“Oh gosh– my journey at Muhlenberg spans pretty much my entire life!” Jessica Bien’s Muhlenberg journey started well before she began working in her current role as general manager of the Department of Theatre & Dance given that she grew up practically on campus in a house on Albright Street (now the chapter house for Alpha Epsilon Pi). For this reason, Bien’s childhood is painted with memories of Muhlenberg. She said, “I spent a great deal of time as a kid riding my bike all over campus, kicking soccer balls in the field before Moyer was built and sledding down the hill next to the library.” It was at Muhlenberg where Bien would discover her love for the behind-the-scenes world of the performing arts when she was 14 years old. Bien was hired as an intern to work as a carpenter building sets for Summer Music Theatre (SMT) productions such as “Into the Woods” and “Man of La Mancha.” Bien recalls “being taken under the wing of the ‘Berg students that I adored.” After 18 years serving as general manager under the Department of Theatre & Dance, Bien is moving on to her next journey as she takes on the position of senior project manager at Tait Towers. Before Bien’s Muhlenberg journey comes to a close this week, the immeasurable impact she has had on the performing arts community at Muhlenberg must be acknowledged.
Bien had been dreaming of a position such as general manager of Muhlenberg’s Department of Theatre and Dance ever since her SMT internship and upon meeting Ken Butler, who held the equivalent position at the time. Bien states, “His mentorship and care is what would draw me back in 2006 ten years later.” It was five months before Bien and her husband, Eric Covell, (who also eventually began to work at Muhlenberg as technical director) moved back to the Lehigh Valley from Boston that her alumni friends let her know that the position was open, after Bob Grobman (who she had also worked with on SMT) moved on. Bien explains, “I applied and spent a very full day interviewing with the faculty and staff of the department and then got the call from Jim Peck to offer me the position! And even better–I got to have Ken as a mentor for a very long time.” In 2021, Bien gained the title of Director of Operations and Production for the Department of Theatre & Dance to encompass all of her contributions to the department. Because both Bien and Covell worked at the College, Bien explains how Muhlenberg practically is their family.
“My son Harrison has grown up in the CA [Center for the Arts] and the [Trexler Pavillion], has participated in many a dress rehearsal, a set strike and a strike pizza dinner. So much of his childhood (he’ll be 16 next month!) has been interwoven with our work here–that Muhlenberg will always be a part of our lives and of our family’s story…It’s also been really special getting to work alongside Eric all these years–though to be honest most days we wouldn’t even see [each] other and we almost never drove to work together! But for us both to get to be part of some really rewarding, exciting projects together has been a lot of fun.”
Bien has served as the center of communication for all facets of the department, playing a major role in the coordination of its projects and its financial endeavors, but Bien’s influence on Muhlenberg does not stop there. She spent over 12 years here developing the department’s stage management program. As part of this program, Bien works closely with student stage managers working on mainstage productions and acts as an adjunct professor for classes in stage management. Bien expresses gratitude not only for the growth of this program, but also for everything she has learned from students because of it. “So many conversations with students about the world, leadership, management and other topics that you might not think relate back to stage management – but so often they do! The ways that our students have challenged me to grow and consider alternative perspectives and try new things and explore– I’m the luckiest for having had the opportunity to learn and grow alongside all of them.”
Many other elements of Bien’s lasting impact on performing arts at Muhlenberg stemmed from her passion raising awareness about accessibility in the arts. After working as an access coordinator at The Wang Center for the Performing Arts in Boston and helping to facilitate the first open captioned and the first audio-described opera in the city, she explains “I knew that I’d always want to be involved in providing access to the arts for all.”
Bien was honored by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council for her contributions to accessibility in the arts in 2015. She was heavily involved in establishing programs and practices expanding the department’s dedication to accessibility, such as open-captioned and audio-described performances, sensory-friendly performances of children’s productions by SMT, and improved front of house procedures that considered the needs of patrons using mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walkers were being considered. Bien also piloted a special topics course entitled “Accessibility in the Arts” in 2017, which went on to be offered many times. She explains her goal “always being for students to leave the class with a better understanding of the world around them and that they would leave our time together being better informed citizens of the world and when they would find themselves in positions where they could make choices that would affect change for others, they would do it.”
At Tait Towers, Bien will be responsible for working with project managers, mentoring their work and focusing on location-based entertainment. Although her time at Muhlenberg is coming to an end, Bien expresses her gratitude for the long-lasting impact that the community has had on her life: “I have been so lucky to have had such a long tenure with the institution–filled with so many wonderful experiences with amazing people. I have learned so much, grown so much, made deep friendships and been a part of so many productions I’ve lost count–I am grateful. Though I may be “retiring” (as I like to say), a big part of my heart will always be here. And no matter where I go, I hope ‘Berg folks will remain connected to us!”
The Department of Theatre & Dance will be holding a farewell event for Jess and Eric on Sept. 13 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Baker Theater Lobby!
Samantha Tempkin ‘25 is a theatre and media & communication double major and is thrilled to be joining the Weekly’s staff as an Assistant News Editor! She is also the co-president of KPC, Muhlenberg’s K-Pop club. When she is not writing for the paper, Sam loves singing, dancing, listening to music, seeing Broadway shows, watching Marvel movies, and hanging out with friends!
