This post will be updated with information as it arises. The author can be reached on Signal: @hiyascout.47 or by emailing editor AT citizenpenguin DOT com.
An international Juilliard student’s visa was revoked without notice, according to students who received an email from the school’s Office of the Provost. The student’s SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) status was also terminated.
The email said the cause for termination was “unclear” and that no notice was given by any representative of the government. The student’s status was discovered “through routine monitoring of SEVIS records by Juilliard’s Office of International Advisement.”
According to an article earlier today in the Washington Post by Susan Svrluga, the administration has been revoking visas with no notice. Svrluga writes: “Typically universities would enter changes to the database, rather than the government, said Miriam Feldblum, chief executive of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.But in recent days universities havefound records terminated by the government without clear reasons or recourse for appeal or corrections. The actions appear to be ‘arbitrary, unpredictable, unresolvable,’ and are creating havoc on campus and alarm for anyone on campus who is not a U.S. citizen, she said.“
Last week, when asked hypothetically about ongoing threat to international students, Mary Caraccioli, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, wrote: “The safety and support of our entire student body, whether national or international, is an essential priority…As policies and regulations evolve, we remain proactive in working directly with those affected, ensuring that our community receives accurate and timely information to guide them through any changes.”
The affected student has been “connected with legal resources,” the provost’s email said, but also that Juilliard will “[continue] to follow all applicable laws.”
Whether the “applicable laws” include the Constitution remains to be seen.
🐻 Coming out of hibernation for just a moment to share some now-relevant Polisi quotes we didn’t use for our very second article in 2016. Juilliard has also supplied an updated statement from 2025.
2016. President Polisi on collaborating with federal agents on Trump’s 2016 “Muslim Ban”
EDITOR: In the case of a Muslim ban, will the school comply [and provide information to federal investigators]?
PRESIDENT POLISI: …If the FBI came to us and said “we’re doing an investigation on Muslim students,” we would inquire where the authorization was… We would not bend over and just say, “fine,” in other words. …One has to comply with US law. And if you get a federal judge that issues a subpoena on an inquiry into a student… our general counsel has to look at it and see whether we have to comply or not… If it’s a fishing expedition [to find out if] someone happens to be Muslim, that would be anathama to anything I would believe in…and we’d put up every barrier possible to not comply until we had to comply….
2016. President Polisi on student free speech rights at Juilliard
STUDENT: [Something like ‘Would Juilliard ever issue a statement in opposition to Trump’s policies?’]
PRESIDENT POLISI: I think that if the students feel strongly about something, then the students should do something about it… …You know, if you are an organization of Juilliard students and want to say that you are for or against whatever else is happening here, that’s your right. That’s your First Amendment Right….It’s absolutely your right to do whatever you want. I mean, I prefer you not occupy my office! [laughter]
2016. President Polisi on keeping students targeted by Trump safe
STUDENT: One thing that I need from you as the president of this institution is for us to talk about how are we going to make sure that the people here that have been targeted by [Trump] are going to be protected by this institution?
PRESIDENT POLISI: [after saying something to the effect of ‘Juilliard can’t protect you off campus’] …we are here as an institution to educate you and to protect you, to make you as safe as we possibly can within the confines of this building… …I can only tell you as the president of this place, the extraordinary faculty, administration and your peers…we’re going to protect each other as much as we can…
2025. Juilliard Statement from Mary Caraccioli, Vice President of Communications and Marketing
At Juilliard, we are deeply committed, as always, to supporting our students and addressing any challenges they face. Under President Woetzel’s leadership, we continue to uphold our commitment to delivering the highest quality of artistic education, empowering students from around the world to reach their fullest potential. The safety and support of our entire student body, whether national or international, is an essential priority.
As policies and regulations evolve, we remain proactive in working directly with those affected, ensuring that our community receives accurate and timely information to guide them through any changes.
The Citizen-Penguin was active from November 2016 to March 2021. It was the only student-run online press at the time at Juilliard. Reginald, its literary zine, was active from January 2017 to June 2020.
The website, social media accounts, podcast mechanism and brand of The Citizen-Penguin is up for grabs. The Citizen-Penguin is a student and alumni–owned underground newspaper that covers events, ideas and news concerning The Juilliard School (see disclaimer). Current students can email editor AT citizenpenguin DOT com for more information. Before it gets re-activated, it would need: an editor-in-chief, a managing editor, and an informal faculty advisor (with zero veto power).
A few rules that govern the operation of this site per founding agreements with the School:
Don’t speak for the school (or its student body). Articles and editorials should have enough clarity that they don’t give the impression that The Citizen-Penguin is a mouthpiece for the School, or powerful enough to speak for all students. Our disclaimer: “The views and opinions expressed in The Citizen-Penguin are solely those of its contributors and do not represent those of The Juilliard School or any of its employees. The Juilliard School is not responsible for any of the content found in The Citizen-Penguin or for the accuracy of any information it contains.” (Sometimes, if an employee submits a rebuttal editorial, this isn’t necessarily a true disclaimer, but in those cases, while those employees might be acting as spokespeople, they are still not speaking for the institution. See Hipes on Residence Hall Closure, and Polisi on James Levine .)
Don’t lie or publish untrue things. The latter is a little more likely since Juilliard doesn’t have a journalism program. Just make sure that all facts have a clear and legitimate source. (Public records from governmental agencies or FOIA requests; quotes from individuals, preferably also recorded, with consent; information from peer-reviewed publications, would all be reasonably interpreted as “legitimate.” While ‘truth’ and ‘doing your research’ has been politicized, a general rubric for journalistic truth has been well-established and that rubric must be prioritized over a political wish to give ‘all sides’ a platform.)
Be transparent. For example, when holding comments to rule 1 and 2 above, it’s a good idea to tell the reader that a comment was deleted and why. (See comments section on Four Concerns with the Kovner Fellowship.) On that note, don’t allow anonymous comments, and don’t allow comments with new information that you cannot confirm that could be libelous.
The search for the new director of Juilliard’s Dance Division has come to an end. Juilliard names Alicia Graf Mack, former leading dancer of Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, as director of the Juilliard Dance Division.
Photo of Alicia Graf Mack, courtesy of Webster University
Press Release from The Juilliard School:
Juilliard announced yesterday that Alicia Graf Mack, former leading dancer of Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will become director of the Juilliard Dance Division on July 1, 2018. Juilliard Dance is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious training programs in the world, offering instruction in both ballet and modern techniques designed to create true contemporary dancers and choreographers.
Ms. Mack, a native of Columbia, Maryland, has also been principal dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and a guest artist with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. As a dance educator, she is on the faculty at the University of Houston and a visiting assistant professor of dance at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. Ms. Mack is the co-founder of D(n)A Arts Collective, an initiative created to enrich the lives of young dancers through master classes and intensives.
Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi said of the appointment, “Alicia brings exceptional energy, creativity, and enthusiasm to the position of director of Juilliard’s Dance Division. She is an innovative thinker and role model, and I am delighted to know that she will be leading our dance students into the future.”
President Designate Damian Woetzel, a former principal dancer at New York City Ballet and co-chair of the steering committee of the search with Juilliard Provost and Dean Ara Guzelimian, remarked, “The excellence, intelligence, and versatility that have been hallmarks of Alicia’s distinguished career make her the ideal person to shape our dancers of tomorrow. I am honored to welcome this inspiring artist-educator to lead us forward into a new golden era at Juilliard dance.”
On accepting the position, Alicia Graf Mack said, “I am beyond thrilled to join The Juilliard School and community in this capacity. The opportunity to work with young artists who are on the precipice of achieving their dreams brings me a great sense of pride and responsibility. Looking forward, I see Juilliard’s Dance Division as a place that continues to embrace innovative ideas and new modalities of dance making, while holding steadfast to the legacy and incredible history of the institution.”
“We already know that Alicia is an incredible dancer with a brilliant mind,” said Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “We all know how exquisitely she understands what dance is about in all its forms. But I also love who Alicia is as a person. Sometimes people in companies care only about themselves, but Alicia is the opposite of that. She understood her talent and how she could lift up whatever company she was with. That just emanates from her.”
Arthur Mitchell, co-founder and artistic director emeritus of Dance Theatre of Harlem, remarked, “Not only was Alicia a great dancer, but she’s a phenomenal administrator at the same time—a combination that is rarely found in one person.”
Ms. Mack succeeds longtime division head Lawrence Rhodes, who was artistic director of the Juilliard Dance Division from 2002 until 2017. Taryn Kaschock Russell has been acting artistic director for the current academic year.
About Alicia Graf Mack
Alicia Graf Mack enjoyed a distinguished career as a leading dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has also been a principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Ms. Mack has danced as a guest performer with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Beyoncé, John Legend, Andre 3000, and Alicia Keys. In addition, she has performed as a featured dancer in many galas and festivals, including the Chicago Dancing Festival, Vail Dance Festival, Youth America Grand Prix Gala, and the International Stars of the 21st Century at the David H. Koch Theater. She has made numerous national television appearances, including at the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors celebrating Carmen de Lavallade and as a featured guest on The Tavis Smiley Show.
Ms. Mack graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Columbia University and holds an MA in nonprofit management from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2007, Smithsonian magazine named her an American Innovator of the Arts and Sciences. She is a recipient of the Columbia University Medal of Excellence, an award given each year to one alumnus who has demonstrated excellence in their field of work. In 2008, she delivered the keynote address to the graduates of Columbia University’s School of General Studies.
Ms. Mack is a published writer, having contributed to Dance Magazine, Pointe, and Dance Spirit magazine. She wrote the cover story, “Beyond Role Models,” for Pointe’s June/July 2014 diversity issue featuring Ashley Murphy, Ebony Williams, and Misty Copeland. She also authored the foreword of American Dance: The Complete Illustrated History by Margaret Fuhrer. As a dance educator, Ms. Mack is on faculty at the University of Houston and is a visiting assistant professor of dance at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a co-founder of D(n)A Arts Collective, an initiative created to enrich the lives of young dancers through master classes and intensives.
Evan Yionoulis becomes the Juilliard Drama Division’s sixth director and first ever female leader. She will begin on July 1st.
Evan Yionoulis (photo by Beowulf Sheehan)
Press Release from The Juilliard School:
Juilliard today announced that Obie-award winning director Evan Yionoulis, currently professor in the practice of acting and directing at Yale School of Drama and a resident director at Yale Repertory Theatre, will become the school’s Richard Rodgers Director of Drama at Juilliard starting with the 2018-19 academic and performance season. The Juilliard Drama Division, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, offers a program that encompasses one of this country’s most respected conservatory educations for actors as well as highly successful pre-professional mentoring for playwrights.
Ms. Yionoulis has been on the faculty of Yale for the past 20 years and was Lloyd Richards Professor and Chair of Acting from 1998 to 2003.
In announcing the appointment, Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi said, “Evan’s impressive work at Yale and extensive directing credits make her the perfect person to develop our gifted actors and playwrights as she leads Juilliard’s Drama Division into the future. We were deeply impressed by her thoughtfulness and rich understanding of the educational process in both classic and contemporary work.”
On accepting the position, Ms. Yionoulis remarked, “I am honored and excited to lead Juilliard’s Drama Division into its second half-century, carrying on the school’s great tradition of excellence, and preparing the next generation of actors and playwrights to transform the future of our field through their passion and artistry.”
Joseph Haj, who studied with Ms. Yionoulis and is now artistic director of the Guthrie Theater, said, “Juilliard has made a brilliant choice. Evan is a significant artist and working professional; she has been teaching and mentoring students at the highest level for many years and, not least of all, the human being side is as fully developed as the artistic side. Juilliard could not have done better. I am thrilled for the school and for Evan.”
Ms. Yionoulis will succeed James Houghton, who was head of the division from 2006 until his death from cancer in 2016.
In addition to her Yale position, Ms. Yionoulis is an award-winning director; she has directed new plays and classics in New York and across the U.S. She has enjoyed collaborations with major American playwrights including Adrienne Kennedy and Richard Greenberg. She most recently directed the critically acclaimed world premiere of Kennedy’s He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box for Theatre for a New Audience, where she previously directed her Ohio State Murders (Lortel Award for Best Revival) and the Off-Broadway premiere of Howard Brenton’s Sore Throats.
Ms. Yionoulis opened Manhattan Theatre Club’s Biltmore Theatre (Broadway) with Greenberg’s The Violet Hour, directed his Everett Beekin at Lincoln Center Theater, and received an Obie Award for her direction of his Three Days of Rain at Manhattan Theatre Club, having directed the premieres of all three at South Coast Repertory.
At Yale Repertory Theatre, she has directed Cymbeline, Richard II, The Master Builder, George F. Walker’s Heaven, Brecht’s Galileo, Gozzi’s The King Stag (which she adapted with her brother, composer Mike Yionoulis, and Catherine Sheehy), Caryl Churchill’s Owners, and numerous other productions including the world premiere of Kirsten Greenidge’s Bossa Nova, and, upcoming, Kiss, by Guillermo Calderón.
Other credits include productions at the Mark Taper Forum, the Huntington, NY Shakespeare Festival, the Vineyard, Second Stage, Primary Stages, Dallas Theatre Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Denver Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and many others.
Ms. Yionoulis has directed Seven, a documentary theater piece about extraordinary women from across the globe who work for human rights in New York, Boston, Washington, Aspen, London, Deauville, and New Delhi.
Her short film Lost and Found, made with Mike Yionoulis, premiered at Cleveland International Film Festival. Their most recent collaborations are the multiplatform project Redhand Guitar, about five generations of musicians across an American century, and The Dread Pirate Project, about the malleability of identity between the digital and natural worlds.
Ms. Yionoulis has received a Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship, Works-in-Progress Grant, and the Foundation’s prestigious Statuette. She serves on the executive board of SDC, the labor union representing stage directors and choreographers, as secretary.
This 2017-18 season Juilliard Drama presented fully staged productions featuring Juilliard’s Group 47 acting students in their fourth and final year in the drama program. The fall season’s productions included Suzan-Lori Parks’s Father Comes Home From the Wars, directed by LA Williams; alumnus Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Everybody, co-directed by Danya Taymor and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins; and Pierre de Marivaux’s Triumph of Love, translated, adapted, and directed by Stephen Wadsworth. In February, Juilliard Drama presented three plays in repertory: Euripides’s Trojan Women, directed by faculty member Ellen Lauren; alumna Katori Hall’s Hoodoo Love, directed by Kym Moore; and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, directed by faculty member Moni Yakim. All performances took place in the Stephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater at Juilliard.
Peaceful Transition Begins at The Citizen-Penguin: Fiona Robberson ’21 & Alaina Surgener ’21 are, as of right now, officially and irrevocably the editors-in-chief of The Citizen-Penguin, and this founding editor-in-chief (me, Scout James ’18) wishes them well!
Robberson & Surgener
James
Fiona Robberson ’21 & Alaina Surgener ’21 are, as of right now, officially and irrevocably the editors-in-chief of The Citizen-Penguin, and this founding editor-in-chief (me, Scout James ’18) wishes them well! The peaceful, scheduled transition follows last year’s selection process.
Mish and Janice have a happy surprise in Episode 9. Meet the new co-editors in chief of the Citizen Penguin, Fiona Robberson (MFA ’21) and Alaina Surgener (BFA ’21)! Get the inside scoop on the future of the student-run newspaper, the drama audition process, and Lady Bird.
by Fiona Robberson ’21—Peng Liyuan, the first lady of China, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Juilliard School on December 6, 2017. Chairman Bruce Kovner and Juilliard President Joseph Polisi travelled to Beijing’s China Conservatory of Music to confer the degree in person. The awarding of the honorary doctorate was surprisingly underreported in the United States, with its sole media coverage coming from Chinese and Singaporean news outlets. As of press time, there was no mention of Peng’s honorary degree on Juilliard’s official website.
Peng Liyuan, the first lady of China, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Juilliard School on December 6, 2017. Chairman Bruce Kovner and Juilliard President Joseph Polisi travelled to Beijing’s China Conservatory of Music to confer the degree in person. The awarding of the honorary doctorate was surprisingly underreported in the United States, with its sole media coverage coming from Chinese and Singaporean news outlets. As of press time, there was no mention of Peng’s honorary degree on Juilliard’s official website.
A Juilliard degree has never been awarded outside of that ceremony, and never outside of the United States. Peng’s honorary doctorate is the first of its kind.
Peng, an acclaimed soprano and longtime advocate for women’s rights and the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in China, is one of the primary proponents of the Tianjin Juilliard School, a new branch of Juilliard which is expected to open in Tianjin, China, in 2019. Peng last visited Juilliard’s New York campus in November 2015, when she and Polisi first announced their partnership and plans to begin construction in Tianjin. Peng’s honorary degree illuminates questions about the intimate nature of Juilliard’s relationship with China. According to a December 11 article in China Daily, President Polisi delivered a speech at the degree ceremony, saying the award was “not only in recognition of Peng’s accomplishments as an artist but also for her contribution to cultural exchanges between China and the United States.” Peng replied: “I hope cooperation between art schools and organizations of the two countries will be deepened in the future.”
Juilliard has a long, esteemed tradition of awarding honorary degrees to notable alumni and artists, dating back to 1987. Each year, recommendations for honorary doctoral candidates are submitted by faculty and staff, and then finalized by Juilliard’s Board of Trustees. Peng’s selection comes at an interesting time, on the eve of the Tianjin school’s opening. Past awardees have included Yo-Yo Ma, Joyce DiDonato, Tony Kushner, Viola Davis, and John Houseman. The coveted award is typically announced in February and conferred during Juilliard’s May graduation in New York City. A Juilliard degree has never been awarded outside of that ceremony, and never outside of the United States. Peng’s honorary doctorate is the first of its kind.
In a statement, Alexandra Day, Juilliard’s Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications, wrote of the unusual nature of Peng’s award. “Because of various security protocols around a person of Madame Peng’s standing, Juilliard made a decision to allow the honorary doctorate to be awarded in Beijing, rather than New York.” She went on to discuss the importance of this particular award, writing “In this day and age, that any first lady advocates for the arts is something to be celebrated!”
When it opens in 2019, the Tianjin Juilliard School will award a U.S.-accredited Master of Music Degree, the first to ever be offered in China. Prior to conferring the honorary doctorate last month, Polisi had been in Tianjin in June 2017 for the school’s ground-breaking ceremony. This is his final year as Juilliard President.
After a vote of current student contributors, Fiona Robberson ’21 & Alaina Surgener ’21 have been named the incoming Editors-in-Chief of The Citizen-Penguin. To our knowledge, every current student who had contributed to The Citizen-Penguin was offered a ballot to vote among several very qualified candidates.
After a vote of current student contributors, Fiona Robberson ’21 & Alaina Surgener ’21 have been named the incoming Editors-in-Chief of The Citizen-Penguin. To our knowledge, every current student who had contributed to The Citizen-Penguin was offered a ballot to vote among several very qualified candidates. Votes were emailed to and tallied by the current editor (me, Scout James), and by Shereen Pimentel, the Managing Editor of The Citizen-Penguin. The will assume command of the open student platform on February 21, 2018.
Mish and Janice have a happy surprise in Episode 9. Meet the new co-editors in chief of the Citizen Penguin, Fiona Robberson (MFA ’21) and Alaina Surgener (BFA ’21)! Get the inside scoop on the future of the student-run newspaper, the drama audition process, and Lady Bird.
The views and opinions expressed in The Citizen-Penguin are solely those of its contributors and do not represent those of The Juilliard School or any of its employees. The Juilliard School is not responsible for any of the content found in The Citizen-Penguin or for the accuracy of any information it contains.
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