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A Collections of Recommendation Letters from Collages and Universities
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"An amazing vehicle for bringing people together from all walks of life!"
-Adam Hitchcock, Indiana University Program Board
Dear Student Activities Directors and Programmers,
My name is Evan Merida, and I am a junior at Indiana University and a student activities programmeraenot an agentaewriting to tell you about an amazing program we brought to Indiana University three times in the past two years. Perhaps you've already heard of Stevie Jay's show, "Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress." If not, I strongly urge you to check this program out sooner than later!
As programmers, I know we aim to create events that will reach the broadest-based audiences possibleaeto bring in programs that are not only entertaining, but also intelligent and thought-provokingaeoffering audiences something of substance to take away with them after the show.
I can say to you, without hesitation, that you will not find another program that hits as many marks as "Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress.¨ It's as powerful an experience as you could hope to bring to any audience, and I guarantee everyone who sees it will be buzzing about it for years to comeaequoting lines from that wild script! Once you've experienced this impossible-to-describe one-man extravaganza, I'm sure you'll understand our students unprecedented demand for multiple presentations.
Lastly, a note about co-sponsorship. As programmers, we often set a goal for creating at least one event per year that lends itself to co-sponsorship, but this rarely comes to fruition because so few programs genuinely fit that bill. Stevie Jay's show uniquely lends itself to such collaboration, and our last two events were sponsored by ELEVEN departments and organizations, including:
Office of The Chancellor, Kinsey Institute's Sexuality Information Service for Students, Department of Theatre and Drama, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, IU Health Center, Commission on Multicultural Understanding, Residential Programs and Services, GLBT Student Support Services, Office of Diversity Education, Standing Committee for Men, and Indiana University Student Association.
For booking and information: www.steviejay3.com; info@steviejay3.com.
Best wishes,
Evan Merida
Student Programmer
Indiana University |
From Dietrich Willke, Vice President of Student Activities, Indiana University
Dear Programmers,
I am writing to you about an extraordinary performance artist named Stevie Jay who is currently on tour with an amazing one-man show called "Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress.¨ We brought Stevie to our campus in September 2003, and the response was so tremendous, he was invited back for subsequent performances in each of the following school years. It is clear that Stevieˇ¦s show is destined to become an annual tradition at IU.
Stevie Jay is an enormously talented comedian and playwright with an uncanny knack for getting inside the heads of his audience members and giving voice to emotionally-charged topics that are often difficult for people to discuss. The material is thought-provoking while highly entertaining, interactive, and universal in content.
While the show has resonance for people of all ages, Stevie's material is notably relevant to college-aged students as it presents cutting-edge perspectives on relationships, sex, sexuality, and identity. I also found Stevie refreshing in his willingness to express himself bluntly at the risk of being tagged "politically incorrect.¨ Our students are still quoting lines from his clever script.
There is no question that Stevie Jay will soon be in high demand within the college circuit as the word about him is quickly spreading. I hope you will take the opportunity to bring his unique program to your school in the coming years.
Please feel free to contact me directly at 954-357-6356 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Dietrich Willke
Vice President of Programming, Indiana Memorial Union Board
Indiana University |
From Lisa Freinkel, Associate Professor of English, University of Oregon
Dear Programmers,
I'm writing to you as both a faculty member (I am the Director of Comparative Literature in the English Department) and as someone who was previously involved in the Diversity Initiative where I helped students and faculty think about programming and recruitment/retention issues designed to increase under-represented voices on campus. I'm also writing to you as a fan of the work of the performance artist, Stevie Jay.
I saw Stevie Jay's showae "Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress" ae about a year ago, and was floored by its wit and heart. It's a show that raises delicate and crucial issues about gender, sexuality and identity politics, and it raises these issues with a very loving touch. The show is also, simply, hysterically funny.
It would be wonderful if more schools around the country would bring Stevie Jay's unique program to their campus. Please let me know if I can be of any help in your decision making process. (freinkel@oregon.uorgeon.edu)
Best wishes,
Lisa Freinkel
Associate Professor, Department of English
Director, Comparative Literature Program |
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From Amy Lemley, Board Member, Live Arts Performance Center, Charlottesville, VA
Dear Programmers:
As a board member of Live Arts Performance Center, I have seen Stevie Jay's one-man show approximately ten times in the past three years, and have consistently experienced the profound effect his work has on the most diverse audiences imaginableaemen and women from all walks of life, of all ages, nationalities, sexual orientations, and worldviews.
With impeccable timing and a dynamic presence, Stevie has the ability to draw people out of their heads and into a world of passionaedelivering audience members home to their hearts—home to their humanity.
While certain core themes of Stevie Jay's work are shared with Lily Tomlin's "Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," I would have to say that Stevieˇ¦s show is far more spontaneous, (a paradox considering its tightly-honed script) far more piercing in its realness and vulnerability, and far more apropos of the 21st century's emotional climate.
To witness the inner life of this shining human being as he earnestly tries to make sense of a bewildering worldaeto open up and connect with Stevie Jayaeis to experience art at its very bestaeto experience the very best of ourselves. Indeed, unless one had fallen asleep during the show, it would be impossible to leave the theatre unchanged following this soulful tour de force.
Stevie Jay's "Multi-Chakra Extravaganza¨ is nothing less than a timeless, transformational masterpiece. I highly recommend including this extraordinary work in your schedule of events.
Please feel free to contact me at 434-296-8808 if I can offer any additional information.
Sincerely,
Amy Lemley
President, Amy Lemley Communications
Charlottesville, Virginia |
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From Dr. Toby Emert, Department of English, Agnes Scott College
Dear Producers, Program Directors, and Professors:
I write to highly recommend Stevie Jay and his one-man show Life Love Sex Death...and other works in progress. I first saw a production of the show four years ago, and I knew immediately that it was one of the best solo performances I'd ever encountered. Stevie Jay is a master of blending personal accounts with comedy, rendering a show that is at once touching and hysterically funny. If you have the opportunity to sponsor a production of this work, I am confident you and your audiences will find it astonishingly relevant.
Stevie Jay, as evidenced by the writing in the show, is a brilliant thinker. He has spent a great deal of time considering his place in the world, and successfully conveys what he's discovered in this theatrical piece. He has much to share with others who are exploring their own places in the world, as well as with those who aspire to develop their own theatrical and creative projects.
When I first saw Life Love Sex Death and other works in progress, I was a performance reviewer for the C-ville Weekly in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I referred to Stevie Jay as a "wisecracking prophet.¨ If you have an opportunity to hear some of what he has to say, to bring his wisdom and humor to your students and audiences, you will have done a very good thing.
I would be happy to talk with you further about Stevie Jay and his show at any time. Feel free to contact me at 770.423.6598.
Sincerely,
Dr. Toby Emert
Department of English
Agnes Scott College |
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