In an evening dedicated to its storied history at USC and the wide impact it has made through dramatic arts education, the USC School of Dramatic Arts celebrated more than 75 years during an anniversary benefit in Founders Park on Sept. 9. During the event, five dynamic alumni were honored for their outstanding commitment, engagement and breadth of experience as artists. Honorees included Forest Whitaker (Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists), USC Trustee and SDA Board of Councilors member Michele Dedeaux Engemann (Alumni Service Award), Donald Webber Jr. (Broadway Spotlight Award), Greg Holford (Production Innovation Award), and Grant Heslov & Smokehouse Pictures (Corporate Leadership Award). Read a recap of The Odyssey event.
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Scroll the captions in the box below to view the descriptions to the corresponding images.
1 (l to r) Faculty member and award presenter Larry Powell and Associate Professor and emcee Luis Alfaro.
2 (l to r) Alumni Leadership Council members: Adrienne Visnic, Sean Lask, Kate Cannova, JP Karliak, Co-Chair Tomm Polos, Co-Chair Devin Kelley, Pranav Shah and David Fickas.
3 (l to r) Roger Engemann and award recipient, USC Trustee and SDA Board of Councilors member Michele Dedeaux Engemann.
4 (l to r) Los Angeles theatre leaders: Pasadena Playhouse’s Danny Feldman, Latino Theatre Company’s Jose Luis Valenzuela, Center Theatre Group’s Michael Ritchie and Professor Oliver Mayer.
5 (l to r) Award recipient Grant Heslov and SDA alumnus Tate Donovan.
6 Award recipient Greg Holford.
7 (l to r) Bachelor of Fine Arts musical theatre students performing a musical number at the end of the evening.
8 (l to r) Event Co-Committee Chair Michelle Chiklis, SDA Board of Councilors member Michael Chiklis, Dean Emily Roxworthy and her daughter Lucy Roxworthy.
9 (l to r) Olivia, Mya, Grant and Lysa Heslov.
10 (l to r) Event committee co-chairs Shauna Torok Reppe and Michelle Chiklis.
11 Award recipient Donald Webber Jr.
12 (l to r) USC President Carol L. Folt, Dean Emily Roxworthy and SDA Board of Councilors Chair Joshua B. Grode.
Photos by Capture Imaging.
This article appeared in the 2021-22 issue of Callboard magazine. Read more stories from the issue online.