Purchase Acting Alumni Network

Purchase Acting Alumni Network Purchase Acting Alumni Network (PAAN) is a place for all alumni of the Professional Actor Training

Victor Cruz (‘03) stars opposite Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in the Broadway production of The Fear of 13.
04/16/2026

Victor Cruz (‘03) stars opposite Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in the Broadway production of The Fear of 13.

Jacquernst F. Filias (‘24) joins the cast of Romeo & Juliet at the Park.
04/16/2026

Jacquernst F. Filias (‘24) joins the cast of Romeo & Juliet at the Park.

Jerry Orbach Theaterat The Theater Center210 West 50th Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10019 RSVPClick below and kindly in...
04/16/2026

Jerry Orbach Theater
at The Theater Center
210 West 50th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10019


RSVP
Click below and kindly indicate the showtime you plan to attend
and the names of your guests.

[email protected]

02/27/2026

The Celebration for the life of our beloved A. Dean Irby will take place - Saturday, March 7, 2026.

Doors open 1:00pm
Service 2:00pm-3:30pm

Riverside Church
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10027

Alfred Dean IrbySeptember 21, 1947 – February 16, 2026Dean devoted 36 continuous years to teaching at Purchase College, ...
02/27/2026

Alfred Dean Irby

September 21, 1947 – February 16, 2026

Dean devoted 36 continuous years to teaching at Purchase College, State University of New York, beginning in September 1989. For more than three and a half decades, he mentored, challenged, and inspired generations of young actors. He was more than a professor - he was a standard bearer. He demanded discipline, truth, and emotional honesty. He insisted that students respect the craft and respect themselves.

His classroom was rigorous, but it was also transformative. Students often arrived as hopeful performers and left as grounded artists, carrying with them his voice in rehearsal rooms and on stages across the country. He believed deeply in their potential - sometimes before they believed in themselves. His influence did not end at graduation; it lived on in careers launched, confidence built, and lives changed.

Dean approached both teaching and acting not simply as professions, but as callings. To him, art was sacred work - demanding preparation, discipline, courage, and moral responsibility. He believed that stepping onto a stage or into a classroom required honesty of spirit and respect for the lives being portrayed and shaped. In 2024, his lifelong devotion to the craft was honored with the Lloyd Richards Director Award at the International Black Theatre Festival - a moment that reflected the profound esteem in which he was held by the theater community. That same year, his journey was lovingly captured in the documentary The Artistry of A. Dean Irby, directed by Juney Smith, preserving his story and spirit for future generations. These tributes were not merely accolades, but affirmations of a life lived in service to art, truth, and others.

Dean's life reflected courage, conviction, discipline, and heart. His legacy is not only found in the productions he performed or the institutions he served - it is carried forward in the countless artists, students, colleagues, and family members whose lives were shaped by his presence.

Karina Curet (‘15) stars in Playwright’s Horizons production of Practice.
12/18/2025

Karina Curet (‘15) stars in Playwright’s Horizons production of Practice.

Parker Posey (‘90) earns Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Televisi...
12/18/2025

Parker Posey (‘90) earns Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television for her performance and HBO’s The White Lotus.

Chris Perfetti (‘11) earns Critics’ Choice Award nomination for his role in ABC’s Abbot Elementary.
12/05/2025

Chris Perfetti (‘11) earns Critics’ Choice Award nomination for his role in ABC’s Abbot Elementary.

Welcome new Second Year Acting faculty member Edward O’Blenis. Edward is a professional actor with over twenty-five years...
08/22/2025

Welcome new Second Year Acting faculty member Edward O’Blenis. Edward is a professional actor with over twenty-five years of experience in teaching acting techniques, theatrical arts, and social-emotional skills to all age groups, with a passionate concern for their individualism, personal growth, and artistic expression and expansion.
Edward is a member of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers (NAAT) and holds certificates from the Society of American Fight Directors (certified and recommended), the New York State Department of Education, the CITI Program (Basic/Refresher Social & Behavioral Research), and Information Privacy Security (IPS). MFA in Acting from Yale School of Drama.

Happy Opening to Precious Omigie (‘22)
08/22/2025

Happy Opening to Precious Omigie (‘22)

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