Summer Experiences 2016

Summer Exp

Our students’ education in theatre doesn’t end when classes do! During this past summer, many of our theatre students had opportunities to gain real-world experience before coming back to the Department of Theatre and Dance. Check out what they’ve been up to!

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Blesdoe poses in front of a map of Niagra Falls.

Andrew Baynard ’17 is a theatre and political science double major. This summer, he had the fantastic experience of being a follow-spot operator for the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Taming of the Shrew. He filled this position for the show’s entire run as well as during technical rehearsals for an overall period of seven weeks.

Erin Becker ’17 is a theatre and business administration double major with a minor in arts administration. Over the summer, Erin interned with Reston Community Center in the Arts Education and Community Events departments. She assisted in planning programs for the upcoming seasons and helped prepare for the summer programs. She was also employed at RCC’s arts education summer camp, “Young Actors Theatre”, as an assistant director and stage manager.

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Frautschi had the perfect view of the State Capitol Building from Folger Library.

Emma Blesdoe ’19 is a theatre major who had a busy, but fantastic summer. She had a fulfilling internship in electrics at Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, where she honed her skills. Emma wrapped up the summer with a visit to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side with her family.

Jamie Broadhead ’18 is a theatre and political science double major with a minor in security and conflict studies. She worked in the UMW Theatre scene shop, building the set for Assistance. She learned a lot from the two months spent with scene shop foreman Kenny [Horning] as they made their way through many projects. She says, “It’s amazing to come back and see the same set and know that in a few days, there will be actors on something I helped build nearly every step of.”

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Dilley modeling during a competition held this summer.

Madeleine Dilley ’17 entered a mall fashion show just for fun. She won and got an audition for a talent competition. Next summer she goes to Boca Raton, FL to compete in front of hundreds of agents.

Lauren Frautschi ’18 is a theatre major with minors in arts administration and business administration. This summer, she interned at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. As the only intern in public programs, Lauren had the opportunity to work with a variety of professionals in many different fields of theatre. The internship led her to find a passion for arts administration, and she is so happy that she declared the minor. She can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Becker took a horseback ride through the mountains with her family this summer.

Becker took a horseback ride through the mountains with her family this summer.

This summer, theatre major and history double major Neal Gallini-Burdick ’19 had the opportunity to see several wonderful productions in the Richmond area. The most fitting for a Mary Washington audience member would be the high school production of Avenue Q that a group called SPARC put on. Neal was very interested in not only what was cut from the show to make it more age-appropriate, but also the lines that made it through censorship.

Gresham loved being a rope course instructor and camp counselor this summer!

Gresham loved being a rope course instructor and camp counselor this summer!

 

 

 

Morgan Gresham ’17 is a theatre and elementary education double major. This summer, she worked for Camp Chonco’s overnight summer camp for children aged 8-16 as a Ropes Course Instructor. During this eight-week-long experience, she utilized training from her theatre classes and education classes to engage with campers and maintain a fun and safe environment.

Megan Khaziran ’17 is a theatre major with minors in arts administration and musical theatre. She started out this summer by jumping into rehearsals for McClean Community Players’ production of Footloose as a featured dancer. She also auditioned for Synetic Theater in Arlington, VA and, after being invited to both Callbacks and Company Trainings, was offered a position as an understudy in their remount of Twelfth Night. Synetic Theater also offered Megan an ensemble role in their production of Carmen for the summer of 2017!

Khaziran in McLean Community Center's production of Footloose.

Khaziran in McLean Community Player’s production of Footloose.

Taylor Kiechlin ’17 is a theatre major with an arts administration minor who spent the first half of her summer as a stage management intern for Signature Theatre’s production of La Cage Aux Folles. She worked with UMW alum and mentor Brandon Prendergast ’95, who was the PSM on the production. Shortly after, she joined Brandon and Sam Wilhelm ’14 at the Ford’s Theatre as the stage management intern for the Broadway-bound musical Come From Away. She worked closely with co-writers David Hein and Irene Sankoff on script edits and new content, allowing her to get an in-depth look at what it’s like to create a new musical.

Kiechlin with alums Sam Wilhelm '14 and Brandon Prendergast '95 in front of Ford's Theatre where they worked on the new Broadway-bound production of Come From Away.

Kiechlin with alums Sam Wilhelm ’14 and Brandon Prendergast ’95 in front of Ford’s Theatre where they worked on the new Broadway-bound production of Come From Away.

Bev Kippenhan ’17 is a theatre major with an arts administration minor. This summer Bev worked as a Resident Advisor for Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. For nine weeks, she worked with young dancers of all disciplines, particularly with musical theatre students. She often chaperoned trips to musicals and their outside acting classes. Additionally, she won the lottery to see Fun Home on Broadway from the third row, and attended voice lessons to prepare for UMW’s fall auditions.

Grace Kreider ’17 found a new passion in wardrobe this summer while working as a costume intern at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, Michigan. Grace spent the beginning of the summer season working in the costume shop with four other interns on four main stage productions and two children’s shows. The latter part of her summer was spent running wardrobe with two other interns for the company’s production of Hairspray! Grace walked away from her first summer stock with a new love and appreciation for theatre.

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Levey with fellow artists at Epicure Cafe in Fairfax, Virginia as part of her summer tour.

Gwen Levey ’17 is a theatre major with an arts administration minor. She focused on recording her first professional album this summer. She drove up to Catonsville, MD once a week to record and played many live shows on the East Coast. Gwen also spent two months of the summer working as the Digital Marketing Assistant for UMW Theatre. You can hear some of her work on her website, www.gwenlevey.com.

Cynthia Mullins ’18 is a theatre major with minors in arts administration and musical theatre. Cynthia continued her acting training in a Principles of Realism class at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in Washington, DC.

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Newton with fellow cast mates from The Tempest.

Alex Newton ’17 is a theatre major. This summer, he performed in the Rude Mechanicals’ productions of Taming of The Shrew and The Tempest. It was his first time performing Shakespeare as well as participating in community theatre. Newton had the pleasure of working with fellow UMW Theatre student Kenny Bellamy ’17 in both shows. He owes a lot to UMW for teaching him the methods he was able to instantly apply to his work. He was more prepared and organized, which helped him focus on building a character more effectively.

Catherine O’ Meara ’17 is a theatre and psychology double major. This summer, she performed as Sally Ride in the 2016 Capital Fringe Festival production of Amelia Earhart…In Space. Catherine was so excited to be involved in her first professional production. Earhart won second place for Best Comedy and received a show extension, so it was an amazing experience!

Rios with a marine in front of the US Embassy in Colombia.

Alexander Rios ’18 is a theatre major with a minor in musical theatre. Over the summer, Alexander worked at the US Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia in the Political Section. He worked closely with the Bureau of Population, Refugee, and Migration that funds countless NGOs all across South America. Alexander attended meetings with NGOs, people affected by the Colombian conflict, and represented the U.S. at numerous meetings of high ranking officials of the Colombian Government and International Organizations such as the UN. He had an amazing summer being a part of our country’s continued effort to help other nations overseas.

A poster of O'Meara as Sally Ride in Amelia Earhart...In Space.

A poster of O’Meara as Sally Ride in Amelia Earhart…In Space.

Sam Rollin ’18 spent five weeks in Bath, England with UMW’s Center for International Education study abroad program, where she studied British theatre history and acting styles. She also got to visit popular cities, such as Stratford upon Avon and London, where she was able to see shows at the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Globe Theatre!

Abraham Shaikh ’19 is a theatre major who performed as Billy Bigelow in the Bethesda Summer Music Festival’s production of Carousel. He was also Bartolo in a production of the opera Marriage of Figaro. During this time, he learned about singing technique, acting, and improvisation. It was a challenging experience, as his director, Mira Yang, would provide the music two months in advance and actors would come into a two week rehearsal period fully prepared to block, rehearse, and perform for a weekend. Despite the challenges, Abe feels that in the end, he came out a better performer than he was before!

Mic Townsend ’17 is a theatre and historic preservation double major with a minor in museum studies. Mic spent his summer as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park. AmeriCorps, often considered a domestic version of the Peace Corps, collaborates with nonprofit and public organizations and agencies to give students the opportunity to provide services with the goal of earning an academic grant. Sailor’s Creek is a Civil War battlefield and was the site of the last major battle of the war leading up to Appomattox.

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Mullins and Kippenhan rehearse their quarterstaff routine.

 

In addition to their other summer endeavors, Jamie Broadhead ’18Ian Nace ’18Cynthia Mullins ’18, Angel Cowen ’18, Megan Khaziran ’17, and Bev Kippenhan ’17 also took part in a weeklong quarterstaff stage combat intensive with Casey Kaleba, held at UMW.