If growing up outside of New York City didn’t ensure that I’d see a Broadway show as child, having a dad who saw over 500 shows by the age of 18 and who majored in Theatre from Fordham University definitely did. The stage has beckoned me from my earliest years, creating a sense of wonder every time I step into the doors of a th
eatre.
My small, Christian, private high school provided everything it could, and I would not have attended Grove City Colllege without it. However, being a small, Christian, private high school limited the resources it could offer, and this resulted in an underfunded arts department. Despite my love for performance, my only outlets were Christmas concerts and cabaret nights.
I assumed that Grove City College would similarly have a sub par fine arts programming, especially because of its small size and its liberal arts focus. After three and a half years in the theatre program, I can bear witness to the fact that the theatre department not only provides numerous opportunities, but also contains tremendous talent and dedication that allow Grove City’s productions to exceed expectations.
I’ll never forget my first night on stage in Les Miserables, the Fall musical my freshman year. More importantly, though, I was accepted into the theatre family without reservation. That’s how the theatre department works. It takes in new performers and technicians, be it freshmen or seniors, and welcomes them into the process of creating art for the education and enjoyment of the community.
As a freshman, you find yourself faced with the task of not only finding friends but also an identity, an identity that will inevitably change of your time here. If you are not familiar with The Myers-Briggs personality test, believe me, by the time your done at Grove City you will. It’s a useful means of figuring out how you tick.
I came into Grove City as an ENFP, commonly known as “Th
e Performer.” Fitting, I’m aware. The “F” in ENFP stands for “Feeling,” denoting that my decision making primarily relied on emotions. I retook the test the Fall semester of my Senior year, and to my surprise I was retyped as an ENTP. In this case the “T” refers to “Thinking.”
Grove City has changed me in more ways than I can imagine, but it has shaped me into a full person. I can think the Theatre Department for a large part of that. Through studying parts and plays, understanding motivations, and digging into the meaning behind certain pieces, I have come out not just experiencing life, but also thinking through it.
Without theatre, I wouldn’t have the friendships I have and the lessons that have come along with them. Grove City allows you to express yourself in many ways, and theatre department is no exception. Rather, it is exceptional.
