Carol Seungwon Lee ’21
What have you been up to since graduation?
After graduating in March 2021, I faced challenges in figuring out where I was headed next, with the theater industry still shut down at the time. With an extensive alumni network, I started doing virtual informational interviews with School of Communication alumni working in many fields and geographical locations. Based on their expertise and advice, I started fine-tuning my focus and career goals as an aspiring theater administrator as I continued to apply for jobs. Then came June 2021, and I found myself packing to move to New York City to begin working full-time on the first production to reopen the Broadway season after the pandemic shutdown: Waitress starring Sara Bareilles. After making my Broadway debut as the assistant company manager on Waitress, I also joined the team to open Mr. Saturday Night starring Billy Crystal.
After a year of working in commercial theater, I became more interested in the nonprofit sector of the theater industry, especially in New York. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in performing arts administration at New York University. During this time, I was able to pursue my passion for academic research (AND in our DNA never goes away). My research focuses on creative placemaking for the performance of cultural trauma and memory, and the role of performing arts administrators as the curators of these spaces and performances. I am very grateful to share my research with a wider audience as a presenter for several upcoming conferences, including the 2025 Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) Conference in late May. Along with my independent research, I am currently working full-time as the company manager at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Steinberg Center for Theatre.
Who made an impact on your life at Northwestern?
The plethora of academic and artistic opportunities at Northwestern inspired me to pursue all my passions in both theater management and research. Professor Barbara Butts, my mentor, left a lasting impact on me as an inspiration, an incredible mentor, and a manager. With her thoughtful insights from years of theater management experiences in the Chicago theater scene and the robust network of her former students, I was able to understand the significance of community and solidarity as aspiring theater managers. As I navigate curating spaces for each production and researching innovative strategies of sustainable well-being for theater artists, I still reflect on my Northwestern journey with my theatre management cohorts led by Barbara.
Professor Elizabeth Son’s course, War, Gender, and Memory in Asian American Performance, deeply inspired me and greatly informed my current research. Her dedication and depth on this topic, particularly in considering the political and cultural aspects of contemporary performances when presenting performances that explore components of cultural trauma, shaped my contextual understanding of the topic. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to interview her as a part of my research as well!