The end of our production of Ragtime also signifies the end of my theater career at Duke. Coming to Duke my freshman year, I was not a theater person, let alone a musical theater person. But somehow, here I am, 10 shows later, talking about what I’ve learned from the whole process. Ragtime has been a show that truly challenged me as a […]
As I work diligently to prepare myself for opening night, I’ve found it necessary to sit down and really think about each of the roles that I play throughout the show. Each character has a different part of the Ragtime story to tell, with different motivations, histories, and backgrounds. I’ve attempted to fill in many of the […]
In my other musical theater-themed class this semester (The Great American Musical), we recently discussed a concept that our textbook author termed “Musically Enhanced Reality Mode,” also known by the acronym MERM. The basic idea of MERM is that by entering into a musical number, performers are able to do things that would never be permissible in […]
After Tuesday’s class meeting, I’m even more excited about Ragtime than I was before. What’s so intriguing in particular is that the cast, crew, and orchestra are all immersing themselves in the culture and music of Ragtime before rehearsals actually start. I’m looking forward to growing as an actor and vocalist while learning a bit more […]