Theatre and Dance Honors Alumni Award Recipients

Northern Michigan University's Theatre and Dance Department recently announced the recipients of its annual Alumni Awards. The honorees will be recognized at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Forest Roberts Theatre.

The Theatre and Dance Alumni Awards feature four distinct categories: Circle of Champions; Outstanding Alumni-Hall of Fame; Outstanding Alumni-Young Alumni; and Rising Stars. These awards serve to recognize the accomplishments of program alumni and showcase their achievements following their student experience at NMU.

The Circle of Champions award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the ongoing success and legacy of the NMU Theatre and Dance program. This year's recipient is Michele Butler (BS '76, BAE '78), who is recognized for her immense support, as well as her generous donations that have facilitated the program's growth and accessibility.

This year's recipient of the Outstanding Alumni award, and a new Hall of Fame inductee, is Jeffery Rockey (BS '02). Rockey is the supervising lead props artisan at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Calif., the largest non-profit theatre in America outside of New York City. He has built props for more than 200 productions, including several that have transferred to Broadway, Off-Broadway or London productions.

The Outstanding Alumni - Young Alumni award recipients for this year are Jacob Stipe (BS '19) and Regan McKay (BS '19). Stipe is a project manager at Production Resource Group (PRG) in Las Vegas, where he specializes in scenic fabrication for live events, concert/touring and corporate events. McKay has been a costume designer for a variety of productions across the United States. She is passionate about sustainable theatrical design and environmentally mindful practices are at the core of her work.

This year's Rising Stars award recipient is William Squires IV (BFA '24), a touring lighting technician with Upstaging Lighting and Trucking. Upon graduating from NMU, he started touring as a lighting technician with artists and productions, including the WWE, The Strokes, Billie Eilish, Iron Maiden, Wiz Khalifa, Paul McCartney and Nine Inch Nails.