“Hi, may I take your order?” “Do you want fries with that?” “Would you like to Super Size your meal?”
If you think that these are the only lines that are going to be recited by graduating Fairfield theatre majors, think again.
Despite the weak economy, several recent theatre graduates have had considerable success in theatre. Steve O’Connell, ’00, recently composed original music for “Blue Man Group” on Broadway, and Tara Barroqueiro, ’94, worked with Al Pacino in the stage production of Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie,” and she is currently assistant to Broadway producer Harold Prince.
Gil Hizon, ’01, and other recent graduates have also moved to Chicago to audition for Second City, the acclaimed improv group that began the careers of actors like Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Bill Murray and John Belushi.
“By the time a student graduates from this program, they have had a very broad sense of what the entire theatre world is about from a historical, theoretical, critical, and performance standpoints. They can leave the program and decide where they want to go,” said Lynne Porter, director of the theatre program.
This year, Fairfield will be graduating five female theatre majors, all of whom have developed their talents for writing, directing, acting and designing during their years at Fairfield. This summer and fall they will head off to New York, Chicago and Vermont and apply their experiences to begin careers in theatre.
Those who pursue acting audition in Manhattan and throughout the Northeast, while others who pursue jobs in technical production find work in theatre companies as apprentice designers.
“The Theatre Department does amazing things for its students,” said Kathleen Mooney, ’02, who worked after graduation at the Westport Country Playhouse as a stage management intern.
“I had an opportunity to work with professional New York directors like Doug Moser [“The Laramie Project”], and costume designers like Hugh Hansen. Our proximity to the city and the connections that our professors have given a unique trait to our theatre department,” said Mooney.
In addition, students appreciate the many aspects of theatre they are exposed to as a major.
“I think one of the best things about Theatre Fairfield is that it gives you the opportunity to participate in every facet of the program,” said Liz Capinera ’03.
” As a theatre major, I have taken an equal amount of classes in theatre history and design as I have in cting. It allows you to explore many areas of theatre that you probably would not study if this were a conservatory program,” she said.
Theatre majors have been able to showcase their talents in recent on-campus productions like “Steel Magnolias,” which was directed by Megan Bell, ’03. In addition, the department has produced “The Laramie Project,” “Pippin,” Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” and several student-written and directed plays.
Despite classes and productions on campus, the emphasis on theatre does not discourage students from other careers.
“We fully support a liberal arts education,” said Porter. “If you don’t understand a little bit of how the world works, you are too limited.”
Every year several theatre majors choose to study abroad in London, where they have the option of participating in theatre while they’re there. Students can study at universities such as Regents College in London, or fully immerse themselves in theatre by taking classes at a conservatory.
“For the most part, by studying abroad I found myself with an even more concrete desire to pursue theatre,” said theatre major Angela Lewonczyk, ’03.
“I went to an acting conservatory [in London], so not only did I take all theatre classes all day long, including tutorials and workshops with famous acting professionals, but I also saw about 30 plays during my time abroad,” she said.
Although some theatre majors are drawn to the possibility of a career in Europe, many travel throughout the country and begin their post-graduate career with regional theatre.
Megan Bell, ’03, is moving away from the Northeast to settle in Chicago to work in improv at the Second City. A city like Chicago is a big draw for theatre majors, as it moves them away from the East Coast, and exposes them to several community theatres in addition to improvisational acting.
“Ideally, my goals include being able to support myself reasonably being an actor,” said Capinera, who plans to return to Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, VT, where she was a performance intern last summer.
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