Falk Lab School recently announced the generous gift given to the school by Rob Marshall, award-winning film and theater director and a 1974 Falk alumnus, on behalf of his family—sisters Maura Marshall Powell (class of 1974), a successful architectural designer, and Kathleen Marshall (class of 1976), a Tony Award–winning Broadway director and choreographer; and their parents, Robert and Anne Marshall. 

The Marshalls’ gift will go to support the arts at Falk and to update the Multi-Purpose Room/Theater space, which will be renamed the Marshall Family Theater in honor of the family. Generations of Falk students, including the Marshalls, gave their first performances on that stage in Falk Lab School plays and musicals, as well as attending music and physical education classes in the space. 

Twins Rob and Maura attended Falk Lab School from 1965 to 1974, while their younger sister, Kathleen, attended 1967–1976. Today, Maura owns a design-build firm in the Washington, D.C., area, while Kathleen has won numerous awards, including 3 Tonys, for her work as a director and choreographer on Broadway. Rob began his career in theater before transitioning to film, directing blockbuster films such as the Oscar-winning Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Mary Poppins Returns, among others. Robert Marshall, a professor of English, served as Dean of the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Arts and Sciences for a number of years, while Anne Marshall completed her teacher education career as the coordinator of Elementary Education at Pitt’s School of Education. We spoke to the Marshalls to find out more about how much Falk Lab School has meant to the family and the influence it has had on their lives and careers. 

What influence do you think Falk Lab School had? 

Anne Marshall: People have asked us over the years why our children are so creative. We always say Falk School. That’s our universal answer. They learned how to initiate things on their own and how to work with others. As artists they all work individually but in their fields they have to work with large groups of people. 

Rob Marshall: Lack of judgment is something that gives you a great deal of self-confidence in life. You believe you can achieve anything, no matter what you do. That’s a huge part of what I was able to gain from my experience at Falk.   

The other thing is working with others. There used to be project rooms at Falk, where we would go as a group to work out problems or tasks, without teacher involvement. That collaborative way of learning gave me a strong basis for who I am, and how I work and direct today.  

I remember a film director once gave me a piece of advice that I dismissed immediately: “Everyone here is working for you.” And I thought, “No, it’s the opposite. I’m here to serve everybody.” And that kind of work ethic is something that came from Falk. 

Maura (Marshall) Powell: I remember going into those project rooms and having so much fun. They were places for us to be creative and I loved that. 

Often artistic people get a bad rap as being flighty or unorganized or just not well-rounded. One thing I’ve certainly learned is that you can be creative and responsible too. I’m in a creative field, and one of the reasons I’ve been successful in business is my responsiveness, my timeliness, my stick-to-it-iveness. It’s great if I can design a beautiful kitchen, but if I don’t have the other skills, it’s not as useful. 

Kathleen Marshall: It was a wonderful and nurturing environment and I’m so happy I went there. I learned how to learn and to see being curious as a fun thing to do, and I think that philosophy carried throughout the school. Class sizes were small and you were with a group of kids for a period of years, and that helped to give you a sense of independence and responsibility to come up with an idea and figure out a way to execute it. The sense of inclusion and community was really significant. 

What are your fondest Falk memories? 

Rob: The Brady Bunch was a huge television show at the time—so naturally, I filmed a spoof of the show at Falk! It was infamous because we cast teachers and students. In a way, it really was my launch into film.   

Maura played Marcia, Kathleen played Cindy, I played Peter, former Falk director Bill McDonald played Mr. Brady, our science and math teacher played Alice the housekeeper, etc. We filmed all of it at Falk. Can you believe it?  We disrupted the entire school for our entire eighth grade year!

Maura: Ms. Kueblick played Mrs. Brady and we needed her to film a scene. We went to her classroom and reminded her that we need to film her scene now. She said, “I’m teaching . . .” and we said, “Yeah, but we’re filming.” We ran all over the school: nurse’s room, kitchen, everywhere. We just had so much fun writing it and filming it. We had freedom to think outside the box. 

Kathleen: The school was so great, they’d let Rob and Maura out of class to make their Brady Bunch episode. I was in it, and they’d show up at my class and say, “We need Kathleen to go film” and they’d say, “Okay.” They were all so supportive for whatever was creative. Those experiences of creating and working together and independently making something were so valuable. 

I also recall Mr. Early, my fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, having us do a wonderful project where we had to film our own version of Sesame Street. I remember with my friend Dave we did sock puppets. And we had great field trips to Buhl Planetarium, to Phipps Conservatory, and for a while Fred Rogers’ son, John, was in my class and we’d go on field trips to WQED and see the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood set. 

Bob Marshall: They always wanted to go to school. They just loved it. 

Anne: As they grew older, it seemed to fit more and more because of this strong arts program and the teachers who were there. 

Bob: Every year they had a Halloween parade in school, and the rule was everything had to be made with materials that were in the house. Nothing could be bought. One year Maura wanted to be a pepperoni pizza, and she was a bubble gum machine one year. 

What are some of your memories of performing in the soon-to-be-renamed Multi-Purpose Room? 

Rob: It was a wonderful space. It was everything—our cafeteria, graduation space, and theater. It was very special to us. 

Being a part of a main-stage production there was so exciting. Fiddler on the Roof in 5th grade was my first show. I played the Rabbi. There I was with my beard attached to my face with theatrical glue, my black robe, prayer shawl and hat. I took it all very seriously, of course. My big line was, “May God bless and keep the Czar…far away from us.” The pause got a laugh. I was thrilled! I loved the ritual and community of it all, plus it was so wonderful bringing all the grades together. 

That seminal experience was truly a launch into the world of performing arts and theater for me, which obviously became my passion in life. I give credit to Falk for that. 

Anne: The productions they were in were such great fun. The funniest one was Oliver, and Kathleen was tiny. She didn’t really get bigger until she got older but because of her talent, she was cast as Nancy, who is Bill Sykes’ girlfriend. It was just incredible when she sang “As Long as He Needs Me." 

I remember a musical number at the end of the school year. Rob wore an old-style college sweater. He was doing some sort of dance, like the Charleston, going back to the twenties. We were standing in the back, and I said to Bob, “You know what, I think we’ve got a dancer up there.” He was just in the third or fourth grade, but before we knew it he was dancing on Broadway. 

Kathleen: Mr. Mushalko, our music teacher, had a huge influence on me. I remember not just loving his class but also the fact that he directed and music directed and did the school play. Then it started in fifth grade that he’d do these Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.  

The cafeteria and auditorium were sort of one big room. Those were really the first shows that my brother and sister and I did. Our love of theater and of performing came from that. And I also remember Mr. Wagner was the gym teacher when we were there, and we’d do square dancing in his class. That’s the first sort of choreography that I ever learned. That was really special. 

Maura: Mr. Mushalko was so important in all our lives. I remember preparing for these shows, once in a while there’d be a Saturday rehearsal and we’d come to Falk and feel so professional. His wife would make these treats for all of us and it just made us feel special. I loved doing that, and those musicals were great. 

What is your dream for this gift? 

Maura: I just hope it continues to be as it was when we were there. You don’t have to be headed to Broadway to participate in the arts. Participate whether it’s onstage or backstage, front of house, back of house, however you can contribute. It’s the group experience that’s important. 

Anne: I certainly hope the arts are still front and center. The arts demand cooperation and collaboration. I hope the arts at Falk continue to evolve, to reflect all of the things the arts are pushing for in the world: diversity, and allowing people to be unique. Openness rather than being closed. 

Bob: Given how much the school means to us, the thought of there being a room there, let alone a theater with our name on it, means the world. 

Kathleen: I’m hoping that kids who are interested in performing arts can see that somebody who went to their school went on to do that as a career, and think, “Maybe that’s an option for me.” I think it’s especially important in elementary school when you’re trying to figure out what you like and what you like to do. Just to give kids a wonderful home and a great facility while they’re at Falk, and hopefully inspire them to try and find out what gives them joy. 

Rob: The arts are so powerful in terms of confidence and working with others. It brings young people together and brings them out of themselves. So anything that can support that and make the arts stronger at Falk is a win. 

I'm very excited about being able to name this theater in honor of our family. It’s rare that you’re able to do something so special and lasting. Falk really shaped all of us and that’s why this honor means so much.