the spotlight - Catawba College

Transcription

The Theatre Arts Management Shop at Catawba College Shuford School of Performing Arts Presents:
THE SPOTLIGHT
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March 2014
Vol 20, No. 5
www.catawba.edu/theatrearts
Welcoming Spring with something
Fantastick!
THIS MONTH
Co-Editor:
Verity Pryor-Harden
[email protected]
Co-Editor:
Pen Chance
[email protected]
UPCOMING PRODUCTION: THE FANTASTICKS
Student directed by Senior Allison Andrews, this
beloved musical comes to life on the Catawba Stage.
Continued on Page 2
CATAWBA LIVE! AT LEE STREET
In February, the Blue Masque and Lee Street
Theatre in Salisbury teamed up to create a
fundraising event to raise money for NCTC. Find
out more about its success!
Continued on Page 5
Ashley O’Donnell & Matt Ensley as Luisa & Matt in The Fantasticks
(Photography by Tracy Ratliff)
WHAT’S UP WITH CONFERENCE AUDITIONS?
NCTC, SETC, USITT, UPTAs, IODs...find out
what theatre conferences our students are attending
and the opportunities they are receiving.
Continued on Page 6
ALUMNUS OF THE MONTH: MAGGIE TRUXELL
Recent graduate Maggie talks to us about what life
right after college is like.
Continued on Page 7
Members of the Blue Masque backstage at Catawba Live!
(Photography by Katlyn Shaw)
The Little ‘Blue’ Book
INTRODUCING THE LITTLE ‘BLUE’ BOOK
We know you’re interested in what happens onstage
at Catawba, what goes on behind the scenes? In this
issue, we introduce to you The Little ‘Blue’ Book, a
feature of pictures of our students working hard.
Continued on Page 8
Like us on Facebook: /catawbatheatre | Follow us on Twitter: @CatawbaTheatre | Follow us on Instagram: @catawbatheatre
THE SPOTLIGHT
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The Fantasticks
by Amanda Becker, Junior
Catawba College & the Blue Masque!
proudly present
The
Fantasticks
Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
March 25-29, 7:30pm!
Florence Busby Corriher Theatre!
$5 Adults!
$4 Students/Senior Citizens
The Catawba College Theatre
Department and The Blue Masque will
be performing their version of the
world’s longest running musical, The
Fantasticks, March 25-29 at 7:30 p.m. in
the Florence Busby Corriher Theater.
The play will be directed by Senior
Theatre Arts Education Major, Allison
Andrews.
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with
music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by
Tom Jones. The mysterious El Gallo
narrates this allegorical story which is
loosely based on the play The Romancers
by Edmond Rostand, about two
neighboring parents who trick their
children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in
love by pretending to feud.
Tickets to The Fantasticks are $4 for
students and $5 for adults and can be
purchased online at www.catawba.edu/
theatretix or at the box office on show
nights. For more details, call the box
office at (704) 637-4481.
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For Tickets:!
www.catawba.edu/theatretix!
(704) 637-4481
Ashley O’Donnell & Matt Ensley as Luisa & Matt
Pen Chance & Matt Ensley as El Gallo & Matt
THE SPOTLIGHT
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Allison Andrews on Being Fantastick!
by Leanna Hicks, Sophomore
What a fantastic season of shows, am I right? We started the season off with a
beautiful collaboration with Ballet Pensacola and now we move onto a new one; one
filled with romance, heartache and laughter…let’s just say it’s a FANTASTIC play.
Senior Theatre Education major and director of this play in particular, Allison Andrews,
can elaborate on the excitement. Recently, I sat down with Allison to get a word or two
about her play. She doesn’t want to give too much away, but lucky enough we were able
to get a little bit of the inside scoop!
Allison has been seen on the stage at Catawba as very memorable characters, but
now she’s in the driver’s seat. How does it feel to be on the other side of the table as the
director? “It has definitely been an experience, still a working progress, but I’m very
proud of the work that has been done so far by both the crew and the cast, the faculty
support has been very helpful. I don’t want to say that it’s a stepping stone, but it’s my
first big directing project and it’s something that I want to do for the rest of my life as an
educator of theatre. It’s been a really great outlet for my creativity as well as a
collaboratve effort between our choreographer and great music director, David Hagy. So
far it’s been a really great experience. I think the hardest part of it has been…
scheduling.” Of all the responsibilities a director has with a show, scheduling is the
hardest part of the job? I certainly didn’t expect that!
Now the question on everyone’s mind…what is the director’s concept? “I have seen
a lot of different productions of this show, maybe three to four different versions, and I
know I wanted to do something different with this one. Right now there is a professional
company doing a steam punk version, so my concept is kind of a spin off of that. When
I was a freshman, I took the first year seminar on Romanticism, and to me romanticism
is all about finding oneself through nature. I was reading the script again before we
started rehearsal and it just clicked that a lot of these characters identify themselves with
nature. So to me the concept of this show is that it is a nod to romanticism. It’s not really
set in the romantic period, but through the
costumes and the scenic elements we’re getting
a lot of romantic-esque looks. By working with
the other designers we’re really getting the
nature aspect of the show and how we relate
ourselves to nature. In my opinion, nature is
innocence and El Gallo is essentially the
character that destroys all the innocence within
the show. It all draws back to one line he says in
the song “Try To Remember” which is,
“without a hurt the heart is hollow,” and that’s
what stuck out to me and is my favorite lyric in
the entire show. We don’t know what we have
until it’s gone. I’m really playing up that aspect
of love and loss and finding love again.”
With that, I know that it would be a terrible
loss if you don’t come see this production. We
wish all the best of luck to the cast and crew of
the upcoming Fantastick play and especially a
big thank you to director Allison Andrews for
bringing this play to Catawba. Make sure to
pay a visit to Florence Busby Corriher Theater
March 25-29 to find love again!
Ashley O’Donnell & Pen Chance as Luisa & El
Gallo
Cast & Crew
Luisa:
Matt:
El Gallo:
Henry:
Mortimer:
Bellomy:
Hucklebea:
The Mute:
Student Director:
Directing Advisor:
Music Director:
Stage Manager:
Assistant Stage
Manager:
Choreographer:
Fight Choreographer:
Fight Captain:
Set Design:
Costume/Hair/
Makeup Design:
Lighting Design:
Assistant Lighting
Design:
Technicians:
Ashley O’Donnell*
Matthew Ensley
Pen Chance*
Hannah Lee*
Katlyn Shaw*
Jura Davis
Morgan Summers
Leigh Butler
Allison Andrews*
Joe Hernandez
David Hagy
Cody Mangum
Leanna Hicks
TyNia Brandon
Craig Kolkebeck
Mark Highsmith
Tyler Elrod
Summer Eubanks
Christopher Zink
Lara Williams*
TyNia Brandon,
Caleb Garner,
Mark Highsmith,
Ashton Tibbit
Light Board Operator: Lara Williams*
Sound Board
Operator: Cody Gasque
Publicity: Amanda Becker
* Denotes membership in the Alpha Psi Omega
Dramatic Honors Society
THE SPOTLIGHT
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David Hagy, Musical Director
SALISBURY SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR, STUNNING MUSICIAN, AND MUSIC DIRECTOR OF
THE FANTASTICKS TELLS US HOW HE GOT HIS START
compiled by Morgan Summers, Sophomore
I told my mother at some tender age,
"I want to speak Italian and I want to play
the piano." She was totally perplexed, as
we knew no one who spoke Italian and had
no piano. My third grade teacher Miss
Phegley taught me the names and places of
the notes on the piano--I would guess that
would have to be the start of my musical
career, so to speak. Or perhaps it was when
Mr. Salzmann allowed me to start violin a
year late because I had just found my
uncle's violin in my grandma's closet.
My first music direction job was with
Footlight Musicals in Indiana as a high
school senior when I conducted Rodgers
and Hammerstein's Cinderella. My first
violin position was with the Fort Wayne
Philharmonic in 1972.
I received and spent most of my
musical education with the Indianapolis
Public Schools through more than thirty
different decisions, regular teachers, music
teachers, regular music classes,
extracurricular music classes, and special
musical programs which made me into a
classical and music theatre musician.
Conductor Thomas Briccetti, who lived in
Indy when I was a high school student and
was the associate conductor of the
Indianapolis Symphony, was especially
important as a mentor and friend. Not to
mention my work with David Jones as a
violinist at the Fort Wayne campus of
Indiana University and as a conductor
with Otto-Werner Mueller at Yale when I
got both a masters and doctorate, was most
influential.
Life is a constant test and challenge if
you accept a position or positions you truly
want. It is often a struggle between the
ideal and what's feasible. Sometimes it's a
form of that between how good you could
be with more time and how good you can
be with the time you have. As I have two
jobs as the full time Orchestra Director at
Wake Forest University and as the Music
Director of the Salisbury Symphony,
acting as the music director and pianist for
Catawba's production of The Fantasticks is
often a matter of “can I really still play
this?” (I was fortunate enough to play the
production directed by Hoyt McCachren
and music directed by Rosemary Kinard in
1989.) Even then the piano part was a
challenge for me and I had time to
practice; now I'm lucky to have time to
come to rehearsals! The part will not be
perfect, but as my beloved violin teacher
David Jones said, "you've got to make your
worst good enough!" Some performances
might not even be my absolute worst, but I
can accept now they may be good enough.
This is a challenge for a perfectionist like
me.
I learned of The Fantasticks from a guy
who became a friend in my freshman year
at Indiana University. He would play "I
Can See It" over and over again on the
piano in the dormitory lounge and I would
try and think, "I could never play this
show." (I just wrote him for the first time in
26 years so I wonder if I'll get an answer.)
Then I went to see it when I was in New
York City at the Sullivan Street Playhouse.
It was so beautiful and musical I could
hardly believe it! As the Music Director of
the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras in
1978-1982 I took the Youth Symphony on
a tour to the East Coast. One of the things
I took them to was the Sullivan Street
Playhouse to see The Fantasticks. All ninety
of us went (on the subway!), which given
that the theater held 125, we were a
significant number of the audience. The
cast stayed afterwards to talk to us about
the production. This show has meant a
great deal to my life, and being about
wisdom from living life, it changes each
time I am involved with it.
Thinking back I can "remember" a lot
of times when "I was a tender and callow
fellow." I look forward to experiencing this
production not only this time, but also
several others in the future as well.
The Fantasticks
Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Student directed by Allison Andrews
March 25-29, 7:30 p.m.
Florence Busby Corriher
Theater
$5 Adults
$4 Students, Senior Citizens
Please call (704) 637-4481 to
purchase tickets or buy online
www.catawba.edu/theatretix
THE SPOTLIGHT
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Catawba Live! At Lee Street
by Verity Pryor-Harden, Junior
Last month, the Blue Masque and Justin Dionne, 2008 Catawba
alumn and current Managing Artistic Director of Lee Street Theatre
in Salisbury, teamed up to create a special fundraiser to raise money
for the North Carolina Theatre Conference. In the fall, Catawba was
awarded the 2013 NCTC College Award and Lee Street was given
the NCTC Community Theatre Award, so we saw fit to join together
and celebrate in the only way we knew how: put on a show. And thus
Catawba Live! came into being. I asked Dionne and a few members
of the Blue Masque Board involved in organizing the event to tell us
their reasoning behind the event and what these recognitions mean
for the futures of the Catawba College Theatre Department and Lee
Street Theatre.
“We were very happy to work
with Catawba on the event and had
a great time! The event served
several purposes, but the overall
purpose was to show our
appreciation (and to raise money)
for NCTC through showing what
unity and combined resources and
talent can do! Underneath that
overall goal were a few other layered
goals like a combining our efforts to
close the gap between Catawba and
the downtown Salisbury community,
to introduce Catawba Theatre
students to Lee Street Theatre and
the opportunities that exist here
while introducing the Salisbury
community to the fantastic talent
that Catawba Theatre offer. We also
wanted to give Catawba Theatre
students an avenue to develop their
fundraising skills and knowledge
while building cohesiveness, energy,
Daniel Brown singing a song at
and excitement for both Catawba and
Catawba Live! (Photography by
Lee Street theatre.
Ashley O’Donnell)
I had a wonderful time working
with Allison, Lara, and Leanna. Little known to many: we put this all
together in about two and a half weeks. The 'three ladies' were
professional, fun, and efficient in all of our production meetings (of
which we had about four). I believe the overall event went great! I
appreciate all of the talented Catawba students that gave their time
and talents to perform, and those that attended. I have had several
emails and calls from patrons of ours who thoroughly enjoyed the
night and would love to see the event continue in the future.
Personally, one of the cool things I enjoyed about the event was that
it didn't take long for people to say things like 'when we do this next
year...' Definitely the sign of a good event.” - Justin Dionne, ’08,
Managing Director, Lee Street Theatre
“As Service Chair of
the Blue Masque, it is my
job to organize events
that take place within the
community. Usually we
do an annual event called
Broadway Cares, but this
year we decided to hold a
fundraiser for NCTC for
their amazing work and
support of Catawba
College and collaborate
with Lee Street, which
NCTC also supports.
Greg Stoughton & Verity Pryor-Harden perform a scene
The
NCTC Fundraiser is
at Catawba Live! (Photography by Katlyn Shaw)
an event that I was very
proud to be a part of and help put together. The theatre world is a very
small community and the more we help one another, the bigger our
community gets. Cheesy, I know, but in all honesty this event helped our
Catawba Theatre students get their talent out into the community while
also bringing Lee Street new acts to their theater. At the end of the day,
it was a very rewarding experience to take part in and I can only hope
we continue to collaborate with Lee Street and other theaters and
artists around the community." - Leanna Hicks, Sophomore,
Service Chair, Blue Masque
"Putting together this event required production meetings each
week and a ton of organization but it was all worth it in the end
because the evening of entertainment and improv went swimmingly!
This event wasn't just to say thank you to NCTC for awarding our
theatre department, but to unite the community and Catawba Theatre
again. Recently it seems that Catawba has lost its bond with the
community, so the Catawba team of Allison Andrews, Leanna Hicks
and myself along with Lee Street's very own Justin Dionne worked very
hard to pull this off ! We even earned a large lump sum for NCTC!
Over all it was such a rewarding night and it was awesome to see
students and community members enjoying an evening together!"
- Lara Williams, Junior, Social Chair, Blue Masque
Lara Williams &
Leanna Hicks
backstage at
Catawba Live!
(Photography by
Katlyn Shaw)
THE SPOTLIGHT
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What’s up with conference auditions?
DURING THE SPRING SEMESTER SUMMER STOCK COMPANIES ARE HUNTING FOR PERFORMERS
AND TECHNICIANS WHILE STUDENTS ARE STARVING FOR JOBS. FIND OUT HOW OUR CURRENT
STUDENTS HAVE SCORED DURING THE CONFERENCE SEASON.
by Maggie Saunders, Junior
For many students here at Catawba
College, the beginning of the spring semester
is prime time for looking for summer jobs with
theatre companies around the country,
whether it be as a performer or as a technician.
One of the best ways to be seen by many
companies at once is at theatre conferences
where several theaters who are hiring for their
summer season or year-round positions come
to one location to see prospective employees.
At many of these conferences, you can
audition as a performer and/or interview for a
technical jobs in your chosen specialty. This
year, several students attended the Institute of
Outdoor Drama auditions in Greenville, NC,
as well as the South Eastern Theatre
Conference which was held in Mobile,
Alabama this year. Below are some of the
student’s experiences and opportunities they
found.
SHANNON O’DONNELL,
Junior
So much of our career
choice is made up of
auditioning. At IODs I
felt confident in my
audition package;
choosing pieces that fit
my personality and vocal range. I received two
call backs out of seven companies but gave my
resume to all companies in attendance. Almost
at the last minute I gave my tech resume to the
Pioneer Playhouse in Danville, KY. After a
short conversation I left the room super excited
for a possible summer opportunity. Two days
later I was contacted by their production
manager offering me the position of Costume
Designer for their five production summer
season as well as a couple opportunities to
perform. I couldn't be more excited for the
upcoming summer and how much I will grow
as a costumer and theatre professional.
GREG STOUGHTON, Senior
IODs is a great experience for everyone from
first year freshmen to graduating seniors. It's not
as big as SETC, but it isn't too small, and it's
modeled after SETC and other cattle call
auditions, so you get the whole experience of
cattle calls without becoming so overwhelmed.
This year I received offers from Unto These
Hills (whom I worked for last summer thanks to
IODs) and Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.
Today I will actually be accepting the offer from
Pennsylvania Renaissance!
PEN CHANCE, Junior
Going to IODs was one of the best decisions I
made this year. You get to audition for a lot of
outdoor theatre companies at the same time,
and it helps build up your audition experience.
This year out of seven companies attending
IODs, I received callbacks from four and
picture/resume requests from 2 others. Out of
those, I received job offers from Snow Camp
Outdoor Theatre and Pennsylvania Renaissance
Faire with performing contracts, and a technical
contract from Temple Theatre. Unfortunately, I
was not able to accept any of these offers, but
for a good reason. This summer, I have been
hired on as the Summer Administrative
Assistant at the Children's Theatre of Charlotte!
I am very blessed to have been given this
opportunity and excited to see where it may
lead.
Jean White & Verity Pryor-Harden participating in the
dance call at IODs.
different companies and network with them. I
also learned new techniques from the classes
for costuming that I will use in my future
work. It was exciting to be able to learn from
working professionals and other professors
that were not from Catawba. I have already
been offered a costume technician summer
job and have another offer in the works which
I am very excited about. I recommend that
any theatre student should take advantage of
attending this conference while at Catawba.
KATLYN SHAW, Junior
G o i n g t o S E T C wa s a n i n c r e d i b l e
opportunity. I was able to take several classes
including a dance class, an auditioning
etiquette class, and a vocal workshop. In
addition to the classes I took I also auditioned
for professional work for the summer. The
auditions were super competitive and I was
lucky enough to receive a callback from four
different companies as well as asked to go to
the dance call! The dance call was intense and
extremely challenging, I definitely feel like I
KASSANDRA TUTTLE,
held my own against the other auditionees in
Sophomore
both the dance call and my callbacks. I am still
My first time at SETC was a waiting to hear if I have received any offers.
great experience because I
was able to learn about
(continued on page 7)
JEAN WHITE, Sophomore
IODs were a really great experience, simply
because I haven't been to a cattle call audition
outside of Catawba. Taking Auditioning for
Dance last year was the biggest blessing because
memorizing the dances during the dance call
came very easily. I felt well rehearsed with my
package and received three headshot/resume
requests. Even if I don't get a job from this
audition, it's still great to put myself out there.
THE SPOTLIGHT
(Conferences, continued from page 6)
JACQUELYN LOY, Senior
This year at SETC instead of participating in
Job Contact Service as the years before, I
participated in the Graduate School Technical
Interviews and the Marian A. Smith Costume
Award competition. The first day of the
conference, I sat down with the University of
Southern Mississippi, a school I had already
applied to, and they informed me that I was
accepted into their MFA program with a full
Graduate Assistantship! I did chose to continue
with my participation in the graduate school
interviews, so I spoke with ten grad schools,
taking breaks only to attend a variety of
workshops that sparked my interest. I was
selected as a finalist for the Marian A. Smith
Costume Award, a scholarship for those seeking
to study costume design and/or technology in
graduate school, and competed against two
current graduate students (also finalists) for the
award. A couple of hours after the interview
process for this award, I received a call
7
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informing me that I was selected to receive this
award and had a ticket to the Awards Gala! At
the Gala, I enjoyed a live performance by actress
Gwendolyn Mulamba and applauded Terrence
Mann as he received his Distinguished Career
Award that evening, while also walking across
the stage to receive my award. After the
conference and after meeting with several
graduate schools to learn about their programs,
I decided I will enroll at University of Southern
Mississippi in Fall 2014 to pursue an MFA in
Costume Design and Technology.
JERRY ARCHER, Senior
This SETC was the most rewarding as a senior
leaving Catawba College. I was asked to go
many different directions as I leave Catawba. I
was asked to return to another summer in Vegas.
I, as well as another senior Jacquelyn Loy, were
asked by multiple different graduate programs to
enroll into their program on the spot. Catawba
has set us up for a successful future and my path
is taking me to Walt Disney World! I couldn't
be happier about my decision.
MAGGIE SAUNDERS, Junior
This was my first year attending SETC for
professional auditions as well as for Job
Contact, which is where you find companies
to interview with that have openings in your
specialty and fit with your availability. It was
an eye opening experience for me as both a
performer and as a technician. It showed me
where I need to continue working when it
comes to auditioning and also showed me
how I can be even better prepared for
interviews. Not only does SETC provide
ample opportunities to find jobs, it also hosts
several workshops all day, everyday of the
conference that you can attend. I was able to
attend a workshop on dialects, Fosse, and a
Broadway Belting workshop with Kristy
Cates. Overall, this conference was a
wonderful learning experience and I can’t wait
to go back next year. Miss Mecklenburg County 2014 Is a Catawba College Student
from www.catawba.edu
TyNia Rene' Brandon, a Charlotte, NC resident and the daughter of Tyrone and Sharon Brandon, was
crowned Miss Mecklenburg County 2014 on March 1, 2014. She is currently attending Catawba College,
pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre.
In June of this year, Brandon will compete for the title of Miss North Carolina with other young ladies from
throughout the state. The state pageant includes a weeklong preliminary round of swimsuit, talent and evening
gown competition as well as a private interview. During the interview session the contestants are expected to
have knowledge about current affairs and be able to express their opinions about the topic. They will also need
to be able to discuss their platform choice, and how it relates with the Miss America platform "Children's
Miracle Network". The week's events end with the pageant on Saturday night, crowning Miss North Carolina
2014.
Brandon has partnered with Inspire the Fire (ITF), a community-based organization that encourages and
enables young children to express themselves through the arts. In addition to song and dance performances, the
group conducts a weeklong camp during the summer, called "The Experience", which allows the participants to
study creative movement, vocal expression or stage and set design. This camp culminates with a performance that displays the skills gained
throughout the week. "The Experience" has grown to include over 300 young people from all around the city. Because arts education is one of
the first things eliminated when cuts hit the public schools, some of these children will not get the opportunity to gain knowledge and express
themselves except through programs such as this. Brandon has been involved with ITF for the past four years as a contributor to the creative
movement and vocal part of the camp, as well as performing with the group.
Brandon began voice training at the age of eight, where she performed with the Charlotte Children's Choir, an auditioned communitybased organization, for 10 years, under the direction of Sandy Holland. She continues to study voice while attending college, and has been
featured in various musical performances. During the Miss Mecklenburg County Pageant, Brandon sang an Italian aria entitled "O Mio Babino
Caro". She also won the talent portion of the pageant.
THE SPOTLIGHT
8
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Alumnus of the Month: Maggie Truxell ’13
by Emily Olszewski, Junior
SP: What Major(s) and/or Minor(s) did you start out wanting to pursue when you first came to Catawba your
freshman year?
MT: I wanted to graduate with at least a B.A. in Theatre Arts and I was seriously considering a B.F.A. I just loved all aspects of acting
from the auditions to being up on stage and everything in between.
SP: What Major(s) and/or Minor(s) did you graduate with? If there was a change, what events or experiences led you
to that decision?
MT: That's kind of a funny story. I actually graduated with a B.S. in Theatre Arts Administration. In my four years at Catawba, I
managed to completely change my mind. I blame it all on Applied Theatre.
In my very first semester, I was asked to assistant stage manage the first production of the season. It was a bit scary at the beginning
because I didn't know anyone and I was working with upperclassmen. After it was over, I received great
feedback on my work and I enjoyed the process so much I applied to be a stage manager the following
semester. I stuck with stage management for a while and then directed a few shows in my Junior and
Senior year. I even got to direct a Blue Masque show!
In the end, it was my housemate, a Theatre Arts Administration major himself, who swayed me into
switching my major. I never once regretted my decision.
SP: What are you doing now? Do you have any specific goals you are trying to reach
now that you are in the “professional world”?
MT: I'm currently at home helping my family out. My 16-year-old brother was diagnosed with PostConcussion Syndrome last year after a serious head injury. He was homebound for a few months and as
soon as I returned home for the summer, I became his tutor. It's been a long and difficult road since then,
but we're all moving in a good direction.
As for goals, I'm hoping to move into Philadelphia in the next couple of months. Philly is the city that
taught me to love theatre so I decided it's where I want to start my career. I'm also applying for an
apprenticeship at the Arden Theatre. Along with their beautiful productions, they're fully committed to
theatre education and community outreach. It would be an amazing opportunity to work for them. It's
almost been a year since I've done anything theatre related so I get really excited thinking about it. I'm
ready to get back to work.
SP: In a few sentences, could you explain the steps you took before and after you
graduated in order to get where you are now?
MT: My "before" starts with spring semester of last year. I was preparing for the real world just like every
other senior: I was searching for potential jobs, updating resumes, writing cover letters, getting references, and
planning my life after Catawba. It was nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time. I was ready to take on the real world.
After my brother's injury, my plans were put on the back burner. It became more important to be there for my family: I helped my brother
with school work for a few hours everyday, cooked, cleaned, fed and walked the dogs, along with a various other things. My mom jokes that I'm
the live-in nanny.
I will say through all the months of caring for my family, I have never stopped learning. I have been able to read so much in the past year
and it's absolutely wonderful. I also learned how to fix the dishwasher after it decided it didn't want to function anymore. I know it sounds kind
of dumb, but I properly fixed something on my own that wasn't a lighting instrument!
That, more or less, brings me to the "after" part. Less than a month after my graduation, I'm right back where I was last year: resumes,
cover letters, and job searching galore. And, you know what? I'm actually okay with it. I feel much more prepared for the real world.
SP: Do you have any advice you would like to share with any current Catawba students in regards to their time spent
on campus, career choices, etc.? There's a great quote from an old friend of mine. He said, "I hope everyone I care about and love can find solace in themselves and love
themselves enough to gather strength and become the person they've always been destined to become regardless of the card at hand. You are
never alone on this journey." This quote really struck a chord with me. I believe it serves as a reminder that we are all a work in progress. People
can take college seriously, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Above all, take care of yourself mentally and physically. Students have a tendency to
overlook this because of large workloads. Please don't ignore your body. I've seen entirely way too many people get sick in my four years at
Catawba.
It's also okay to make mistakes. We're only human and it's what college is for. As the quote points out, you're not alone. There may be times
where you feel like you are, but there are others in the department who can relate to you. Lastly, if you know me, you know I care about every
single theatre student--I love you to death. I hope you know that no matter what, you guys can always contact me. I'm always happy to talk or
vent or advise.
THE SPOTLIGHT
9
!5
PAGE
Blue
Book
TheThe
Little
‘Blue’
Book
THIS NEW PHOTO
FEATURE
YOU
CATAWBA
THEATRE
BEHIND THE SCENES
TAKE
A LOOKSHOWS
AROUND
THE
THEATRE
DEPARTMENT
1
Pen Chance,
Junior
by
by Pen Chance,
Junior
2
Photo by Jacob Hylton
1: Prospective students and their
families on Audition Day.
2: Students hard at work on the set
of The Outrageous Dance Project.
3: Dancers from Catawba don
makeup for The Outrageous Dance
Project.
4: Management Shop Work Study
students oversee the proceedings on
Audition Day.
5: TA Student Greg Stoughton
practices with his whip.
3
Photo by Maggie Saunders
Photo by Verity Pryor-Harden
5
4
Photo by Tyler Elrod
!
THE SPOTLIGHT
6: TA Student Verity
Pryor-Harden leads
prospective students in a
warm up on Audition Day.
7: The first blocking
rehearsal of The Fantasticks.
PHOTO
8: SceneTHIS
Shop NEW
Manager
a n d Fa c u l t y M e m b e r
Craig Kolkebeck
choreographs a fight scene
with TA Student Mark
Highsmith, for T he
Fantasticks.
The Blue Book
FEATURE SHOWS YOU CATAWBA THEATRE
6
9 : TA C h a i r m a n
Christopher Zink works his
magic on prospective
BEHIND parents.
THE SCENES
by Pen Chance,
10: Getting
ready Junior
for The
Outrageous Dance Project.
8
7
Photo by Tyler Elrod
Photo by Pen Chance
9
!
Photo by Verity Pryor-Harden
10
Just a few reminders:
Have you read our student blogs?
As a way to reach out and let parents and prospective
students know what it’s like to be a theatre major at
Catawba, we have begun a blog with posts written by a
few of our very own, very talented, very busy theatre
majors. Check it out!
http://www.catawba.edu/gallery/2013/blog/theatre/
www.facebook.com/catawbatheatre
Be sure to mark your calendars and
check out our upcoming productions!
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Craig Kolkebeck
Hedrick Little Theater
April 8-9 @ 6:55 p.m.
April 10-12 @ 7:30 p.m.
One Acts Festival
Florence Busby Corriher Theater
April 25 @ 7:30 p.m.
April 26 @ 2:00 p.m.
@CatawbaTheatre
@CatawbaTheatre
Buy tickets!
Do you have a friend or loved one in a Catawba College or Blue Masque theatre production?
Do you want to show your appreciation for all of their hard work?
Then purchase a Blue Masque Break-‐a-‐Leg Gift for just $6.00!
Break-‐a-‐Legs include a beautiful mylar balloon with an equally exquisite red carnation and a personalized note.
To have a Break-‐a-‐Leg delivered to your loved one, please send $6 in cash or check to:
Chelsea Retalic
2300 West Innes St.
Box 335
Salisbury, NC 28144
Thank you!
Chelsea Retalic
[email protected]
The Blue Masque Treasurer
Call the box office at
(704) 637-4481
or visit
to purchase tickets!
The Spotlight Staff:
Verity Pryor-Harden, Junior
Co-Editor
Pen Chance, Junior
Co-Editor
Leanna Hicks, Sophomore
Emily Olszewski, Junior
Maggie Saunders, Junior
Morgan Summers, Sophomore
Joe Hernandez
Faculty Supervisor

the spotlight - Catawba College

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