Alumni: Careers and Achievements
Theatre Alumni Careers
CSU Theatre Alumni are enjoying a wide variety of careers and successes since graduation. In a recent survey, theatre alumni reported the following job titles:
- Actor
- Administrative Assistant
- Artist Relations
- Attractions Operations
- Audio Visual Resource Technician
- Carpenter
- Computer Specialist
- Costume Crafts
- Costuming
- Crew Chief
- Customer Care Sales Support
- House Electrician
- Foy Operator
- Front of House Staff
- Lead Lighting Technician
- Lighting Designer
- Mechanical Engineer Asc
- Paraprofessional II
- Performer
- Playwright
- Pre/post Production
- Product Allocator
- Production Assistant
- Production Company Founder
- Production Stage Manager
- Projections Designer
- Properties Carpenter
- Properties Head
- Props Buyer
- Rangeland Management Specialist
- Residential Services Coordinator
- Stage Hand
- Tour Guide
- University Theatre Faculty Member
- Video Designer (Disney Parks Live Entertainment)
- Wellness Trainer
Design and Technology
Deidre Raph works at Disney Parks Live Entertainment at Walt Disney World in Florida as a video designer "bringing the magic to life for our guests." She has previously worked as a stage technician with Walt Disney World as well as a technician onboard Disney Cruise Lines.
Submitted 08.27.2018
After graduating, Amy spent time stage managing and designing at Bas Bleu Theatre Company in Fort Collins. She moved to Seattle in 2014, and completed a stage management internship with the Seattle Repertory Theatre where she worked backstage, including for the world premier of The Great Society (the second half of All the Way), a set of plays about LBJ. She recently began a position with the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and spends her days surrounded by dancers and fostering a love of the arts.
Submitted 03.03.2017
Nichole Killion graduated from Colorado State University in 2013 with a B.A. in Theatre with a Concentration is Design and Technology. She worked as a freelance professional in Colorado from 2014-2016, working for companies such as Bas Bleu Theatre, Fort Collins Children’s Theatre, and Colorado Conservatory of Dance. In 2016, Nichole moved with her family to Las Vegas where she is currently the resident stage manager for Vegas Theatre Company (previously Cockroach Theatre Company). She is currently working on productions of Men on Boats and The Old Man and The Old Moon.
Tory Sheppard has worked both regionally and on tour across North America in a variety of roles. Early on, Tory traveled the country, stage managing for companies including Theatre West (Scottsbluff, Nebraska: 25th Annual…Spelling Bee, Les Miserablés), the Gulfshore Playhouse (Naples, Florida: All My Sons, Venus in Fur), and Cape Fear Regional Theatre (Fayetteville, North Carolina: The Trip to Bountiful, Ain’t Misbehavin’). As time went on, Tory discovered a passion for musicals, as well as for running shows. She spent several summers working for the Ogunquit Playhouse (Ogunquit, Maine) as run crew, assistant deck carpenter, props supervisor, production assistant, child wrangler, and in an over-hire capacity on several shows, including Ragtime, Mamma Mia!, White Christmas, and the regional premier of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Perhaps most memorably, she pushed a bus in circles for a production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Tory also props supervised a couple of new works for the Goodspeed Opera House (East Haddam, Connecticut).
Tory began touring in 2014, running everything from ballet to children’s theatre to big band to Broadway. She’s been a production assistant (Nutcracker; In the Mood), carpenter (Fame), Foy operator (Amazing Grace), and head of props (A Christmas Story; Wild Kratts Live!), and worked with several big names in theatre, television, and movies. Most recently, Tory served as the head of props for the North America tour of Jersey Boys. Several hundred renditions of “Oh What a Night” later, she still dances along when it comes on the radio.
Parker Stegmaier was born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Art in Theatre with a Concentration in Design and Technology. He most recently worked on the first national tour of Once On This Island as head audio. Other credits include:
NATIONAL TOURS: The Sound of Music, How the Grinch Stole Christmas the Musical, 42nd Street, and Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s A Christmas Carol
OFF-BROADWAY: Fire in Dreamland and Mlima’s Tale at the Public Theater; Parallelogram, The Layover, and Smart People at Second Stage Theatre; The Golden Bride at the National Yiddish Theatre
REGIONAL: Million Dollar Quartet, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Sister Act, The Addams Family, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot, and Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story at the Ogunquit Playhouse (Maine); Sister Act and A Christmas Carol at North Shore Musical Theatre (Massachusetts)
He extends his immense gratitude for all the love and support over the years from his parents, sister, friends, and loving partner.
MacKenzie is a graduate of Colorado State University with a B.A. in Theatre with a Concentration in Design and Technology. She is proud to say that her design and lighting knowledge covers a wide spectrum, ranging from theatre and dance to concert and corporate lighting. In 2013, MacKenzie won the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 7 Lighting Design Award for her design of Spring Awakening (CSU Theatre Fall 2012).
MacKenzie is currently a full time graduate student working towards earning her M.F.A. in lighting design from Texas State University. Before pursuing her masters, MacKenzie worked as a full time staff member at the historical Barter Theatre (Abington, Virgina) where she served as the Smith Theatre Electrician and as a resident lighting designer for the Barter Players. While working at Barter, MacKenzie helped the electrics team bring some incredible shows to life, including the first regional production of Mama Mia!, A Night with Janis Joplin, and the U.S. debut of Peter James' The Perfect Murder. MacKenzie's design credits with Barter include the world premier and East Coast tour of Clementine The Musical, The Book of Mamaw, The Giver, Alice in Wonderland and Amelia. She previously worked with Rhino Staging and Production where she worked as a lighting technician and stage hand on many large scale tours as they passed through the Denver area, including Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, and Cavalia's Odysseo.
While designing. MacKenzie tries to approach her work in a unique way by going against the norm. She believes that even though the show being presented may not be new, the design of the show should be. Her design aesthetic has been described as bold and vivid, and she is proud to present these ideals in all her designs. www.doublemlightdesign.com/gallery
Laurel McIntyre is a production stage manager working primarily in opera. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2015 with a B.A. in Theatre with a Concentration in Design and Technology, and a minor in Arts Leadership and Administration. Since 2016, Laurel has worked frequently with Santa Fe Opera, and in Fall 2019 managed the world premiere of Sweet Potato Kicks the Sun, the first work commissioned by the Opera for All Voices Initiative. Through her time with the Opera for All Voices team and Santa Fe Opera’s education department, she has discovered a love for bringing new works to children. Laurel has also worked with regional companies including On Site Opera (New York City, New York), Permian Basin Opera (Midland, Texas), Syracuse Opera (New York), Opera Birmingham, (Alabama), Opera Idaho (Boise, Idaho), and Central City Opera (Colorado). She currently resides in New York City with her husband and dog. www.mcintyrepsm.com
Alum Abby Jordan
Performance
Jake has been living in Los Angeles with his partner, Madi, since Summer 2021. Jake is studying at the Robert D'Avanzo Acting Studio with Chris Caldovino and Charlie Orme, as well as with Ani Avetyan (CD). Jake has booked a handful of projects while living in LA. He starred in a training video for LAFD in September 2021 and starred in a SAG short film directed by Brian Hartley (fellow Coloradan) in October 2021.
In February, Jake booked a tertiary role in an upcoming adventure narrative video game, which will be shot (MoCap) and recorded in the Denver Metro area in 2022-2023. He also is portraying Anthony LaRusso and other characters in the upcoming videogame, Cobra Kai: Dojos Rising. Jake has also dabbled in producing. He associate produced the upcoming SAG short, Micks Out, which filmed in Boston, Massachusetts in March. That film's festival run is slated to start in the later part of 2022.
Jake is represented by Johnson Talent Agency and Working Talent Management in Los Angeles, and by W-Talent in Denver.
While he's not acting, Jake is a freelance camera operator at a casting company in town and PAs for a production company. Instagram @jcuddemi
Ben Hilzer is a Denver-based professional actor and a proud CSU alum. Ben has performed onstage across Colorado at the Arvada Center, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, THEATREWORKS, the Aurora Fox Arts Center, Central City Opera/Lone Tree Arts Center, Littleton Town Hall Arts Center, and the Parker PACE Center. Ben was also a member of the Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company and performed in two mainstage productions at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Ohio; one of the largest regional theaters in the country). He is eligible to join Actors’ Equity Association. For his work in Beowulf, Ben was nominated for a Colorado Theatre Guild Henry award.
Ben has been seen in numerous feature films including Army & Coop (available on Amazon Prime and iTunes; a Las Cruces Film Festival selection), Rage of the Mummy, Stadium Anthems, and Rook. Ben’s commercial credits include: the Colorado Lottery, I and Love and You pet food, Duke’s Smoked Meats, and Webroot for which he was the recurring host for their Lockdown Lessons campaign. Ben is represented by Radical Artists Agency and is eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
Ben writes, directs, and stars in his own comedy sketches, performs improv on occasion, and writes, records, and performs music with Becoming Brothers (available on iTunes and Spotify). Ben works as a CPA by day and lives with his fiancé and English bulldog, Molly.
Mr. Holm is a New York based actor who plays Mr. Sutherland on Mr. Robot, as well as Nathan Green on House of Cards.
His big break came when he landed the role of Agent Nathan Green on the Netflix hit, House of Cards in 2013. In 2016 he secured the role of Mr. Sutherland on the popular USA series Mr. Robot which, like House of Cards, has earned numerous awards, including Golden Globes and Emmy nominations.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of two successful series,” Holm said. “The woman who cast House of Cards saw me on Primetime: What Would You Do? and championed me getting a role on House of Cards. I probably auditioned for five or six roles before I was cast as Agent Green.”
His TV roles have helped him expand his resume to include movies. He landed the title role in The Ranger and has parts in five more films.
Since graduating from CSU, Mike Largent earned an M.F.A. in acting from Arizona State University. At ASU, Mike focused on community engaged theatre, devising, and development of new works. Mike is a Knight Thompson trained dialect coach. He creates and performs as passionately as he pursues outdoor objectives, hence the creation of his theatre company, Theatre of the Wild. Their most recent piece, Lobuje, about Mike’s near death experience in the Himalayas, earned awards and standing ovations from theatre goers and outdoor enthusiasts. Most recently, he shared the stage with Ed Asner in Ed’s touring show, God Help Us. Mike has returned to the Four Corners where he is an actor, dialect coach, and adjunct professor of theatre at San Juan College.
Theatre Minor
Since graduation, Troy completed The Second City Training Center Conservatory Program in Chicago, performed across the country, and is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA. Troy is currently working toward an M.A. in Theatre & Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder where he works in administration.