Carolyn Haas
Production Department Director

A native of Cincinnati, Carolyn Haas worked as a puppeteer for a PBS children's television show there before coming to New York to spend three years with VISTA, teaching theater and television to high school students in Harlem. She has also worked at the Public Theater, the Williamstown Theater Festival, and the Manhattan Theater Club.

Carol Haas is pictured in 1984.

How long have you worked at Juilliard, and what do you remember about your first day?
I walked into Juilliard for the first time in 1972. The person who was in what is now my job knew me from other productions, and called me in a panic because their prop person was not working out. The School was mounting a production of La Bohème in the Juilliard Theater, directed by Giancarlo Menotti and conducted by James Conlon, with designs by Ming Cho Lee. In the Drama Theater they were in rehearsals with Group 1 of the new Drama Division, directed by John Houseman. I was 25 years old, walking into the world-famous Juilliard School to work with some of the biggest names in the business. My first day was exciting and scary!

What job at Juilliard would you like to try out for a day and why?
I would love to see what it would be like to have [Associate Dean for Admissions] Mary Gray's job. I think it must be so interesting to be at the beginning of the journey of a student coming to Juilliard. The excitement and the heartache—true-life theater.

What is the strangest job you've ever had and what made it strange?
I was a TV censor for ABC. It was great money in those days. What made it strange: you would sit in a room watching hours of mindless television, waiting for someone to say words that the network felt were not acceptable. Your job was to press a button that would hopefully stop the audio feed for a couple of seconds, so the audience for that show would not be offended.

If out of the blue your boss said to take the day off, what would you do with your free time?
I would like to say I would go to a museum. The truth is... I would most likely go home and do my laundry.

Do you have a background in music, dance, or drama? Are you actively pursuing it?
When I first came to New York I did some acting, but the performer's life—with its pressures of auditioning, performing, and rejection—is not for me. It is a hard life, even after you have gained success. But I'm glad I have experience in performing. I have an understanding of how hard it can be, and I think it has made me better at my job.

What kind of performances do you prefer to attend and why?
I love going to theater. The magic of when the writing, acting, sets, costumes, and lighting all come together—for the hours you're in that theater, you become part of the world the artists and technicians have put together.

What other pursuits are you passionate about?
In my volunteer work at Lenox Hill Hospital, I saw—over and over again—family and friends having to make difficult decisions. I am finishing a manual that I hope will help people organize their thoughts as to their final wishes. It might sound like a depressing pursuit. But when you see the burden that can be lifted for family and friends who know they are doing what their loved one wanted, it's rewarding.

What was the best vacation you've had and what made that trip so special?
My trip to Hawaii in 1994—the people were wonderful; the landscapes were breathtaking. It was one of those vacations where everything went well—flights, hotels, food, etc.

What is your proudest accomplishment in life?
In my professional life, it would be that I went from being a part-time prop person to becoming head of the Production Department at Juilliard. In my personal life, I am proud of the friends I have made.

What might people be surprised to know about you?
That I am painfully shy.

Next Month: Suzanne Daone, administrative assistant of the Dance Division.