Spotlight on Alumni

Brian Swasey '95

Alum Brian Swasey stopped by the Newman Dance studio in March to teach a few musical theatre choreography classes. Brian was gracious enough to answer some questions we had about his days at UNH and what he's been doing since he graduated in 1995.

Brian Swasey is a graduate of The University of New Hampshire with a degree in Musical Theatre and Dance. Directing and Choreography credits include Forever Plaid, Grease, Beauty and the Beast, Altar Boyz, Sweeney Todd, Lucky Stiff, Footloose, A Christmas Carol, The Wild Party, The Man in The Iron Mask, Godspell, Seussical, Starmites, Nunsense, Hairspray, A Taffeta Wedding, Is There Life After High School?, How to Succeed..., Fiddler on the Roof, Once on this Island, A New Brain, Miracle on 34th Street, Musical of Musicals, The Musical, A Chorus Line, Once Upon a Mattress, West Side Story, Kiss Me, Kate and Peter Pan. Assistant Directed Die, Mommie, Die starring Charles Busch. Theatrical Performing credits include George in The Drowsy Chaperone, Harry Houdini in Ragtime at Maine State Music Theatre, the Off-Broadway production of Naked Boys Singing, Into the Woods, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Crazy for You, Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby, Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line, She Loves Me, 42nd Street, Tommy, The Wizard of Oz, and an international and US tour of West Side Story. Artistic Director of the Astoria Performing Arts Center (2001-2008).

Lindsay Joy Murphy '02

Lindsay Joy Murphy is a Brooklyn based playwright. She is the Artistic Director of he LabRats Theater Company in New York City. (www.thelabratsnyc.com)The Rats are producing her new full length play, "The Rise and Fall of a Leilani Luv" in the spring of 2013. Her play "The Unearthing" was a part of the newTACTics festival in the summer of 2012. She frequently works with aMios Theater company for their monthly short play bonanza, SHOTZ , at the Theatre Under St. Marks. Her short pieces have been seen all over the country- from the Bowery Poetry Club to the Boston Playwright's Theater. Her full length play, "Severance" was produced by the Barracudas in the spring of 2010. Her collaborative piece "The Apartment: a Play with Four Sides" was featured in the 2011 NY International Fringe Festival. In 2001, Lindsay won the award for best short play at the Kennedy Center's American College Theater Festival for her piece "Life, Love and a 7-11". She is a proud graduate of the University of New Hampshire.

HARMONY STEMPEL '06

Harmony Stempel (’06) is an actor whose work has been seen over the past 15 years in New England, upstate New York, New York City, The Czech Republic, Amsterdam as well as Hong Kong. New York experience: “The Secrets of Saco,” The Barrow Group Theater; “Fit” at the New York International Fringe Festival; “Dollface,” Theater for the New City; “I’m From Outer Space,” Ars Nova ANT Fest. Her solo show “Human Fruit Bowl” won the Creative Award for best production at the Prague Fringe Festival in 2011 and subsequently toured Fringes in Amsterdam and Hong Kong by invitation. www.harmonystempel.com