Workshopping the Odyssey

As someone interested in theater at Carleton, there are endless opportunities for involvement. You could try out for the department show, be a part of ETB or just take a class. This term, I’m involved with something a little different – it’s a theater course that works on creating a staged reading for a brand new musical. This isn’t something I’ve ever gotten to do before, and it’s the perfect blend of a class and a performance. I’m learning about the behind-the-scenes side of professional theater and what goes into the works that I perform in. Here are some of the questions that my friends ask me the most about my new play workshop class and why this class highlights some of my favorite things about Carleton.

1. What is it?

The number one question I get asked is: what is this class? It’s a two credit course that meets every Friday from 3:30-6:30 pm (I know, we’re very dedicated to give up our Friday afternoons). We learn most of the musical material on our own and then work on the staging each week. This will all lead up to a performance in Week 9 that’s really low-key (we’ll have music stands and scripts in front of us).

2. How did you all get involved?

Everyone has a different reason for getting involved in this course. My advisor and one of my favorite professors is running it, which is how I heard about it. But a lot of people joined because they wanted to be a part of a musical, or some people just like the Odyssey (if I haven’t mentioned it already, we’re doing The Odyssey: the Musical!)

3. Why give up your Friday afternoons?

A lot of people are surprised that I am willing to go to rehearsal every Friday, but to be honest, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m learning so much about the production of a work and getting to spend time with some really awesome people. It’s also a much more low-key way of doing theater instead of being involved in a huge production that would meet about 20 hours a week. 

4. How is this any different from your other theater opportunities?

Like I said before, this class is a perfect example of everything I love about Carleton – the freedom to explore new things, groups of people working together on their passions and some quirky humor thrown in just for fun. While I’ve loved the other theater opportunities I’ve gotten so far, something about this class feels really different, and I’m surprised by how much I’m learning. Each week we’re not exactly sure what’s going to happen at rehearsal but we know it’ll be really meaningful.

I’ll end this blog with the disclaimer I always use when I talk about theater at Carleton – if it’s not for you, then that’s totally okay. My plan isn’t to secretly convert everyone to a theater major (but it would be super cool if it was though). I just want to show how many diverse opportunities are around every corner at this school. You never know where your next class might take you!

Kate (she/her) is a junior History  and Theater double major from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in the Vocal Studies Program and occasionally the Experimental Theater Board when her fight choreography skills are in high demand. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she can sing or play the ukulele. She loves the campus during all the seasons but thinks nothing could compare to the beautiful colors of Northfield in the fall. When not in class, you can find Kate either petting the nearest cat or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.