While researching for her Ph.D. dissertation in the late 1980s, Theresa Rebeck (M.A. '83, M.F.A. '86, Ph.D. '89) stumbled upon Les Deux Orphelines, a 19th century melodrama written by Adolphe d'Ennery documenting the plight of two former slaves during Reconstruction. It struck her, and in 1993 she adapted it as a musical, now re-dubbed The Two Orphans, in collaboration with Kim Sherman and John Sheehy (M.F.A. '89). But it was not until this year that the adaptation was realized, when the Brandeis Theatre Company finally premiered the production last weekend.An accomplished dramatist who has also worked in film and television, Rebeck's most well-known work is Omnium Gatherum (2003), which she co-wrote with Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros and which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Her other plays include View from the Dome, Dollhouse and Bad Dates. She received a Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award and Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama for her work on NYPD Blue. She has also written for the television shows Law & Order: Criminal Intent and L.A. Law and the movies Catwoman, Gossip and Harriet the Spy. She recently appeared on the cover of American Theatre Magazine.

For years, Rebeck had trouble finding professional theaters willing to produce The Two Orphans. The show requires a 15-piece orchestra and invokes uncomfortable themes of race and gender, which are not common in musicals.

Just as she was wondering where to turn, Prof. Eric Hill (THA), artistic director of the BTC, showed up at her Brooklyn home. Hill was looking for a successful playwright to supply a script to be premiered in the Company's inaugural season. Rebeck sent him The Two Orphans, which Hill considered among a slew of others, and the adaptation was eventually chosen.

"What happened is so karmic," she said. "For my dissertation, I started reading powerfully constructed melodramas and was interested in adaptations, and now my own adaptation is at Brandeis."

When she came here, Rebeck wanted very much to be a playwright, but did not believe it achievable. She thought that by studying masters of the written word, she would come closer to becoming a master herself.

At Brandeis, Rebeck pursued an M.A. in English, an M.F.A. in dramatic writing and a Ph.D. in Victorian literature.

"I believed that if you really want to become a writer, you need to know about literary tradition," she said.

One day after class, she wandered down the hill from Rabb to Spingold for a playwriting workshop and found herself hooked.

While Rebeck fondly remembers her undergraduate days at the University of Notre Dame, "Brandeis was more of a home," she said. "I felt valued, supported and intellectually challenged. I was called to be my best self."

Director of the Office of the Arts Scott Edmiston said he believes Rebeck is an example of how alumnae can inspire students.

"Since the role of the artist in our society is changing so quickly, it is especially valuable to have working alums in the arts return to campus to help keep us in touch with current and developing movements and ideas," Edmiston said.

Rebeck visited campus several times while the BTC was preparing The Two Orphans, even making several adjustments to the script to fine-tune it for the acting troupe.

"I thought it was great to work with a playwright. The script was built around us," said Jessica Perelle '07, who performed in the play. "In college, they tell you what happens. But when a professional comes in, that's actually how it works.