Student Profile: Darryl Gene Daughtry & Kevin Murray

Two talented students receive the 2014 Kunal & Neha Nayyar Scholarship

by Deneia Washington

Last spring, senior Darryl Gene Daughtry, Jr. and junior Kevin Murray were awarded the second annual Kunal & Neha Nayyar Scholarship, established by alumnus Kunal Nayyar, MFA ’06, and his wife Neha Kapur. The fund provides two $10,000 scholarships annually for students studying acting who have demonstrated financial need, with a preference for students who attended urban public schools. In addition, the fund provides $5,000 yearly in travel stipends to assist students attending graduate school auditions and conferences.

Deneia Washington spoke to both men about what the scholarship meant to them and where they see themselves in the future.

Darryl Gene Daughtry, Jr.

Darryl Gene Daughtry, Jr.

When Darryl Gene Daughtry, Jr. is not in rehearsals or on stage – he was last seen in Temple Theaters’ Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, he is using his free time to apply for scholarships. As a rising junior, who had matured in his theater work and studies, Daughtry would apply for as many scholarships as he came across.

“At the end of my sophomore year I applied to every scholarship offered, including the Theater scholarships,” says Daughtry, an Acting concentration. “Got none of them.”

With the incentive to be self-sufficient and dependent on no one – not even his parents – for financial support, as to not burden them with his troubles, Daughtry had to rid of certain college “luxuries”, to offset some of the financial costs.

“I had to drop my meal plan in order to pay for rent this past year, so it was really, really tough,” Daughtry says. “I know my parents have their own bills they have to pay, so I feel guilty asking them every month for food money.”

Continuing to fill out scholarships as he prepared for his senior year last spring, Daughtry was met with good news.

“I can eat again!” were Daughtry’s first thoughts upon hearing he had received the Kunal and Neha Nayyar Scholarship.

Daughtry was one of two recipients of the Kunal and Neha Nayyar Scholarship. The Nayyar Scholarship was created by Temple Alumnus and star of CBS show The Big Bang Theory, Kunal Nayyar. The scholarship gives two recipients who are studying acting, and in financial need $10,000 each.

“I get to graduate with $10,000 less debt, which is beautiful,” he says.

Daughtry believes that applying for scholarships is essential to college students. “There’s so much untapped money for scholarships that we just aren’t using,” says Daughtry.

Nearing the end of his college career, Daughtry is thinking ahead about ways to enhance his acting even more and network with some of the future greats in theater and film. These future plans include attending graduate school at Yale or NYU.

He also has a passion for service and hopes to give back to the community through theater. “We have so many untapped resources. We have acres and diamonds right here where we live, so why don’t we use it?” he says.

Daughtry believes that immersing the Temple Theater department into the community helps attract diverse audiences and has the ability to change the world we live in. “Things always get better with diversity,” Daughtry says. “When you have a lot of people thinking on a lot of different wavelengths, you come up with the best frequency.”

Kevin Murray

Kevin Murray

”My dad is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known,” says Kevin Murray, junior Theater major and the second recipient of the Kunal and Neha Nayyar Scholarship. “Watching him be a strong worker and having good work ethic has been an inspiration. I always wanna make my family proud and I always wanna be the best person I can be.”

Along with his responsibilities as Musical Theater concentration, as performing in productions which include, but are not limited to, Spring Awakening, Oklahoma!, and Hair, Murray is a Resident Assistant at one of Temple University’s dorms.

“Financially me and my family aren’t in a good place right now and school’s been very rough,” says Murray. “I work as an RA on top of being in the shows I’ve been in so I can live on campus and save money on commuting.”

Upon receiving the news that he is a recipient of the Nayyar Scholarship, an “emotionally stale” Murray was no more.

“I have a lot of trouble showing emotion, but when I found out that I won, I cried and I never cry out of happiness,” he says. “It just made me think that there’s people that really truly care about me, my life, my career, and my well-being.”

Murray believes that self-confidence plays a big role in whether students take the opportunity to continue to apply for scholarships. “I didn’t apply for this scholarship thinking that I was going to get it. I did it because I thought I should be taking proactive steps,” says Murray. “You can think you might not be eligible, but you should still apply for it because you’d be surprised.”

To Murray, what sets Temple’s Department of Theater apart from other colleges is the ways in which the department really tries to immerse students into the Philadelphia theater culture. “I know a lot of colleges, it’s like you’re their product for four years, you cannot do anything; you’re stuck here,” Murray says.

At Temple, he says, “this is your chance to start putting your foot in the world and make connections and meet people.” Murray adds, “Everyone I’ve come in contact with outside and inside of Temple is just so gracious and are very warm and welcoming.”

Along with receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Temple, Murray’s future goals consist of becoming even more active in Philadelphia’s theater scene. “I think there’s so many great opportunities and there’s great theaters, and making those connections in Philadelphia is amazing,” he says.

Though Murray dream job is to be in a Broadway musical, he says he’s open to any opportunity. But for the next few years, Murray wants to be able to support himself.

“If you’re doing what you love then there’s nothing to be unhappy about.”

Murray appears in Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon, opening next week.

Remembering Alan Kosher

Alan Ross Kosher

The Temple Theaters community is mourning the loss of Alan Ross Kosher, BA ’69, who passed away on September 27, 2014, in Philadelphia, PA, at the age of 68 of colon cancer. Kosher was a respected theater professional and supportive Temple Theaters alumnus; a friend and mentor to many.

Kosher had an extensive and successful forty-five year career in theater, primarily as the company manager of the touring production of The Lion King. He began his career working box office at Philadelphia theaters and by 1980 became the company manager for major touring stage productions. He was employed by Disney Theatrical Productions from 1999 until his retirement in 2012. He toured with Beauty and the Beast as well as with The Lion King and retired when The Lion King production closed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

In May 2005, The League of American Theater and Producers awarded him its Career Achievement Award for Touring Broadway Theater to honor his twenty-five years as a company manager. In October 2010, he received the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Award from Temple University in recognition of his work. He frequently returned to speak to theater classes at Temple about theater administration and stage management. He was a well-respected member of the Temple Theaters community.

Alan Kosher (right)  with Clifford Schwartz

An advocate of mentorship, Kosher endowed the Alan Kosher Fund in 2007. The fund provides financial support, including, but not limited to, travel, food and lodging expenses, to an undergraduate Theater major for one week internship or job-shadowing with a union manager of a first-class theatrical touring production. Past recipients worked along side Kosher in Las Vegas with The Lion King.

J.T. Murtagh, BA ’14, was the 2012 recipient of the award and used it to travel to Houston to work on Disney’s production of the The Lion King. “I am so thankful for the opportunity that was given to me by Alan. It really did cement into place what I was meant to do in theater,” say Murtagh. “I know his loss is one that struck the worldwide theatre community. My heart and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.” Murtagh staged managed several production as student, and since graduation, has worked steadily at area theaters.

R.J. Magee, BA ’12, the 2010 recipient, shared his thoughts about his time working with The Lion King and what the opportunity meant to him. “The week that I spent shadowing the company managers of The Lion King in Costa Mesa, CA is one that I will never forget. Mr. Kosher provided me with an opportunity that went far beyond anything that I could learn in the classroom. I made invaluable industry contacts and got to witness the true inner workings of such a first class production. Mr. Kosher’s passion for his work, along with his desire to educate/mentor the future artists of American theatre, is something that will forever inspire me.”

The funeral will take place on Tuesday, September 30, 12:00 Noon, at the graveside, Montefiore Cemetery, 600 Church Road, Jenkintown, PA, 19046.

Gifts to the Alan Kosher Fund can be made online, at giving.temple.edu/givetotheater (type in “Alan Kosher Fund” in “Other”) or mail a check, payable to “Temple University – Alan Kosher Fund” to Temple University, P.O.Box 827651, Philadelphia, PA   19182-7651.

Remembrances can by emailed to theater@temple.edu. We will update this post regularly.

Student Profile: Alex Monsell

Junior spends winter break learning the ropes at Lumina Studio Theater

Alex Monsell

While most students use their winter break to relax after the fall semester, Alex Monsell,  a junior from Takoma Park, Maryland, spent his working hard. This fall, Alex received the Paul Ryan Hutton Memorial Scholarship, a $1000 stipend  awarded annually to a sophomore or junior, to participate in an internship designed for gaining practical theater experience.  Alex interned at Lumina Studio Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland, in an intense program that had him filing, stage managing, and acting.

Alex, an acting concentration, has appeared in Temple Theaters’ The Crucible and The Brother/Sister Plays. He’s also written plays for the department’s annual Short Stuff, festival of short plays and worked crew on a couple of shows. Alex got his start at Lumina Studio at the age of eleven and now works with their youth actors in the summer. His winter internship allowed him to gain experience beyond what he’s already done at Temple University, all at the theater he loves.

For this internship I did a combination of office work during the day, which included, organizing marketing plans, working on publicity packages, and even the not so glamorous, like making copies and organizing CDs and DVDs chronologically. During the evenings I stage managed, assistant directed, assistant lighting designed and acted in Lumina’s production of Cardenio, a play that Shakespeare co-wrote with John Fletcher.

Since Lumina is a relatively small non-profit as far as management is concerned I had the opportunity to do just about everything that I wanted, as someone who is interested in a very full understanding of theater it was great to be able to seek  the rights to a play, draft out lighting looks, and rehearse very rare text all in one day.

Alex hopes one day to own his own theater company; he’s preparing now by getting a variety of experiences. He say “I want to be confident that I can perform just about any job in the theater, so that when I’m a struggling artist I don’t need to hire as many people.”  But he’s also thinking about employability; “…finally, it means I’m qualified for more jobs.”

Since returning for the spring semester, Alex has been focused on producing his next show with  Raye Players show, a group he started last year with other Lumina Studio Theatre alums, and thinking about his post-graduation plans. “After graduation, I hope to perform some community service projects of one kind or another, Peace Corps or maybe AmeriCorps; then Grad School, although I’ve no idea as to where. And then who knows.”

Student Profile: Isabella Fehlandt & Philip Wilson

Two talented students receive inaugural Kunal & Neha Nayyar Scholarship

Seniors Isabella Fehlandt and Philip Wilson are the first recipients of the Kunal & Neha Nayyar Scholarship, established by alumnus Kunal Nayyar, MFA ’06, and his wife Neha Kapur. Nayyar, star of CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, has pledged $125,000 to support current theater students at Temple University. The fund provides two $10,000 scholarships for students studying acting who have demonstrated financial need, with a preference for students who attended urban public schools. In addition, the fund provides $5,000 yearly in travel stipends to assist students attending graduate school auditions and conferences.

This scholarship has provided Isabella Fehlandt, of Wilmington, Delaware, and Philip Wilson, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, another chance at theater education.

ISABELLA FEHLANDT

Isabella Fehlandt

Acting concentration student Isabella Fehlandt began her education at Temple in 2012 after two years at Delaware County Community College. Unfortunately tragic circumstances made continuing at Temple questionable for Isabella; “The sudden death of a parent three weeks before my first semester at Temple created a severe financial uncertainty in remaining at school for upcoming semesters. For me and my family, scholarships and grants would be the only option to pay for school. ” The Nayyar Scholarship has allowed Isabella to continue her studies at Temple University and plan for her post-graduate future.

A talented actor and dancer, Isabella appeared in a number of show at Delaware County Community College including Arsenic and Old Lace (Elaine), Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice), and Travesties (Cecily). Recently she appeared as an ensemble member and featured dancer in Temple Theater’s Oklahoma! by Rodgers & Hammerstein. Isabella has been cast as Lady Macduff in the upcoming production of Macbeth.

The opportunity to be a part of this production under the direction of Dan Kern is what I am looking forward to most this coming spring. To be a part of this ensemble of undergraduate and graduate actors working with classical text will be an exciting experience for me.  This will also be my first time working with stage combat and/or swordplay in a performance on stage.

After her graduation, Isabella plans to working Philadelphia and New York City, pursuing both her interest in acting and fitness.

Isabella, far left, with the ladies of OKLAHOMA

My goals for post graduation consist of auditioning and working in and around Philadelphia and New York City while furthering my training by taking theater and film acting classes and dance classes. I very much want to travel, and to do so while also having the opportunity to perform on stage [in a touring production] is incredibly appealing to me!

I have become more passionate and inspired by the Yoga/Pilates community. The ideals behind eating healthy and keeping an active lifestyle are very desirable to me, so I am looking into the process of becoming a Yoga, Pilates, and/or CrossFit instructor. My goal is to learn more about this process, and eventually be able to teach to other people while creating a healthier lifestyle for myself and for others.

PHILIP WILSON

Like Isabella, twenty-five year old, Philip Wilson is a transfer student. Philip attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh before starting at

Philip Wilson

Temple University in 2012. Paying for college was difficult for Philip; he had to withdraw from school  in order to earn enough to pay down the debit he owed. The Nayyar Scholarship allowed Philip to return earlier than expected. “Because of this scholarship I can continue studying what I love to do, finally graduate, and be prepared to go out and work in the field.”

A charismatic singer and actor Philip is very passionate about theater. “I was introduced to theater in high school by my theater teacher Roger Babusci who taught me a lot. I haven’t been able to stop since.” Philip appeared in Mauckingbird Theater Company’s acclaimed Much Ado About Nothing in 2012, directed by Professor Peter Reynolds. Of Philip, Peter says, “Philip is a gifted singing actor.  I am thrilled that the Nayyar scholarship will enable Philip to continue his theater studies at Temple.”

Philip was casted in Temple Theaters’ upcoming production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical as Margaret Mead/Tribe Member. Philip is looking forward to working on one of his favorite musical, under the direction of Brandon McShaffrey. “I’m excited to be working in such a great ensemble show with a talented cast and production team.”

After his graduation next fall, Philip plans to pursue an acting career in Chicago, Illinois. But for now, he says, “My goals for the next two semesters are to soak in as much information as I can so that I can be ready for the business side and get right to work.”

The Kunal & Neha Nayyar Scholarship Fund has given these two students another chance at a Temple Made theater education. Macbeth, with Isabella Fehlandt as Lady Macduff, begins February 12, and Hair, with Philip Wilson, starts March 26.