Susan Dangel '69

Award-winning television and film producer

Graduated:

1969

College:

Bennington College

Years in production:

Producer at WGBH for 35 years on a variety of cultural programming

That’s show business

“I’ll always remember discussing Dostoyevsky in my English class and grasping the power of foreshadowing for the first time—it ignited my love of reading,” recalls Susan Dangel ’69 of her time at Dana Hall. “Today, when I hear the word ‘fearless,’ I think about our school and the strength and wisdom it instills.”

Dangel, an award-winning television and film producer, has exemplified that fearlessness throughout her career, bringing her talents to a variety of institutions including PBS and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A frequent collaborator of John Williams—one of the most celebrated composers in American history—she oversaw the production of many of his concerts and contributed to his musical scores for iconic films like Schindler’s List and Amistad. 

“When John was writing the score for Amistad, he asked me if I could help him find African poetry to accompany a piece of music,” she remembers. “I went to the Cambridge Public Library and found a poem called Dry Your Tears Africa. I asked the cultural attaché at the Sierra Leone embassy to translate the poem, and John went on to use it in a powerful scene at the end of the film.” 
 
Dangel credits Dana Hall with her love of storytelling and the professional path she’s chosen. “Never once have I doubted that I could do something in my career, and that comes from Dana Hall,” she says.