About WCDAC

The West Coast Drama Alumni Community (WCDAC) was founded in 1967 to help keep the drama alumnus in contact post graduation, and encourage fellowship between alumni, the university, and current students. Through several gatherings a year, WCDAC preserves the community formed while attending Carnegie Mellon, and specifically the School of Drama.

WCDAC is a conduit for facilitating the needs of our alumni through seminars and events, which feature prominent working professionals discussing such topics as directing, personal finance, networking, acting, producing, and casting. Our annual new member welcome and holiday party reunite old classmates and introduce new graduates to the alumni family.

WCDAC also offers its support to The School of Drama through student scholarships (over $100,000 during the past three decades) and seminars by West Coast professionals back at the school.

One of our most visible events each year is the annual Showcase of New Talent. The current graduating students (undergrad and graduate) travel to Los Angeles for a week of auditions, interviews, and panels with local industry professionals. These events are tailored as much as possible to the graduates’ individual disciplines (directing, acting, writing, design, etc.).

The WCDAC is made up of several hundred graduates, attendees, and former faculty and staff of Carnegie Mellon University. Most members were students of the School of Drama, although several of our prominent members attended other departments: the Entertainment Technology Center, the Masters of Entertainment Industry Managements in Heinz, Professional Writing, and Engineering; so long as they attended Carnegie Mellon and are part of the Entertainment industry, they are welcome in our Community.

Our members include actors, directors, technicians, designers, casting directors, agents, writers, executives, producers – you name it. Although Los Angeles is home for the Community, members live throughout the Western part of the United States. We even have a few alumni who work on both coasts and get involved when they are in town.

WCDAC is run by a small board of directors, which includes our four executive officers. Executive officers generally serve a three-year term, and board meetings are open to any interested party. Of course, the heart of our organization is its volunteers, which includes not only students who just recently graduated from Carnegie Mellon, but also members who have been out of school for over 60 years. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please contact President@WCDAC.org

John Zuiker, Kristen Merlino, John Gresch, Noah Mitz, Dan Green, Chris Rummel, Nate Barlow, Cassidy Pearsall