Class of 2012

In Memory of:

Madison “Addie” Hubert

On March 23, 2013, our community lost one of our seven-year seniors who graduated in 2012. Madison Addie Hubert was 18 and studying Drama Therapy at Cornell College in Iowa when she was in a car crash. While at DSA, Addie participated in Korczak’s Children (Symonek), The Bourgeois Gentleman (Music Pupil), Love of a Pig (Chrissy), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Dorothy Parker), Hamlet (Player Queen/US Ghost), Too Much Light: At A Constant Pace, Melancholy Play (Director), Laughing Stock (Mary), and Panoply, or Things Which Actually Transpired (Ellie/Eulalie), Thespians, and traveled to Ethiopia to teach creative dramatics to orphans. As a way of honoring her presence in our lives, as a way to not forget her light and joy, as a way to continue sharing her life calling we have established The Addie Hubert Spirit Award. We asked the class of 2012 about tributes of Addie that we should look for and we came up with the following- The recipient of this award exudes attributes of Addie Hubert’s spirit – they show great care for others and their community. They give back and fight for the underdog. They show resilience, and support their classmates unconditionally.

Addie Hubert Spirit Award winners:

2013 Adam Christman

2014 Alessandra Bongiardina

2015 Danielle Samler

2016 Sammie Piel

Addie’s advice from her senior bio: “You are big and brave and strong and smart and sweet and cute.” Remembering those words will get you through even the worst days. Also, occasionally do things you are afraid to do, it may teach you something you never would have learned otherwise.” “All you need is faith and trust and a little bit of pixie dust.” ~Peter Pan

Amanda Brockbank

Stanford University

Kathleen Burke

Kathleen Burke has spent her years since graduating enjoying theater classes, occasional auditions, learning sign language and preparing for her masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from Emerson College. Kathleen has spent her summers since graduating DSA volunteering and working at Rocky Mountain Village (an Easter Seals camp for people of all ages with disabilities.) She is currently working on a play in Boston called Writing Home; Stories without Roofs which goes up in December at the Boston Playwright’s Theater. The piece is written by homeless women in the Boston area and aims to communicate the realities of homelessness. Kathleen is in the final stages of publishing a Children’s book. Z is for Zip stars a young girl who’s little brother has autism. In sharing what’s so lovable about him, children and adults alike can learn what autism is and how to support those who have it. Stay tuned!

Samantha Davis

University of Washington Seattle/BA/Theatre/Anthropology

Samie Jo Johnson

Samie Jo Johnson is a Chicago based Actor, Writer, and Director. Prior to finding an artistic home in the Windy City her theatrical adventures led her all around the country and the globe. Highlights include performing Shakespeare in the (outstandingly gorgeous) Parks in Seattle, and artist intensives in Austria, England, NYC, and Italy. Recently Samie Jo wrote, performed, and produced Free Therapy: A One Woman Show! at the Frontier Theatre in Chicago—a show highly influenced by what she learned from creating Too Much Light and Solo Projects while at DSA. In the coming year, she will be directing a David Bowie inspired touring production of Twelfth Night with Stone Soup Shakespeare and is currently memorizing every single role in Hamlet to perform Mercury Hamlet with Quicksilver Shakespeare (wherein the actors draw cards to determine who they will play prior to performances.) Samie Jo has a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville. www.samiejojohnson.com

Life Lesson from DSA: Take a note the first time. Also, there are no boundaries to what collective imaginations can create.

Advice: Keep journals! Write them into existence and save them!