The West Valley College Theater Alumni Network’s mission is to enrich the theater department’s curriculum through increased student artistic engagement to foster educational, creative, and theatrical opportunities. The intention of its inception is to provide current students an alternative perspective of being a theater artist different from faculty and closer to their immediate experience. The Alumni Network strives to create an equitable and lasting community within the WVC theater department.
The Network will work under the Department Chair as independent Contractors, potentially collaborating with the Drama Club.
Meeting dates and times will be updated as the schedule solidifies. Projects may include:
- Workshops,
- Transfer discussions
- Staged readings
- Q & A Sessions
All alumni are encouraged to participate, regardless of whether they transferred or received any degree in theater. All that is required of participants is that they have taken a majority of the department’s classes and have participated within the WVC theater community in an impactful way.
For Fall 2023, Anthony Doan and Lizzie Izyumin will be working together to get the Network up and running.
Anthony Doan (he/they) is a queer, first-generation Vietnamese-American Bay Area-based theatre artist. They strive to viscerally entertain and challenge audiences, provoke political thoughts, and inspire people to empathetically listen to the world in a different vibration. Acting credits include the world premiere of Colonialism is Terrible, but Pho is Delicious (Aurora Theatre Company and Oregon Contemporary Theatre), Cyrano de Bergerac: A Queeroic Comedy (Island Shakespeare Festival), and Vietgone (City Lights Theatre Company). Directing credits include the 2023 Fresh Baked Pears One Act Festival. He was recognized as a Semi-Finalist for the 44th Annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival 2021 for his play Eggshell, or Vỏ Trứng.
Lizzie Izyumin (she/her) is an enthusiastic Bay-Area based actor, singer, and arts educator. Since graduating from San Diego State University, she has primarily working as a children’s theater director, music director, and educator, teaching subjects such as theater, music, and creative writing. Additionally, Lizzie has been actively performing with theaters and choirs in San Jose and San Diego.