Earlier this year, Don Wadsworth and Randy Kovitz of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama put aside their syllabi as faculty members and practiced what they teach: acting. Both have recurring roles in the Netflix series, "The Chair," as faculty members who are trying to get used to a new, unconventional head of the English Department at their conservative university.
Wadsworth (left), a professor of voice and speech in drama, and Kovitz (right), an adjunct faculty member who teaches acting, heard about the call for auditions put out by Donna Belejac Casting of Pittsburgh. In December 2020, they submitted video audition tapes and were tapped to play Professor Drake (Wadsworth) and Professor Reinhardt. Each appear in the popular limited series, which began airing Aug. 20, and is trending on Netflix now.
"All but one of the non-starring roles on the faculty were teachers from Pittsburgh universities," Kovitz said. "We filmed in February, and it was a great experience."
Wadsworth agreed. Under strict COVID protocols, the film's cast and crew made the best of a challenging situation. Filming took place at Chatham University, just down the road from CMU.