Student Blog: Spring = Refresh

I have just finished the final show of my underclassman career. I worked on 5 productions this year, all in different departments. I have been working on expanding my theatrical knowledge to all facets of the industry. This year, I have gotten to stage manage the main stage musical with grad students and professionals in the industry. I have also assistant stage managed for the music department’s opera, Little Women. I had never worked on an opera before, so it was an incredibly cool opportunity. Plus, the pay was a nice plus. I was the dramaturg for a club show called Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl – a retelling of the myth, which meant I got to yap about Greek mythology for a few months. I produced a fully student-run show celebrating voices that are often unseen due to marginalization, and I even wrote a piece and had work of mine on stage for the first time ever. Finally, I acted in a self-defense-based dark comedy surrounding sexual assault on college campuses. All these experiences were incredibly fulfilling, and it was very fun getting to run between rehearsals, be responding to messages while in a run, and reading upwards of 4 rehearsal reports each night. 

Right now, I am going to enjoy the last few weeks of the semester I have. I should be able to get more hands-on experience stage managing this summer with two shows I’ve never seen, and I’m taking a stage management theory class next semester. I am also pitching to direct a show next year, so I hope to be able to have the opportunity to figure out logistics and artistic visions for that over the summer. 

I am also starting to treat myself more, especially in the realm of the arts. I bought concert tickets many months ago for a concert right after my birthday, and thankfully, one of my friends will be joining me. I will be spending a lot more money than I usually do on theatre tickets over the summer, but I will be seeing Suffs in Downtown Chicago with a big group of friends – one of the first times I have to buy tickets myself. I am also going to New York at the end of my break, and might even split off from my parents to see shows that I haven’t seen, but they have. I’m also considering taking dance classes at a studio near my house. One of my best friends from college loves Tap, and I think I’ll either be really terrible, or really amazing at it. I’ve had no formal dance training, so being able to have a fun, useful skill for theatre could really help in the future. 

Above all, I’m relearning how to appreciate my work as an artist. Were my monologues in my last performance perfect? No. But they were charged, had effort in them, and caused the correct reaction. Did I have a lot of work to do as a dramaturg? No. But I was able to make sure the cast understood the myth and how their characters fit in. I was able to introduce the nuances and critical parts to designs to encourage inspiration in their designs. And, my work has been on a stage. I helped raise over $1,000 for a charitable cause. I worked alongside professionals to manage shows. 

Oh, and I had fun.