Theatre majors to present senior projects
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington University's senior theatre performance majors will present their senior theatre projects on December 2 and 3, 2005, in the Studio Theatre of Merillat Centre for the Arts. On Friday, December 2, Laura Brautigam will perform at 9 p.m. Performances on Saturday, December 3, include Amber Patrick at 2 p.m. and Sharon Voss at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $2 general admission. Laura Brautigam, a theatre performance major with a music minor, will perform a one-woman show with 13 pieces, including six songs, four contemporary monologues, and three Shakespearean monologues. She also will perform from some of her favorite pieces such as Evita, My Fair Lady, and the The Last Five Years.
My senior project is basically a culmination of my studies here, demonstrating a proficient use of the skills that have been developed. I hope to explore a wide range of characters and emotions, as well as styles of music and theatre, Brautigam said. I chose it in order to have a chance to really concentrate on the art by itself, as well as to create a diverse repertoire.
Amber Patrick will perform an hour-long show consisting of comedic and dramatic songs, monologues and scene, centering on her personal struggle between balancing a pursuit of acting with other desires. Patrick also said her show has an undercurrent of hope.
Plainly, it's about the struggle for balance, Patrick said. The life of a working actor is highly unstable. This only increases the challenges of building and maintaining the healthy interpersonal relationships that are immensely important to me.
Sharon Voss will perform a show incorporating songs from various musicals as well as a scene from a Neil Simon play. The majority of her work is self-written, however.
It follows the lives of two women " Karen and Julie " for a brief, but crucial period of time in their lives. Each character was written to portray different aspects of my own journey as a Christian. I hope to touch on the difficulties of life and faith, all while providing an enjoyable evening of theatre, Voss said.
Other HU senior theater majors have also been working on non-performance projects. Becca Rodgers has been teaching Huntington area homeschool children about theatre. Her group will present a performance of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on Thursday, January 26, 2005.
I'm really excited to see these children's interest in theatre and the arts in general continue to grow as we've been doing the workshops leading up to the play this winter, Rodgers said.
Senior Nikki Barger has developed a project called Theatre Gym. From 2 to 5 p.m. every other Sunday, Barger has been hosting artists for a workshop experiment in which individuals can work on scenes, monologues, design projects, and other writing or art.
I chose this because last year I had felt that I didn't really have anywhere to go where I felt comfortable working out things and feeling comfortable to fail, said Barger. I wanted to have this environment where people can experiment with their art. This is an open atmosphere. We don't judge and there is no right or wrong. This is for anyone who wants feedback on their work whether it's painting, photography, poetry, or ever for people who want to overcome stage fright.
Ashleigh Lewis, a senior theatre design and technology major, chose to do costume design as her senior project for the University's performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream."
I chose this show because I have not had the opportunity to design for a Shakespeare play and wanted to tackle the style, Lewis said. I research the show, characters, period and styles, and create renderings for each character. I am also building a couple of the costumes to display with the renderings.
For more information on Merillat Center for the Arts events, visit www.huntington.edu/mca or contact the MCA Box Office at (260) 359-4261.
