Harvardwood HIGHLIGHTS - June 2025
- 2 days ago
- 18 min read
In this issue:
MESSAGE FROM HARVARDWOOD
NEWS
Harvardwood Summer Internship Program (HSIP) 2025 - New Opportunities Added!
Seeking Homestay Hosts for HSIP 2025
Harvardwood VIP Lunch Auctions Now Live: June 3-18th
Announcing 2025-26 Jonathan Sethna Harvardwood LGBTQ+ Fellowship
Featured Job: EA Support for an Author/Founder/CEO
FEATURES
Harvardwood Profile: Laura Kennedy AB ‘00 MBA ‘05 (manager, producer)
Industry News
Welcome New Members
Exclusive Q&A with Morgan Lehmann AB '12 (writer)
CALENDAR & NOTES
Harvardwood, HGSC, and H4A NYC Pride Happy Hour (New York City, NY)
From Writer's Rooms to Studio Deals: A Sitcom Writer’s Comedy Journey (Virtual)
'Ohana Means Family: Bringing LILO & STITCH to Life with Jonathan Eirich AB '03 (Virtual)
Last Month at Harvardwood
Want to submit your success(es) to Harvardwood HIGHLIGHTS? Do so by posting here!
Quick, guess a number! You got it?
Well, a number of new opportunities have been added to the HSIP 2025 roster, apply while it's hot. We're also still seeking Homestay Hosts for HSIP 2025--homelessness will really do a number on our lovable interns. And now available, several scintillating VIP Lunch Auctions with some industry vets who are nom nom hungry (to discuss complexly nuanced industry insights). And, uh, number.
Gather around children to hear about A Sitcom Writer’s Comedy Journey, not to be confused with Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey although we may be able to arrange a temptress depending on availability. For those that missed the musical number (I'm back), come talk about Bringing LILO & STITCH to Life with Jonathan Eirich AB '03!
As always, if you have an idea for an event or programming, please tell us about it here. If you have an announcement about your work or someone else's, please share it here (members) and it will appear in our Weekly and/or next HIGHLIGHTS issue.
Best wishes,
Grace Shi
Operations and Communications
Harvardwood Summer Internship Program (HSIP) 2025
There are new opportunities for Harvardwood Summer Internship Program (HSIP) 2025! Now in its 22nd year, HSIP provides a list of summer internship opportunities in the arts, media, and entertainment to interested Harvard students. In addition, HSIP facilitates career-related activities throughout the summer for participating students and companies virtually and/or in-person in LA, NY, and other cities with multiple students. Past program events have included film screenings, industry panels, and networking pool parties.
Internship opportunities are released and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Positions may be filled on a first come first serve basis, so we encourage students and companies to submit their materials as early as possible.
HSIP Student Database
If you’re interning in LA/NY and you'd like to connect with other students for the purpose of finding roommates or carpool buddies, please email programs@harvardwood.org.
Seeking Homestay Hosts for HSIP 2025
We are currently looking for homestay hosts for part or all of Summer 2025 in LA, NYC, and other large cities to help defray the cost of living for students, many of whom could otherwise not afford to participate in low-paying arts/entertainment internships. If you're able to provide a spare room/couch/air mattress to host a college student (or three!) we'd be eternally grateful.
Please contact Programs Director Laura Yumi Snell at programs@harvardwood.org with your name, address/neighborhood, and the number of students and dates you're able to host. Thank you!
Harvardwood VIP Lunch Auctions Coming Soon: June 3-18th
Always wanted to grab a one-on-one lunch for career advice with an industry professional? Now is your chance! Starting June 3rd, we'll have four fabulous lunches up for bidding:
Indie Film Producer & Distributor Gene Pao
Producer Naomi Funabashi of The Chi and Beauty & The Beast
Learn How to Write Your Memoir with TV writer Nell Scovell
Producer/Writer Mark Goffman of The Irrational and The Umbrella Academy
Applications are open for the 2025-26 Jonathan Sethna Harvardwood LGBTQ+ Fellowship
Harvardwood is excited to announce the third year of the Jonathan Sethna Harvardwood LGBTQ+ Fellowship for projects that elevate LGBTQ+ characters, themes, and stories by creatives and screenwriters who are Harvard University alumni.
The purpose of the Fellowship is to polish, develop, elevate, and amplify projects for the screen with LGBTQIA+ characters, themes, and stories. The gift, generously donated by Jonathan Sethna (HGSE ’03), will support one Fellow and their project with a grant of $5,000. Additional Fellows may also be awarded. In addition to grant funds, Fellows will receive one-on-one guidance and mentorship from Harvard Alumni that want to empower artists to make the world a better place through their stories.
Featured Job: EA Support for an Author/Founder/CEO
Job Description:
A founder/CEO of a seed stage startup is looking for a reliable and detail-oriented Executive Assistant who can help him manage multiple inboxes as well as his calendar, help draft responses on his behalf, and generally be delegated tasks to help free up his time and focus (this could include additional operational support as time allows).
Alumni Profile: Laura Kennedy AB ‘00 MBA ‘05 (manager, producer)
by Laura Frustaci AB '21
Laura Kennedy is CEO of Avalon, the talent management and production group based in London, Los Angeles and New York. Avalon represents a prolific roster of artists and produces live shows and television series including CATASTROPHE, LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, STARSTRUCK, TASKMASTER and WORKAHOLICS. Prior to joining Avalon, Laura was COO at Lionsgate Television Group where she headed operations, strategy and M&A. Laura started her career at Avalon in talent management. She has an A.B. from Harvard College in English and American Literature, an MBA from Harvard Business School and serves on the board of directors for The Second City and Riot Games.
After graduating from Harvard with a degree in English, Laura Kennedy AB ‘00 & MBA ‘05 knew she wanted to work in live entertainment. “I was, and still am, super passionate about live performance,” she said. While her classmates pursued early job offers, she moved back to London and landed her first full-time job at Avalon, which was a small independent talent management company known for its work with comedians. “I had this amazing experience working in a fairly small, entrepreneurial environment, where I was able to learn a tremendous amount,” she explains. Producing 16 shows annually at the Edinburgh Festival, including the hit JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA, gave her a broad and immersive introduction to the business. “We had this huge success. We won the Olivier for best new musical. It was critically about as big of a win as possible. But financially, it was just okay.” Laura recalls that this experience pushed her to focus on the question: “How do you build a commercial business that is still creatively driven?”
That question led her to business school, and eventually to a 13-year tenure at Lionsgate, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions before taking on broader operational leadership. “I thought I’d dabble in m&a for a short period of time, but I loved it,” she says. She ended up staying at Lionsgate for 13 years, where she was COO of their TV business development. Still, she missed the fast-paced, hands-on environment of a smaller company. “I was restless for another, more entrepreneurial experience,” she says. So, in 2019, she returned to Avalon as CEO. “I love the model here because it’s super unique,” she says. Today, under her leadership, Avalon represents over 800 clients, produces 20 TV shows annually, promotes hundreds of live gigs, and manages a global distribution catalog of over 4,000 titles. “I really wanted to be back in an environment where I felt like I could have real impact,” Laura smiles. And she does.
When Laura took on the CEO role at Avalon, one of her first priorities was expanding the company’s literary roster. “We had an amazing roster of comics and performers, and a lot of multi-hyphenates. But we didn’t have that many writers,” she explains. Determined to grow in that area, she led Avalon’s acquisition of The Agency in the UK, which brought in a slate of acclaimed global writers. “It’s been a brilliant ride,” she says. “Thanks to that acquisition, we now have a very, very diversified talent roster.” At the same time, Laura focused on scaling the U.S. side of the business to better support global representation. “Our U.S. business has grown quite a bit over the past five years,” she notes, with Avalon expanding its reach intentionally across several areas.
That strategic growth has included a major investment in live entertainment and an effort to broaden Avalon's production slate beyond its comedy roots. “Live has been a big area of growth for us,” Laura says, adding that the company just opened its first Broadway musical, OPERATION MINCEMEAT, with previews starting in mid-March. Drama production has also become a key focus. “If you look at our track record, it’s almost exclusively comedy and entertainment,” she says. “We wanted to make sure we were well positioned to produce with creators irrespective of genre.” While those projects are still in development, the impact of that pivot will become more visible over time. “We’ve been focused on growth, and also managing through a couple of crises. COVID hit right when I started, and the strikes followed not long after,” she remembers. “Thankfully, we’ve come through reasonably well.”
Laura is clear-eyed about the cycles of genre popularity and the challenges comics face in an evolving cultural landscape, and although she’s working on bringing the drama to Avalon, her commitment to comedy and its creators has never wavered. “Comedy went very out of fashion in the TV space in the early 2010s,” she says, “but we’ve stuck to our mission.” While other companies chase trends, Avalon remains creator-first: “We back really distinctive talent. We try to take a curated, taste-driven approach… And we fight for those voices.” Even as cultural sensitivities have made comedy more complex to navigate, Laura sees risk-taking as central to the form. “Comics put themselves out there every night,” she smiles. “Audiences have always had the right to decide whether a comic is for them or not… And we would have an issue with representing anyone who crossed a certain line, to be clear. But we try to stay forgiving in sort of allowing creators to take those risks. It’s our job to find those voices that we really believe in and support them on their creative and professional journey.”
For Laura, navigating the pandemic required a mix of decisiveness, constant communication, and creative problem-solving. “We didn’t stay in stasis,” she explains. “We took a view on the situation, communicated all the time, and made informed decisions.” While some larger companies hit pause, Avalon had to keep moving. “We couldn’t afford to sit on our hands, but we’re not going to compromise on safety either.” When the U.S. shut down, their show LAST WEEK TONIGHT happened to be on hiatus. “We didn’t miss a week,” she says. “We figured out how to produce it remotely in a safe environment, with John in a room by himself.” Avalon stayed operational by quickly adapting production models: editing remotely, reshaping schedules, and extending timelines to protect health while meeting deliverables. “And, we were one of the first producers back up and running in the U.K.,” she adds proudly.
The live entertainment side of the business, however, was hit hard. “Audiences weren’t going to theaters for a long time… So we had to move away from that. It forced us to get creative.” Avalon pivoted quickly; they developed digital versions of shows for ad-supported streaming, shifted clients into podcasting and audio, and treated the new constraints as a creative challenge. “We asked ourselves: how do we make sure that all the clients we work with can find great opportunities, and continue to make a living and build their career even when certain opportunities are not available to them?” Laura recalls. One unexpected benefit of the disruption was a long-term global integration strategy that took root. “I wanted to organize the company as a global company,” Laura says. The widespread shift to remote communication helped Avalon break down market barriers, and “was oddly a bit of a silver lining for us, because that’s how we operate day to day now.”
With so much being shifted to remote, Laura is now finding that live events are getting a huge boost. “People crave connection. The kind that only happens in a room together.” Though live events don’t scale like screen content, they’re emotionally powerful and financially viable. “The live comedy space has tripled in the last decade,” she notes. “We need to keep paying attention to where creativity thrives and where audiences truly want to be.”
Avalon is intentional about scouting talent everywhere by making sure they’re present in all venues and markets. They don’t just want to rely on existing networks, but also work to build infrastructure globally. “One of my longer term ambitions is to be in a position to do that in markets around the world. So we've sort of got a little bit of a footprint in Australia and New Zealand. Now in Canada. A team in Sweden,” Laura says. “I'd like to expand into other markets where we don't have as much presence, like Latin America and Africa.” A key part of that mission is maintaining a diverse in-house team, because those different life experiences, tastes, and perspectives are better equipped to discover and support a wide range of creative voices.
Overall, the entertainment business is full of challenges: there’s no sugarcoating it. “But it should also be a joy. Most of us do this because we love it, and the ride needs to be fun,” Laura says. At the same time, she emphasized the importance of excellence: “We have to do everything with excellence. And if we're not doing that, we're not going to win. So there's a whole host of things that I'm focused on to make sure that we do it better, that we learn from our mistakes, and just continue to iterate and grow and try things… I'm really excited about big bets and big swings.”
This leads directly into Laura’s advice for aspiring execs, producers, and creatives: “Resilience… is a huge part of this industry. Just strive for excellence every step of the way.” Also, she says, she often reverts back to three things: “grit, grace and gratitude”. She elaborates, “Stay resilient, stay kind, stay grateful. Give your best, fail better, and don't get disheartened by the setbacks … Stay in the game and enjoy the ride.”
Industry News
Carlton Cuse AB ’81, co-creator of LOST and executive producer of JACK RYAN, will serve as showrunner for ROBERT LANGDON: THE SECRET OF SECRETS, a new Netflix prequel series based on the iconic Dan Brown character. (Deadline)
Dan Lin MBA ’99, executive producer of Netflix’s AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, will return for the third and final season, now in production with new cast additions as the series heads toward its conclusion. (Deadline)
Darren Aronofsky AB ’91, director of BLACK SWAN and THE WHALE, produces the crime thriller CAUGHT STEALING, starring Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz, with the first trailer now released. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Darren Aronofsky AB ’91, director of THE WHALE and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, has launched an AI-focused creative studio called Primordial Soup, partnering with Google DeepMind to explore storytelling through artificial intelligence. (Variety)
Mike Schur AB ’97, creator of THE GOOD PLACE and co-creator of PARKS AND RECREATION, opens up about the stalled FIELD OF DREAMS series and shares why he’s not involved in the upcoming THE OFFICE reboot in this interview. (Variety)
Mike Schur AB ’97, creator of THE GOOD PLACE and co-creator of BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, will return as showrunner for Season 2 of Netflix’s MAN ON THE INSIDE, with plans to keep the series running “forever.” (FandomWire)
Geneva Robertson-Dworet AB ’07, co-creator of Prime Video’s FALLOUT series, will return as executive producer for the newly greenlit third season, ahead of the Season 2 premiere. (MSN)
Damien Chazelle AB ’07, Oscar-winning director of LA LA LAND and BABYLON, is set to direct an untitled thriller starring Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig, marking his return to high-concept filmmaking. (Deadline)
Aline Brosh McKenna AB ’89, screenwriter of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, returns to pen the sequel to the iconic film, with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt set to reprise their roles. (The Wrap)
R.J. Cutler AB ’83, Emmy-winning director of BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY, will executive produce and direct a docuseries on the Esports World Cup for Amazon Prime Video. (Variety)
Nicholas Stoller AB ’98, co-creator of PLATONIC and director of FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, returns for Season 2 of the Apple TV+ comedy, which will feature a new lineup of SNL guest stars. (Entertainment Weekly)
Greg Daniels AB ’85, creator of the U.S. version of THE OFFICE, will helm THE PAPER, a spinoff set in the same universe, marking a new chapter for the beloved comedy franchise. (The New York Times)
Marty Bowen AB ’91, producer of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and TWILIGHT, brings MY OXFORD YEAR to Netflix, with the romantic drama set to premiere this August. (Deadline)
Conan O’Brien AB ’85, comedian and longtime late-night host, joins the cast of TOY STORY 5 in a new role, marking his debut in the beloved Pixar franchise. (Deadline)
Strauss Zelnick MBA ’83 JD ’83, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming CIVILIZATION VII, expressing confidence in its development despite continued popularity of earlier titles on Steam. (IGN)
Luvh Rakhe AB ’01, rising screenwriter and producer, serves as a writer on Hulu’s upcoming sports comedy CHAD POWERS, starring Glen Powell and based on the viral Eli Manning sketch. (Deadline)
Jeremy Dawson AB ’93, longtime collaborator of Wes Anderson, returns as producer for THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, which premiered at Cannes and marks Anderson’s latest whimsical ensemble film. (Variety)
Welcome New Members
Harvardwood warmly welcomes all members who joined the organization or renewed their membership last month:
Elizabeth Wiener
Clare Pryor
Rebecca 'Toyin Doherty
Ian Hassett
Talisa Friedman
Nathan Hilgartner
Dana Berger
Alex Loch
Augustus Kellerman
Sean Andrew Teo Ong
Freddie Shanel
Melanie Boling
James A. Mathew
Johnny Ramey
Sue Guiney
Melinda Li
Allison Lee
Exclusive Q&A with Morgan Lehmann AB '12 (writer)
Morgan Lehmann (AB '12) is a comedy writer who grew up on a pig farm in Houston, MN (pop. 983). A graduate of UCB’s improv program, she started her career as an assistant on 2 BROKE GIRLS, before writing for THE COOL KIDS and BLESS THIS MESS and developing half-hour sitcoms with CBS, ABC, and Freeform. Most recently, Morgan has found success in the feature space, selling her first feature in a multi-way bidding war.
Q: Congratulations on the recent sale of your feature script! Can you tell us the origin story of your feature script? How did Delaney Pitts come to life, and why was now the right time to tell her story?
There’s no way to say this without sounding like an insane person. But… I started reading a lot of erotic fan fiction during the pandemic. I assumed the writers were adults, but once I started reading the Author Notes, I realized that most of them were still in high school. I thought “That’s a movie I would watch.” And I don’t think I’m alone. Romance is having such a moment right now. Bridgerton is one of the biggest series in the world. A Court of Thorns and Roses has sold millions and millions of copies. People (myself most of all) want this content, so it felt like the perfect time to write Delaney’s story.
Q: Raunchy teen comedies are having a bit of a resurgence right now. Why do you think this genre still hits so hard when done right?
Teen movies are universal movies. You always remember what it felt like to be in high school, hanging out with your friends, falling in love. It’s a magical time when even the smallest decision can change the trajectory of your life. That’s why these movies are the epitome of feel-good comedies. They remind you of a time in your life when anything was possible. Also, the soundtracks and costumes are almost always… chef’s kiss. Iconic.
Q: How did you get connected with Fruit Tree and A24, and what has that collaboration been like so far?
Fruit Tree read the script first, then sent it to A24. They have collaborated on a number of hugely successful projects. And I can see why. It’s very much always about what is best for the film. They’ve been kind enough to keep me extremely involved in the process as well. There’s a reason writers and directors want to work with them time and time again. They care about making it great.
Q: What’s it like seeing your name associated with producers like Emma Stone and companies like A24? Did it feel surreal at first?
I think it’s always going to be surreal. Our first meeting, I looked around and realized that I was maybe the only one in the room who hadn’t worked on an Oscar-winning movie. I’ve actually never worked on any movies. Sometimes I feel like I’m scamming them. I get to learn from the best and they pay me? But that’s what makes it such a dream gig. You couldn’t ask for better partners for your first feature.
Q: You started off as an assistant on 2 BROKE GIRLS. How did that experience help prepare you to succeed in the writers’ room and in the industry itself?
2 BROKE GIRLS was the perfect first job to have. I got to work for a top-notch showrunner, got to meet a ton of upper-level writers who connected me with my first writing jobs, and, best of all, it allowed me to see a full season of episodes tape. There is a trend now for writers to not be on set, even when it’s their episode. But since I started in multi-cams, by the time I staffed, I had already been on set for something like 50 tape nights. That on-set experience is invaluable, especially in comedy. You see what works, what doesn’t, and how to fix it all in real time.
Q: What were the most valuable lessons you took from writing on BLESS THIS MESS and THE COOL KIDS? How did your writing process evolve when working on each of these shows?
I was a Writer’s Assistant when I got my episode on THE COOL KIDS, so I really relied on the room when it came to breaking story. By the time I staffed on BLESS THIS MESS, I felt much more confident in pitching and writing an episode. It all just comes down to experience. This is a very stupid thing to say, but… I became a better writer by writing. There are no shortcuts. I would have saved a lot on therapy if there were. But that’s what makes it exciting. Every job and every script teaches you something new.
Q: Has your training in improv at UCB influenced your writing at all, especially when thinking about building characters and comedic setups?
UCB taught me to fall flat on my face. I’ve performed in some of the worst clubs in LA. Sometimes to rooms of one. Sometimes to jam-packed rooms where no one laughed. And that’s important. It teaches you to push through, which is the key to getting to something great. It’s not going to be perfect. It might even be the worst joke ever told. But that’s what writing comedy is all about. Just doing the thing until it’s funny. I know a lot of writers like to carefully craft their scenes, but (for me) improv taught me it’s sometimes better to just roll with whatever’s working in the moment.
Q: How did growing up on a pig farm in rural Minnesota shape your perspective as a comedy writer in Hollywood?
Weird childhoods are essential to writing comedy. I’ve eaten every single cow I raised. I know that the best way to wash a sheep for the county fair is with Woolite. That’s why I love writing about rural America. It’s something that we rarely get to see on TV anymore, but is so inherently fun. Sure, NYC has traffic. But my town has a giant sand pit filled with fleas. That’s real conflict.
Q: What’s a piece of advice a mentor gave you early on that stayed with you throughout your career?
The wonderful John Bowman (AB '80, MBA '85) was kind enough to meet with me when I first moved to LA. He said that if I chose writing, my twenties were going to suck. But if I stuck it out, my thirties were going to be incredible. And that’s proven so true. There were many times as a PA making $12 an hour and stealing my dinner from crafty that I wondered if I made a huge mistake in picking this career path. But on the other side of things, I couldn’t be happier. I get to make up stories all day and meet with the coolest people and write-off movie tickets on my taxes. It’s beyond anything I could have hoped for when I set out to do this.
Harvardwood, HGSC, and H4A NYC Pride Happy Hour (New York City, NY)
Thursday 06/12 Free for members
Join Harvardwood, Harvard Gender & Sexuality Caucus, Harvard Black Alumni Society, and Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance for an NYC Happy Hour to celebrate Pride Month.
Free to all current members and guests of these four alumni organizations, whether LGBTQ+ identifying or allies! There will be a few food trays; guests will be responsible for purchasing their own beverages.
From Writer's Rooms to Studio Deals: A Sitcom Writer’s Comedy Journey (Virtual)
Wednesday, 06/11 Free for members
Comedy writer Morgan Lehmann (AB '12) recently sold her debut feature in a multi-way bidding war—but her journey to the big screen started far from Hollywood, on a pig farm in Houston. In this candid conversation, Morgan will talk about how years of writing for network sitcoms like 2 BROKE GIRLS, THE COOL KIDS, and BLESS THIS MESS prepared her to create her own original stories—culminating in her transition from TV to film. We’ll explore topics surrounding developing and pitching a comedy feature, how she navigated the competitive studio system, and what she’s learned from both writers’ rooms and solo screenwriting.
'Ohana Means Family: Bringing LILO & STITCH to Life with Jonathan Eirich AB '03 (Virtual)
Tuesday 06/17 Free for members
Join Harvardwood for an exclusive conversation with Jonathan Eirich (AB ’03), Co-CEO of Rideback and producer of Disney’s highly anticipated live-action adaptation of LILO & STITCH, directed by Oscar nominee Dean Fleischer-Camp. With a career spanning billion-dollar blockbusters (ALADDIN, HAUNTED MANSION, THE HELP) and critically acclaimed fare (THE TWO POPES), Jonathan will share behind-the-scenes insights into reimagining beloved classics for today’s audiences, what it takes to build lasting creative partnerships, and how Rideback balances heart, humor, and spectacle in its storytelling. Come hear what to expect from LILO & STITCH and how this fan-favorite story is being brought to a new generation with creativity and care.
Last Month at Harvardwood
Last Month at Harvardwood, we talked to casting director Lisa Beach, got together with HSIP students, met with the Harvardwood Feature Writing Intensive, and more!
Want to submit your success(es) to Harvardwood HIGHLIGHTS? Do so by posting here!
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