A note from the Executive & Artistic Director, Heidi M. Sheridan.
This month, long time director of the Ocean County College Repertory Theatre Company and OCC Theatre & Communications faculty member, Paul Chalakani, is retiring and starting a new act in Florida. How do you thank someone who has influenced so many aspects of the college and its programs?
Paul Chalakani’s relationship with OCC began in the late 1970s, when he first directed productions here. He returned to the college as faculty after a 25 year-long hiatus and career in Healthcare, and after his two decades long stint as Scrooge in Spring Lake Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol.
When he rejoined the college and took the reins for the Repertory Theatre in the 2010s, he helped shape the future of the Company and the students who would pass through it by leading four to six productions each year while also teaching theater and communication courses. All said, he has been a performer, director, and educator for over 50 years.
I have been lucky enough to work with and know Paul as a teaching colleague, as his supervisor, and as a supporter of theatre, and through all of those times, I have developed a deep admiration for his dedication, passion, and interpersonal communication. I cannot count all of the times I have turned to Paul for advice, about teaching, about situations, or about theater. Just as with the thousands of students he has guided in the classroom and on the stage, he offered his perspective with humor, honesty, and generosity.
Paul Chalakani leaves a legacy not only in the archives of the OCC Repertory Theatre and in the courses he taught, but in the people he encouraged. How many young performers and students discovered their voices and found their confidence under his guidance? How many colleagues became better educators and leaders because of his example? We will never know.
It is difficult to imagine the OCC Rep without Paul Chalakani, just as it was difficult to imagine it without Arthur Waldman, his predecessor. However, we are so excited for Paul and his beloved wife, Tara, as they begin their next act. I know they will both be missed.
Thank you, Paul, for your belief in the power of theater and education, for the countless hours, and for sharing your talents with us.