Join President Eric W. Kaler and Mrs. Karen F. Kaler for a CWRU Destination Weekend celebrating the entertainment industry.
Read President Eric W. Kaler's full bio here.
Read Karen F. Kaler's full bio here.
Los Angeles, California | May 1-4, 2025
Register for Destination Weekend
Embark on a weekend of inspiring conversations, exciting tours and memorable experiences at the heart of the entertainment industry. Immerse yourself in exclusive gatherings, industry insights and a unique blend of tours and leisure.
Space is limited, so kindly register before April 1, 2025.
The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University and our entire campus community stands with our alumni, parents and friends impacted by the wildfires in the Los Angeles metro area. We hope you are safe and we extend our continued care and concern. After thoughtful consideration, our featured alumni speakers have encouraged us to move forward with this event as planned.
Overview of the Weekend
Please note that all speakers are subject to change.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Welcome Reception at The W Hotel - Beverly Hills
Kick off the weekend as CWRU President Eric W. Kaler facilitates a conversation with Barry Meyer (LAW), former Chairman of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and founder of North Ten Mile Associates, and Rebecca Weisberg (LAW), senior vice president of business affairs at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Meyer and Weisberg will talk about the education they received at CWRU, their respective careers and the role Meyer played in Weisberg’s career trajectory.
Barry Meyer (LAW) is the founder and chair of North Ten Mile Associates, a strategic consultancy firm specializing in the entertainment industry. Prior to his current position, Meyer spent 42 years at Warner Bros., one of the most successful collections of entertainment brands and companies in the world. He started his career there in 1971 as the director of business affairs and then moved up the rans. In 1994, he became Warner Bros.' chief operating officer and in 1999 was promoted to chair and chief executive officer. A recognized leader in the entertainment industry, Meyer often serves as key adviser on industry-wide production, labor and regulatory issues.
Rebecca Weisberg (LAW) is senior vice president of business affairs for the Warner Bros. Television Group, where she specializes in negotiating complex scripted television deals, including actor, writer, and director agreements, as well as licensing deals across multiple platforms. She also manages key exclusive producer relationships, notably with producers Chuck Lorre and John Wells. In addition to her business acumen, Rebecca is passionate about mentoring and supervising junior members of the WBTVG Business Affairs team, helping to develop the next generation of negotiators in the industry.
Read Weisberg's full bio here.
Friday, May 2, 2025
Breakfast at The W Hotel - Beverly Hills
Enjoy breakfast and hear from David Shall (WRC, LAW), COO and general counsel of Tornante Television. CWRU President Eric W. Kaler will facilitate a discussion with Shall detailing his career and Tornante Television.
David Shall (CWR) is chief operating officer and general counsel of Tornante Television LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tornante Company LLC., a private investment firm founded in 2005 by Michael D. Eisner, former chair and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. For the past 15 years, David has been the lead on all legal and business affairs relating to the company, including rights acquisition agreements, linear network/streamer license agreements, co-productions and joint ventures.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
After breakfast, hop on the bus and step behind the scenes with a guided tour of the iconic Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank!
The guided tour will last one hour, and attendees will have additional time for shopping and exploring!
Late Lunch and Discussion
After Warner Bros., savor a delicious meal as Donald Carrier provides an overview of the MFA program at Case Western Reserve. Karen F. Kaler will then facilitate a discussion with actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Alan Rosenberg (ADL), Paul Bugallo (GRS) and Abdul Seidu (GRS). They will discuss Rosenberg's leadership of SAG, and the careers of all three panelists.
Donald Carrier is the director of Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Play House's Master of Fine Arts in Acting program. He is an actor, teacher and director who has worked extensively in theater and film across North America. He spent nine seasons at the Stratford Festival playing leading roles in As You Like It, The Importance of Being Earnest, Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure, among many others.
Alan Rosenberg (ADL) studied political science and dramatic arts at Case Western Reserve. From CWRU, he attended Yale School of Drama where he was a classmate of the great Meryl Streep. Rosenberg's theater credits include A Prayer For My Daughter at New York's Public Theater and Lost in Yonkers and What's Wrong With This Picture on Broadway. Rosenberg's television credits include regular roles on Civil Wars, LA Law and Cybil and recurring roles on Shameless and Bosch.
Read Rosenberg's full bio here.
Paul Bugallo (GRS) is a Spanish/Italian-American actor who was born in Miami but raised in Seattle. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatrical Performance at Central Washington University and went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts in Acting through Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Play House’s Master of Fine Arts in Acting program. Bugallo has performed in venues across the country, including the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Play House, THe Center House and improv theaters such as Second City Hollywood, Unexpected productions and Upright Citizen's Brigade.
Abdul Seidu (GRS) was born in Cleveland and is a first-generation Ghanaian-American. He first found his love for acting in seventh grade watching his brother perform in plays. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University where he also competed in track and field.
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Breakfast at The W Hotel - Beverly Hills
Start your day with breakfast as Karen F. Kaler facilitates a discussion with agent and manager Norman Aladjem (WRC), CEO of Mainstay Entertainment. Aladjem will discuss his time at Case Western Reserve and the highs and lows he has experienced in his profession.
Norman Aladjem (WRC) is the Founder and CEO of Mainstay Entertainment, a premium talent management and Emmy-nominated film and television production company. Current clients include Katherine Heigl, Trevor Noah, Laura Prepon, Jennette McCurdy, Hayden Panettiere, Roy Wood, Jr. and a number of other actors and creators. Aladjem has produced a number of feature films, including Before I Go, starring Annabella Sciorra and Robert Klein; A Simple Wedding, a multi-cultural romantic comedy starring Rita Wilson and Academy Award® nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo; Jimmy Vestvood, starring Maz Jobrani and John Heard, and Firewalker, starring Academy Award® winner Louis Gossett, Jr. and Chuck Norris.
Choose Your Own LA Adventure
Pick your perfect outing in Los Angeles, or spend the day on your own. The Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University is sponsoring four different outings in and around Los Angeles.
Options include a visit to The Academy of Arts & Sciences Museum, a guided hike to The Hollywood Sign, a trip to The Getty Museum with New York Destination Weekend returnee Reed O'Mara (GRS) or tour the LA Farmers Market and take a food tour of West Hollywood.
Join O'Mara on a tour of The Getty, a museum with something for everyone: art, modern design, unique gardens, and spectacular city views. O'Mara is a fifth-year PhD candidate and Mellon Fellow in the Dept. of Art History and Art who focuses on the arts of medieval Europe, primarily illuminated manuscripts and Gothic architectural sculpture.
Join Case Western Reserve friend Milt Shefter on a tour of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures —the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. Global in outlook and grounded in the unparalleled collections and expertise of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum offers exceptional exhibitions and programs that illuminate the world of cinema. They are immersive and dynamic and tell the many stories of the movies—their art, technology, artists, history and social impact—through a variety of diverse and engaging voices. The Academy Museum tells complete stories of moviemaking—celebratory, educational and sometimes critical or uncomfortable.
Milt Shefter is a renowned preservationist who has worked on media asset protection and preservation projects both nationally and internationally. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1989.
Join us for a Hollywood Sign tour that will take you directly below the Hollywood Sign for the best photos all while learning the history of the most famous sign in the world.
For this event, guests should be in good health and be able to walk a 1.8-mile hike along a flat path (not always paved). The tour will last about 90 minutes.
Join a West Hollywood food tour that includes six unique stops showcasing the diverse culinary experiences from traditional cuisines of the neighborhood to the cutting edge. Visits to famed landmarks such as The Original Farmers Market, The Grove, CBS Television City and the historic residential architecture of the Fairfax District neighborhood — a traditionally Jewish neighborhood that is becoming the streetwear capital of the world. Skip the lines and taste the best Thai, Italian, crepes, pizza, tacos and sweet treats in West Hollywood!
Garden Party at Beverly Park (The Garland Hotel)
Close out our CWRU show business weekend with a stylish Garden Party as Karen F. Kaler leads a discussion with filmmakers and alumni Sujata Day (CSE), Thayer Jeurgens (CWR), Julia Bianco (CWR), Beth Magid (CWR) and Tom Burke (CWR).
Pittsburgh native Sujata Day (CSE) is a 2023 NAACP Image Award-nominated director for her debut feature film, Definition Please, which she also wrote, produced and starred in.
Boasting a 95% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and multiple film festival awards, Day’s heartwarming hometown dramedy was acquired by Ava DuVernay's distribution company ARRAY and Netflix.
Thayer Juergens (CWR) is a producer and development executive with a decade of experience in the entertainment industry who has helped package and sell projects to Peacock, Disney+, MGM+, Amazon and Twentieth Century Television. Before joining sales and production company A Higher Standard, he was director of development at Maniac Productions where he managed the company’s studio deal with Blumhouse Television.
Julia Bianco (CWR) is a writer whose debut contemporary fantasy novel, Broken Coven (St. Martin’s Press), will be released in 2026. She was the assistant to screenwriter David Hemingson for the 2023 film The Holdovers. Bianco has also served as U.S. assistant to director Jon M. Chu during the production of Wicked, showrunner's assistant on HBO Max series Head of the Class, development assistant at Ryan Seacrest Productions and talent manager's assistant at Odenkirk-Provissiero Entertainment.
Beth Magid (CWR) is a production supervisor working in the development department at Walt Disney Animation Studios. She recently finished her role as production supervisor for the visual development department on Moana 2, where she also stepped in briefly as production supervisor for characters and lighting.
Thomas R. Burke (CWR) is a film producer and screenwriter. Originally from Ohio, where he began his career in theater, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts in Producing degree. Since graduation, Burke has been an active member of the independent film community, serving as a producer on multiple features including The Endless, Synchronic and Call Jane.
Also scheduled to participate in the weekend, violinist Morgan Paros (CWR), whose international performance career spans contemporary, classical and commercial music, from scoring video games and films to pop music tours, late night TV performances and recording sessions.
Sunday, May 4, 2025
While nothing is planned enjoy a restful morning after a fulfilling and inspiring weekend on your own.
Register for Destination Weekend
Destination Weekend Los Angeles
Frequently Asked Questions
I notice that there is a registration fee this year. Is that new?
Yes, it is new. Because of space limitations and to reduce no-shows, we implemented a registration fee. The fee is modest considering the overall experience, including tours, meals and transportation.
If I am not attending all the events, can my registration fee be lowered?
No. We went with a blanket registration fee. We do encourage you to try to attend all the offerings.
The list of alumni speakers is quite impressive. Will we get to meet them individually?
Each speaker will mingle with guests at their respective event. During the moderated conversations, we will take a few questions from the audience.
I am not sure which "choose your own adventure" outing I would like to do. Can I let you know later? What if I register for something and then change my mind?
All the "choose your own adventure" offerings have space limitations. We encourage you to make your selection when you register for the weekend. If you do change your mind, please contact our office at destinationweekend@case.edu about the change. It is possible that the offering to which you are looking to change is at capacity. If that is the case, we will put your name on a waiting list but keep you registered for the original offering.
If I am traveling in for Destination Weekend. Do I have to stay at the host hotel?
No. You are not required to stay at the host hotel. Please note that all transportation will depart and return from the host hotel only. No additional pick-up or drop-off locations will be added to the transportation itinerary.
I see speakers are subject to change. Why is that?
Many of our speakers are self-employed. They need to be available for work. They will do all they can to keep the commitment, but we also need to be prepared if they need to bow out. We will let you know if and when a speaker cancels.
I see this is the third annual Destination Weekend. Can you tell me how this program started and about previous cities where it was held?
Destination Weekend started in 2023. The African American Alumni Association had been discussing having a weekend in Washington, D.C. to tour the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The trip was organized, and the attendance was greater than anticipated. Because of the DC Weekend’s success, it was decided to offer this program annually. In 2024, the program was held in New York City where guests heard from CWRU alumni who work in the arts, including theater, visual art, historic preservation and dance.
There is a $100 registration fee to participate in this unforgettable experience. This fee covers access to all scheduled events, tours and exclusive gatherings throughout the weekend. All other costs including airfare, accommodations and food outside of scheduled programming is at the cost of the attendee.
Enhance your stay and book your hotel room at a reduced rate as a part of The Alumni Association hotel block at W Los Angeles - West Beverly Hills. There will be a booking link in your confirmation note once you register.
Contact Katie O’Malley, director of events, programs and reunions, with any questions or updates to your reservation. Katie can be reached at destinationweekend@case.edu or 216.368.6280.
Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with alumni and industry leaders in a weekend full of inspiration, adventure and fun!