After eight years of advising the Pegasus Players, Norwich University’s student theater troupe, Dr. Jeffrey Casey is stepping down, making way for Dr. Kevin Pinkham to take over as the group’s new faculty advisor.
Casey’s departure marks the end of an era for the troupe. Now both students and faculty reflect on the legacy of Pegasus—and where it might be headed next.
“I’ve already seen how passionate a lot of our students are about theater and how high they’ve set their goals for the program,” said Dr. Kevin Pinkham, lecturer of English. “I really can’t wait to collaborate with such an energetic cast and crew.”
Pinkham comes to the role with a long history of rebuilding programs from the ground up. At Nyack College, he revitalized a dormant theater program despite having “no theater space, no prop room, no costumes, no students already on board.”
The Pegasus Players, however, offer a different opportunity. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to step into a program that is moving under its own head of steam,” Pinkham said. “It feels like I’m picking up just where my old program left off.”
Pinkham’s vision includes expanding Pegasus’ visibility on campus and building connections with the wider Northfield community.
“Theater needs to be a place where students can build relationships, be challenged, grow their skills, laugh, and support each other, and where the surrounding community can be entertained, moved, and given something to think about,” he said.
Casey, who led the group through productions such as “Chicago,” “Heathers,” and many more, leaves behind a legacy that shaped the theater culture at Norwich. “Seeing students find their voices and their place in a community has been the most important part,” he said.
For many students, Casey’s influence went beyond the stage. “He always gave the most generous and genuine feedback,” said Kayla Evans, 20, a senior civilian English major from Northfield, Vermont. “He fostered a community full of love and support unlike any other environment I have been in at Norwich.”
Casey’s humor and determination also left an impression. “You could tell he was in his element when he was directing,” Evans said. “His sheer determination and spite to make us all the best performers and people we could be was felt from all areas of the theatre.”
“Professor Casey has always been the person on campus I can go to if I just need to talk something out,” said Kailey Drake, 22, a senior civilian psychology major from Bradford, Vermont. “He has taught me to push for what I want, but in a respectful way.”
Though bittersweet, the transition has sparked optimism among the group’s members. “I’m excited to see what Pegasus will be like in the future with Professor Pinkham,” Drake said. “He seems to really care about the theatre and is willing to take on the challenge.”
“Pegasus is almost a hundred years old, so each generation of actors and even theatre directors are just caretakers,” he said. “We strut and fret our hour upon the stage and hope someone else takes the torch forward.”
Despite all the changes, the heart of the troupe stays the same. “I think at its core Pegasus Player is a community of weirdos who love theatre. It’s a space for weirdness on a campus that—for all its peculiarities—isn’t always welcoming to our brand of weirdness,” Casey said.
