What do theatre and dance students learn? Part 2

In Part 2 of “What do theatre and dance students learn?” we explore how theatre and dance students learn the skills that employers most desire in potential candidates. (Haven't read Part 1 yet? Check it out.)

Communication Skills: There’s a fantastic triangle of communication with every performance of theatre and dance: artists communicate with one another and with their audience. They must communicate on multiple levels. And in the creative process one must articulate their intention as well as a reflection on process and on the product and on the relationship between process and product. Students are constantly challenged to articulate their intent through written words, verbal expression and through performance (often through the lens of another artist's play or choreography—another layer of communication).

The auditions sees the demonstration of learning on stage in
productions such as The Nosemaker's Apprentice (Spring 2015).

Problem Solving/Analytical Skills: There are an incredible number of ways to accomplish a performance. The road from first thought to final performance is a winding path with many obstacles. Whether it’s analyzing a script for performance or discovering the piece of choreography that’s right for every measure of music, the theatre and dance student is challenged to be analytical in their creative problem solving.

An important aspect of this skill is Time Management. There is always a great, looming clock that threatens “Opening Night”… The problems, we hope, will have been given a solution by the rise of the first curtain. When alumna Kellyanne Klause was asked, “What would you consider the most valuable thing you have learned at Bloomsburg University?” she answered, “Time Management. You need to learn how to manage your time as a theatre major…to organize and to prioritize your time.”

Teamwork: Collaboration is at the heart of live performance in theatre and dance. Students understand not only that they need to rely on others, but that others rely on them. We stress the value of “ensemble”—respectful, effective collaboration that puts the good of the group first.

Initiative/Self-Starting: Developing a strong “work ethic” is how students will succeed in theatre and dance at school and beyond. We know that being "on time" arriving at least 15 minutes early and being ready to go—warmed up, having rehearsed and prepared on your own—when rehearsal begins. Student set designers, actors, dancers, directors, playwrights are all expected to meet the goals set out by the faculty and by themselves.

Leadership: Students are regularly given leadership roles, formally and informally. Informally, there is a culture built in theatre and dance that the more experienced students are role models for the less experienced. Formally, students are assigned “Practicum” assignments that cast them as Head Usher, Director, Assistant Director, Fight Captain, Producer, Costume Designer and other roles that require that they join the leadership team or are the leader of the team itself.

Flexibility: Sometimes your first idea doesn’t work. Sometimes someone else has a better idea. As an effective collaborator, you have to be willing to let go of your “favorite idea” if there’s a better solution in the room.

Every one of these skills was used in the process of creating
this scene from Macbeth (Fall 2015).

Creativity: This may be the most self-evident?

Willingness to Learn: Every theatre and dance student is challenged to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. A great artist is to be a well-rounded artist. Students should not only be willing to learn about all areas of theatre and dance, but to seek out those learning opportunities every chance they get.

Attention to Detail: On stage and off,  students are asked to “go back to the basics”—what is being communicated in this play, this lighting design, this choreography? Does that match your original intent, in every detail? As an artist you are responsible for every choice on that stage, every word in that script, and every line of that criticism. Every detail is a choice, so you had best pay close attention to every detail.

Interested in seeing these skills at work or in getting involved in the division of theatre and dance? Visit buplayers.org.

Five Questions for Nicolai Kabana, Actor

Nicolai Kabana is playing Father in The Nosemaker's Apprentice. We asked him five questions.

Nicolai as Princeton in Avenue Q

What made you first interested in acting?

I would have to say my first memory of how I became interested in acting was when I was in 4th grade. I was asked by the director of the local high school to come join their production of Bye Bye Birdie as Randolph MacAfee. This was such a great experience for me.

What do you find appealing about The Nosemaker’s Apprentice?

When I first read this play it was like nothing I have ever read before and I knew I had to do anything I possible could to be a part of it. The part of the story that I found most interesting though is when Gavin is in France. I always am so happy when we make it to this part of the play. I also really liked the back story of why this play was created.

What is the most challenging aspect of acting in this particular play?

For me personally the most challenging part of the show was to constantly be in the moment even when the lights weren’t on me. I was told that there will always be people watching you even when they aren’t supposed to be. This motivated me to never lose character. Another equally difficult aspect was all of the monologues that the Father has throughout the story. I really surprised myself that I was actually able to learn them all.

What would be your ideal role in any show?

The role I would love to play the most is from the musical The Producers.  I’ve always wanted to play the part of Leo Bloom. It would be so great to follow the footsteps of some of my favorite actors such as Matthew Broderick and Roger Bart.

Nicolai at the People's Choice Awards

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

Editor's Note: The artist declined to answer this question, but the editorial team of Backstage with the BU Players decided that he would most want to be an osage-orange.

Nicolai Kabana is a junior performance emphasis. He is most known for playing Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q.

Five Questions for Carly Carman, Actor

Carly Carman is playing several roles in "The Nosemaker’s Apprentice" including Kent the Gatekeeper and Jean-Michel. We asked her five questions.

Carly performing Suddenly Seymour
in her high school's production of Little Shop of Horrors

What made you first interested in acting? 
Well, in second grade my town had this community theater that a lot of kids did. My mom put me in my first show there, Guys and Dolls Jr. to try and help me overcome my shyness. Every year the theater would do a musical and so musical theater became a huge part of my life. I performed there until about 8th grade when it was shut down, but still continued to do shows at my middle school, and eventually high school. It's such a huge part of my life, and has molded me into the person I am today, I couldn't imagine going on without it!

What do you find interesting or appealing about The Nosemaker’s Apprentice?
I think the humor is fantastic. Some of the jokes are so dry and crazy that I can't help but laugh almost every time I hear them. I think the show has so much flexibility for actors which is really nice because it opens us up to all different sorts of interpretations.

What is the most challenging aspect of acting in this play?
The accents! Particularly the Cockney accent I have to do for Kent is especially hard for me. You really need to focus on what your mouth is doing and think ahead of how the words are supposed to sound. When you put that together while you're on stage with costumes, make-up, lights, and a mask, it can be very overwhelming.

Carly and her favorite creature, Luna

What would be your ideal role or roles in any show?
I would love to be involved in Mamma Mia as any of the main women, Cosette, Fantine or Madame Thênardier in Les Misérables, and Miss Hannigan in Annie.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be? 
Definitely a kiwi. Is that a fruit? I think so. I don't know, they're so cute and sweet and so am I. And I love the color green.

Carly Carman is currently an Environmental Geoscience Major and plans to take a minor in Professional Writing. Aside from theatre, she enjoys eating things made with cheese, watching documentaries about aliens, and fighting for women's rights via her Twitter account.

Five Questions for Kelly Oberlin, Actor

Kelly Oberlin is playing Amelia in The Nosemaker’s Apprentice. We asked her five questions.

Kelly in rehearsal for Avenue Q

What made you first interested in acting? 
I first became interested in acting when I was just a little girl.  I always liked to perform for everyone so when I had the chance to be in a church musical I took the opportunity.  That was my first real experience with acting and I haven't stopped acting since.

What do you find interesting about The Nosemaker’s Apprentice?
The absolute hilarity that is this script is what's most appealing about this show.  Just the words themselves will have audience members rolling with laughter.

What is the most challenging aspect of acting in this particular play?
The most challenging part about acting in such a great comedy is actually breaking character and laughing.  I'm working alongside such great comedic actors that there are times when I just can't keep it together!

Kelly and friend

What would be your ideal role or roles in any show?
My dream role would be Elphaba in the musical Wicked.  Wicked holds a special place in my heart because it was the first show I ever saw on Broadway and ultimately was what set my dreams of one day being on Broadway myself.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
If I were a vegetable, I'd be a baby carrot because they're "Kelly sized." When I was little, whenever my older siblings found a small sized food, my siblings would say it was "Kelly sized."  So it's only appropriate that I would be a "Kelly sized" vegetable.

Kelly Oberlin is a senior integrated emphasis with a dance minor.  She works as an assistant director and assistant choreographer at Mifflinburg Area High School. In her free time Kelly loves going to New York to feed her Broadway obsession.

Five Questions for Kate Mochnacz, Actor

Kate Mochnacz is playing the role of Julie in The Nosemaker's Apprentice. We asked her five questions. 

Kate Mochnacz as Hecate
in the BU Players production of Macbeth, Fall 2014

What made you first interested in acting?

I saw my first Broadway show when I was seven.  My mom had planned to buy our tickets at TKTS, with the hopes of seeing Beauty and the Beast.  However, by the time we made it to the front of the line, there weren't two seats next to each other, and mom my didn't really want to let her seven year old daughter sit by herself.  I was given the choice between seeing Thoroughly Modern Millie or 42nd Street and choose Thoroughly Modern Millie because that name was more fun to say.  Five minutes into the show, I fell in love with theatre.  A short two months later, I was back in the city, this time with my mom, my brother, my grandma, my aunt, and my two cousins.  Again we tried to get tickets for a certain play (I forget which, but it’s not important to the story), but were unsuccessful.  I managed to talk my brother and cousin Max into seeing Thoroughly Modern Millie.  This time, I was much more observant of the show and the atmosphere.  I knew then that I wanted to be on stage and acting.

What do you find interesting or appealing about The Nosemaker’s Apprentice?

I love the script.  As the Little Girl, I really get to listen and focus on the story of the script.  It’s fun at every rehearsal to listen to the story that my fellow actors are telling.  I also love that every time we rehearse that I find something new about the story and the script.

What is the most challenging aspect of acting in this particular play?

Not laughing.  The show is funny and for most of the show, I’m listening to the story.  However, I can’t laugh, so that’s definitely a challenge for me.

What would be your ideal role or roles in any play or musical?

I have a long list dream roles and I've been fortunate enough to have been able to cross off a few of them since I started acting.  A few roles that are still on my list would be Little Red in Into the Woods and Emily Webb in Our Town.

Kate Mochnacz in her natural form
(a princess who loves cats)

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be? Why?

I would be a strawberry because I love strawberries.  They’re also in season between April and August which is my favorite time of the year: April-June because the weather is nice, July because it’s my birthday month, and August because I occasionally have free time!

Kate Mochnacz is a sophomore majoring in Early Childhood/Special Education with a Concentration in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education as well as Theatre with an Integrated Emphasis.  In her free time, Kate balances her multiple majors, clubs, social life (insert laughter here) and questions her sanity.

Five Questions for David A. Miller, Director

David A. Miller is a theatre & dance division faculty member and Director of The Nosemaker's Apprentice. We asked him five questions.

King Duncan received Macbeth and Banquo
in Macbeth, directed by David A. Miller, Fall 2014

What first interested you in directing?
I believe that I began my theatre experience in Cub Scouts. We would do skits for the Pack Meetings and on camping trips. I have a vague memory of wanting to rehearse the skits more than the other scouts. I knew that we could get more out of the comedy… I was trained first as an actor, but by the end of undergrad I began to shift my focus to directing.

What do you find interesting about The Nosemaker's Apprentice? 
This play is fantastically ridiculous. As the playwrights guided us, it is a great chance to be shameless. As long as we are grounded in some sort of emotional truth we get to take things as far as we can. I love that freedom. And I love this style of comedy—the mix of highbrow and lowbrow, the mix of family friendly and far-from-family friendly humor.

Where have you found your inspiration for directing The Nosemaker’s Apprentice?
My love of Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail, the Naked Gun series, Princess Bride and other comic sources have been great guides and inspiration. I always do a lot of research and the visual images that I find are pretty important in my understanding of the play and to how I share my understanding of the play with designers in early meetings. Several quotes from the play have been driving forces as well, including “You never know what horrors may be revealed to you when the masks be lifted and bandages unfurled.” and “…they lived short, brutish lives filled with magic and wonder.”

Who is an artist you admire? Why?
There are many artists I admire, that’s for sure. The visual artist Anselm Kiefer is one who springs to mind. The work that he does is socially conscious and visually impactful. I love the work of actor Mark Rylance. The way that he really lives on stage is phenomenal. I admire director Arin Arbus for the clarity and heart that she brings to her productions of Shakespeare’s plays.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
I would like to be a star fruit. There’s something so unique about it. I don’t know that I would be a star fruit, but I aspire to be a star fruit.

David A. Miller is a director, playwright and educator in his third year of teaching for the division of theatre and dance at Bloomburg University. He is a resident director for Amphibian Stage Productions in Fort Worth, TX (where he directed The Nosemaker’s Apprentice this past summer) and is the former founding artistic director of The Artful Conspirators in Brooklyn, NY. David is also a big fan of visual art and loves spending time in museums and galleries.