the spotlight - Catawba College

Transcription

the spotlight - Catawba College
The Theatre Arts Management Shop at Catawba College Shuford School of Performing Arts Presents:
THE SPOTLIGHT
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May 2015
Vol 21, No. 7
www.catawba.edu/theatrearts
Yearbook Edition: 2014-2015
We had a good year!
Co-Editor:
Verity Pryor-Harden
vpryorha@catawba.edu
Co-Editor:
Pen Chance
rcchance@catawba.edu
LOOKING BACK
DOWNSTAGE KEPPEL, FLYING OUT!
Learn about what the future holds for the theatre
majors of the class of 2015.
Continued on Page 2
MEET THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY
Meet Kindra Steenerson & Dr. Bradley Stephenson!
Continued on Page 5
2015 BLUE MASQUE MYRTLE AWARD WINNERS
Every year the faculty awards students for their
superior performance on and off the stage.
Class of 2015 at Baccalaureate (Photo by Tyler Elrod)
Continued on Page 6
2014-2015 YEARBOOK
Take a look at the great productions we did this year!
(All production photos by Sean Meyers)
Continued on Page 7
ALUMNI OF THE MONTH: SYDNEY & JODYE ’13
Recent Alumni share the first steps of their journeys
in the biz and offer advice.
The new Blue Masque board at The Blue Masque
Banquet. (Photo by Katlyn Shaw)
2014-2015 Yearbook
(Photo by Tracy Ratliff)
Continued on Page 13
CATAWBA THEATRE SEASON 2015-2016
Learn more about the productions to come following
the theme of Explorations in Form.
Continued on Page 14
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Downstage Keppel, Flying Out!
WHILE WE’RE SAD TO SEE THEM GO, THE CLASS OF 2015 IS MOVING ON TO BIG THINGS!
by Morgan Summers, Junior
Amanda Becker
B.F.A. Musical Theatre
“In contact with CPCC, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, and Actors Theatre of
Charlotte for work as a performer. Excited to hear back for future opportunities!”
!
Pen Chance
B.S. Theatre Arts Administration, Music Minor
Pen will be working as a Resident Actor with Charleston Stage Company in South Carolina
Eric English
!
B.F.A. Theatre Arts Performance
Eric will be working this summer as a Lead Electrician for Castleton Festival in Virginia.
!
Matthew Ensley
B.A. Theatre Arts
Matt will be working for the summer as a part of the Stage Crew at the
Castleton Festival in Virginia.
Hannah Lee
B.A. Theatre Arts
“I have been accepted to participate in an internship with La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy. I will be
working as a scene shop intern for the 2015 summer season. I am continuing to raise funds to help with
travel costs as well as living costs once in Italy. Looking forward to this great opportunity!”
!
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!
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Ashley O’Donnell
B.A. Theatre Arts
“Catawba College was really my home away from home these past four years. When I came here as a
freshman the theatre department was so welcoming. My Blue Masque Bigs helped me through my first auditions
and the faculty was always there in times of need. The faculty has helped me realize that I can accomplish anything
I set my mind to and can handle more than I had ever thought possible. Catawba helped me grow as a technician,
performer, and overall as a person. My voice teacher Martha Bartz taught me so much and I am so grateful for
every lesson with her. I am proud to say I am graduating with a job lined up as a performer at Clear Space Theatre
in Delaware so I get to keep doing what I love. Good luck to all the underclassmen in the department and just know
that everything you go through here is worth it and will benefit you even if you don't see it yet. I will always be
!
grateful to Catawba and this theatre department. I have met some of the most talented and amazing people that I
hope to always have in my life. Thank you for the memories.”
Shannon O’Donnell
B.F.A. Musical Theatre, B.A. Theatre Education, Special Subjects in Education Minor
“My time at Catawba has been a whirlwind. I entered the Theatre Department with my sights set on a
B.F.A in Musical Theatre degree at the end of my four year. This May, my hard work and determination will
have paid off. I will graduate with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre as well as a B.A. in Theatre Education with a
Minor in Special Subjects in Education. I have been an active member of our program by performing and
even more active in Costume Designing. Without our Applied Theatre program I would have never known
my passion for Costuming and for that I am grateful. Following graduation, I will be boarding one of the
Disney Cruise Line Ships as a Cruise Staff employee. This position will allow me to continue my love of
performing while traveling and working for the Mouse. I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my
life. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned from Catawba and every theatre and non-theatre professor
who has had a hand in shaping who I am.”
Emily Olszewski
B.F.A. Theatre Arts Performance, Musical Theatre Minor
Emily will be working as an Admissions Assistant at Catawba for the summer and graduating in
December.
!
Verity Pryor-Harden
B.F.A. Theatre Arts Performance
“I'll be going home for the summer and performing in Les Miserables as Whore 1 (Mom and Dad are so
proud) at the Historic Paramount Theater. Then in August I'm moving to Kentucky to be an
Administrative Apprentice at Lexington Children's Theatre!”
Chelsea Retalic
B.A. Musical Theatre
Chelsea will be working as a Stitcher for the Central Piedmont Community College summer stock season.
!
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Maggie Saunders
B.F.A. Musical Theatre
“In my past four years at Catawba, I have been granted so many wonderful opportunities that have taught
me many things about performing, stage managing, and being a theatre artist as a whole. Beginning with our
freshman showcase, I began learning what it meant to truly collaborate and be a part of a team. As I am now
preparing to leave, I head out into the world feeling confident in my abilities even though I know I have so much
more to learn. Catawba has given me the skills to solve problems, take ownership of my work, and figure things
out when I don’t understand them. After graduation, I have been given the opportunity to work as a Resident
Actor with Charleston Stage Company in SC. While there, I will perform in their season as well as serve as a
teaching artist. I am so thrilled to have this opportunity and can’t wait to get started! I want to wish the best of
luck to the rest of my classmates! Go out there and show em’ what you’ve got!”
!
Katlyn Shaw
B.F.A. Musical Theatre, Dance Minor
“This Theatre Department has changed my life in ways that I can't even begin to explain or understand. I have
meet some of the greatest people I could have ever hoped to me and I feel humbled and honored to work side by
side with them daily. I'm going to miss this home and this family, but I know that no matter how far I end up going,
a part of my heart will be left here when I go. I only hope that the friends that I leave behind can learn from any
mistakes that I made. If I can offer an advice to those that remain it would be this:
- When things don't go your way, deal with them with grace and respect.
- If you want an opportunity, then ask for it. At the very least you might learn what steps you need to achieve it. - If you aren't getting what you want, create your own opportunity.
- Remember that awards are great, but in the end they don't define your worth as an artist.
- Don't let anyone tell you that you are not enough. You are so enough.
! - Give yourself a really good cup of coffee every single morning. You deserve it.
- Do something that scares you every day.
- Collaborate every chance you get.
- Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and people who make you feel like you are worth it. Because
in the end, it's not about the work, it's about the people.
- We are family, and you don't screw over family.
I will be working at the Paramount Arts Center this summer as a counselor and an actor in their summer
camps and production.”
Lara Williams
B.F.A. Musical Theatre
Lara will be working as the Administrative Assistant at Lee Street theatre.
!
Non-Major Blue Masque Members
Katie Hill (above) - History
“After I graduate from Catawba College, I will pursue a Master's degree in Library Science at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro's Graduate School. I plan to use this Master's degree to become an archivist to help preserve
history so that current and future generations can research historical documents with the use of modern technology.”
Michelle Newberger (below) - Elementary Education
Michelle will be working through the University of Iowa as a Camp Adventure Intern for graduate credit, where she
will be
! teaching abroad in Germany.
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Meet the newest members of the family!
by Peyton Glendinning, Freshman
Kindra Steenerson
Associate Professor of Theatre
Kindra Clyne Steenerson is originally from Southern California, and earned her MFA in
Performance/Directing from Utah State University. She has taught both Theatre and
Gender and Women’s Studies at Arizona State University, UNC Wilmington, and Illinois
College. Kindra’s teaching experience includes a wide array of courses: Acting
(fundamentals, Meisner, period, Avant Garde) Directing, Script Analysis, Voice, Dramatic
Literature, Intro courses in both Theatre and Gender and Women’s Studies, Movement,
Sex and Gender, Women in Art, and Interrupting Rape Culture. Her research interests
include Meisner technique, Post Modern and Feminist Theatre, devising work, physical
approaches to emotional freedom (particularly Laban and Rasaboxes), and theatre as a tool
for social change and healing trauma. Kindra has acted and directed professionally in
Utah, Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, and California. As a playwright, she’s been
produced in Utah and California. Favorite roles include Hecuba in Trojan Women, The
Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Sarah in JB, and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. She is proud to have worked with American
directing legend, Marshall Mason, and playwright, and Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) favorite, Gus Edwards. In the Charlotte
area Kindra appeared as The Angel in Angels in America at CAST last May, and provided fight choreography for that production as
well as Theatre Charlotte’s To Kill a Mockingbird.
Dr. Bradley Stephenson
Assistant Professor of Theatre
Bradley Stephenson is the Managing Director of the Missouri Playwrights Workshop
and the Associate Director of Research for the Center for Applied Theatre and Drama
Research at the University of Missouri. A North Carolina native, Dr. Stephenson is a
cross-disciplinary teaching artist who holds degrees in theatre, theology, physics, and
education. Recent scholarly publications include an essay on musicals and metatheatre,
and one on disability representation and American identity. Recent directing credits
include Good People, Bright Ideas, Hamlet, boom!, and Fuddy Meers. His new play Truffles and
Nougat will receive its world premiere at Talking Horse Theatre in 2016. Bradley
currently lives with his wife and two children in Columbia, MO.
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2015 Blue Masque Myrtle Award Winners
by Maggie Saunders, Senior
Here at Catawba, we believe that hard work should be
recognized and rewarded. From outstanding performances on our
stage to impressive technical design, the hard work of our students
is not forgotten. The following are the recipients of the 2014-2015
Myrtle Awards.
Theatre Speech Award:
Stage Movement Award:
Carol Bost Student Assistant of the Year:
Best Bit Award:
James Parker Assistant Design Award:
Neophyte Dance Award:
Dance Award:
Jo Ann Smith Dance Award:
Blue Masque Technical Design Award:
Blue Masque Leading Crew Worker Award:
Bue Masque Outstanding Performer Award:
Mary Snider Technical Design Award:
The Golden Screw Award:
The Augustin Daly Award:
Theatre Arts Leading Crew Worker Award:
The Production Staff Award:
Boardman Award:
Kickstart Your Art Award:
Huck Finn Award:
Best Ensemble Award:
Best Supporting Actor Award:
Best Supporting Actress Award:
Sidney Blackmer Outstanding Actor Award:
Sidney Blackmer Outstanding Actress Award:
Maddy Auchter - Comedy of Errors
Trey Irby - Under Milk Wood
Cierra McDonald - Comedy of Errors
Katelyn Long - Costume Shop
Lauren Stacks - Management Shop
Trey Irby - Scene Shop
Holly Fuller - RENT
Kassandra Tuttle - RENT
Javaron Conyers
Victoria Whetzel
Terrell Jones
Caleb Garner - Some Girl(s)
Morgan Summers - Some Girl(s)
Collette Simkins
Chelsea Retalic
Kassandra Tuttle
Anna Kate Hall
Maggie Saunders
Katelyn Long - Season
Lauren Stacks - Assistant Stage Manager, Guys and Dolls
Pen Chance
Verity Pryor-Harden
John Stafford
Comedy of Errors
Terrell Jones - Angel, RENT
Jean White - Under Milk Wood
Pen Chance - Roger, RENT
Jean White - Sarah Brown, Guys and Dolls
New Members of Alpha Psi Omega
2015-2016 Alpha Psi Omega Board
2015-2016 Blue Masque Board
Maddy Auchter
Caleb Garner
Cheyenne Hicks
Trey Irby
Terrell Jones
Chris Lange
Katelyn Long
Collette Simkins
Lauren Stacks
Victoria Whetzel
President - Morgan Summers
Vice President - Victoria Whetzel
Business Manager - Caitlin Billings
President - Jean White
Vice President - Caleb Garner
Secretary - Katelyn Long
Treasurer - Courtney Briscoe
Historian - Caitlin Billings
Social Chair - Collette Simkins
Service Chair - Morgan Summers
Development Chair - Summer Eubanks
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Under Milkwood |
Directed by David Pulliam|
Cast Included:
Tabitha Bass, Addison Bevis, Arnold Blohme, Chaz Cable, Zach
Deitz, Erich English*, Kayla Guffey, Anna Kate Hall, Trey Irby*,
Duane Leatherberry, Hannah Lee*, Shannon O’Donnell*,
Lauren Stacks*, Melissa Tarduno*, Jean White*
Cast:
Matthew Ensley,
Summer Eubanks,
Verity PryorHarden*,
Ashley O’Donnell*,
Chelsea Retalic*,
Katyln Shaw*
:
Amanda Becker*, Willow Beeker, Daniel
Brown, Vanessa Burkhardt, Pen Chance*,
Will Church, Justin Davis, Alex Donato,
Holly Fuller, Larissa Garcia, Mark
Highsmith, Walter James, Terrell Jones*,
Christopher Lange*, Phillip Lynch, Karina
Moran, Emily Olszewski*, Maggie
Saunders*, Victoria Whetzel*, Kellie
Williams, B’jion Wright
Cast:
Maddy Auchter*, Addison Bevis,
Chaz Cable, Alex Donato, Matt
Ensley, George Glass, Anna Kate
Hall, Joan Hedrick,
Cierra McDonald, Maggie
Saunders*, Collette Simpkins*,
Morgan Summers*, Alex
Thompson
Tabitha Bass, Arnold Blohme, Pen Chance*, Prentice Clark, Javaron
Conyers, Zach Deitz, Laurel Edge, Caleb Garner*, Kristen Hooks, Trey
Irby*, Terrell Jones*, Chris Lange*, Katelyn Long*, Cole McDonnell,
Chelsea Retalic*, Katyln Shaw*, Rebecce Silverhardt, Carlton Terry,
Victoria Whetzel*, Jean White*,
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Alumni of the Month: Sydney & Jodye ’13
My Dear Catawba College Theatre Department,
Sending you all my love. You are all missed. When I try to put current life into words, it’s hard
because I am still discovering it. I am learning what I want, what I don’t want, and what I need. I am
learning how to have a career but also what kind of career I want to have. More importantly though, I
am learning what kind of LIFE I want to have.
Upon graduating I moved back to Los Angeles and honestly, the first year post graduation was a
hard one. I felt like I was floating and I hated not having a plan. So I engaged in a cycle of making a
plan, changing a plan, making a plan, changing a plan. I started asking everyone for advice and
everyone had a entirely different journey to success. I missed school and the days of being told what to
do, completing the task, and feeling accomplished. I had anticipated feeling empowered and revved up,
but really I was just confused and missed my friends. Piece of advice number #1, expect this.
Transitions are hard. It’ll get easier.
The best thing I did for myself was find a really amazing acting class. I decided on The Academy
at Antaeus Theater Company. Piece of advice number #2, keep growing and learning. Find a class
that really pushes you and where you can take big risks and meet people who inspire you. If a ballerina
or a violinist wants to be great, they have to practice every day, so does an actor. Even when you don’t
feel like it, do it. Develop the habits that lead to excellence.
The next thing I did was an acting internship at A Noise Within Theater company. It was 6
months of living at a Repertory Company. This internship got me my EMC (equity membership
candidate) card which has made a huge difference in being seen at auditions (I get to be seen before
non-union actors at open calls). There were 4 productions: I was in 2, understudied 1 and teched 1. I
was in Pericles Prince of Tyre, where I got to learn Biomechanics and Tae Kwon Do, and I was in A Christmas Carol which was a full musical
remounted in two weeks. This is where I started my professional resume, met directors, and joined a community I love. I am currently the
producer for their resident artist reading series. In addition I was asked, with several other intern alumni, to start a young company at the
theater. They were looking for ways to engage younger audiences and called us to action. We developed the Emerging Artists Association. We
have a staged reading series and events attached to the main stage shows. I am the Co-Coordinator and it’s a lot of pressure, but I am learning,
every day.
I also was blessed to find the most amazing day job. I was hired as an assistant to Jeanie Hackett, a director who also runs an exciting
company called The Workroom. It’s been a really phenomenal opportunity for me to have a day job that involves learning more about this
world. I handle her website/blog/newsletters, plan events, contact casting directors, go to theater events…it has thrust me into this community.
Other than that my life = a lot of looking at casting breakdowns. I did a strange devised piece about the Papin sisters. I just finished
playing Estelle in No Exit. Now I am about to start work on Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. It’s being done for the Hollywood Fringe Festival and is an
exciting production because it is being done with both deaf and hearing actors. I am Juliet alongside a phenomenal deaf actress, Stephanie
Nogueras. We are doing our best to communicate and sync up, which is proving to be challenge that is both eye opening and inspiring.
I still feel like I am floating and I still have no plan, but the biggest thing I have learned is that that’s ok. All you can do is embrace the
freedom, take it one day at a time and view life as a series of lessons. Grad school is definitely in my future as well as directing, but at the
moment life is giving me an education and I’m embracing that. I am growing. Having no plan will probably always drive me crazy, but I’ve
learned that all you can do is create opportunities for yourself, open doors and trust. If you make yourself valuable to people, they will find ways
to keep you around. When I feel scared, I go live- I go to the beach, I go for a hike, I go to the people I love. This is a journey and I need this
time to try things and make discoveries Find your home and MOST IMPORTANTLY, put the people you love first. Because interestingly all
this work has taught me that LIVING is more important than working. Friends and family trump resume credits every time. Plus artists need
full, healthy lives in order to have inspiration for the art. My loved ones are the ones that inspire me in my work, my time outside of the theater
is what fuels me. Enjoy the journey of discovery but bring your loved ones on the ride with you. And plan vacations! You can’t define yourself
based on your work. You have to be a daughter, a friend, a sister, a lover, a world traveler, a cook, a yogi, who acts--not just an actress. Then
when the work’s not coming, it doesn’t matter.
With love,
Sydney Berk
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Dear Catawba Theatre Department,
I feel like only just began my journey beyond college—and I really have! However, for
those of you who are starting to get anxious about what comes next, here’s my first word
of reassurance: everyone feels that anxiety. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really go away, but
it does get more “comfortable,” in a way, knowing that you’re not alone.
Approaching graduation, my plan was to get a contract with a company and work in
theatre in any capacity I possibly could, with the hopes of landing in grad school a few
years later after gaining some professional experience. I applied and submitted headshots/
resumes to, I would say, upwards of 50 companies. My first job was with Theatre Arts
Center NY, teaching and assistant directing a kids’ musical theatre dance intensive for a
month. While I was in the city I booked my next job: a 12-month contract in the Resident
Acting Company at Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. I had three weeks
from the day I received my contract to the day I started. Talk about a fast-paced world!
Over the course of my year in Colorado I performed in musicals, plays, and cabaret
shows; taught acting classes; worked in the box office; helped build and paint; cleaned out
storage; waited tables (dinner theatre life); and assisted Michael Lasris (Company
Manager and fellow Catawba grad) with casting for both the current and the following
season. I was also given the opportunity to direct Robin Hood for the Young Audience Series and assistant direct South Pacific for the
main stage Season.
Following my contract in Colorado, I had one week to travel back across the country to start a two-show contract with
Charleston Stage as a performer and a choreographer, and then I spent this semester right back here at Catawba! Each time I
book a contract, that same question comes back up: Then what? This time, I actually do have an answer for the next little while!
I have two pretty big milestones coming up: I’m getting married this summer and I’m beginning grad school a month later.
Almost immediately following our wedding, my soon-to-be-husband and I will be moving in order for me to begin my MFA in
Directing at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The biggest lesson I’d like to pass on, which I’ve now come to recognize as possibly the most valuable thing in this industry and
this world is this: the importance of the friendships and relationships I have built so far in my journey. I now have a network of
dear friends living and working all over the world, and that, to me, is far more important than how many professional contracts I’ve
booked. Yes, it is smart for future work prospects to have people all over, and who you can call upon when you need to add people
to a project. There’s more to it than that, though. Balance and breathing are more than just what you need to focus on in your
movement and performance. They are necessities of life—never forget that!
The life of an artist is not easy by any stretch of the imagination—that isn’t why we do it—but it doesn’t have to be as hard as
we sometimes make it. Yes, it is hard work, and that never changes. However, we don’t have to sacrifice our relationships and the
other things in life that make us happy! Happiness and success are for us to make and achieve—don’t let anyone else measure
yours for you. And most of all, if you hear a voice calling you or guiding you somewhere you might not have expected, listen to it.
Life has a funny way of unfolding, and it’s all going to work out as it should—even when it does not seem that way. So just keep the
faith, and above all, dream big!
Much love,
Jodye Carroll
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Catawba Theatre Season 2015-2016
EXPLORATIONS IN FORM
For the 2015-2016 season the Catawba College Theatre
department will streamline the six production season with
explorations in form. Our thematic goal is to look at the
conversation that occurs in the creative act between the form of a
work and its content.
Our season opens with On the Verge by Eric Overmyer who spins
the tale of three early nineteenth century female explorers as they
traverse a symbolic journey through time. The characters include
the pretentious Mary Baltimore, the young and enthusiastic
Alexandra Cafuffle, the conservative Fanny Cranberry, and eight
more colorful characters traditionally all played by the same zany
male actor. This production will be directed by brand new Associate
Theatre Arts Professor Kindra Steenerson. On the Verge will run
in Hedrick Little Theater, September 22-26, 2015, at
7:30pm.
The first Blue Masque production of the season will be Waiting
for Lefty by Clifford Odettes, directed by B.A. Theatre Arts senior
Melissa Tarduno. Odettes pans into 1930s New York City with The
Great Depression crushing full force, working families are put out on
the street to starve. As citizens struggle to survive, a union of
cabdrivers declare “No more!” and they wait for their leader, Lefty
Castello, to decide whether or not to strike. Revelations of greed,
heartbreak, anger and injustice suffered at the hands of big business
run through the ranks as the group struggles with the choice. Driven
by demand for social change, this production lingers with the
question. “What are we waiting for?” Waiting for Lefty will run
in the Florence Busby Corriher Theater, October 21-22 &
24-25, 2015, at 7:30pm.
Closing our fall semester is Godspell directed by assistant theatre
professor Joe Hernandez. This twentieth century musical by
Stephen Schwarts and John-Michael Tebelak was one of the longest
running off-Broadway musicals before moving to Broadway in 1976.
With catchy songs and brilliant colors, the elaborate ensemble of
biblical and versatile characters dance and play through the
incredible stories and teachings of the Gospel according to St.
Matthew. At its heart, Godspell is about a community coming
together with Jesus to share in telling timeless parables of friendship,
forgiveness, loyalty, and love. Godspell will run in Hedrick
Little Theater, November 10-14, 2015, at 7:30pm.
Catawba College will greet the new year with a modern take on
a classic Greek tale with Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, directed by
associate theatre professor Dr. Beth Homan. A love story to what
makes theatre theatrical, MacArthur “Genius” award recipient and
two-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice
is a grand re-imagination the famous myth of Orpheus through the
eyes of his wife, Eurydice. The play is full of both figurative and
literal transformations, revelations that are reflected in Ruhl’s
characters, their stories, and often in the stage itself. Playing off of
By Lauren Stacks, Sophomore
these and what Ruhl describes as, “the pleasure of heightened
senses,” Catawba Theatre approaches this endearing remix through
the lens of moment work and devised theatre to create an
experience like no other. Eurydice will run in Hedrick Little
Theater, February 23-27, 2016, at 7:30pm.
Following close behind Eurydice is our second Blue Masque
production, Woyzeck, directed by B.A. Theatre Education senior
Morgan Summers. Left incomplete at the early death of its writer
George Büchner in 1837, Woyzeck was finished by Karl Emil Franzos
and has since lived on to become one of the most influential plays in
the German theatre. Admired by both German naturalists and
expressionist playwrights, Büchner’s play spins the semi-historical
tale of a young soldier, Franz Woyzeck, in a small German town
living with his bastard son and the mother of his child. Struggling to
provide for his family, Woyzeck volunteers as a subject for medical
experiments, which subsequently causes his mental health to
deteriorate. Opening with a sin and closing with an “ertrinkt,”
Woyzeck plays with the form of a working class tragedy. Woyzeck
will run in the Florence Busby Corriher Theater, March
30-April 2, 2016, at 7:30pm.
Catawba College will conclude its season with the second
installment of The Outrageous Dance Project. Back by popular demand
is Catawba College’s crazy dance collaboration with alumni Richard
Steinert! The concert will celebrate a wide variety of dance forms
and styles ranging from classical ballet to ballroom. In this out-ofthe-box partnership, Catawba College alumni and faculty member
Meredith Fox and the current student Dance Ensemble team up
with professional dancers from Ballet Pensacola to present an
outlandish dance experience. The Outrageous Dance Project
will waltz across Keppel Auditorium, April 20-23, 2016, at
7:30pm.
Season Tickets go on sale online May 18, 2015. Order yours at
Catawba.edu/theatretix. Each of the pieces presented this season
represents a shift in perspective on theatrical form, a new shape for
their time, crafted by the playwrights and choreographers to more
effectively contain the political, philosophical, and aesthetic essence
of each work’s historical and cultural moment. Please join us next
season for this magical, experimental ride!
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THE SPOTLIGHT
15
PAGE
Letters from the Co-Editors
When I joined The Spotlight back in 2012, I became the third
member on a staff of three. The stories were good, as The Spotlight
had already been around for many years, however I couldn’t help but
feel like we could be doing a whole lot more. Together, Verity and I
have since established a strong team of 8+ journalists, enabling us to
to be bold and adventurous with our stories, all in all engraving The
Spotlight as one of Catawba’s most prestigious newsletters to date. I
am proud of what I have been able to do as Co-Editor, but the time
has come to pass her on to new hands. I feel as though I’m sending
my teenager off to college in a way. Still, I am confident that the
work that myself and everyone involved has put into this “baby” of
ours will ring out for years to come. I have no doubt that the next
years staff will not only live up to and exceed expectations set before
them, but pass on this legacy that we all have worked so hard to
create. A few thank you’s: thank you to my partner in crime, Verity,
for being my confidant, my rock, and always being easy to work with.
Thank you to our supervisor, Joe Hernandez, and other faculty, for
watching over us and providing feedback and wisdom. Thank you to
my fearless staff for taking on crazy stories, burdensome articles, and
bearing with my thousand emails somewhere along the lines of “Hey
buddy, how’s that there article comin’?”. And thank YOU, readers of
The Spotlight, for supporting us with your feedback, eyes, and time.
We do all of this for you!
As for me, I will soon be moving to Charleston, SC, where I will
begin my contract with Charleston Stage Company (taking residence
at the historic Dock Street Theater) as a Resident Actor and teacher
for the next year. I am greatly looking forward to this next adventure
and readily embrace all the challenges the world has to offer. Let’s
put that Catawba training to the test! But first, a book, a stiff drink,
and a quick nap in my hammock at the beach.
Happy reading!
Pen C.
Co-Editor (2012-2015)
What a crazy ride these past four years have been! Looking back
on when I began Co-Editing The Spotlight with Sydney Berk in Fall of
2012, I am astounded at how the newsletter has transformed and
how I have improved immensely as a writer, editor, and graphic
designer. One thing that Pen and I have worked on the past year and
a half has been including as many people as possible in The Spotlight.
Our department is huge compared to the population of students at
Catawba, and our alumni community is even bigger, reaching all
over the U.S. and even abroad! So, we wanted to try and make The
Spotlight as big as possible, reaching more people, featuring more
students and alumni, and sharing with you all just what the heck
we’re up to month-to-month.
Now, I have one last chance to abuse my editorial powers, so I’m
going to spend the next few hundred words sharing my bits and
pieces of wisdom to my fellow students, and even you patrons and
alumni who need a pick-me-up.
When I began composing a list of the one-liners I wanted to say,
I kept coming up with phrases that had to do with fear. I was puzzled
by this, but now that I’m leaving my home at Catawba to start a new
adventure in Kentucky, a state I’ve only ever visited once for all of a
day and a half, I’m beginning to feel, yes, afraid. But that’s okay.
Because I have these mini mantras that I turn to when I am most in
despair and find some comfort. I hope they do for you too. And you
better believe that I’m going to cross-stitch all of these into pillows for
my future house.
- SENZA PAURA - BE FEARLESS - (I’m stealing this one from alumna
Sydney Berk) Be fearless in your life. Do something unexpected.
Travel. If you ever think of studying abroad, DO IT! No excuses.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way so don’t make up excuses to
cover up your fear because you will instantly sell yourself short. And
you deserve everything life has to offer.
- THE SCARED IS SCARED OF THE THINGS YOU LIKE - From an
adorable short film you can watch here: whenever you’re afraid,
remember what makes you happy. Kind of like “these are a few of
my favorite things,” remembering what makes you happy will cast
out all fear.
- LISTEN - We have two ears and only one mouth, so use them! (Your
ears I mean) You will be amazed at what you can learn when you
just take a step back and observe. Listen to your professors. Listen to
your classmates. Listen to music. Listen to silence. And more than
anything, listen to yourself.
- SAY YES - College is a time to learn, so while you still can say yes to
everything! You might find something you enjoy or make a new
friend you never would have otherwise. There will be times you
must say no, but give saying yes a try.
- THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS - I’ll be the first person to say it:
COLLEGE SUCKS. Not all of the time, but a lot of the time.
Whenever life gets you down, remember that whatever situation
you’re in won’t last forever and things can and will get better.
- DON’T THROW SHADE; BE THE LIGHT! - Stolen from my buddy Eric
English, this tacky phrase holds a powerful message. It is so easy to
let the pressures of our theatre world make us angry and shorttempered and mean but it is toxic to hold onto those negative
feelings and behaviors. Make a different decision: let things roll off
your back; know when you need to speak up and change something;
don’t be a gossip; try to offer the “glass half full” when everyone
else sees it empty. You’ll be happier and you won’t have as many
grey hairs or wrinkles.
- YOU ARE ENOUGH - Repeat that with me: YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.
You are the only you there is and that is freaking awesome. Rather
than compare yourself to others, which is easy to do in this industry,
celebrate what makes you unique. So what you can’t kick yourself
in the face? You have a stellar smile and attitude and THAT will get
you the job over the face kicking girl who’s a meanie head.
I love you all. I miss you already. And I can’t wait for what lies ahead.
A presto, miei carissimi amici.
Verity P-H
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