solebury school fall/winter magazine 2011

Fall/Winter 2011

Solebury SchoolSolebury SchoolMagazine

www.solebury.org

2 ❖ Solebury School Magazine Fall/Winter 2011

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As our online capabilities increase and with a desire to find ways touse less paper, we have decided to merge the Solebury SchoolMagazine and the Alma newsletter into one publication. Not onlywill you get to enjoy all the latest news and features about the school,you will also see the Alma’s here as well. _____________________________________________________

Cover Photo: Tessa Mania ’11Photo Credit: Bob Krist

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The Arts at SoleburyIn this issue of Solebury School’sFall/Winter Magazine, you willbe introduced to the Arts atSolebury. Our art program standsout as one of the best in theindependent school world. Thedepartment includes the visualand performing arts, music,theater, and dance programs, andeach program offers manyopportunities and comprehensivecurriculum for a budding artist to learn and grow. Each artteacher is a professional andaccomplished artist, and each isexcited to share his/herknowledge with our future artistsof the world. You will read abouteach teacher, their lives, and howthey became the artists they are today.

You will also read about four ofSolebury’s distinguished alumniwho, over the years, havebenefitted greatly from theschool’s art program. You will beintroduced to a musician who isfinding national success with hiseclectic alt-bluegrass, neo-folk,country-punk style of music, anaccomplished Hollywood actor,an accomplished stage actress,and one of Hollywood’s premierred-carpet photographers.

Last, you will find Solebury’sAlma’s update. Catch up with thelatest news and photos fromfellow alumni, friends and faculty.

Hope you enjoy this edition!


Erika works with Michael Baskin-Searles ’12 on his art project

When Erika Bonner was a young girl, she told her parents that she was never going to be anartist because ‘you can’t make any money at it.’ Her father is an architect, her mother an artist.They smiled.

“I was going to be an actor and a dancer,” said Erika. “I spent my high school years doingtheater and dance. I took a sculpture class in high school, and I made art all the time at home.When I applied to colleges the theater programs were restrictive and intensive and I realized I hadto choose, art or theatre. That was when it hit me. Art had always been a part of my life and Iwasn’t willing to give it up.”

Erika started her freshman year at Beloit College, but was ready to leave after her firstsemester because she wasn’t happy with her 3D teacher. She took a photography class, loved it,and spent the next semester in the darkroom.

“I had tremendous success in photography. I had a photograph selected for publication in atextbook and I thought that was where my career path was heading. I did some freelancephotography work. My sophomore year, we had a new 3D teacher, and I took a ceramics class.”

Mike, her ceramics and sculpture professor, played a pivotol role for this budding artist. Heinspired his small class of five to push the limits of what they thought possible. “It was the firsttime I allowed myself to be completely absorbed by my work. Friends would have to come get mefrom the studio and make sure I ate something. I would lose track of time. I think there aremagical times in life when all the stars are aligned and everything is set up for you if you can justtake advantage of the moment.”

Visual Arts

Erika Bonner–Discovering the Artist Within

While her professor didn’t emphasize technical information, he provided many learningopportunities, and Erika said she later realized how much she learned that is not always taught in atraditional art class. Erika learned how to learn and she felt Mike gave her confidence to knowthat she could figure out anything.

“My first job out of school was running the Princeton Arts Council’s After School ArtProgram. I coordinated the music, dance, and theater classes, and taught the art classes. I startedthe ceramics program at the Arts Council, bought the first wheels and the first kiln and beganteaching adult classes.”

Erika then worked at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown for two yearsbefore deciding to start her own tile business so she could stay home with her children.

“In the 16 years I had my business, I had the opportunity to work with many different clientsand had some interesting commissions. There was a tile commission of 1000 for the Dubaipromotion board, 14 designs for the Carnegie Mellon University Campus center, 500 tiles for thePress reception for the National Republican Convention in Philadelphia, and numerous tiles forSolebury Township and New Hope Visitors Center.”

When Erika started teaching at Solebury in 2006, she tried to keep her business but it wastough. “I decided to take a break for a few years and see if I still wanted to go back to tile makingafter some time away. I’ve realized I was really good at making tile and I take a lot of pride in whatI was able to accomplish, but I was ready to stop.”

Though Erika has taken a break from tile making, she said she will always work in clay. It isher primary artistic medium.

“Working with clay is like coaxing a friend to do something they are afraid to do. Sometimesyou have to be patient and gentle as you push the clay into the shape you want. Other times youneed to be tough and beat the clay into submission. The trick is being able to understand how theclay is going to behave. The only way to learn how to work in clay is to just do it. Clay has to beexperienced to be understood.” This philosophy translates to Erika’s classroom.

When teaching, Erika likes to give a general instruction and the basics. The real work comesin the problem solving, said Erika. Question: Why is the clay doing this? Answer: Because you arepushing it that way. Clay is a good teacher of cause and effect.

“I find my sense of smell plays a big part in my choice for materials. I love the smell of clayand I love the smell of wood smoke so I make wood fired ceramics. I love the smell of wax and oilpaint and I have been oil painting and using encaustics. Perhaps I love the smells because I lovethe materials.”

The consummate artist, Erika said making art isn’t a choice for her. “To me, making art is like eating. I have to do it. I can go for a while without making art, but

like fasting, it is all I think about when I am not working. Art is the way I communicate best.Even if I am not showing my work, I am working out ideas and seeing where it takes me.

My best advice I could give an aspiring artist is to be honest and ask, ‘is this really what I wantto do?’ I think everyone should have the opportunity to create and enjoy making art, but noteveryone is cut out to be an artist. Many young artists are not prepared for the realities of theartist’s life. They buy into the romantic idea of ‘Artist.’ It takes a tremendous amount of work andcommitment. The working artists I know are the most disciplined people I know. You have to beopen to the world, experimenting with and exploring different ideas. Artists have to be problemsolvers, chemists, engineers, mathematicians, construction workers, business people, promoters,detectives, historians among so many other things all wrapped up in a neat little package. Add ahealthy dose of creativity and curiosity.”

Erika is the Art department head and teaches Ceramics, Art History, Tilemaking, and Paintingand Drawing. ❖

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Though Kirby Fredendall was born into a family of artists, her fatheris a restoration builder, and her mother, a metal craftsman of lightingfixtures, she began her college studies in Pre-Med. She realized early onthat she didn’t like science, so completely changed course and took someart history classes. She found an art history teacher passionate about hisart and he ignited that same passion for art in Kirby. He taught Dutchand Flemish period art, something she had been and still is passionateabout today.

She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in art history from DukeUniversity, but then decided to study in London. She stayed on inLondon, attending cooking school at the Cordon Bleu, returned hometo America, cooked for a while, and realized she “wasn’t terriblystimulated by the company in the kitchen.” So she went on to graduateschool at Arcadia University (then Beaver College) and earned a Master’sdegree in art education and painting.

“I befriended a bunch of folks who were members of the PennEmma Furth Program, all painters and sculptors,” said Kirby. “Theyinspired me to get back into making art. When I started selling mywork, I was even more inspired.”

She began to paint more and more, and her landscape paintingsbecame abstracted landscapes then gradually evolved to pureabstractions. Her work has been inspired by the abstract expressionists,such as Jasper Johns, Mark Rathko, and Willem De Kooning.

Another artist who has been a big influence on Kirby’s work is localsculptor and long-time friend Mark Pettegrow. “Mark is my oldestfriend since I returned to the area from college. We support, inspire andcritique each other’s work. Mark has had the most personal influence onmy work.” Their work is similar, as they both work in abstractions,Mark as a sculptor, Kirby, a painter.

One of Kirby’s first big accomplishments as an artist came when aNew York gallery owner invited her to present her work. She soon foundher work in three shows in SoHo, the hub of the New York art world inthe 1990s. The first show she shared with five other artists, the secondand third, with only three. She was 30 at the time and didn’t realize whatan amazing stroke of luck it was to get a gallery show in SoHo.

“I literally walked into a gallery with a friend of mine and just gotlucky. The gallery owner liked my work. She wasn’t a New Yorker. Shewas from Virginia, and had moved to New York to open the gallery. Shewas open-minded and approachable, unlike a lot of other owners.”

Since then, Kirby’s work has been included in more than 30exhibitions, in galleries and museums from Seattle to New York,including the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia ArtAlliance, and the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art (DCCA).

She started teaching art history classes with Nancy Cabot atSolebury School in 1993, added the Beginning Painting and Drawingclass then expanded the art curriculum with her Figure Drawing class in1997.

“The fact that I’m still doing art is my biggest accomplishment,despite the fact that of every 100 things I send out, I get one back thatsays yes, we’ll take it. It’s constant rejection. You have to look at it, not asa rejection, but as a pass. So the fact that I’m still making work, stillenjoy making work, and people are still buying it, and people are stillshowing it, is good.”

Kirby Fredendall–Driven to Abstraction

Kirby Fredendall (Photo Credit: Doylestown Intelligencer)

________________________“My process of painting requires that I

obscure all that came before in the image inthe interest of moving the image forward.To accomplish this, I cover the entirepainting many times with a one color layer.At this stage, my painting stands as theunburdened warrior - new - fresh - withgestural expression - but relatively flat.Then, with rags, I start to uncover the past.However, the past is not completelyrevealed but rather is informed by thepresent veil of paint. In working this way Iam unable to ‘hang onto’ passages that Ihave ‘fallen in love with’ at the expense ofmoving the image into a new place. Thesepassages may or may not reappear, butwhen they do, they contribute to the presentrather than to the past.”

Kirby Fredendall (from her blog)________________________

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Kirby’s most recent work and the one of which she is mostproud is her show, “Add Sugar and Stir: Cookbooks and theLives of Women,” a group of images inspired by her personalcollection of 1940s cookbooks. The exhibit ran from Marchthrough June at the James A. Michener Art Museum inDoylestown, PA. To Kirby, the old cookbooks offer a windowinto the lives of women in past generations and what theyfaced as mothers and housewives. These paintings are quitedifferent from her bolder, larger, abstract paintings. To createthese images, she collected and purchased old cookbooks on eBay. She used little pages, cut and torn and covered in layersof paint and beeswax. Upon close inspection, you see the wordsand images, scratched out from beneath the paint to reveal thestory of women’s lives, both the women who owned them andthe larger story of the roles women play in family and culture.“They’re looking back in time or another place, like a timemachine,” Kirby said.

Kirby tells young artists interested in pursuing a career inthe arts to find an art school that has a strong job placementoffice and ask what their graduates do when they graduate. Anaspiring artist wants to know that fellow students are goingstraight into the work force and areas of their chosenprofession, and not right into waitressing.

You can check out Kirby’s blog athttp://kirbyfredendallfineart.blogspot.com/. ❖

Two of Kirby’s paintings


Growing up, Phyllis Rubin-Arnold had been told that she was the little girl with the bigvoice, and though her stature is still a few inches short of five feet tall today, she continuesto use that voice not only for singing, but for making a difference in other people’s lives onand off the stage.

“What I bring to teaching is the enthusiasm and that ‘bigger than life’ persona that I’vedeveloped over the years. It’s that, this is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life, kindof moment. I really try to get everyone excited about a project and I do goofy things and Iuse my hands and try to explain so that everyone can understand.”

This persona she has created helps her get the students and others around her engaged.It draws people to her and it works. Though she confesses to being a very shy person, whenshe is performing or standing before any type of audience, it’s quite a different story.

Phyllis’ musical journey started when she was just four years old. One day, she wassitting and watching her older sister, who was at the piano for a lesson. When the lessonended, she got up, and Phyllis hopped in front of the piano and played exactly what hersister had just finished playing. Her family thought they had the next Mozart.

“I had a great ear even then and so my parents decided to start giving me piano lessons.I had this elderly Italian woman giving me lessons. She had a ruler and if I stopped playingwhen I made a mistake, she would smack me with the ruler. So I learned quickly to neverstop, to take the mistake and roll with it, and make something beautiful out of everymistake. That was the wonderful thing she taught me.”

When her teacher suddenly stopped coming, she began studying at the BrooklynConservatory of Music at their after-school and weekend programs. She took piano, voice,theory, songwriting, and music history.

“I always say that before I knew how to read, I knew how to make music. I performed alot at the conservatory. I was never very good at dancing, never learned my right foot frommy left, but I was a good singer.”

Throughout her elementary school, junior and senior high school years, she performedin just about every play, landing the role of Gretel in the Sound of Music in high school eventhough she was only in fourth grade. She played the coroner, a member of the lollipopguild, and the wicked witch half-melted in The Wizard of Oz. While she was disappointedwhen she didn’t land the role of Nancy in Oliver!, she did make the choir. The followingyear, she starred as Peter Pan, a big accomplishment for young Phyllis.

“I was in all the shows whether they were musicals or not. I started a select singersgroup at the school that would meet with the choir director, Mr. Stohltz, after school. Hewas fabulous and inspirational and he just gave and gave. Because we were so talented, he

Phyllis was recently awarded thefirst John and Linda Brown FacultyEnrichment Award at Solebury School.The John and Linda Brown FacultyEnrichment Endowment is available tobe used each year to award one or twoteachers a grant to pursue a personalinterest that serves to enrich his or herexperience as a teacher. The funds maybe used in a way that directly relates toa teacher’s academic field or moregenerally by stimulating his or hercreativity and enthusiasm as a teacher,learner, and citizen of the world.Faculty members may apply for theaward, to be given annually eachFebruary by the Head of School. Thisendowment was established in 2008 bySolebury School’s Home and SchoolAssociation, to honor John D. Brown,’67, Head of School, 1989 – 2008, andLinda Brown, Director ofAdvancement, 1989 – 2008, for theiryears of dedicated service.

Phyllis said she always had afascination with the Holocaust, andnever understood how the worldpopulation did not know what wasgoing on in Germany. How could theynot listen to the stories of people thathad escaped? How could they be soblind to the cries of millions? Was itthat they didn’t want to see it? Was theNazi propaganda machine toooverpowering? There have beengenocides since throughout recordedhistory. And in spite of what we allknow, they still seem to go on today.

In an attempt to understand this,she started looking at the propagandathat was prevalent in Nazi Germany at

Music

Phyllis Rubin-Arnold–The Little Girl with the Big Voice ___________________________________________

“I believe you can express more through music than any other medium.Music can embody your whole being. Your voice is your thumbprint. With achange of inflection, you can tell a mood. With a change in the rhythm, youcan change your whole personality. The rhythm is your heartbeat, the feelingyou have is your soul, and you’re bearing your soul in a way that’s differentfrom when you are speaking. It’s a part of you that can’t be changed. It is thebest way to communicate. It’s more intimate. It’s your essence. For me toshare my essence with people, in a way that is freeing, and allows me toexpress what I want, is a gift.”

Phyllis Rubin-Arnold___________________________________________

Phyllis Arnold

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the time. This quest led her toTheresienstadt ConcentrationCamp’s Red Cross visit in 1944. Atthat time, they portrayed the camp asan artists’ colony for Jews that wererelocated from their dangerousvillages. Films were made, sceneswere staged, buildings were painted,gardens were planted, andovercrowding was controlled throughdeportation. The world was given awonderfully sunny glimpse into thenightmarish world. The crowningjewel in the deception was aperformance of the children’s opera,Brundibar, written by Hans Krasa andAdolf Hoffmeister. The operacontains very obvious symbolism, asthe helpless children triumph overthe evil, mustache wearing organgrinder.

Phyllis’ award, a total of $2,800,will allow her to explore this operawith Solebury School students.During the fall 2011, students willperform Brundibar and other workswritten by victims. The productionwill be the culminating activity forthe chorus class, and, hopefully, otherclasses as well. It is meant to be across-curricular activity, findingfaculty in other departments thatwould bring writings, readings, andeven perhaps, survivors to the school.

Some of the topics that will becovered are conflict resolution,bullying, organizing to overcomeadversity, and power in numbers, toname a few. It is Phyllis’ hope thatthe school community can gaininsight and understanding of theenormous power of propaganda andthe incredible resilience of the humanspirit.

It is Phyllis’ vision to see that theperformances replicate as closely aspossible the Red Cross experiencewhen they visited Theresienstadt.Solebury School will invite churches,synagogues, community groups andany survivors living in the area to theperformances. The performances willbe free, but donations will beaccepted for an organization thatgives aid to victims of genocide,which is in keeping with SoleburySchool’s nature and Phyllis’ personalphilosophy of giving.

would do anything with us. We sang some wonderful music. He started a variety show togive us more opportunities. I remember when this guy Walter Hermann, who was 6'2'',and I was my height, sang Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better, sitting back to back onbarstools. The barstools were set up so his head and my head were the exact same height,and when we got up at the end, the whole place erupted in screams.”

Her choir teacher wanted her to pursue a music career, but Phyllis had otheraspirations. During her first three years at New York University, she majored inbiochemistry. She was a gifted student in science and math. By her junior year, Phyllis wasunhappy. She had received several offers to sing in operas while at NYU but kept turningthem down because she thought organic chemistry was more important. Eventually, shedecided to switch. She left NYU, auditioned for a few music conservatories, and decided toattend the Boston Conservatory of Music, not only for its reputation, but for its location,its faculty, and its history. Phyllis earned her degree in Voice Performance and from there,started working with different opera companies in and around Boston, then New York City,then Philadelphia.

Phyllis has been teaching music classes at Solebury since 1999. Her main instrument isvoice so teaching chorus has always been her first love. She is the director of the SoleburySchool chorus and a select group, known as the Master Singers. Outside of Solebury, shecontinues to perform in the Philadelphia area. She has taught music privately for over 25years.

Since the addition of the Music and Meeting (M&M) period in the schedule a few yearsago, a period for the ensembles and chorus to meet without interfering with otheracademic subjects, Phyllis’ chorus has blossomed from 12 to 25 to 40 to 70! She now cancomfortably work with individual groups and can offer extra help during lab periods.

For students interested in becoming professional singers, Phyllis recommends finding agood teacher to connect with on a personal level. Sit in on lessons to understand what theteacher is looking for from students. Look for a voice teacher who you feel will give yougood advice. An aspiring singer should decide on a style of singing and find a teacher thatsupports that style. It’s important to learn how to breathe, how to stand, and how to relax.Take dance classes, learn the Alexander technique of body awareness, learn how to move,how to be on stage, and be comfortable in your own skin.

Phyllis fulfills another role at Solebury. She is one of five Learning Skills teachers.Having always been fascinated with different learning styles she decided to pursue anadvanced degree in education in 2003. After completing the course work with aconcentration in special education at Arcadia University and student teaching in theCouncil Rock School District, she received an M.Ed in 2006. When a teaching positionopened in the Solebury School’s Learning Skills department, she was thrilled to accept. ❖

Phyllis with Sheldon Lee from a performance of the OperaDead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, music by Rodion Shchedrin


When Cathy Block performs on flute,she strives to play that perfect note, andget that sound she hears resonating in herhead. There’s no doubt that Cathy is theconsummate musician. An accomplishedflutist and award-winning songwriter, whohas scored over five musicals, and over 50published pop and children’s songs, Cathynow works with Solebury’s youngmusicians in the Jazz Roots Ensemble andSolebury Rock Band, and teaches asongwriting class, among her otherventures.

“It is an ongoing journey to performand play as perfectly as possible,” explainedCathy. “And so, the practicing never stops.Music is my passion, and it is who I am.It’s always been that way. It is what I thinkabout 24/7. It is the air that I breathe, andI love sharing that passion with otherpeople, especially young people. I havespent my life learning and loving music, soto get to come into young peoples’ livesthe way that I do, and to be able to impartsome of my experience and enthusiasm issomething I’ve always viewed as an honorand privilege, and I take it seriously.”

Cathy is one of six children, and shesaid, they are a very close family. Musicwas always important in her life, and it wasalways in the house.

“My father played in big bands, and mymother was a Broadway chorus girl. Theymost definitely brought their love of musicand the arts into our home.”

For Cathy, becoming a musician andcomposer was the only path she everwanted to take. She received a Bachelor ofMusic degree in jazz composition andarranging from Berklee College of Music,and graduated magna cum laude. She thenheaded to New York City to pursue hermusic and songwriting career.

“I didn’t know anyone, and so I made abunch of cold calls, knocked on doors,”said Cathy. “It took about three years toget someone to listen to my songs. It’s aCatch 22: You have to be in it, to be in it. Igot lucky one day, and have always thoughtI just caught this person in a good mood,but he agreed to let me come and‘audition’ my work for him. I played him abunch of demos of my songs, and he lovedthem! He was one of the managers for ahot group at the time, called New Edition.This was my first real break. I beganwriting songs for the group.”

After writing for New Edition andgetting some solid songwriting credits,record producers and A&R people wereready to meet Cathy when she knocked attheir doors. She started to work and writefor a number of acts.

“Al Jarreau was my favorite, because hewas on my college wish list of artists Iwanted to work with. Al recorded thesong, Never Explain Love, co-written byRaymond Jones and me, for Spike Lee’sfilm Do the Right Thing. It was the closingcredit song for the movie.”

Cathy also worked and wrote songs formusic artists, Kool & The Gang, TheManhattans, Tisha Campbell, Myleka andDiana Ross. It was a very exciting time inher life.

After her success in the pop musicworld, she decided to start writingchildren’s music. The result, the 1994

children’s album, Timeless, has thirteenoriginal compositions. Timeless, was giventhe prestigious Editor’s Choice Award forchildren’s best audio by The AmericanLibrary Association’s Book List, as well asthe Toy Portfolio Platinum Award for BestAudio from NBC Today Show contributors.She has also been praised repeatedly by theSchool Library Journal. Her follow upchildren’s album, That’s What Kids Do!,received much critical acclaim.

Her musical work with children hasbeen extensive, and includes the formationof The Living Green Children’s Chorus,which has raised thousands of dollars forland preservation in Bucks County. Heroriginal musicals, which are about and starchildren, have been performed from Ohioto South Africa!

Cathy is also the creator of Music isWonderful!, a music introductory programdeveloped for pre-schooled aged children.

These days, you can find Cathyperforming on flute with several ensemblesin the Philadelphia area. She also teachesflute, guitar and composition from herprivate studio.

“Being a good musician is an ever-evolving process that never stops, at least ifyou want to be a true artist at what youdo,” said Cathy. “It takes lots of discipline,and hard work. I will come home from afull day, and night of teaching, and/orplaying some place, and still sit down andput in real practice time. I’m on it early inthe morning, and late at night. Like I said,it’s always about trying to play that perfectnote.” ❖

Cathy Block–Always Striving for That Perfect Note

Cathy Block

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Greg Lipscomb grew up in Richmond, VA and he remembers that people often thought he wasshy - until they got to know him. When he learned to play the viola at age 11, he started to gainmore confidence and slowly come out of his shell, so to speak.

He attended Open High School, a school similar to Solebury in that it was diverse in many waysand students and teachers were on a first name basis. It was small in numbers and was known forcreating the conditions for academic and personal excellence.

“As I was looking to apply to colleges, my viola teacher convinced me to pursue music as amajor. It was something I’d always loved and been very passionate about. I must say though, it hasbeen a gradual process finding an approach to music that really suits me,” said Greg.

Greg holds a Master’s degree from The Peabody Institute of Music where he was a recipient ofthe George Castelle Memorial Award in Voice. His most recent album, Living My Life, whichfeatures him as a violist, singer, songwriter and arranger, has been played on radio stationsthroughout Costa Rica and on WXPN in the Philadelphia area. As an orchestral violist he hasperformed with such artists as Patti La Belle and Smokey Robinson. As a vocal soloist he hasperformed in France and Switzerland under the baton of Mislav Rostropovich, in Japan under

Yutaka Sado. Greg currently plays viola in the Greater Trenton Symphony. He is a member of the four-piece ensemble, Avalare Strings,and is the instrumental music director here at Solebury School. He teaches several music classes including Instrumental and AdvancedEnsemble, Composition, Orchestration, and Arrangement, and Music, Rhythm, and Harmony.

“I started out as a violist, but later discovered I had a singing voice that people were reacting to rather dramatically. My graduatemusic degree is actually in voice. At the risk of spreading myself too thin, I refused choosing between playing viola and singing,” saidGreg. “Eventually I started arranging and writing my own music which has given me more musical freedom. I enjoy the perspective ofbeing a singer and instrumentalist. Some wise person once said, ‘To sing is to play and to play is to sing.’ I really appreciate whenmusicians/singers have both a sense of breathing with phrases and a sense of rhythm grounded in the beat.”

As a music educator, Greg said he enjoys teaching students to listen to and support each other. “I love teaching the soft spoken/shy student to be a leader, and to find the dance in the music he/she plays. Time and time again I’ve

seen this build confidence and a greater ability to excel in other areas, and I’ve seen music spark a higher level of enjoying life.”Greg admits some of his own teachers in the past ranged from misguided and oppressive to brilliant and inspirational, but he is

thankful for the range of experiences he had as a student. “It’s given me a deeper appreciation for good teaching.”He continued. “To me, being a good musician /singer means being a good communicator through the language of music. Whether

singing or playing aninstrument, one benefits froma workable technique, fine-tuned ears, a sense of rhythmgrounded in the beat, and theability to convey the emotionsof a given piece. My advicefor any aspiringsinger/musician is to sing andplay and play and sing. Trainyour ears to hear intervals andchords, study the techniqueand vocabulary of yourinstrument. Meanwhile, keepit fun. If you get this right,you might just think it’s oneof the most wonderful thingsin the world.” ❖

Greg Lipscomb–To Sing is to Play

Greg leads his music classes by example

Greg Lipscomb


Rebecca Summers Wilschutz’s passion for dancing startedwhen she was just four years old, and her passion has notwaned since. At age 10, she appeared on the TV show, TonyGrant’s Stars of Tomorrow, which was filmed in Atlantic City.She taught her first ballet class at age 15.

“I continued dancing with the West Virginia Youth Balletin high school. I studied ballet, tap and jazz. When my danceteacher gave me my first choreography assignment I knew Iwanted to pursue dance as a career.”

Though unsure she could earn a living as a dancer, shecontinued her dance lessons and pursued a college degree infashion design and theater education. After college, she went toGermany where she worked at the Five Pfennig Playhouse,teaching dance and choreographing musicals. Her dancingbrought out a theatrical side to what she professes to be herrather shy personality.

“While in Germany, I had the opportunity to choreographfor Ulla Blaudin, prima ballerina for the Darmstadt Ballet.Gradually, my passion for dance expanded to include musicaltheatre. I fell in love with the genre and the creativity it tookto produce and choreograph the musical numbers. I workedunder award-winning director James Hanrahan and he taughtme everything he knew.”

Rebecca studied with many dance instructors throughouther life, and said two stand out: Romona Rose, her first dance

teacher and Don McCardle, who helped her discover a passionfor Bob Fosse’s choreography. Both nurtured her love of danceand gave her the tools needed to be the kind of teacher thatcan motivate students. She still keeps in touch with them.

Before coming to Solebury, Rebecca was Artistic Directorat Streetsboro Theatre in Ohio for 16 years.

“I had just returned home from Europe from a stint aschoreographer/dancer for the first European production ofAin’t Misbehavin’. I saw a newspaper ad to be the theatre’schoreographer. After one show they asked me to take over asartistic director. The theatre offered a musical, a drama and ayouth theatre production, with casts of 70 to 100 youngpeople, age 5 to 21. They rehearsed for 10 weeks and offered12 shows over four weekends. The volunteer production staffnumbered 60 to 70 adults, laboring on costume, set, and tech.Actors came from over 50 different communities throughoutnortheast Ohio to audition.”

While choreographing every show, Rebecca alsochoreographed two or three high school shows and communitytheatre productions. She served as show choir director for twohigh schools as well. Rebecca accomplished all this during theevenings and weekends after working her full-time job at thetheatre.

“I am not sure anything will replace the experience ofrunning my own theatre, being responsible for the details ofevery show, or being the director/choreographer for themusicals. It’s always so rewarding on opening night, to be ableto stand back as a show comes together, and watch the faces ofactors and actresses beaming onstage as the audience givesthem a standing ovation as the curtain falls.”

She now shares her love of dance and musical theatre withSolebury School students in her classes, which include DanceExploration, Musical Theatre Dance Styles, Swing Dancing Iand II, Choreography, Audition Prep, and Middle SchoolDrama. She is the dance team advisor, offers a tap danceactivity, coaches the musical theatre students and choreographsthe school’s winter musicals. Her dance classes and dance teamattract not only the more seasoned dancers, but novice dancersas well.

“I am thrilled to have started a dance program here atSolebury. It’s exciting to collaborate with the jazz andinstrumental ensembles, and have the students dance to livemusic. We also put movement to the pieces performed by theSolebury chorus. The dance team likes to work with hip-hopand contemporary music. They also have the opportunity tochoreograph their own routines.”

Rebecca encourages aspiring dancers to try different dancegenres and enroll in master classes with different teachers, asshe offered at Solebury last year with a visit from Broadway

Dance

Rebecca Summers Wilschutz–A Passion For Dance

Rebecca Summers Wilschutz

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actor Alex Puette and professional dancer Caitlin Maxwell.Each experience will bring something new to their dancing.Dedication to dance training is essential, said Rebecca. It takespassion and learning good technique to be a good dancer.

“Learn to close your eyes and get lost in the music. Seethe dance before you step on the floor. The ability to visualizeis critical, not only in dance but in musical theatre. One of mystrengths as a director/choreographer is that, when I read ascript, especially one that grabs me, I can “see” the show –everything – the costumes, the set, the movement, the danceand how it will come together.”

Rebecca offered the same advice for students interested inmusical theatre. She suggested acting classes, vocal classes anddance classes, and becoming a triple threat.

“Go see as many productions in as many venues as possible– high school, community theatre, regional, off and onBroadway. Develop a musical theatre palate. At times, you can learn as much from a bad production as you can from agood one.”

Rebecca has been working in the theatre for over 25 years.Anyone who knows her knows her passion is Bob Fosse andher favorite show is Chicago because of the Fosse choreography.“I have been lucky enough to direct and choreograph it. I alsolove that I have introduced this style to the students here atSolebury and we used it last year in the musical Pippin. I’m soexcited that I had the opportunity to coach the musical theatrestudents this past year and they all auditioned and wereaccepted to colleges where they can continue to pursue theirpassion. It’s incredible to know that I had a hand in helpingthem achieve their dreams.”

As Rebecca said good-bye to this year’s graduating class,she was thrilled that six seniors who studied with her will go onto major in the performing arts in college. Three will continueto study dance, and three will pursue a degree and ultimately acareer in musical theatre. ❖

Rebecca and her tap dance students search the internet for music


If you were a child of the sixties and enjoyed the rock and roll music of that era, youwill surely remember Woodstock, the famed music festival of 1969, and the many rockconcerts hosted at The Fillmore East Theater in New York City. Solebury School’s theatertechnical director Chris Langhart was at the very core of those two music venues in hisroles as the technical director at the Fillmore East and as the site director of Woodstock.

During his college years, Chris spent many hours working in theaters. Aftergraduating from Carnegie Tech, now CMU, he was put in charge of technical direction ofthe five theaters on the Syracuse University campus. From Syracuse, Chris went to NewYork City.

He began his career as the head of the theatrical technical department at the openingof New York University’s School of the Arts in the late sixties. Because the university wasnext door to the famous rock concert venue, The Fillmore East, he became the technicaldirector there as well, employing college students to train and work in both theaters. Withthis background and the fact that most of the Fillmore’s rock promotion team wasinvolved with Woodstock, it was a natural fit for Chris to work as site director anddesigner for the Woodstock concert.

Chris has been described as a technical genius by Woodstock stage manager JohnMorris and promoter Miles Lang, someone who can “do anything to anything, anywherein the world, under any circumstance. There was always an answer, always a solution, andit always worked.” To this day, that statement holds true, as Chris creates elaborate stagesfor each of Solebury’s theater productions.

Shortly after Woodstock, Chris moved to the Pennsylvania suburbs to get married andraise a family, and although he still had the opportunity to build for Broadway stages atDesign Associates Scenic Studios, Lambertville, owned by Jim Hamilton, he decided he

Chris Langhart (Photo credit: Chris Thomson)

Theater Tech

Chris Langhart–Theater Technician/Designer Extraordinaire

Circa 1968: Chris collaborates with audio consultant and circuit designer John Chester in the electronic shop in theFillmore East basement(Photo credit: Amalie R. Rothschild)

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didn’t want to travel into New York Cityanymore, so he settled and found workaround Lambertville and Bucks County,eventually teaming up with Solebury’stheater director, Erik Johnke, in early2000.

Under Chris’ tutelage, SoleburySchool students who serve on theschool’s theater tech crews get a chanceto work in all of the trades, learn todesign what they really want, anddiscover and work with tools andmaterials. Chris also teaches studentsthat it is important in the theaterbusiness to have the ability to work wellwith people and to learn to design andcompromise in a collaborative projectsituation that has a deadline.

“I use the theater, not only toexperience the technical side of theater,but as an educational experience dealingwith making materials and processes.”He prepares students for college andtheater, because he said, “college is forgetting to know the people that thinklike you think, as they will become yourconsultants for projects in the future.”

Chris has built many stages fromfloor to lighting, and Solebury School islucky to have had Chris as the theater’stechnical director for almost 15 years.Our theater tech students are learningfrom the best.

Over his career at Solebury, Chris hasbeen a source of employment for manyalumni. He has been contracted to doanything from lighting work toconstructing theater interiors, to anynumber of electrical and buildingprojects around Bucks County. Afterinstalling the bleacher seating in thetransformed Performing Arts Center, heis working with students and alumni toconvert the Alumni Gym into aperformance venue for our Music andTheater departments.

An integral part of Solebury’s theaterprogram, Chris leads the theater techcrew in light, sound, and stage building.He teaches courses in metalworking,materials, painting, basic mechanical andelectrical systems, ‘How things work,’sound systems/acoustics, scenic lightingand computer-aided design. ❖

Theater tech Evan Beidler ’13 works closely with Chris

For those of us who love pop culture,the life of a TV star would appear on thesurface to be very glamorous with a bountyof work. Alumnus Jack Coleman ’76 givesus an insider look at what it’s really like tobe an actor in Hollywood.

Jack has been a working actor inHollywood for almost 30 years. His actingcareer began in 1981, as Chris Kositchekon the TV soap opera, Days of Our Lives.He went on to play Steven DanielCarrington in the TV series, Dynasty, forsix years, and played Frank Nolan onNightmare Café in 1992. Recently, he isbest known as the character, NoahBennett, on the science-fiction series,Heroes, which recently ended production in2010.

“‘Working actor’ is one of thoseinteresting showbiz characterizations thatcan be misleading. It means you are apt towork, more than it means you are actuallyworking. Its feast or famine,” said Jack.“The last five years have been very good tome, though the previous five were lean,indeed. To still be in the game, although‘of a certain age,’ is probably my greatestachievement in show business.”

Jack first caught the acting bug atSolebury School. He performed in playsand he played sports, he said, without anyof the social stigma often found at largerhigh schools.

“Peter Brodie’s Shakespeare class, forme, was a dream introduction to the Bard.We read each play aloud, in addition tostudying the text. What a revelation tounderstand that these were plays that weremeant to be performed and enjoyed, notjust studied and endured. Unlike mostteachers, Peter started with A Mid-SummerNight’s Dream and As You Like It, ratherthan the shorter and drier Julius Caesar, thestandard starting point for most highschool studies. He knew that hormonalteenagers were far more likely to relate toother hormonal teenagers, evenElizabethan ones, than they were toplotting heads of state. Given that this wasagainst the backdrop of Watergate, JuliusCaesar had its own relevance, to be sure.Reading the plays aloud got everyoneinvolved and engaged. It also taught me tolove spoken language. I think it was animportant part of my becoming an actor.”

After graduating from Solebury in1976, Jack attended Duke Universitywhere he was one of six theater majors.

“The program there has grown a lot,though there still tends to be a heavyemphasis on study, rather thanperformance. In college, I performed inplays and also played JV basketball. Mytheatrical interests were tolerated by myteammates, though every offensive foul Idrew was greeted with hoots of derisionand accusations of fraud, or as they calledit, ‘acting.’”

Certainly talent is a key ingredient of agood actor, but learning the essence ofacting is very important. Like every otherprofession, passion and experience, alongwith knowing and honing your strengths,can only make you better.

“The most valuable thing I everlearned in acting class was that the job ofthe actor is to close the distance betweenwhere you leave off and where thecharacter begins. You have to knowyourself well enough to understand whatcharacteristics you have naturally and be

able to modify them. You must firstidentify those tell-tale characteristics ofyour own that need to be altered tobelievably transform yourself into, notsomeone else, but a version of yourself thatno longer ‘tells’ your actual life experience,but rather the life experience of thecharacter. For example, when one watchesactor Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund inThe Fighter, one marvels at the distancetravelled from a Welsh-born, EnglishPrimary schoolboy to a working class,crack addicted, Lowell, Massachusettsprize fighter. He closed the distance so thatnot a flicker of light peeked between thetwo personas. That’s great acting.”

Jack is asked frequently to offer adviceto aspiring actors.

“Work at it, perform in a communitytheater and be in an acting class every dayuntil you are working professionally.Unless you are astonishingly beautiful,don’t expect a nightclub to be yourlaunching pad. In LA, everyone isbeautiful, the barista at Starbucks, theteller at your bank, and the agent’s assistantwho won’t let you in the door.”

Many young actors have asked himhow to get an agent. “I ask what they havedone,” said Jack. “Often the reply is a fewamateur or school productions. I tell themthey don’t deserve an agent. If they stickaround, I follow that with, ‘Yet. Think ofyour acting career as tennis. How are yourground strokes? How’s your serve? Couldyou return Roddick’s serve? No? Well, ifyou get tossed into a movie with a greatactor and you can’t return serve, you’redone. It’s sometimes hard for young actorsto understand that being ready for theirshot is as important as getting their shot.’”

Having done mostly televisionthroughout his long career, Jack will tellyou that life on the set of a TV show isdifferent for each show.

“An actor on a multi-camera, half-hourshow works four days a week, maybe for 10hours, and never wanders far from the cozyconfines of a studio. A one-hour show,single-camera (misnomer – they’re allmultiple camera) show like Heroes shoots14 hours a day in the mountains at night,through rainstorms on shipping docks, and


Alumni in the Arts

Jack Coleman ’76–On the Actor’s Life

Jack Coleman

Jack in his role as Noah Bennett, in the TV show Heroes

Jack with Milo Ventimiglia (L), Zachary Quinto (behind), and Adrian Pasdarck, the 4were fooling around at the end of the last season of Heroes

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until the wee hours of Saturday morning and then starts up again in the weehours of Monday morning, two very different experiences. The one constant:it really helps if you like your cast mates, and if you should be so lucky as toone day be Monk or House – you will never see your family again. You arethe show, the show is you.”

The day-to-day nuts and bolts of a one-hour drama is repetitious andpainstaking, he explained. “There are moments when a dramatic acting scenecan be riveting, or a car can come flying around a corner and flip over, andthat can be shocking and amazing, but usually watching the proceedings on atelevision set, with the many shots required from multiple angles and withdifferent lenses, it can be like watching paint refuse to dry.”

Jack hastened to add that it’s not boring for the actors. “Often, we look forward to a chance to try different things or just get up

to speed with the scene. In television, especially, where there is so littlerehearsal, sometimes you rehearse on film. That is, you shoot film, hopingit’s usable, but everyone understands that you might not get it in the first few takes.”

Since Heroes ended, Jack has done episodes of House, The Mentalist,recurred on The Office with more episodes to come, and starred in aHallmark movie that aired on June 11, 2011. He has written a movie, but thesafety net has been removed, once again. While he is in a stronger positionthan a few years ago, the future is, again, unknowable.

Between acting jobs Jack is looking for work, meeting, auditioning,writing, trying to raise money for his screenplay with his producing partners,and being dad, which includes coaching soccer and lots of driving to andfrom practices and tournaments. He also likes to get out of town duringdown time, which is, of course, dependent on his daughter’s busy schoolschedule. ❖

Alumnus Jeff Vespa’s ’88 (Meyer) first break as one of the Hollywood’s bestknown red carpet photographers happened quite by accident – or maybe it was fate. InMay 1998, Jeff was working at a job he didn’t like much, when he found an internetjob listing that read, “Wanted: Photographer for Red Carpet premieres in LosAngeles.” At first, Jeff thought it a joke, but printed out the ad and kept it on his desk.

After a few days, he decided to call. What could he lose? On the phone, the voiceat the other end asked him, “Are you available tonight?” Jeff said, “Yeah, I’mavailable.” Their regular photographer had moved and they needed someone to coverthe Bulworth premiere with Warren Beatty, he was told. Jeff needed a flash, a batterypack, and a zoom lens, all items he did not own. The one thing he did own was a goodCanon camera with a 50 mm lens. He rented the other equipment and had hisgirlfriend deliver it to him at the premiere. She did, but the lens he was given was for aNikon, not a Canon. He would have to shoot with the 50 mm lens, which wasn’toptimal because a red carpet photographer needs a wide angle lens to be able to shootboth the full length photos and close up head shots. Jeff shot the premiere anyway,developed the film, took it to the office, and met with the agent he had spoken to onthe phone. They looked through the photos together, and the agent liked them. Jeffconfessed that he had shot the photos with the 50 mm lens. The response, “You shotthis with a 50 – You’re hired!”

At first, Jeff wasn’t making much money, but his celebrity photo archive grew. Heand his partner Steve Granitz, one of the most prolific celebrity photographers in thebusiness, decided to start their own photo agency, but this time, do it online.

It was 2000. The internet had started to take off and companies were adding webaddresses to commercials. Jeff created a website, and with an archive of about 25,000celebrity digital images between partners, they continued to sell their images tomagazines but now were selling online through their website. In 1998, Jeff made a dealwith yahoo.com and in 2000 with imdb.com for photography (both deals are still inplace today). The demand for digital images was growing. Jeff and his partner decidedthey needed a better platform for the website, so they partnered with a company thathad the right technology and funding.

“On January 1, 2001 nine partners officially started WireImage. By October 2001,WireImage was the biggest celebrity website in the country, with the largest marketshare of any U.S. photo agency,” said Jeff. “In 2007, six years after starting the online

photo agency from practically nothing, we sold WireImage toGetty Images for $207 million.”

Jeff and Steve still work as photographers forWireImage.

Jeff’s career has taken him down many paths. He isseriously interested in filmmaking, producing and directing.Since 1996, he’s made several movies, including a 10 minuteshort film Nosebleed, starring David Arquette, that wasfeatured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 and just thisyear, another short, Children of the Spider, starring MenaSuvari and Sam Trammel. He is also planning to produce adocumentary film called The Story of LIFE for LifeMagazine’s 75th Anniversary, and as of this writing, he andhis writing partner Ilene Staple are working on a screenplayfor a feature film, which he will produce and direct.

“The thing about photography and art, and the reasonwhy an artist creates is because of the need to expressoneself.” said Jeff. “I’ve found that moviemaking, more thanthe photography, is that place where I can express myself themost, and to me, Nosebleed is the most perfect piece of artthat I have done so far.”


Jeff Vespa ’88–Shooting for the Stars

Jeff Vespa (Meyer)

Just two of Jeff’s many cover photos for People and Life Magazine

His photo career still thrives. He is the official photographer for the Sundance Film Festival (since 2003) andthe Toronto International Film Festival (since 2006). He teamed up with Paris Hilton in 2004 to create the NYTimes bestselling book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, which was followed by YourHeiress Diary: Confess it All to Me. He was named Editor-at-Large of Life.com in March 2009. In addition to hisphotography and film career, he is a part-owner of the art gallery, The Hole in New York City, and he recentlyopened an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles called Pici, named after the handmade Tuscan pasta that is served there.

Before coming to Solebury in the late 1980s, Jeff knew he wanted to be a photographer. He had come fromBaltimore, MD. The summer before he matriculated, he purposefully shot a series of artful photos of all his friendsto document their childhood together. He used his mother’s camera, one she had used for a photography class. Hehad read the manual and helped her learn how to use the camera. That series of photos, he explained, solidified hispassion for photography.

Once at Solebury, he honed his photography skills. “I was an assistant teacher, helping with photography classes and teaching the other students how to develop

and print film,” said Jeff. “I was excited to always have a professional darkroom at my disposal. I would stay in therefor hours and sneak back to my room late at night. Having that experience before college was huge for me. Thelevel of teaching and the facilities were as good as I could have ever wanted, and I feel like my work was treatedvery seriously. We critiqued work very seriously. None of it was like high school. I believe we treated it just asimportantly back then as anything I do right now. It was a major part of my development. I put together a greatportfolio, printed the pictures and cut the mats, which helped me get accepted to the School of Visual Arts in NewYork. I still have that portfolio.”

A talented, reliable, and personable guy, Jeff is himself, now a celebrity. Jeff has developed relationships withmany actors and artists, people just like him. As an artist, he feels lucky to be the one who captures an actor’s risingcareer or memorable momentin images.

“For example, I knewAdrien Brody before anyoneknew who he was. I’ve watchedactors like Adrien rise to fame,after knowing them for somany years, and then beingable to be a part of that isspecial for me. The night hewon the Academy Award forBest Actor in the film, ThePianist, I was backstage and oneof the first to congratulate himthat night. Not only was I ableto be a part of that moment,but I was able to photograph it,so forever I’m a part of thatmoment in his life. Being a partof that history, being a part ofthe entertainment industry, isthe thing that I always wantedand now that’s what I do.”

To read more about Jeff,visit his website,www.jeffvespa.com. ❖

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Jeff works on a photo shoot with actress Penelope Cruz

It is no surprise that LaurieKennedy ’63 caught the acting bugearly in life and has remainedpassionate about acting all of her life.Laurie is the daughter of five-timeOscar nominated actor ArthurKennedy, and actress Mary Cheffey.

“I was surrounded by theater, andmovies and television when I was ayoung child, and always would hearstories about my father’s experiences intheater, and my mother’s as well. Igrew up in that world.”

While Laurie has made numerousfilm and television appearances,Laurie’s career was mostly devoted tothe stage. She was nominated for aTony Award in 1979 as Best Actressfor her role in George Bernard Shaw’sMan and Superman. Her latest projectin 2010 was a role in the film, Armless,about a man who suffers from BodyIntegrity Identity Disorder, an actualpsychological condition in which anindividual doesn’t feel whole unless heor she loses one or more limbs.

After Laurie graduated fromSolebury School, she attended SarahLawrence College as a theater major.Each year, two seniors were chosen

from the class and sent to Chicago fora theater communications group. Theydid two auditions, one modern andone classical, for directors from all therepertory theaters in the U.S. Lauriewas chosen to go, and out of thataudition, she was hired at the LongWharf Theater in New Haven, CT,where she remained a member formany years. That was her first breakinto professional theater. Before that,she had been an apprentice at theWilliamstown Summer Theater andwhile there, she was chosen to playIrina in the Chekhov play, The ThreeSisters. She was 18 years old. Lauriedid quite a bit of work with NikosPsacharopoulos, the artistic executivedirector and co-founder of theWilliamstown Theater Festival formore than 30 years.

The life of an actor, Laurieexplained, is kind of like being a gypsy.

“You’re hired somewhere, usuallyin a repertory theater and you go tothat city. You get to explore America,”said Laurie. “I’ve been out to the westcoast, Midwest, and up and down theeastern seaboard, at various theatersthroughout my life. Each cast is a newexperience. Each director is usually anew experience.”

Laurie performed Shaw’s, SaintJoan, in three different theaters.

“I remember doing tons ofresearch on St. Joan, reading all thehistory about her. I immersed myselfin the racial consciousness of the timeperiod I was doing. I was fortunate toperform in a lot of turn-of-the-centuryplays, including six Shaw plays. Thatperiod of literature attracted me. I dida lot of Edwardian plays early on. Ilove that literature so I read it all thetime.”

Laurie has done some televisionover the years. She was never ascomfortable doing TV as she wasdoing theater. She felt more in controlin the theater.

“You open the show, you start theshow, and nobody stops you whenyou’re doing a play. In TV, the soundis done in one take, or someone

messed up a line and you have toretake, or you’re waiting to get thelights and the sound right. It’s a verydifferent rhythm.”

Certainly, it’s more intense to dosomething on Broadway than in arepertory theater, explained Laurie.You still do your best in yourperformance, but the pressure aroundyou is more heightened on Broadway.

At Solebury, Laurie remembersdoing her first play, The GlassMenagerie, under the direction ofMichael Casey. She did it with fellowstudents John McCook and Pat Dale.Pat was in the class ahead of her. Sheplayed the role of Laura. They did itin a barn down the street fromSolebury, and on opening night,Laurie noticed all these things flyingaround the stage during a scene. Atfirst, she thought people werethrowing paper airplanes, but it turnedout to be bats. They started swoopingdown into the seats.

“Michael Casey loved drama andhe loved theater. That was my firstexperience so it certainly influencedme becoming an actress,” said Laurie.

“I was lucky enough to be atSolebury when all the founders werestill alive, Laurie Erskine, RobertShaw, Arthur Washburn, and JulianLathrop. I interacted with all of them,particularly Julian Lathrop and ArthurWashburn. Being a part of somethingthat started with these men issomething amazing. I also rememberfondly David Leshan, my Englishteacher, and Bill Orrick, who was theheadmaster. In my senior year, I wasthe only student studying Latin andBill Orrick was my teacher. Webreezed along for half a year and hesaid, ‘Well, you don’t need to do thisanymore. Would you like to studyGreek? So we started studying Greek,but we didn’t prolong it because ofother things like the SATs. It was anamazing experience.” ❖


Laurie Kennedy ‘63

Laurie Kennedy ’63–A Lifetime of Acting

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With an acoustic guitar in hand and a fedora dipped just so slightly to shadowhis eyes, Langhorne Slim takes the stage to perform several times a week as he toursthe country with his band, The Law. Some might say Slim’s music is an eclectic mixof alternative bluegrass, neo-folk, and country-punk. Whatever category of music itis, his fans can’t get enough of him.

Langhorne Slim, known to fellow Soleburians as Sean Scolnick ’99, is totallyconsumed with his music. He is either touring the country with his band or he is athome where his time is spent writing songs and getting ready to hit the road again.If you haven’t guessed, Sean loves the musician’s life.

“My favorite part of being a musician is playing for and connecting with anaudience. It’s the most natural part of the process for me and what I enjoy themost,” said Sean. “I spend most of my time on the road. We tour about 8 monthsout of the year so a lot of my life is spent in a smelly van with my friends. We driveby day and play shows at night.”

When Slim is not on tour, he is writing songs, and is hardly ever lacking forsong ideas, inspired by the world around him.

“I find almost everything is inspiring some days and on others nothing at all. Butinspiration can come from anywhere for me. It’s all around us. I have never had afixed process though I envy those who do. I write best when I’m in the moment andthe feeling strikes. I have no idea where or why that feeling comes but I’m sure gladwhen it drops by.”

He’ll come up with a tune, and bring it to the band. They work on it together with great results.Over the years on the road, Sean has had quite a few memorable moments. Certainly one that stands out was his appearance on the

David Letterman show in 2008, where he performed the first single from the album, Restless, and received rave reviews.While he can’t credit Solebury School for influencing his style of music, it did help him gain confidence to do his own thing.“Though I struggled at times to say the least, I found that Solebury allowed me to be myself and instead of condemning those of us

who were a little outside of the box, so to speak, I found that I was praised more for being artistic than not. The public school I camefrom was so restricting and suffocating to anybody that didn’t fit the mold. Arriving at Solebury was a breath of fresh air.”

Slim has seven records to his credit, and he is currently working on another. He and his band do over 150 shows and major musicfestivals across the US and have done stints in Europe.

To fellowsinger/songwritersSean sends thisadvice. “Keepwriting, believe inyourself and don’tlet anybody oranything stand inyour way.” ❖

Life on the Road with Langhorne Slim(aka alumnus Sean Scolnick ’99)

Sean Scolnick (Langhorne Slim) performing at theFillmore East (Photo credit: Kathyrn Friedman)

Langhorne Slim (center) with his band, The Law(Photo credit: Kathyrn Friedman)

Alma’s UpdateSummer 2011

NEWS FROM SOLEBURY ALUMNIThe alumni office is missing the following yearbooks. Ifyou have one to spare, please mail it to Solebury School,6832 Phillips Mill Road, New Hope, PA 18938.1952, 1965, 1967 and 1970

HOLMQUIST SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 1917-1949

Class of 1940Carla Rosenlicht is a snowbird living 5 months in Arizonaand the rest in Oregon when she is not traveling. She justbought a townhouse in Corvallis where her daughterteaches at Oregon State University and her son-in-lawdoes cancer research. Her oldest son is a clinicalprofessor at University of California San Francisco and theother son keeps the San Francisco water clean. Heradopted daughter is a horse trainer and riding instructor.Carla is busy and active in the AARP tax program and singsin many choruses.

Class of 1945April Blackburn Hill and her husband, Bob continue toenjoy retirement life at Rogue Valley Manor in Medford,Oregon. They are kept busy with numerous activities andinteresting people. In nearby Ashland they attend anexcellent chamber music series at Southern OregonUniversity, and see some of the plays at the OregonShakespeare Festival. April continues to work on art projects, and sometimes hasone accepted in juried exhibitions. Last year she won FirstPlace for a 16-unit collage at Coos Art Museum in CoosBay, Oregon. April, at age 83, walks two miles a day aroundthe Rouge Valley Manor campus. She remembers doingquite a bit of walking from Holmquist School to New Hopeand back with a small group of girls. April was considereda “responsible girl”!

Class of 1949

Noëlle Kennedy Masukawa, at Manhattan’s Skyline Parkwith son, Jeff Masukawa and husband Terry.

SOLEBURY SCHOOL FOR BOYS

Class of 1947Ernest Hankamer writes…80th birthday a year ago, goldenwedding anniversary a year from now, oldest grandsongoing on 21…how is this possible?

Peter Whelan just completed a novel set in 1907 NewOrleans called The Cornet Lesson. Freddie Keppard, thecity’s dominant cornetist, encounters a range ofpersonalities from Buddy Bolden (first man of Jazz) thruE.J. Belloc (infamous photographer) to the legendary TonyJackson (man of a thousand songs).

COED MERGER 1950-Present

Class of 1941Henry Garlington reports no fascinating news; I’mtraveling less often than in the past. I do work out at thegym fairly successfully four days a week in hope ofcontrolling the flab build up.

Class of 1947Phil Reiss saw Al and Phyllis Smeeth on a visit to Sedona,AZ last February. Al is a mining geologist having worked inColorado for 30 years after graduating from Solebury. Algave the Reiss’s a geologist tour of his part of Arizonaincluding the old mining town of Jerome, which is perchedon the side of a mountain.

Class of 1949David Hovey sends in his annual fund check with a note:Every little bit helps! Keep the faith! Thanks again for mysuper, decent education. Thank you, David!

Class of 1951Dick Mack reports that this summer Cynthia and he wentvisiting first to Wanda and Nick Simons in Bethany Beach,Delaware then down to Blairsville, Georgia to RayFolgelson and Karen Luckritz. Hope to see all ourclassmates and same era alumni at the reunion in May.Let’s make it big. Got a call from Chuck Schwartz – hesounds great – hope to see him at the reunion.

Karl Welsh, Director of Annual Giving visited AgnesSteven-Hubbard Former Faculty, Tad Evans ’51, JeanStorrs Evans ’59, and Valerie Evans.

Class of 1952Dick Walsh is looking forward to the 60th reunion nextyear and hopes to have a quorum.

Class of 1953Jean Affleck is still getting rid of antiques from her NewJersey home. She moved into the heart of downtownCharleston, SC – a mini New Hope!

Class of 1955Carol Holder Livingston shares some sad news. Herdarling mother, Hilda Holder, died at 99 years old. How sheloved Solebury. Husband Mayo had unexpected openheart surgery in late November. He’s doing well now. Lifeis good – appreciate it every day.

Tony and Penny Evans are heavily involved in MarylandHall of Creative Arts. Penny is on the Board of Directors.They are always looking for funding. If you’d like tosupport the Arts, here is the link: http://www.marylandhall.org/home_flash.asp.

Class of 1956Karl Welsh visited the Racheland Jack Newkirk inMashpee, MA.

Class of 1958Bob Stockton is still writing.Here’s what Apex.com has to say about Bob’s book,Listening To Ghosts, an autobiography.“If you sit at the feet of any military veteran, you are sureto be regaled by stories of danger, adventure, andconquest that rival anything out of the best of Tom Clancynovels. Life in the military is about more than killing andwarfare, though, and the candid, often frail humanity of ourbrave servicemen and women is a side of them we rarelyget to see.”Throughout the pages of Listening To Ghosts, author BobStockton puts that humanity on full display. In his movingmemoir, Stockton recounts his quite colorful experiencesas he served in the U.S. Navy, being exposed to people,places, and events he could hardly ever dream of as ayouth growing up in a nondescript Northeastern workingclass neighborhood. Through all the joyous highs anddepressing lows, Stockton learned invaluable life lessonsthat stick with him to this day, and he shows no hesitationin sharing those lessons with the reader. Equallyenlightening and entertaining, Listening To Ghosts is highlyrecommended for anyone who wants to know just how lifein the military truly exists.You can order Bob’s book at amazon.com.

Class of 1959Wistar Silver is still residing in Doylestown with wifeRachel. They recently celebrated their 47th weddinganniversary.

Class of 1960Rick Smith boasts that Lummox Presshas published his new book HardLanding. It’s about the mythology andlegacy of the wren. Rick enjoyed the 50th reunion and visitingwith John Sieble ’60, Mira Nakashima’59, Herb Markman ’60, Bill Frankenstein’60, and Morna McGoldrick Livingston’59. Michael Casey was pivotal for me at Solebury turningus onto Yates, Burroughs and Lieber and Stoller in thesame breath.

Class of 1961Sandra Mason Dickson Coggeshall was devastated by theloss of Jim MacArthur ’56 and will treasure memories fromschool days in the 1950s and later reunions. Sandra is abeliever in life-long education and has been studying oilpainting with Ronald Frontin since February. In October,her daughter Lisa married Rodger Strickland. GrandsonSam was best man. They are living in Devon and hope tobe there in April just before the class of 1961’s 50th reunionat Solebury.

Class of 1962Toni Peters muses: While listening to Says You! I heard adefinition and derivation of alma mater – “nurturingmother” – that, of course, led me to think of Solebury. It

SUMMER 2011 THE ALMA PAGE 2

was the second day in a row that the word “nurturing” ledme to muse on its complexity. The first occasion related toFriend A telling me that Friends B & C had broken updespite the fact that Friend B is “very nurturing.” Hmmm, Iwonder: how welcome her nurturing was. Nurturingmeans fostering, encouraging, and developing. Does thatimply helping someone meet goals he has set for himself?I hope so. It strikes me that Solebury’s philosophy of tryingto help each student realize his/her own potential andgoals is very much in sync with being an alma mater.Toni had briefly contemplated retirement but when shereceived an invitation from the Turkish Ministry ofEducation to give a talk at a conference entitled “TheBrain and Education” last February, she put thoughts ofretirement on hold. After the talk, Toni visited 5archaeological sites including the ruins of the school onKos where Hippocrates taught.

Class of 1963John Funk is still practicing law in New Hampshire. Johnlives in a small town in a wonderful one-of-a-kind 18thCentury house (former country store). He has two kidswho live on the west coast, both married and starting todeliver grandchildren. John loves to travel and is going toTurkey next year.

Class of 1966Rick Row reports that one person who strongly influencedhim during his day student years at Solebury School wasa Phillips Mill neighbor named Margaret Hilles Shearman.Already in her early 90s when he knew her, MissShearman had been a Latin teacher at the HolmquistSchool for Girls. A 1906 graduate of Bryn Mawr (alongwith classmate and friend Edith Hamilton who authoredseveral well-known books about Greek and Romanmythology), Miss Shearman always had afternoon tea andcookies for a growing and hungry young man. Since hereyesight was failing her, Miss Shearman frequently askedthat he read New York Times articles to her. Anotherregular guest for afternoon tea was Carl Holmquist. In theMy Profile page of Solebury School’s website, Rick hasposted an early 1960s photo, the only photo he has of CarlHolmquist and Miss Shearman, two long since deceasedindividuals who Rick considered personal friends.

Class of 1968

Former Solebury librarian Sally Foulkrod and her husbandvisited Sandy Hoffacker at her job last December. Sandra Hoffacker was sad to hear of the passing of bothArt Washburn ’45 and Henry Lindenmeyr ’56. Both werefriends that in their own way added to her decision tomove to the land where the earth meets the sky. Henrytalked of moving to Colorado but couldn’t leave his bit ofheaven on Ash Mill Rd and Art sent a photo with a walkingstick standing in the middle of where the earth met the skyon the east coast of Oregon in the late 80s. Sandy says,their spirits, as well as those who have come before, stillmake their presence known to me where I live in the landwhere the earth still meets the sky.

Class of 1973 Jackie French is a Neurology Professor at New YorkUniversity commuting to Philly for the weekend. Shehappily keeps in touch with former classmates onFacebook.

Class of 1975Michael Crotsky received his degree in Social Work fromLehman College (City University of New York) after retiringfrom New York City Transit Authority.

Class of 1976Will Sgarlet says life is good! He has a terrific family, a funjob and an excellent workshop in the basement where hetinkers and builds stuff as a hobby. He’s evolved into amechanical designer and loves to build remote controlairplanes and boats, as well as mechanized art that makespeople scratch their heads. Will enjoys fixing brokenthings and rejuvenating them to their former glory. He rides his mountain bike on Cape Cod, where the trailsare tremendously fun and challenging.“At Solebury, my most immediate family were my fellowstudents and teachers.” Will has very fond memories ofSolebury School and all the individuals that made it aunique place in which to live, learn and grow.

Class of 1977In May, 2011 Rachel Simon published her second novel(and sixth book), The Story of Beautiful Girl. The book is anunforgettably moving love story about the improbableodds faced by a couple with disabilities and a lost child.It received terrific reviews and became a New York Timesbest seller within two weeks. (That is a first for Rachel!)“The Solebury community, including those whoconnected with me on Facebook, has been verysupportive. It’s been very exciting.”By the way, Rachel’s blog is fantastic. Go read it!http://rachelsimon.com/blog/

Class of 1978Three cheers for classmates Melissa Hamilton whosecookbook series Canal House Cooking is taking the foodworld by storm. Gwyneth Paltrow is a huge fan!

Amy Ford, also knownas Ambika Devi, has awonderful CD calledEnchantment. Amydescribes the music asfollows: Enchantmentcan be used as ameans to boost energyand give healing to theentirety of our beings.Some of the sacred

mantras in this album are closer to the way I first heardthem sung by my beloved teachers. Others began aswritten words, passed on to me through friends ordiscovered in my reading. These mantras transformed inmy consciousness and morphed into song through divineinspiration.A customer review: Amy Ford’s album Enchantment is ararity in yoga music. It mixes a plethora of styles:Buddhist, Native American, Sikh and Hindu chants withunique instrumentation like didgeridoo. The result is a fun,upbeat, danceable party of a yoga album.To purchase a CD go to this website:http://www.invinciblemusic.com/ambika-devi/enchantment

Class of 1979 Cynthia Keler was granted tenure and promotion toassociate professor at Delaware College.

Fred Royal is working like mad to preserve valuable andbeautiful natural resources while promoting smart growthand low impact development.

Class of 1980 and 1981A smattering of 80s alumni made it back for alumniweekend.

Pablo Schor ’80, Kia Jacobson ’81, Scott Lynch ’81, PeterCenedella ’81, Andrea Sherman ’81.

Theresa Quindlen ‘80, Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn ’81,Andrea Sherman ’81, Anne Blasko ’80, and Jo Prockop ’81.

Class of 1982 and 1983

David Toron ‘82 and Laryssa Small Clark ‘83.

Class of 1985Robin Woosnam Haff was shocked to learn that GeoffTilden retired. She writes, “Geoff, you were by far the bestteacher I have ever had, even after 2 college degrees. It’shard to put into words, but you gave me strength when Ididn’t think I had any, you were patient when I had nopatience left. You always trusted me when I didn’t trustmyself. You were a friend but a teacher (that yelledsometimes, loved that). Honestly I parent my kids in aSolebury manner - unbiased, challenged, but still haverules. My older daughter is going to start her undergrad atPenn State and wants to be a veterinarian; my youngerdaughter wants to be a teacher. She is such a good souland reminds me of you. I just wanted you to know in yourretirement you played a role in who I am today.

Class of 1987Aaron Keane is living in Chapel Hill, NC with wife Julie,Ruben (9) and August (5). Writing music for TV Film: GreatInca Rebellion on PBS, Kate Plus 8 and Sister Wives. Lifeis good!

Indra Lahir, a Ph.D. and organizational psychologist/industrial anthropologist, decided five years ago to makea major change in her life. By day, Indra helpscorporations like The Coca-Cola Company and Texacobuild their diversity initiatives. She’s served on the facultyat Cornell and Penn State University. She has been afeatured speaker at many conferences and universities,and guest on a number of talk shows. She’s published a


popular book and numerous articles on cultural diversity. Indra has saved countless animals from animal sheltersand brought them to live with her in Mehoopany, PA on 30acres she bought four years ago when her Bucks Countyhome was no longer big enough to house her growinganimal family. Once labeled “un-adoptable,” these dogs,cats, horses, pigs, roosters, goats, peacocks, sheep,turkeys, cows, ducks and chickens now have a dedicatedand loving caretaker and safe haven.Indra’s sanctuary, called Indraloka Animal Sanctuary(www.indraloka.org), “God’s Heaven” in Sanskrit, and theonly one of its kind on the east coast, provides animals indesperate need with a lifetime of safe refuge, includinglove, compassion, gentle care, and dignity. Indralokatakes in abused, neglected, or abandoned animals ofevery species. Her team of 20 volunteers focus on thosewith severe medical or behavioral issues that wouldotherwise be considered un-adoptable, providingveterinary care, retraining, and nurturing to bring eachanimal back to full health, and then keeping them at thesanctuary for the rest of their natural lives.

Class of 1997Matt Merwin had 3 sculptures accepted into the “Worksin Wood” art show in New Hope.

Class of 1999Rebeka Horowitz completed a law degree and is about toearn her Master’s in Public Health.

Class of 2002Brittany Korn Winfeld is a surgical resident at NYU andher husband, Matt, is a resident at NYU in radiology.

Class of 2003Laura Downs is pursuing her Master’s degree inSustainable Development from the SIT (School ofInternational Training) Graduate Institute. She will spendthe upcoming year in South Africa interning with a ruraldevelopment organization and writing her thesis.

Class of 2004Jessica Giffin received her Master of Arts degree inforensic psychology from John Jay College of CriminalJustice in 2010 and in fall 2011 will teach history and be acollege coordinator and assisting with the theatreprogram at the Woodhull School in CT.

Class of 2006 Malcolm J. Ingram of Philadelphia University hascompleted his Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarshipto Argentina. Malcolm was one of over 1,500 U.S. citizenswho travelled abroad for the 2010-2011 academic yearthrough the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Class of 2008Holly Mutascio has been interested in studying on thetundra for quite some time and has been trying to findfieldwork up north for the past few summers. This summer,she made it to the Arctic! She went to Sweden at the endof June and spent July somewhere in northern Swedeninterning with Professor Anders Angerbjorn. They trappedand tagged arctic foxes, studied their behavior, trappedlemmings, and did some vegetation mapping. She earnedcredit at Stockholm University. After a couple of years ofapplying to formal programs and consistently beingrejected, Holly got this internship by e-mailing ProfessorAngerbjorn directly after having read one of his papers!

Class of 2009Nate Danciger had the male lead in The Fantasticks at theMonarch Theater in Newtown.

MARRIAGES

Photo by Josh Rigling.Hope Newhouse ’02 was married to Delphine KilhofferAugust 14, 2010. They were married in Rockport, MA andare living in Paris, where Hope works as an actress.

BABIES

Olivia Douglas CookRachael Scott Cook ’95 Corey, Rachael & Henley Cook would like to present.Olivia Douglas CookBorn on January 6th, 20118 lbs. 8 oz.20 inches

Meghan Perry, Administrative Support, Admissions andCollege Guidance, added two more babies to the home!A huge welcome to Meg Perry’s little girls, born June 12,2011 at 7:52 and 7:53am. Lauren Elizabeth was a healthy 6 lbs. 15 oz., and JuliaKatherine was 6 lbs. 2 oz.

The Eichman family welcomed a new baby boy on May20th, 2011.Brooks Robert Eichem all 9 lbs, 8 oz. Rumor has it he canalready hit a fastball.

Jen and Dan Perez welcome their 3rd child to the world onFebruary 17th, 2011. Ian Meringolo Perez weighed 7 lbs 1oz and was 19.5 inches long. Daniel and MacKenzie Perezlove their baby brother.

DEATHS

Peter Hobbs ’36January 19, 1918-January 2, 2011After a brief illness, Peter passed awaypeacefully at his home in Santa Monicasurrounded by family. Born in Etretat,France, to Dr. Austin L. Hobbs andMabel Foote Hobbs, Peter was raised

in New York City, attended Solebury School in PA, andgraduated in Drama from Bard College. In World War II heserved in Europe as a Sergeant in Combat Engineeringand fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Peter was especially proud of his role in safeguarding thelives of the men in his platoon. Peter enjoyed a 50-yearcareer as an actor in theater, TV, and film. He played onBroadway (notably, Teahouse of the August Moon andBilly Budd; on TV (from his role as Peter Ames in SecretStorm from 1954 to 1962, to Perry Mason, The Dick VanDyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza, All in theFamily, The Odd Couple, Streets of San Francisco, HappyDays, Barney Miller, Lou Grant, M*A*S*H, Knots Landing,L.A. Law, and dozens more); and in film (Sleeper, The Manwith Two Brains, 9 to 5, Any Which Way You Can, TheAndromeda Strain, In the Mood, and The Lady in Red.) Peter is survived by his wife of 28 years, Carolyn AdamsHobbs.

Anthony (Tony) Layng ’51March 6, 1931-June 12, 2011Tony Layng a Winston-Salem tennisenthusiast and an emeritus professorof anthropology, died on Sunday,June 12, 2011. (He would want it

pointed out that he has neither “gone” somewhere nor“passed over” anything.) A life-long religious skeptic, hegraduated from Solebury School, completedundergraduate work at Rollins College and ColumbiaUniversity, and received an M.A. from Indiana Universityand a Ph.D. in anthropology from Case Western Reserve.He was awarded a Purple Heart as a U.S. Marine in theKorean War. He was actively involved in the Civil RightsMovement in Mississippi for four years and was a leaderfor Operation Crossroads Africa in Lesotho. The National Institute of Mental Health supported hisethnographic research on the Carib Reserve in Dominicain the Caribbean, and he worked under John HopeFranklin as a Danforth Foundation Fellow in Black Studiesat the University of Chicago. He taught at Washington,Tougaloo, Rollins, and Oberlin Colleges in addition to 20years at Elmira College in New York, from which he retiredin 1997. It was then that he, with his beloved wife Donna,settled in Winston-Salem and taught as an adjunctprofessor at Wake Forest. Donna Layng is a well-knownartist in the area and was Tony’s favorite doubles tennispartner.


Tony was active as a Shepherd’s Center Board memberand volunteer, and he regularly taught in their Adventuresin Learning Program. He also served on the Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission, the Board ofAmericans United for Separation of Church and State, andthe Chateau Ridge Homeowners Association Board as itspresident. He was a member of the Wake Forest TennisCenter and an active participant in USTA league play.He is the author of a University Press of America book onthe Carib Indians of Dominica and numerous journal andmagazine articles on the nature of religion, women, blackAmericans, American Indians, human sexuality, andevolution. He devoted his professional career topromoting critical thinking and challenging biblicalliteralism. His students were consistently encouraged todevelop a cross-cultural perspective on customary humanbehavior and to recognize as well as see beyond theirown cultural biases.

Art Washburn ’42 July 12, 1928-September 29, 2010Art was the nephew of Arthur Washburn,one of the founders of Solebury. Art was born in San Mateo, CA and grewup in Denver, CO. He graduated from

Manual Training High School, where he enjoyed writingshort stories in his English class. He rose to the rank ofStaff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, won a short storycontest sponsored by the Air Force Times, and became ahistorian during the Korean conflict. From then on hewrote stories and poems whenever he could. Art earneda BA from Reed College, Portland, OR, a MA fromGallaudet College (now University) in Washington, D.C.and a PhD. from Columbia Pacific University. For 45 yearshe enthusiastically taught deaf children dedicating his lifeto the betterment of their lives and education. Art taughtat the state schools for the deaf in Colorado and Maine,Riverside (CA) Community College, the Community Collegeof Denver (now Front Range Community College), and theUniversity of Northern Colorado Lab School in Greeley aswell as several public schools.Art moved to the Valley 12 years ago and continued toteach sign language and calligraphy at every opportunity.He pursued art from a young age continuing until neardeath doing oil and acrylic painting and calligraphy. Artwrote prose, but his main interest in poetry led to thepublication of three books: Shadow-maker, poems whichdepicts scenes from the San Luis Valley area, MissLavington’s Bomb, short stories and poems, and Eye of theHeart, selected poems. Many of these stories and poemsoffer insights into his career and life. He is survived by hiswife, Pauline.

Michael Laine ’54July 1, 1936 – January 16, 2011. Born in Philadelphia, PA, and raised on theEast Coast, Michael loved to call himself aNew Yorker. Michael attended theUniversity of New Mexico. He served in

the U.S. Army. He moved to Reno, NV in 1967 to work at theUniversity of Nevada, Reno. He was a Captain in the RenoPolice Auxiliary. He was Commander of the Northern NVDrug Crime Unit which he helped establish. Michaelworked in the Hotel/Casino industry in Nevada &California for most of his life. He recently retired fromChoice Hotels Int’l. During his retirement, he enjoyed hisvolunteer work at The Animal Ark.

James MacArthur ’56December 8, 1927-October 28, 2010. James, who for 11 seasons, booked‘em on Hawaii Five-O, passed awayOctober 28th, 2010. He was 72.

James was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in atheatre atmosphere by his parents, the First Lady of theAmerican stage, Helen Hayes and noted playwrightCharles MacArthur residing at their home, “Pretty Penny,”on the bank of the Hudson River in Nyack, New York.As an actor, James had three separate careers, live stage,movies and television. In 1955, prior to his senior year atthe Solebury School, James appeared in the TV play, Deala Blow. After graduation and before going to Harvard, hewent to Hollywood to make the film version of it, renamedThe Young Stranger which earned him a nomination in theMost Promising Newcomer category at the 1958 BAFTAawards. During summer breaks from Harvard he madeThe Light in the Forest and Third Man on the Mountain forWalt Disney. In 1959 and 1960, he made both Kidnappedand Swiss Family Robinson for Disney and made hisBroadway debut playing Aaron Jablonski opposite JaneFonda in Invitation to a March which won him the 1961Theatre World Award for Best New Actor. He thenappeared in Under the Yum Yum Tree, The Moon Is Blue,John Loves Mary, Barefoot in the Park and Murder at theHoward Johnson’s before returning to Hollywood to star insuch movies as The Interns, Spencer’s Mountain, TheTruth About Spring with Haley Mills, and Cry of Battle. In1963, he was a runner up in the Golden Laurel Awards inthe “Top New Male Personality” category. He then was amember of the all-star cast which included Henry Fonda,Robert Shaw, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews, GeorgeMontgomery, Charles Bronson and Telly Savalas in TheBattle of the Bulge.In 1968 producer Leonard Freeman remembered the actorwho did a cameo in the Clint Eastwood movie Hang ‘emHigh as the traveling preacher who came on the set,requiring only one take which was excellent. He calledJames, and cast him as Detective Dan Williams of Hawaii5-0, who will be forever tied to the phrase “Book ‘emDano!”After 11 years as Detective Dan Williams, he returned tothe live stage in The Hasty Hearst with Caroline Lagerfelt,The Front Page, a play written by his father CharlesMacArthur, A Bed Full of Foreigners in several locales andthen played Mortimer in the national tour of Arsenic andOld Lace with Jean Stapleton, Marion Ross, and LarryStorch.MacArthur loved life and all that it had to offer. He wasadventurous and a world traveler. In the early 1970s hespent six months driving his Land Rover from London,England to Malawi, Africa with friend, Stan Hattie. He alsoenjoyed sharing his love for travel with his family takingthem on numerous vacations to many exotic locations.James was an avid tennis player and enjoyed skiing,fishing, and hiking. He was a skilled flamenco guitarist anda consummate reader. His passion for playing golf led himto meet and fall in love with his wife, LPGA tour player andteacher, “H.B.” Duntz. Throughout his life Jamesdeveloped a long list of friendships and stories to tellalong the way. He had a great sense of humor and lovedto laugh. He was often the recipient of practical jokes;however, one could always tell when he was the instigatorof a few good ones of his own by that famous little crinkleat the side of his mouth and the twinkle in his eye.MacArthur was deeply honored to speak at the Library ofCongress. He also was the Master of Ceremonies at DanQuayle’s Inaugural Ball. He was most supportive of thetheatre through the Helen Hayes Awards in Washington,DC serving as a Board member, participant in the AnnualCharity Auction and as the presenter of the CharlesMacArthur Award for Best Screenplay at the annualWashington Theatre Awards.In 2001, James was honored with his own star along theWalk of Fame in Palm Springs, California. In 2003, thefourth annual Film in Hawaii Award was bestowed uponhim and Hawaii Five-O. The National Academy of

Television Arts & Sciences honored James with a GoldCircle Award for 50 years of outstanding contributions tothe medium in 2008. He was a true master of his craft.He leaves behind his wife of over 25 years, Helen Beth(H.B.) Duntz.

Henry Lindenmeyr IV ’56 January 2, 1928 – November 15, 2010.Henry attended Solebury School and later served as aboard member from 1987 to 1993. He attended the RhodeIsland School of Design, where he studied architecturaldesign, and served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps.Henry owned his own antique car restoration business,Automobilia, in New Hope during the 1960s. He was ametal sculptor for many years, and had several localexhibits. He was an exceptional amateur photographer.He loved exploring his family’s genealogy, and wasextremely knowledgeable about Bucks County artists andlocal history.

Margaret “Peggy” Powell Alexander ’58 July 25, 1940 – June 25, 2010 Peggy died of lung cancer.

Joel H. Sterns ’53, who helped spearhead theestablishment of Atlantic City’s multi-billion-dollar casinogaming industry, died Feb. 21, 2011 in Gainesville, Florida.In 1977, Joel was engaged by Resorts International,operator of a major casino on Paradise Island in theBahamas, which was seeking to become the first casinooperator in New Jersey; the state had passed areferendum in 1976 to allow gaming in the declining resortof Atlantic City. Joel worked closely with the New JerseyLegislature and the office of Governor Brendan T. Byrne toshape the New Jersey Casino Control Act. Joel and his Trenton law firm, Sterns & Weinroth, grew tobe recognized as leading practitioners in the gamingindustry throughout the nation, in Canada and Europe. Healso was the longtime legal counsel to the New Jerseyharness owners and breeders association. Joel wasraised in Montclair, N.J., and graduated fromNorthwestern University in 1956. He received a master’sdegree from Princeton University’s Woodrow WilsonSchool of Public Affairs in 1958, and earned a law degreein 1967, commuting to classes at New York University. Joel enjoyed music, particularly classical, opera andguitar music, and tennis. He loved Martha’s Vineyard andserved on the executive committee and board ofgovernors of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. Joel wasfond of horses and horse racing. He was a formerSolebury School Board Member, husband to JoanneGlickman Sterns ’53 and father to two Solebury graduates,David ’87 and Rachel ’82. His grandchildren were hisgreatest joy.

Hugh MacBrienAugust 27, 1928 – May 16, 2011Hugh MacBrien, father of Chris MacBrien ’79 passedaway at the age of 82. He passed with a book by his sidetitled Hero, The Life and Legend of Lawrence ofArabia. For nearly fifty years he was a friend andsupporter of Solebury School. His association with theschool began in the early 1960s when he tutored studentsin reading, writing and study skills. Over the years, Hughcontinued his connection with the school as aparent, tutor, history teacher and Board member in the 70sand 80s. He loved history and spent hours in conversationwith Mariella Sundstrom. He was a voracious reader ofhistory and politics and loved to go to Farley’s Bookstoreto speak with Julian Karhumaa ’79 about books andhistory. In 2003, he was blessed with the birth of hisgrandaughter Niamh whom he loved dearly.

2011-2012Solebury School Fall-Winter Magazine

EditorPeter Pearson

Director of Advancement

Associate Editor, MagazineBeverly Berkeley

Director of Communications

Associate Editor, Alma’sRenee LaPorte

Associate Director of Development

Design & ProductionEnForm Graphic Productions, Inc.

PhotographyBeverly Berkeley, Bob Krist, Creosote Affects

Please send change of address to:Solebury School

6832 Phillips Mill Road, New Hope, PA 18938Phone: 215-862-5261

Fax: 215-862-2783E-mail: [email protected] Site: www.solebury.org

Copyright 2011 Solebury School

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2011-2012Charles J. Abbe ’59 (CA) Chairman

Joan Reinthaler ’53 (DC) Vice ChairmanElizabeth Wavle (NJ) TreasurerDiane Carugati (PA) Secretary

Ezra Billinkoff ’03 (PA)Christopher B. Chandor, Jr. ’86 (MA)

David Christiansen (PA)Dan Cohen ’63 (FL)

Jonathan Downs ’71 (PA)Stan Jablonowski (PA)

Mary Beth Kineke (PA)Ken Klimpel (NJ)Holly Mullin (PA)John Petito (PA)

Mike Sienkiewicz ’56 (PA)Anne C. (Annsi) Stephano ’58 (PA)

Elizabeth E. Wavle (NJ)Brett Webber ’85 (PA)

Barbara Winslow ’63 (NY)Navarrow Wright ’88 (NJ)

Head of SchoolThomas G. Wilschutz


Save the DatesReunion WeekendMay 4, 5, 6, 2012

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Solebury’s endowment now stands at $4,200,000 thanks to the foresight of alumni, parents and friends whohave included Solebury in their estate planning. Just think what a few more bequests could mean forSolebury! The interest from endowment given as gifts from bequests is used to support scholarships, facultysalaries, academic departments, athletics, the arts and the upkeep of our facilities.

Check out the website, www.solebury.org, and click on Giving on the left side of the home page andexplore how both the school and you can benefit from your donation. It is relatively easy to make a bequestor a planned gift to Solebury School.

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You could also make a gift to the school now through a Charitable Trust or a Charitable Gift Annuity and,in exchange, receive an income stream for life. You also receive an immediate federal income tax deduction.Gift Annuities can be started with a gift of $10,000. Gift Annuities rates currently range from 6 percent to 9percent depending on your age.

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Solebury School Class of 2011Photo Credit: Steve Barth

Class of 2011

solebury school fall/winter magazine 2011

Documents

art program standsout

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art projectwhen erika

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ceramics class

budding artist

sculpture class

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