A Freshman’s Perspective: Acting on the MainStage
Written by freshman performance major, ADDISON THOMPSON
One of the major pros to the Fordham Theatre Program is that you can be in a show Freshman year as soon as first semester. This is great not only because your schedule is busy and you get to work right away, but because it makes it so easy to meet other people who are either not a theatre major or are upperclassmen you don’t have classes with your first year. Being able to act in or work crew for a studio show from day one were some of my favorite memories from the first semester.
Seeing your name on a mainstage cast list, though, can be a bit of an overwhelming experience, at least it was for me. Mainstage shows are built up to be this whole new caliber of theatre on campus, so it’s hard, as a freshman, to think it’s even on the radar. However, upon going to rehearsal for Luck of the Irish the first time, all the overwhelming things I was feeling melted away. Mainstage rehearsals are just as fun and welcoming as the studio process. I expected to feel intimidated and maybe even like I was in the wrong place, but I ended up feeling totally comfortable right away. Having a director from outside of school is a new experience that adds a fresh element to the rehearsal space.
Of course, it’s a big comfort to have a fellow freshman in the room too. So far, I haven’t really felt like age has separated me too much from the rest of my cast, everyone is on a level playing field and we’re all working towards a common goal, so there isn’t really any reason that a freshman should feel any different than the rest of their class, really. The one thing I have noticed is that there a lot of things I just haven’t learned or read, so I’m a little slower to pick things up, but it’s really helped with the learning process. I’m able to let my acting classes help my rehearsals, and then I can see areas where things I learn in rehearsal benefit me in class.
It can be hard to still be adjusting to time management in college when rehearsals are so long, but if anything I’ve learned to be better about what I choose to do with my time. When I have nights when I’m not called, I focus more on homework or getting off-book than I do with relaxing. I’ve found that being so busy has actually helped with my work ethic in other classes. Because I am on a tight schedule, I can’t get behind on academics on top of rehearsals. Freshman year is all about learning who you are as a student, so it was good to figure that out about myself. I’ve also gotten to know a lot of people I hadn’t worked with last semester, and that’s been a huge highlight of the experience. I’m really grateful to be involved in a Mainstage production and even more excited for it to go up!
Come see Luck of the Irish February 23-25 and March 1-3!