Monday, Jun 5, 2017
Alumni have recently appeared on ‘Homeland,’ ‘American Crime’ and other shows
Rider University’s theatre program continues to produce well-rounded actors and launch students into the entertainment industry.
As part of the program's annual showcase that markets students to future employers, senior theatre students performed in front of 25 casting directors and agents at Pearl Studios on May 2 in New York City. After displaying their talents, every student left with at least one appointment with potential casting directors and agents; some students left with as many as nine appointments.
Miriam Mills, an associate professor and the director of Rider's theatre program, says the program’s success is due to its attentiveness to the evolving industry, its ability to properly introduce students to casting directors and agents, and the University's close proximity to New York City
“The theatre program has progressed to training students not only for theatre, film and television but the entertainment business as well,” says Mills. “Our students are taught how to market themselves because the entertainment business is all about making sure that the people who look at you know where you fit in.”
To help train them to market themselves, Rider theatre students are expected to undertake some video production training to help them create their reels, a collection of acting highlights used to attract agents and casting directors. Further emphasis on the non-artistic side of the business includes training on resumes and how to approach agents and professional photos.
Alumni of Rider’s theatre program continue to find success in mainstream television and film productions.
Matt Cook ’06 holds a prominent role on the new CBS sitcom Man with a Plan, where he was featured in 20 episodes. His multiple television credits including the TBS sitcom Clipped and HBO's The Comeback, as well as 2 Broke Girls on CBS, True Blood and Curb Your Enthusiasm, among others. Cook is a member of the Groundlings Main Company, which has cultivated SNL stars like Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Phil Hartman.
Katierose Donohue ’03 most recently co-starred on ABC’s television series American Crime. She also co-starred on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother and was a guest star for The Comeback on HBO and 2 Broke Girls on CBS. Donohue, who is also part of the Groundlings, is represented by agencies on the east and west coasts, and she has been featured in several national commercial campaigns.
James Mount ’95 recently played Agent Thoms in the Showtime series Homeland and appeared as Officer Dove in FOX’s Gotham. Previously, he had a recurring role on All My Children and performed supporting roles in television and film and on stages across the country.
Tom Papa ’90 has carved out a successful comedy career in film, television, radio and on the live stage. Papa was handpicked by Jerry Seinfeld to open for his stand-up act on tour, and he was the star of a highly rated 2012 stand-up special on Comedy Central. Papa starred in Steven Soderbergh’s The Informant! with Matt Damon and in the animated feature The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. He also hosts Come to Papa, a weekly hit podcast on SiriusXM.
Papa previously stated that Rider was essential to his success on the stage, saying, “I can’t tell you how important this place was. People ask me, ‘Why couldn’t you skip school and just go be a comedian?’ I tell them I needed all the things I got here [at Rider] to do it.”
Each of these alumni was cultivated through Rider’s theatre program, where students can be involved in as many as 12 productions a year.
“An important thing that we teach our students is work ethic,” says Mills. “They take classes all day and they rehearse during the evenings and weekends. Besides student athletes, they are probably the busiest students on campus.”
Looking ahead, faculty members of the theatre program are developing an intersession in Los Angeles. The intersession will allow students to watch live tapings of television shows, network with successful alumni working in the industry and meet with west coast casting agents.