What do Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Kushner, and Yo-Yo Ma have in common? - Harvard Gazette

"Actor BD Wong, who originated Song Liling on Broadway in 1988, visited Harvard for two days in 2020 as part of the Office for the Arts' Learning from Performers program. Wong did a master class with students, spoke to an English class, and attended an "M. Butterfly" rehearsal. He ended up helping Cheng workshop the first love scene between the two main characters."

""I remember showing him around the Harvard campus and just having a conversation," recalled Cheng, now a content creator and podcast host living in Los Angeles. "There was something to be said about just being with this person proximally - seeing the life of a successful actor and performer - that was exciting and hopeful. I didn't necessarily have access to many successful people in the arts, so that was really important.""

""Learning From Performers gives students the opportunity to interact with world-class artists from across disciplines and understand that what they learn here at Harvard - in traditional classrooms as well as on stages and in studios - can translate into extraordinary careers that define fields and help shape the world," said the office's director, Fiona Coffey. "When the OFA operates as a space that has one foot in the professional arts world and one foot in an educational setting, when we can bridge tho""

Learning From Performers brings professional artists to Harvard for events that include lunchtime discussions, workshops, residencies, classes, seminars, and coaching. Visiting artists conduct master classes, speak to courses, attend rehearsals, and work directly with students, as when BD Wong helped a student rehearse a love scene for M. Butterfly. The program provides proximal access to successful artists, offering mentorship, professional insight, and inspiration that can expand students' career possibilities. The Office for the Arts celebrates the program's 50th anniversary and positions its work to bridge professional arts practice and educational settings, connecting campus learning to extraordinary careers.

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