Faculty & Staff Pursuits: Week of Apr. 27, 2026

Karla Kash (School of Music & Theatre) This July, Professor Kash joins the artistic leadership of the world-renowned Stagedoor Manor as a Director/Choreographer. Before there was Glee or American Idol, there was Stagedoor Manor, a theater camp in the Catskills where casting directors come to find the next generation of stars. It’s where Natalie Portman, Robert Downey Jr., Ansel Elgort, Lea Michele, Jon Cryer, and many others got their start as kids. Since 1976, a new crop of campers has stepped onto these stages each summer to begin an intense, thrilling, and magical introduction to professional theater. Every three weeks, 14 full-scale productions come to life. The faculty – all seasoned professionals – demand adult-size dedication and performances from the kids.