Judith Ivey

Fortunately, I can speak with great joy and reverence about my education at ISU….not unlike one speaks of a parent who truly guided with love and respect their child to adulthood. I attended ISU from 1970-1973. I graduated in 3 years because of all the summer school credits I earned both at ISU and SIU-Carbondale in southern Illinois.

So many wonderful professors were at ISU then to challenge, teach, guide, and criticize those of us studying theatre as a major. I had an acting/directing scholarship. I do not think I ever really believed I could be a professional in this field but I certainly was prepared to be one, as such as any college or university can prepare one for the real world. From the acting classes to the design classes I was inspired by the likes of Walter Brody, Frank Vybiral, Andy Andreason, Jean Scharfenberg, and Ralph Lane. Whenever I take on a new project either as an actor or a director, I immediately have a visual picture of a moment or three of one of those professors saying, doing, or critiquing some aspect of a scene or play that I can apply to the present day project with which I am involved.

Being a professional actor and director for 37 years now, I can honestly say, even though I did not envision this as my life, it has become my life and I definitely did not move into the profession without knowledge of craft or without knowledge of the craft or without the inspiration for the art form. Illinois State University is responsible for giving me the knowledge and the inspiration, and all are set at a very high standard indeed.