Alumni Profiles

In 2004, New Jersey native William Perry Morgan was already leading a successful career in the theater world, participating in Broadway, off-Broadway and regional productions, but he "felt 'trapped' and needed a change." Shortly after discovering Naropa University through a magazine advertisement, he sold his house and moved, along with his family, to Colorado for two years of study.

"The new program sounded exciting and exactly like what I was looking for," he says. "I knew I wanted to end up in a university setting and I needed a terminal degree. Plus, the excitement of the faculty at Naropa was a huge draw for me. I had been offered an opportunity to study somewhere else; it was a three-year program and the faculty was made up of folks who studied at Naropa. But I thought it might be better to study with the 'originals' if I had the chance."

Asked about high points of his experience, Perry zeroes in on shaping a young program and the close-knit community that surrounded him. "Being in the first class of this degree was the best part and the worst part of the program. We were writing and making the program's history every minute together.... The collaboration between class members is a favorite memory—our support of each other, our honesty with each other, sharing our fears, our joys, our a-ha moments and just the pure joy of experiencing each new creation. And then there are...the library staff, the beautiful art in the hallways, the sunshine, the mountains, the administrative staff...."

Now the director of musical theatre studies at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Perry teaches advanced acting, playwriting, directing and the musical theatre track (voice, history and performance). "I have introduced 'the bow' to my students," he says. "We bow in and out of each class, rehearsal and performance that I lead in honor and respect of each other, in honor and respect of the space and in honor and respect of the work. I am an Ambassador for Naropa." To those thinking about attending, "use your time here wisely. Fully commit to every day. Practice. Breathe. Listen. Love. Share. Allow others their passion, too. This was a great gift to myself; make it a great gift to yourself, too."

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