theatre in July.
