At Taylor, the liberal arts are a elementary a part of the methods college students study and develop to view the world. The mixing of religion and studying throughout areas of research permits college students to make connections between completely different topic issues and have a deeper understanding of the world round them.
For Musical Theatre main Hannah Embree ‘22, her work with liberal arts intersecting with the manufacturing of theatre led her to being awarded the Kennedy Heart Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) Dramaturgy Fellowship.
What’s a Dramaturg?
Dramaturgy is the artwork of sustaining creative integrity to the script of a play. The dramaturg’s function is to do in depth analysis on the play – its script, manufacturing historical past, reception, and the intention of efficiency. They work intently with the director of the play to make sure the imaginative and prescient of the manufacturing is seen to completion.
“It’s actually a management place,” stated Embree. “You’re working with each the creative crew in addition to the actors and the viewers, too. You recognize who you’re telling the play to.”
As a result of the function of the dramaturg requires a broad scope of data, Taylor’s liberal arts program proved invaluable to Embree and her work. Being uncovered to lessons outdoors of her subject of research helped her develop a wider understanding of the analysis that she did for her dramaturgy work.
“A liberal arts college is a extremely good place to do theatre,” Embree stated. “Every thing you do and the whole lot you study feeds your work as a theatre artist.”
Scholar Physique
Inventive Director of Theatre Tracy Manning chooses performs for the season originally of the tutorial 12 months. For the 2020-2021 college 12 months, Scholar Physique, a play that addresses sexual assault on faculty campuses, was chosen to be carried out within the spring semester. Embree had been hoping to do dramaturgical work for a efficiency, and this was an ideal alternative.
“Scholar Physique offers with plenty of actually heavy topics and I actually wished it to be executed with plenty of intention, security, and and a recognition of the intimacy of the subject of sexual assault,” stated Embree. “I went into the manufacturing with plenty of need to talk reality about one thing that’s typically swept below the rug, particularly in a Christian setting.”
Embree’s function because the dramaturg for this manufacturing was distinctive, as a result of the Theatre Division partnered with Scholar Improvement and the Counseling Heart to include the present into Taylor’s annual Sexuality and the Physique week. This week presents programming that provides college students an opportunity to develop of their understanding of God’s plan for our our bodies. Chapel audio system and night applications spark open discussions and perception.
This 12 months, talk-back periods had been held after each present that includes Counseling Heart workers and individuals who had been concerned within the theatre manufacturing. Scholar Physique was carried out without spending a dime within the Euler Atrium. Alumna Esther Neel was a visitor director, so Embree was working for the primary time with somebody new.
Acknowledged by the Kennedy Heart
Every year, the Kennedy Heart sponsors the American Faculty Theatre Pageant, an occasion that strives to honor, acknowledge, and strengthen collegiate theatre applications across the nation. Following the encouragement of Manning, Embree submitted her dramaturgy work with Scholar Physique for consideration.
Embree’s case ebook for Scholar Physique contained all of her analysis: statistics, psychological analysis, evaluation of the play, earlier manufacturing info, and the rest that knowledgeable the work that she did with the play. She included dialogue guides that Embree developed with Scholar Improvement, notes from the talk-back periods that adopted the performances, and photographs from promoting shows that she created. She despatched a web based model of her case ebook to the pageant and offered it to a panel of execs and answered their questions after her presentation.
Following digital workshops all through January the place she labored with different dramaturg college students and discovered from business professionals, Embree was chosen as one in all 9 nationwide finalists. Finalists obtain an all-expenses paid residency on the Nationwide Theatre on the Kennedy Heart and membership within the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
“I now have entry to jobs that I wouldn’t have entry to earlier than,” Embree stated. “It’s a extremely huge honor. That may open up plenty of doorways for business connections, apprenticeships, graduate colleges, all kinds of issues like that.”
Embree can be attending a residency in April for the Nationwide Pageant on the Kennedy Heart. She can be working with a Shakespeare pageant in a efficiency function after she graduates in Could, with rehearsals starting earlier than commencement.
Research Theatre at Taylor
Taylor’s Theatre Program offers college students the chance to work extensively with their craft as a approach to glorify God. College students of all majors will be concerned in Taylor’s theatre productions.
“Taylor is a gem for theatre,” Embree stated. “It is a place the place we’re going to name you to a pursuit of excellence and a pursuit of magnificence and reality. It is a palace the place each play that now we have is chosen has intention…we select performs that meet wants in our group and tackle our personal humanity in a extremely tough and great way.”
Concerned with studying extra about finding out theatre at Taylor? Be taught extra right here.
