April 18, 1998

The film and drama departments held a reunion weekend, welcoming 156 alumni and all current film and drama majors. The reunion marked the dedication of the former Coal Bin Theatre, renovated in memory of Susan Stein Shiva ’57. The black box theater exclusively for student productions in the former vehicles building—earlier the “coal pocket” for the college boilers—was part of the adaptive reuse of the former site behind Main Building of the branches of the buildings and grounds department. Designed by Vassar’s architecture professor, Jeh V. Johnson, in consultation with Philaletheis and its aggregate dramatic organizations, the facility was under the direction of Philaletheis. It later became the Susan Stein Shiva Theater, in honor of Ms. Shiva, who was active in New York dramatic circles and an original trustee of the New York Shakespeare Festival.

Students and alumni attended a panel on “Television in the Third Millenium” featuring the president of New Line Television, Robert Friedman ’78, the president of Disney/ABC Cable Television, Geraldine Laybourne ’69 and Milbrey Rennie Taylor ’68, an executive producer at CBS News. “The event gave us a perspective on what is happening in theatre, film and television today,” said drama major Jennifer Holmes ’00. “It also provided the groundwork for a connection between the academic and professional worlds.”

The Miscellany News