September 04, 2012
Familiar faces returned to the Little Theater – but this time,
the script had changed.
Photo gallery
The
Chappell Players Reunion welcomed alumni who graduated between
1972-79, allowing them to reminisce about their past performances
over dinner. Spearheaded by Catherine M. Pino ’78SVC and James
Harrington ’76C, guests chatted with one another about their varied
and interesting careers.
“I originally intended on coming to St. John’s to be a Law
student,” said Ray Abruzzo ’76SVC, a professional actor who has had
significant roles in Law & Order, The
Practice, NCIS and other top television shows. He is
perhaps best known for playing Little Carmine, a major character in
The Sopranos, and he was glad to be back on campus to
return to where his career began.
“One day,” Abruzzo explained, “I decided to audition for one of the
plays on campus, and, needless to say, I never looked back. As an
actor, I’m entirely self-taught, so my experience with the Chappell
Players was everything to me, and it’s really great to be back here
with my fellow alumni.”
Robin Kaiser-Winograd ’75C – the daughter of St. John’s
legendary former Athletic Director John W. “Jack” Kaiser ’49C – was
amazed at how different the Little Theater looks today compared to
when she was a student.
“This place looks absolutely magnificent,” she said. “The
renovations here have been wonderful. There’s a real balcony now, a
real booth – things we just didn’t have. I love the fact that we’re
doing this here at the Little Theater because it was clearly our
home on campus. It was the only club that I belonged to, and we
have so many memories here.”
For Kaiser-Winograd, one of those memories includes playing Fanny
Brice in Funny Girl, her favorite acting role during her
time in the Chappell Players. That role, among others, inspired her
to pursue a successful acting career and a 13-year role as Makeup
Artist for All My Children, during which she won four
Daytime Emmys.
“Even though the Theater department was small at St. John’s, it was
really good,” she noted. “The Chappell Players was an excellent way
to hone your skills, and it set me up well for the rest of my
career.”
Not
all of the guests, however, were professional actors. Charlie Fox
’74C, ’77G, for example, is a Professor and Dean at Point Park
University and credits the Chappell Players with having taught him
invaluable skills that translated over into his profession.
“One of the hottest topics today in academia is how to get students
to work in teams,” Fox said. “But that’s precisely what we did with
the Chappell Players. It taught us how to work in a community, how
to get things done quickly and on a budget and I find that I use my
acting and directing skills in the classroom every single
day.”
Fox also credits the Chappell Players with teaching him the power
of theater – its ability to convey complex ideas and meaningful
critiques.
“One time, I remember we did a Moliere festival, where we
modernized many of his one-act plays,” Fox said. “That experience
taught me how theater can transmit culture. It can truly mean
something deeper than just what’s happening on the stage.”
Throughout the night, alumni were cracking jokes and
reliving old performances in the Little Theater.
“It’s great to see so many of our alumni back here on campus,
remembering the wonderful times they had together,” said Victor
Ramos ’91CBA, ’93MBA, Associate Vice President in the Division of
Institutional Advancement. “The Chappell Players is truly a special
group, and it’s evident by the strong ties and friendships they’ve
held over the years. St. John’s had a major impact on these
alumni’s lives, and it’s great to welcome them back to where their
journey began.”