Ralph Zito, the chair of Syracuse University’s Department of Drama, was recently awarded a prestigious medal from The Juilliard School, the famous arts conservatory based in New York City.

The Juilliard President’s Medal was presented to 20 drama faculty and staff members in the theater industry, including Zito. During the 50th anniversary celebration of Juilliard’s Drama Division, the school’s president, Joseph Polisi, said the medal recipients have left “an indelible impact on the arts” and “represent the very best of what Juilliard has been, now is, and will be.”

“When I received the award, it was hard to talk about it without tearing up,” Zito said. “We all, on some level, seek validation and recognition.”

Zito began his academic career at Harvard University, where he studied biological anthropology. Though he loved acting, Zito said he didn’t see it as a reasonable career. But after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Harvard, he decided to pursue drama and attend the Juilliard School.

He was a professional actor for three years and was approached by a mentor to become a voice and speech teacher. Zito eventually became a professor of voice and speech in Juilliard’s Drama Division, where he taught for 18 years. He became chair of the department in 1999.

“As an educator and a mentor, he prizes and values youth talent and nurtures them into becoming strong communicators,” said Kathy Hood, a fellow recipient of the award and managing director of Juilliard’s drama department.

Each year, typically a total of 18 students are admitted into the department.

“Theater artists have to share the story of the human condition,” Zito said, adding that actors must evoke change through thinking and feeling differently since drama is about more than entertaining.

While teaching, Zito remained active in professional theater. As a voice, text and dialect coach, he worked with major theater productions on and off Broadway.

He worked for Signature Theatre Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and Hartford Stage in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 2010, Zito left Juilliard to accept the position of drama department chair at SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

During his time as chair, Zito said he helped facilitate an environment where each student could achieve individual growth and create professional expectations.

Under Zito’s direction, the drama department has developed over the last seven years, said James Clark, SU’s program coordinator of drama.

“Through his leadership, The Hollywood Reporter has listed our undergraduate program as one of the best programs in the nation,” Clark said. The Hollywood Reporter, last May, listed SU’s undergraduate drama department as a top five drama school in the country for an acting degree.

“Because it is the 50th year anniversary, because it is called the President’s Medal and because the president is stepping down at the end of the year, the recognition is deeper than sentiment,” Zito said.

Published on November 8, 2017 at 10:11 pm

Contact Jonathan: jnchau@syr.edu