PC's production of Waiting for Lefty made its final run yesterday afternoon and it was spectacular; it was, by far, the best audience from any of our shows! We were fortunate enough that all of our audiences were great, but Sunday's was particularly supportive--singing and clapping along with us! I know I was encouraged and I heard a few of the other actors talking about how such an enthusiastic audience really brings out the best performance!

If you saw the show, thank you SO MUCH for supporting our wonderful theatre department. If you didn't, you have done yourself a disservice!
I'm just kidding but I do recommend catching any show here at any time!
This weekend, I'm going to see the Independent Student Production, Baby with the Bathwater, and I'm so excited to see what they've cooked up!

I think rehearsal has already begun for the spring musical, Urinetown, too. I'm so excited because I'll be crewing that show and I can't wait to have rehearsal again!

Also, I recently received this question, which I'd like to answer:

Did you act in high school? I have never acted before (my school is too small to have a drama program) but would love to start. Is there a way to "start from the basics"?

When there is an audition here at PC, absolutely anyone can go out for it. The one rule is that your schedule allows you to properly commit to a show. Other than that, it's not important what your major is, what clubs you're involved in, and whether or not you've had experience. If you have the desire and you fit the part, you're going to get it.

If you're not sure whether or not you're ready, or if you're still shy or something, then crew for a show or two. It's a great way to meet people, get to know the ins and outs of the Smith Center, and see how things run around here. It was the best thing I ever did when I was debating just how involved I wanted to be in the theatre community on campus; it helped me realize just how much I love theatre--enough to then declare it as my second major!
Another great aspect of crew is that, unless you are the stage manager or assistant stage manager, your time commitment is not as big. While actors rehearse for weeks, crew is only needed for the final 2 or 3 (tech week, dress rehearsals, and, of course, the performances). So if you're short of spare time but want to get involved, I definitely recommend helping out backstage!

As for gaining acting experience, one of the core requirements at PC is the fine arts core. You could easily take Intro to Acting (which is offered every semester, I believe) to not only gain some confidence but knock out a core credit at the same time! There's also room for electives on most people's schedules.

There's also comedy and improv groups on campus that you can join!
The last option I can think of is that many students on campus need actors for their private films (many of which are submitted to the school's Film Festival), private productions, or class productions.

I hope that helps and if there are more questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Now, I leave you with some photos of Waiting for Lefty, which mostly feature the WFL band. You can also, see, though, the super cool on-stage seating that our weary, little "meeting hall" had!