Sandy Chastan invests in the Purple Masque Theatre after pursuing her lifelong dream of acting.
When Sandy Chastan’s husband passed away in April of 2013, she found that she had more free time on her hands that she could direct toward something she had always wanted to do- acting.
“Suddenly I was left with nothing much to do, having retired in 2011 to care for my family. I thought about it and decided why not do what I had always wanted to do and take some courses in acting?” Chastan said.
The Sandy Chastan Purple Masque Enhancement Fund gave a gift of $100,000 this semester to help with the renovation of the Purple Masque Theatre.
“It dawned on me that this gift would be a way I could give back to all the people who had taken me in and helped me through a very difficult time in my life,” Chastan said.
Chastan interviewed and was accepted as a master’s candidate in theatre performance starting in the fall of 2013, where she fell in love with the School of Music, Theatre and Dance.
“I loved all my classes too, but the best part of the whole experience was the wonderful, supportive, imaginative faculty and the incredible students who welcomed this strange, older person into their midst and helped her achieve a lifelong dream,” Chastan said.
She then was involved in some of the K-State Theatre performances by playing the parts of Grandma Rosie in “The Wedding Singer” her first semester and Cassandra in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”
“Nothing will ever quite compare to the sense of belonging and accomplishment that my experience with K-State Theatre brought to me,” Chastan said. “The only way I can pay that back is through a donation that will benefit those who are already here and those who will follow.”
