Tisch Drama and Steinhardt alumni brainstorm creative opportunities and future initiatives for the Paulson Center's new Iris Cantor Theater
In the new Iris Cantor Theater, a panel of notable Tisch Drama and Steinhardt alumni recently joined students and faculty to celebrate the opening of the performance venue and the history of collaboration that has shaped the NYU Community.
During Celebrate the Arts at the Iris Cantor Theater: Embracing the Past and Envisioning the Future panelists and participants imagined creative collaborations made possible by the opening of the professional-grade theater. On stage, alumni/faculty panelists representing Drama were actor Nicholas (Nik) Walker; director Kate Whoriskey, Tony-winning director and writer Rachel Chavkin; and Tony-winning lighting designer, Bradley King. Steinhardt participants included Sindy Folgar, Francisco Nunez, and Tammie Swopes. Allyson Green and Jack Knott, Deans of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, respectively, opened the evening.
Mauricio Salgado, Associate Arts Professor and Associate Chair of Tisch Drama co-moderated the panel with Steinhardt’s Deborah Damast. “Panelists reflected on innovation and collaboration,” said Salgado. “They shared concepts they had learned and experiences they had during their training at Drama and Steinhardt that continue to influence their artistry.”
Salgado recalled that when asked about interacting with the new theater space, Nik Walker shared he would find time to sit in it when nothing was happening and learn to listen. Walker mentioned that often the emphasis is on speaking instead of listening. He wondered what might the Iris Cantor Theater teach artists — emerging and established — about how to listen to ourselves and one another.
