Hi everyone!

My name is Mark. I'm a 20 year old junior from Houston, TX studying Drama here at Trinity. I someday hope to become a stage actor, but would like to get some screen acting experience as well.

I am a bit of a musical theater freak, having been engulfed in it from birth. My older brother played Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when I was 4 and since then it's just been my thing. I actually got to play Joseph last year in a summerstock theater (karma!). However, if you quiz me about a musical, I will probably know more than any living breathing human will ever need to know about it in his or her lifetime.

I am a complete geek in other ways as well. I love my Wii. I can't live without my Wii. Whenever I must live without my Wii, I turn to my XBox to keep me company. I am, admittedly, a Dungeons and Dragons geek as well. Don't worry, I'm in rehab. I'll be alright.

I love Maroon 5, The Beatles, Matchbox 20, Queen, the list never ends. I have way too many favorite movies to list, but some highlights are Little Miss Sunshine, Donnie Darko, Young Frankenstein, Fargo, Grindhouse, Monty Python... ooh, too long already. Here's the deal, if it has zombies, muppets, has anything to do with Mel Brooks, or is a 90's Disney animated musical, I'll love it.

I watch way too much TV. My grades, fortunately, have not yet been affected. If I had a nickel for each episode of Law and Order I've seen, I could pay off my student loans. I also love Friends, Will and Grace, Family Guy (can't get enough), Project Runway, and any cartoon or Nickelodeon show that was made in the 90's. I apparently have a thing for the 90's.

Shockingly, considering the list above, I read too. David Sedaris is wonderful, a study should be done to revive Kurt Vonnegut, and William Shakespeare is my god. I also love the Harry Potter series and The Golden Compass series and all that good geeky stuff.

Most of my time at Trinity has been spent in the Stieren Theater (a little joke for Drama majors is that we actually live there). Theater has been an integral part of my life ever since I was little. Performing on stage gives me a rush like none other and getting to study the art so in depth has been the most rewarding part of my experience at Trinity. Not only have I improved my skills on stage, but I have discovered skills and interests I never knew existed before with set and costume design, directing, set construction, and theater history, among others.

I am very fortunate to have been cast in several fantastic roles, both in and out of Trinity. I have gotten to do plenty of student-directed lab shows, which gave me a great head start in the Drama program. I also played a Sailor in Anything Goes, Paris in Romeo and Juliet, and (my favorite thus far) Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls, all on the mainstage here at Trinity.

I mentioned before playing Joseph at a summerstock theater. My summerstock jobs have all been landed thanks to the funding and help of the Drama department and have allowed me to have the best summer experiences I could have ever asked for. This summer, I worked at a theater in Michigan City, IN and got to perform as Will Parker in Oklahoma!, Dickon in The Secret Garden, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You. In addition I was asked to choreograph H.M.S. Pinafore and Crazy for You. I find myself lucky to have worked on such wonderful shows outside of the university when it was the university itself that made the experience possible.

I am also involved in choir at Trinity. Specifically I sing Tenor in Trinity Choir, which is our large co-ed ensemble, and Chamber Singers, a much smaller choir. Our conductor, Scott MacPherson (or Smac, as everyone calls him) provides a good mix of music, ranging from Renaissance era to James Taylor. In addition, I am a member of the Trinitones, Trinity's award-winning eight-person male a cappella group. We have become quite popular on and off campus and sing anything from solemn hymns to well known hits complete with beatboxing! I have always been passionate about singing so I am very fortunate to be able to continue what I love.

The First-Time Offenders is a comedy troupe on campus and one of Trinity's newest groups, having been established just last year, so I am proud to say I am one of the few original members still here. We perform Comedy Festivals on campus for study breaks or just for fun, including improv games, skits, and film clips all done by us. I am proud to say I am currently the Doo-Rap champion.

I am currently taking 16 hours, which is about the average semester load here. After this semester I will have completed my Common Curriculum, which is the required workload outside of your major for graduation. I hope to study abroad my senior year in England or even somewhere in the US.

As of now, we closed Guys and Dolls the week before Thanksgiving, which had an extremely successful run! I will be auditioning for Les Liaisons Dangereuses this week, which I am very nervous about (wish me broken legs). This is also my hell week because the Christmas Concert is this weekend, meaning this week will be stuffed with glorious choir rehearsals the week before finals. Such is the life I guess.

I will make sure to keep up with my updates and continue to spill on my life. If anyone has questions about Trinity, the Drama program, or me, please feel free to post a comment!

Later!