New director Lavoie eager to build on strong ECU School of Theatre and Dance

As a playwright, East Carolina University’s new School of Theatre and Dance (SOTD) director has the unique distinction of seeing his work produced on all seven continents during his lifetime.

Kitt Lavoie SOTD (Provided by Kitt Lavoie)

Kitt Lavoie said a number of other playwrights have the easier six continents. The idea for a production in Antarctica came in the early 2010s when The CRY HAVOC Company in New York City — for which Lavoie spent 22 years as artistic director — celebrated its 15th anniversary. He emailed the British Antarctic Survey public relations office about the project and got a reply within two hours.

“I sent several plays; they picked a one-act play called ‘Kat For Short,’” Lavoie said. “Two scientists and a person who flies a sea plane at Rothera Research Station performed it for the other eight people at the station.”

The experience taught Lavoie the benefits of reaching out.

“I’m a big believer that you might as well ask,” he said. “You’d be surprised at how often they say yes.”

Lavoie and ECU said yes to each other, and he will take the helm of the SOTD, in the College of Fine Arts and Communication, starting July 1. Kate Bukoski, School of Art and Design director, served as interim during the 2024-25 year, alongside assistant directors Bryan Conger and Jessica Teague, when previous SOTD director Jayme Host took the position of dean for the School of Arts at the College of Charleston.

Laura Prividera, School of Communication director, led the search to fill the SOTD role permanently.

“Kitt brings a wealth of knowledge to the School of Theatre and Dance,” she said. “He is deeply committed to student success and we are really looking forward to working with him.”

Lavoie said ECU already has an exciting program with a strong base, and praised the existing balance between the theater and dance programs; he said he has observed many schools that place a strong emphasis on one or the other.

“Everyone was really smart and engaged, and not wanting to rest on the laurels of what is already working,” he said. “They have an eagerness to keep building and evolving.

“I’m very excited about the fact that the program is excited about new work and did ‘Wild Heart;’ new work has been a huge part of my professional career. That’s definitely an area I’d like to see us further develop in the coming years.”

Since 2019 Lavoie has held faculty positions at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance within the Holland College of Arts and Media.

While his own professional focus has been in theater, Lavoie’s work has crossed over into dance frequently, especially through this work with Lincoln Center. He has collaborated with various dance companies, and played a leadership role in the evolution of SEMO’s dance program.

ECU School of Theatre and Dance’s new director, Kitt Lavoie, is the artistic director of the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival.

He has also worked with NSKI Høyskole (The Norwegian Actors College) since 2013, again, connecting during CRY HAVOC’s anniversary festival. The college wanted to be part of the productions on every continent if Lavoie would visit and direct.

“I said I don’t speak Norwegian, and they said it would be fine,” he said. “And it was. It was amazing.”

Lavoie started as adjunct faculty and now spends a week or two teaching there each year. That led to an exchange program at SEMO, and he imagines a similar program might be possible for ECU.

Lavoie has presented guest lectures across the eastern United States, mentored hundreds of students, directed productions from student to professional, and is the artistic director of The Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival. Released in 2016, he wrote and produced the documentary film “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened” about the creation and aftermath of Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” The film included hours of historical footage previously unseen, and made multiple top film lists when released.

“I’m very excited about coming to ECU,” Lavoie said. “It’s an excellent program and we want to build on that excellence.

“Something we want to work on is becoming an important program, beyond being an excellent one. When people in academia look at their relationship with the professional industry, they think, ‘How can we get the industry to serve us?’ But how can we as a school become a resource to the professional industry? That’s going to get the industry to want to work with us.”