Making Theatre History

Our second semester is in full swing! And it's one for the history books. Literally. 

With new classes and some schedule changes, it did take a few weeks to feel comfortable with everything. We also have a few more homework assignments than we did last semester. At least, we have a couple more academic classes as opposed to classes with a lot of performance or in-class work. But now that we have about six weeks under our belts I'm feeling much better about it all!

One new class that I really love is Theatre History. Hence the title of this post. ;) Even though I've grown up performing, I don’t know a whole lot about where theatre came from. So I’ve deeply appreciated having some class time to explore the roots of how this whole thing came to be.

We meet each Friday from 12:45-1:45 to learn from our teacher, Johnny Russell. Honestly, I wish we had longer! We're only able to touch on highlights, but even still, I've gained a much bigger picture about history in general, and theatre specifically. The class is set up in two-week sessions. Each session we study an era of theatre history and also read and analyze a play from that period.

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The class is set up in two-week sessions. Each session we study an era of theatre history and also read and analyze a play from that period. So far we've talked about Greek and Medieval theatre. Our plays to read were Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Everyman by...well...we don't know who. So his name is Anonymous. ;) I really liked both of them, and the assignment to analyze the piece and turn it in increases our comprehension of the material.

Johnny asked us to go through and find all of the actions within the piece. He calls them the "dominoes" of the story. What action sets everything off, and what action happens as a result of that one? And what's the result of that one? So on and so forth until we've accounted for the entire story. This helps us to see how the events are connected and build upon one another. It also helps us as performers, because when we're able to successfully analyze a story, we can invest more fully into a character we're portraying. 

So far, I've found Theatre History to be extremely helpful and interesting. I'm excited to jump in to our next theatre eras and read more works of the great playwrights. 

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Going hand in hand with what we’re learning in Theatre History is our Theatre Resoucre Class. This is something that’s been running all year. It fits in perfectly with our "day off" schedule. Each of the students has a day when we don’t have to perform in Jonah. This is when we’re expected to read a play or watch a film of a theatrical performance. At the beginning of the year, Jeff provided a list of materials he’d like us to read. He also asked us to answer a few questions about the play to show comprehension, and that we're growing in our skills of analyzation. I’ve loved the time set aside to sit and read these scripts.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the really old stuff – the Greek tragedies and Elizabethan plays. They’re much more readable than I thought they would be (I think we have some really good translations), and the more I’ve learned about the time periods in Theatre History, the more my enjoyment has increased. Even though we aren’t expected to completely finish the list before the end of the year, I’ve made it my goal. I know that life is only going to get busier and crazier in the coming years and I doubt I’ll make the time to read many more plays. So the more playwrights and scripts I can become acquainted with during my Thursday afternoons, the better!

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To do my reading, I often camp out in the “Conservatory hallway”, but I’ve also found a comfortable spot in the beautiful Rotunda. This is an area on the third floor of the building that opens up above the lobby. There's several comfortable places to sit, and it’s a nice change of scene from where I spend most of my time. And with the delicious smell of Sight & Sound’s signature roasted almonds wafting upward, it’s most cozy.

So there's another little glimpse into our days here at the Conservatory!

In other news, there have been a few other happenings that are worthy of history. ;) I had some more visitors to my little corner of Pennsylvania. Last week my mom, my best friend Elise, and her mom, Rita Seldenrust, were able to come and see me! They rented the most adorable little house in Strasburg, just a couple of minutes away from the theatre. I stayed over there during their visit and we had the best time. I got to see several parts of the area that I haven’t been able to explore yet. We walked around Strasburg, checked out some of the cute restraunts around town, enjoyed a relaxing morning and fresh coffee. It was just what my heart needed.  They got to see Jonah and I gave them a full fledged tour of the building. It’s been a long time since I’ve spent time with them (I haven’t seen Elise or Mrs. Seldenrust since before I left in January, and haven’t seen my mom since March) and I was incredibly refreshed. Saying goodbye was hard, but the memories of the fun times we had will get me through to next time.

Just a few days after they left I celebrated my 24th birthday! It fell on a Saturday, which means that I performed in three shows. That was quite full, but there were lots of little things that happened throughout the day to make it special. Abby, Amanda and Ellie cooked an incredible breakfast for me before we had to go the theatre. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” in cast meeting (as they do for everyone on their birthdays!). My mom and dad had a beautiful bouquet of roses delivered to my dressing room. All throughout the show people wished me a happy birthday, sometimes even on stage. :)

It ended with a Skype call with a very special young man and getting to open a package he sent me. A new wallet (that I LOVE) full of gift cards to my favorite places, and a mason jar full of sweet notes that I can open each day until our next visit. It was definitely one of my favorite birthday presents. Yup. He did good. ;)

Even though I missed being with my family, the Sight & Sound community and the people I love from home still made it a very special day. So now! On to another week! We have some more really fun assignments coming up that I’m looking forward to sharing in the days ahead.

I feel like a sponge with so much information to process. In the small story of my life, I know that this year will go down as one of the most defining. It can feel overwhelming at times, but then there are those moments when I realize how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown. And it seems that any time I need encouragement or a friendly face, it’s time for someone to visit or God sends just the right message my way. I can’t wait to see how He will continue to provide as the days roll on!

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Perspectives: JT