New Leadership in Arts Sphere - Jeffrey de Caen Takes the Helm
Holy Cross College has announced that Jeffrey de Caen will become the Nancy Savage Skinner '79 Director of the Prior Performing Arts Center, effective June 1, 2025. The current Interim Director, Kyle Frisina, will be taking a year of pre-tenure leave to work on various projects and will return to the English Department after that.
Frisina, who has served as Interim Director since the Fall of 2022, has made significant strides in increasing creative accessibility and visibility on campus. He announced multiple new opportunities for members of the Holy Cross community to become involved at the Prior Performing Arts Center on October 26, 2022. Frisina also represents over 20,000 staff members as the President of the USC Staff Assembly.
One of Frisina's most notable achievements during his tenure was the Fall Concert, which took place this past week in the Luth Concert Hall. The concert, hosted by the College Choir and Chamber Singers, featured melodies and harmonies that put students, faculty, and families in attendance in high spirits. The auditorium of the Prior Performing Arts Center was packed for the event.
Frisina shared his favourite three showcases during his time as Director: the 2023 Spring BSU Annual Fashion Show, History Professor Ke Ren's 2024 presentation of the Smithsonian Folkways artist No-No Boy, and the violin performance by John Gandelsman in the fall of 2024.
The Prior Performing Arts Center, which recently opened this semester, is committed to promoting "inclusive learning and research." One of the centre's recent collaborations was with the "Global" Montserrat Cluster, where Holy Cross students collaborated with Rice Square Elementary School sixth-graders to create art reflecting Worcester's culturally rich identity.
De Caen, the new Director, currently serves as the Associate Dean for operations at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. He is an expert in movement and stage combat within the performing arts field, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in this area. De Caen holds a Master's Degree in Acting from the University of Houston, highlighting his formal training and academic involvement in acting and movement for theater.
De Caen's background is both academic and practical, focused on movement and stage combat instruction, which indicates specialized expertise in physical performance techniques essential for theatrical productions. This role suggests he actively contributes to training actors in these skills at a university level. De Caen has worked alongside renowned organizations such as the LA Opera, LA Philharmonic, and the GRAMMY Foundation. He also specializes in music, recording engineering, and production.
Professor Gwenn Miller, who first encountered "TapeArt" in 2024 while researching for the "Global" Montserrat Cluster, led the search committee that conducted a nationwide search to fill Frisina's role. The search committee, including a student representative Rhiannon Hurst '25, ensured a thorough and inclusive process to find the best candidate for the position.
As the Prior Performing Arts Center continues to grow and evolve, it is clear that Frisina has left a lasting impact on the centre. His efforts have bridged a gap between the college and the city, developing the centre into a place for endless creative expression. With De Caen at the helm, the centre is poised for even greater success in the future.
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- Jeffrey de Caen, the incoming Director of the Prior Performing Arts Center at Holy Cross College, holds a Master's Degree in Acting from the University of Houston.
- Kyle Frisina, the outgoing Interim Director, has made significant strides in increasing creative accessibility and visibility on campus, notably organizing the Fall Concert this past week.
- The Prior Performing Arts Center, which opened this semester, promotes inclusive learning and research, as demonstrated by its recent collaboration with the "Global" Montserrat Cluster.
- Professor Gwenn Miller led the search committee that conducted a nationwide search to fill Kyle Frisina's role, ensuring an inclusive and thorough process to find the best candidate.
- De Caen, an Associate Dean at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, is an expert in movement and stage combat, contributing to training actors in physical performance techniques at a university level.
- As the Prior Performing Arts Center continues to grow and evolve, it serves as a platform for student expression, reflecting Worcester's culturally rich identity and offering numerous events and opportunities for community involvement.
- Frisina's efforts during his tenure as Interim Director have developed the Prior Performing Arts Center into a hub for education, self-development, arts, and lifestyle, bridging a gap between the college and the community.
