Over the past couple of years at WSU, many opportunities have crossed my proverbial desk. I have attended theatre conferences all over the Midwest. I visited London, England, with a group of students, led by Dr. David Bratt of the WSU Theatre and Dance faculty. The following summer I returned to London to study Shakespeare, directing and acting at the Globe Theatre with students from across the country in the Globe Education Program.
Winona State University made it possible for me to experience so many amazing things, and it helped me prepare for my involvement in the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) for its debut season in Winona this past summer.
I was working with the Theatre Du Mississippi and Great River Review's production of Winona: A Romantic Tragedy, when I joined a conversation between Robert Bruce-Brake and Will Kitchen regarding a Shakespeare Festival that had not yet found a location. Robert, an actor from the Minneapolis area, told Will he needed to meet with the Shakespeare people. He was the stone that started the ripple which became the wave which crashed into Winona. After an interview and audition process in the spring, I was accepted into the Apprentice Company. I united with students from Viterbo University, Southern Methodist University, Webster University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Guthrie Acting program from the University of Minnesota under the goal of furthering our education in the realm of professional theatre.
"Why would you do an acting apprentice program that doesn't pay anything?" my mom asked. Though she probably said it more delicately, the question was valid. I could find a full time summer job and another part-time one and actually earn money during my time between semesters.
I told my parents it would be a great educational opportunity.
I said I would be able to apply the knowledge and skills I gained in school. I would have the chance to work with theatre professionals on the inaugural season of a festival celebrating the works of one of my favorite playwrights. Finally, I would not be able to live with myself if I let the opportunity pass.
The "carpe diem" approach has always worked for me. My experience met and exceeded the parental appeasements I created.
The primary task of the Apprentice Company was to understudy roles in one of the two productions. We sat in on all rehearsals regarding our characters, and learned the lines, blocking, and character work. If an unfortunate situation occurred and an actor was unable to perform, an apprentice could step in.
I had the pleasure of understudying two amazing actors in A Midsummer Night's Dream: Michael Brusasco (as Cobweb and Snug the Joiner) and Dan Colman (as Mustardseed and Francis Flute). It was also great to work with a talented and inventive director, Paul Mason Barnes.
After detailed text work sessions, we began rehearsals. This was an eye-opening experience. The ability of the artists to create characters and make choices about movement and line delivery was astounding. While my focus was on the actors to which I was assigned, I was struck by the wealth of talent before me.
Understudying is an odd dichotomy of desire and reality. I prepared as if I would go on, but chances were I wouldn't. On one hand, I would have loved to get on stage and perform. On the other hand, my performance required that something bad happened to the actor. It was an emotional rollercoaster cresting with excited anticipation and plummeting to nervous panic at the thought of actually performing.
An anchor I could always hold onto, when this intense environment became overwhelming, was Shannon O'Brien, another recent WSU graduate. Shannon and I worked on a slew of shows together and it was comforting to work with a familiar face. An amazing stage manager at WSU, Shannon accepted a position as a stage management intern with the GRSF. She was fortunate to work with experienced stage managers, directors and technical staff. I was fortunate to work with her.
The other primary aspect of the Apprentice Program was "the project." Led by two members of the acting company, we auditioned for, rehearsed and performed Shakespeare's As You Like It. I had a special treat of portraying two rather opposite characters, Duke Frederick and Silvius. The former, an angry powerful man; the latter, a lovesick shepherd. The production was a great success performed in the WSU Main Stage Theatre, on the GRSF set. I got to know the rest of the Apprentice Company members well and learned a lot about how I worked as an actor.
One of the many responsibilities of the Apprentice Company was to help with various technical and administrative duties. I worked on all facets of the production, from the lights on stage to the trap room under the stage and from the costumes worn to the pillows they sat upon.
A significant experience was taking brochures to various businesses and getting the word out about the productions. Another WSU alumnus, Teresa Woodall, was GRSF's administrative intern in charge of the huge task. She organized the routes we covered and kept track of the 4,500 brochures distributed. I have lived in Winona for five years, and for the first time I truly experienced the downtown area. I was struck by the warmth of each shop, by the willingness of the business people to help and their excitement about what was quickly approaching.
I also had the chance to learn from one of the most influential theatre designers in the United States. Rosemary Ingam is a giant in the field of costume design. In several of my courses at WSU, we used her book, From Page to Stage.
Rosemary and the other costume staff were a delight to work with. I learned how to do a "tailor stitch" on the bottom of a dress, how to attach clasps, tack fabric, and attuned my hand sewing skills. Rosemary showed me how to distress clothing for the stage.
Alli Engelsma, a WSU theatre major, learned far more than I as part of her internship in the GRSF costume and prop shop. She worked on costumes designed by Rosemary, created a variety of realistic props and gained a ton of experience working under the helpful eyes of the staff. This opportunity was truly a unique experience for her as well.
I was also pleased that other WSU students had the chance to work on GRSF's inaugural season. Kevin Kreisel was an administrative and financial intern. Ann Peterson was a sound and technical intern. Together, we worked hard and learned skills that will follow us into our careers.
Throughout the intense preparations of the festival productions, we also needed time to relax and have fun. A highlight of the Great River Shakespeare Festival Company's bonding time took place at Westgate Bowling Alley. Every other Wednesday after rehearsal, we almost took over the establishment. More than 10 lanes were filled with bowling excitement and Shakespeare Festival staff enjoying casual time with fellow actors and interns.
My time with the Great River Shakespeare Festival was quite a whirlwind of experiences. I listened to some of the greatest theatre practitioners of our time including Ming Cho Lee, Rosemary Ingam, and Jim Edmondson. I saw the Winona riverfront come alive under the stars during opening weekend with the Willy Porter concert. I worked with an amazing company of actors, directors, technicians and designers, whose talent and personality traits were astounding.
I could not have become the theatre practitioner I am today without the variety of experiences I have had thus far. Over the course of my years at Winona State, I have learned so much from the amazing WSU Theatre and Dance faculty and staff, especially Vince Landro who made me look at the Bard’s work and the art of theatre in new ways. The faculty’s support for the Shakespeare Festival and for their students has been astounding.
It seems that the one constant in our lives is change. I have learned that we are presented with amazing teachers, inspirational people and role models. Rather than dwell on their departure one must take the memories, the knowledge, the experiences gained and hold on to them. We cannot keep a person in our life forever; we move on without them and keep close the valuable insights they have shared and then share them with others.
Such is the case with the Great River Shakespeare Festival Company. I will hold on to all I've seen, learned and experienced for the rest of my life.
At the start of every show, the actors entered the stage and presented what was comically known as the "anti-blurb." While its intention was to unify the two productions and hook the audience, it seemed to capture my experience.
Words from the anti-blurbs epitomize the journey I have taken on the road less traveled: "Something familiar— Something risky," "Summer," "Magic— Hilarity," "Faith— Forgiveness," "Love Triumphant." My experience has led me to words that might be included in my own anti-blurb: "new friends, experiential bliss, professional education, and fond memories abundant."
Photo Caption: WSU senior Andy Waldron, outside the Great River Shakespeare Festival head quarters in Winona.
Editors Note: (Editor's note: Andy Waldron, from Wausau, Wis., graduated in spring 2004 with a BA in Theatre, minor in English; and is working on a second degree, a BS in Communication Arts and Literature Education. He will complete that degree in Spring '05 and plans to relocate to the Twin Cities to pursue a career in teaching.)
Photo Caption: A Shakespeare history play, "Richard III," will be on the two-program schedule for the Great River Shakespeare Festival next season, said Mark Hauck, one of the producing co-directors. "Richard," he said, would speak to contemporary audiences.
The second play will be the comedy "Much Ado About Nothing." Hauck and
co-producers Paul Barnes and Alex Wild made the choices.
The festival's first season, which centered on the main stage and gardens at Winona State University, featured "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "A Winter's Tale."
