Podcasts, documentaries, stage plays, books…we’re tempted to call our leaders “multimedia masters.” Putney’s program leaders and Pre-College instructors have accomplished a lot in the last year, and it’s hard for us to keep up with it all! Here, we’re happy to highlight a few.
1. Laughter, Love, & Pain on Stage
Rebecca S’manga Frank has taught creative writing for Putney Pre-College, and recently debuted on the Lincoln Center Theater stage in a play titled “At the Wedding”—a “trenchant new comedy,” well-reviewed by the New York Times. Watch a conversation with Rebecca and her co-star below, and click here to learn more.
2. Italian Culinary & Cultural Inspiration
Dimitri Staszewski has led our photography workshop in Yellowstone, as well as a number of programs with our former collaboration with National Geographic. He recently completed a cookbook about his 101-year-old Italian immigrant grandmother, “for whom cooking has remained a constant thread throughout her storied life.” The photography, too, is beautiful. Click here to learn more.
3. To the Arctic With Will Steger
Tasha Van Zandt led several of our former Student Expeditions with National Geographic, and last year released a film titled “After Antarctica,” which won more than a dozen awards, including Best Adventure Film at the Mountainfilm Festival. The film follows Will Steger, a polar explorer and “eyewitness to the greatest changes to the polar regions of our planet.” Visit the film’s website here.
4. Two Leaders Delve Deep
Putney Pre-College instructor Justin Laidlaw hosts a podcast called The Buddy Ruski Show, and on episode 21 his guest was Josh Harmon, a fellow Putney instructor, comedian, and writer who has racked up millions of views for his social media series “Rhythms of Comedy,” and even appeared on The Tonight Show. Justin and Josh talk about Josh’s origin story in music, with no shortage of Putney chatter. Listen here.
5. Maine’s French Speakers
Jessamine Irwin has led several of our Language France programs. In 2021 she completed a powerful documentary film about New England’s French-speaking populations, titled “The Intersection,” exploring the history of discrimination and oppression against them—and how history repeats itself today. Centered in Lewiston, Maine, the film follows Cecile, a French-Canadian, and Trésor, a recent Franco-African immigrant from Congo, as they develop a friendship that rekindles Cecile’s pride in her heritage. Click here to visit the film’s website.
