06/17/2026
Meet YA author, musician, screenwriter, game designer, and Gallatin alum Tommy Wallach (BA '05)!
đź’ś What was your concentration at Gallatin?
My focus was on writing novels, so I created a novel-writing clinic for myself. Some of this involved literature classes, but the core of it was an independent study with a professor who read large portions of my novel-in-progress every week and provided crucial feedback.
đź’ś How did your time at Gallatin shape your personal path?
I started in the Dramatic Writing program at Tisch, but the education there felt too limiting, so I left NYU and enrolled at Trinity College in Ireland, where I studied English literature. Unfortunately, I didn't love it there either, so I transferred back to NYU, into Gallatin. Unsurprisingly, I was happiest in a program where I could specify exactly what I wanted to be studying.
đź’ś Your projects move across so many different mediums and genres. What excites you most about exploring new creative forms?
The joy of working in less traditional media, such as immersive theater or tabletop games, is that so much of the map remains unexplored. For example, I co-created a 15-hour narrative puzzle game based on the life of Mary Shelley. The game attempts to elicit emotion by marrying the mechanics of the puzzles to the narrative. As an artist, it's exciting to attempt something no one has attempted before—even if you end up failing in the end!
💜 Later this month, you’ll be presenting a workshop of your new musical "Vicky & Frank" in NYC. What are you most excited to share with audiences?
Vicky & Frank is a very loose adaptation of Frankenstein (I know, I know, I've got an obsession!) centered around a 17-year-old girl in the 1950s who dreams of being a scientist and attempts to reanimate the dead. I wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the show—what's more "individualized study" than that?! The workshop in June, which is a of fundraiser and audition for the folks who will help get us to a production, represents the culmination of about five years of work. If any folks in the Gallatin community are interested in supporting us, I hope they'll reach out!
