The School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts is receiving a $1 million gift, the department's largest alumni contribution on record.
The money is being provided by actor and director Joe Mantello, a Class of ’84 graduate who has forged a significant career on stage and screen.
He has multiple Tony award wins and nominations as an actor and director, and he helmed the original Broadway production of "Wicked," which has become the fourth-longest-running Broadway show of all time.
The gift will provide funding for a School of Drama scholarship, and help to create an endowment for student-driven productions.
UNCSA Chancellor Brian Cole called the funding “transformational” when it comes to attracting young artists to the School of Drama.
"It also, for the first time, is going to provide resources really focused on student-generated work, which is really important, to have the experience of what it means to write and create original work, but what that also means to their career trajectory," Cole said.
UNCSA has more reasons to celebrate, as two alumni have been nominated for an Academy Award or worked on an Oscar-nominated film this year.
Paul Tazewell, who graduated from the School of Design and Production in 1986, was nominated for best costume design for the film version of "Wicked." It’s his second nomination.
And Class of ’86 graduate Richard Redlefsen was a prosthetic makeup artist on "A Different Man," which was nominated for best makeup and hairstyling.