Performing
Realizing artistic ideas and work through interpretation and presentation
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I graduated from the University of Vermont in 2013 with a BA in Theatre and a concentration in Performance. I felt very fortunate to be a part of this program because the professors were committed to the philosophy of teaching the "well-rounded" theatre student. We were required to take courses in scene study, voice, movement, and Shakespeare as well as scenic, lighting, and costume design, theatre history, and directing. As a student in the program, I had opportunities to work on a variety of productions in multiple roles as actor, lighting designer, wardrobe/scenic crew, and director. Here I would like to highlight how I utilized those skills in production and performance both at the University of Vermont while I was a student, and in a theatre for young audiences piece I worked on in Boston.
Clit Notes
Clit Notes
For my culminating project at the University of Vermont, I directed and designed an original adaptation of lesbian performance artist Holly Hughes' Clit Notes. I broke the piece into three characters who represented facets of Holly Hughes' life and her attempts at defining her identity as a queer artist. For me this piece was deeply personal as a young person who grew up in a rural, conservative community and at the time was in the midst of coming to terms with my own sexual, personal, and artistic identities. It felt like an opportunity to explore my own voice as a queer artist just as much as it was an exploration of Hughes' text and life. In rehearsals, the three actresses I worked with also talked about their own histories and lives and how their experiences tied in with the stories Hughes tells within the piece. I believe this collaborative, vulnerable rehearsal atmosphere led to the success of this piece.
How I Learned to Drive
How I Learned to Drive
In Fall 2013 I was delighted to be a part of the ensemble for the University of Vermont's production of How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, directed by Gregory Ramos. This production was part of a series the university put on featuring women playwrights, and Paula Vogel herself was invited to both watch the production and give a symposium about women in theatre to the community. This non-linear piece tells the story of Li'l Bit who grows up in rural Maryland and is emotionally manipulated and sexually assaulted by her uncle, and the consequences that has on both of their lives. I played the Male Greek Chorus, part of a trio in the production that portray all the other people in Li'l Bit's life. Throughout the production I had to transform into six distinct characters, and I learned so much about physical acting and non-linear, ensemble storytelling on stage.
The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas
The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas
In the Fall of 2013, the Emerson College Theatre Education Graduate Association (TEGA) produced The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas by Jonathan Graham, a theatre for young audiences play about a very imaginative brother and a sister with technology-addicted parents who don't pay as much attention to them as they should. I played the role of Dad. One day, the brother, who loves to imagine monsters, and his sister, who loves to eat peas, are surprised to find that they've brought a real monster to life named Pea! Pea causes all kinds of trouble for them and they try to keep her a secret, until their parents find out about Pea's existence. In the end, the parents accept Pea in as a member of the family and learn how to communicate, share in their interests, and spend more time together as a family. TEGA toured this play to PreK-5 schools throughout the whole Boston metro area in a variety of neighborhoods and schools. We adapted our blocking and performances to fit whatever space we were in, and used portable set pieces to create a makeshift space whether we were in a classroom, a cafeteria, or in one instance - a hallway. We also worked with other students from the program to create an interactive workshop where audience members got to ask the characters in the play questions and interact, and use their imaginations to create their own monster friends.
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