Theatre Arts Department

Rachel Herriges '23 reflects back fondly on her experience at Westmont as she pursues a life in the arts in Chicago, IL. During her time at Westmont, Rachel spent much of her time on stage acting in shows such as Kitty Hawk or Kill Devil by Hannah Kenah, and She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. "Being on stage in these shows really helped me adapt to working with different directors, and showed me the deep joy and gratitude that comes from making art in a small community." Additionally, many of the classes Rachel took prepared her for life as an actor. "In our Launchpad class, we were given assignments like making an acting reel, a resume, and a five-year plan - all of which I've used in auditions and conversations with other creatives." However, her time at Westmont wasn't only spent as an actor. Rachel wrote many plays for the Fringe Festival which prepared her for writing her Capstone project, Hysteria. "Out of all the lessons Westmont taught me, the most important would be: you aren't just one type of artist. Having knowledge of many different facets has helped me grow as a playwright, producer, and director - as well as an actor. Knowing what each role of a production entails makes me a much more well-rounded actor, and Westmont gave me the chance to try many different roles and learn what really excites me as an artist."

Sam Stroming ‘21 is a Chicago-based actor passionate about creating and performing theatre that inspires activism. Westmont's theatre program showed her the wild, artistic possibilities of what theatre can be, from her first mainstage experience in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (2017) to the untamable creations made annually in the student-led Fringe Festival. Professors and directors in the department always kept an open door encouraging collaboration and conversation, and they have continued to provide a support system to her in her artistic endeavors since graduating. She says, “this is a place where you don't have to limit your artistry to one label of actor, designer, playwright, etc, but you have the opportunity to try anything that piques your curiosity. Here you can explore, experiment, and create without fear”.

Anna Telfer '18, who hopes to pursue a career in the theater, plans to move to San Diego or Chicago to work in public relations and regional theater before seeking an MFA in acting.  “Ultimately, I would love to start my own theater company and bring the arts in conversation with communities, while continuing to act professionally,” she says. “As a double major, my career path feels a little up in the air, but I am prepared to work for whatever opportunities may come, while trusting in God’s guidance and provision along the way.” She served as a Potter’s Clay Core Team member while in rehearsal for Rosalinde in “Die Fledermaus.” “I have felt genuinely cared for here,” she says. “Professors go out of their way to acknowledge, encourage and support me. They are examples of excellence in their fields. It truly blows my mind that women and men at the highest levels of academia are willing to walk alongside me, inside and outside of the classroom, in ways that shape my intellect, emotions and faith. They genuinely live out what they so vigorously teach in the classroom, and it has been an honor and a privilege to be mentored and taught by them these past four years.”

Elena White '18, who displayed a diverse performance range in all kinds of plays, from contemporary drama to opera to verse drama, has excelled in all facets of her work in the theater arts department. She is a creative and gifted director and a skilled expository writer. She will return to her native Scotland to continue a career in theater. The Santa Barbara Independent awarded her with a coveted Indy Award for her performance in “The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.”

Yari Cervas ‘16 (formerly known as Christine Nathanson) is an awarded director, dramaturg, and teaching artist inspired by stories of restorative justice and intergenerational healing. They are proud to have collaborated with numerous organizations including South Coast REP, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, San Diego REP, Berkeley REP, and Magic Theatre. As the founding Artistic Director of MaArte Theatre Collective in San Diego, they produced, developed, and directed two dozen plays by emerging Pilipinx playwrights. In 2019, Yari was honored by the first ever Santa Barbara Double Indy Award for performance as Dido in Dido, Queen of Carthage and for directing the world premiere of Tar and Feather (Westmont College). More recently, they were awarded for directing the world premiere of Desert Rock Garden at New Village Arts (2022 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play). Outside of the rehearsal room, Yari serves as a teaching artist in the Bay Area creating playful curricula for all ages using anti-racist strategies to empower students with compassion and creativity. Learning how to successfully execute every stage of a play’s development empowered them with the skills to found MaArte and uplift the voices of diverse playwrights.

Throughout her time at Westmont, Mia Altman '17 has contributed to the theatre program in myriad ways. As an actress, she has appeared in multiple productions, including her melancholy turn as Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. On the production side, she has been a highly effective and organized producer and manager for the annual Fringe festival and mainstage performances alike. Mia is already a playwright of great talent and potential, as evidenced in her multiple short plays she has written at Westmont, and her recent senior capstone project, a full-length comedy entitled You Can’t Keep Living This Way. Mia is distinctly Mia – quirky, generous, quick to laugh, hard-working, personable, and poetic – and we are grateful for our time with her in the department.

Elaine Pazaski '15 has enjoyed a truly distinguished career as a Westmont Theatre Arts student. A quick glance at her bio reveals tremendous variety – a stage career dominated by quirky, heartfelt characters of several species; a scholarly career notable for her national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for scholarly writing (2nd in the nation) and theatrical journalism (national runner-up), both in 2014; and a service career in which her organizational skills were used to schedule two of the department’s Fringe Festivals. Elaine blends artistic knowledge and sensitivity with a curious, humor-drenched attitude to life. She is the epitome of what we want for our graduates, will be missed deeply by her friends and teachers, and will enjoy a long, fruitful, and fulfilling life in the theatre.

Paige Tautz ’14 and Yari Cervas ’16 received Independent Theatre Awards for excellence in Santa Barbara Theatre for the 2015-2016 season. Paige received hers for acting in Diana Small’s “Mad & a Goat,” and Christine for directing “Tar and Feather,” written by Kristin Idaszak, a Jerome Fellow in playwriting and frequent contributor to the Westmont Fringe, and for playing Dido in Christopher Marlowe’s “Dido Queen of Carthage.”

Since graduating from Westmont Diana Lynn Small ‘09 has earned an MFA and MDiv and worked as a playwright, director, actor, designer, musician, arts administrator, educator, preacher, hospital chaplain, and in parish ministry. The most significant lessons she learned from her time in the theatre arts department at Westmont was to be relentlessly curious and unabashedly gritty. Every obstacle is an opportunity for creative playmaking, on and off the stage.

Casey Caldwell ’08, arts consultant and administrator, artistic director of Ratatat Theater Group: “More than anything else I learned at Westmont, the theater department instilled in me a ‘go do it’ spirit, a feeling that you should just get out there and make art happen. And this has been invaluable.”

Sarah Halford ’09: “All my training at Westmont not only prepared me for auditions but continued to provide a wellspring of knowledge for my Master of Fine Arts acting program at UC San Diego.”

Rose Elfman ’06: “Thanks in large part to the opportunities I got to experience global performance while at Westmont, I am writing my doctoral dissertation at UC Santa Barbara on international Shakespeare festivals.”