Student Blog: Welcome to Summer: Emily Edition!

As I submitted my last assignment (at a very early hour in the morning), I breathed a sigh of relief. After a particularly rough quarter, I felt relieved hitting the “submit” button one final time. Even though I am enjoying my break from classes, I still find something missing in my routine. So, here I am, writing to you all lovely readers. But first, a quick introduction. 

My name is Emily, and I am a rising senior (those words were difficult to write) at DePaul University. Originally, I hail from Northern Virginia- think DC area- but as of now, I do not mind calling Chicago my home. Currently, I am studying dramaturgy and criticism, as well as German! As such, my courseload has especially been busy. This summer, despite my wish for total relaxation, I wanted to challenge myself. Along with my dramaturgy work (more on that later), I plan to continue with freelance writing work, fun translating activities, and, above else, read, and maximize the time I have during summer to stay productive, while at the same time allowing myself to rest. 

The Royale 

As part of The Theatre School’s curriculum, dramaturgy students are required to be a part of two shows. My show for the upcoming fall quarter is The Royale, by Marco Ramirez. Based loosely on the real-life boxer Jack “The Galveston Giant” Johnson, The Royale tells the story of boxer Jay “The Sport” Johnson, who navigates the segregated boxing world of the early 19th century. While rehearsals don’t start until September, preparation for this project begins over the summer. Here are some components that I plan to include in my and my partner’s actor presentation:

• Historical Context: One stereotype about dramaturgs is that we are walking encyclopedias. In this case, I will be the walking stereotype, as I believe that providing historical context about the various aspects (ie. Jim Crow laws, and the history of boxing) helps contribute to the overall understanding of the play.
• Boxing: How has boxing changed over the last century? What techniques did boxers from the early 20th-century use? How will this be incorporated into the show?
• Real-Life Help: One goal that I have for my dramaturgy going forward is to make it more varied in terms of sources used. In other words, not just use paper or rely on history. I plan to then reach out to local boxing gyms in Chicago to have a guest speaker come into the rehearsal to help actors and designers conceptualize both impacts of boxing in Chicago and also help with the physical aspect. 

Translation 

Last quarter, I took a translation workshop class as part of my German major. I chose to translate Der Vater- Eine Bluetige Komödie (The Vater- A Bloody Comedy) by Niklas Frank and Joshua Sobel. The play itself is wild, to say the least, which makes sense, as it's about the son of a Nazi. In any case, I translated the first scene. A realization I came to was that dramaturgy and translation are the same. Both require familiarity with the source material, language, and general written skills. I hope to continue working on this translation!

Freelance

Along with BroadwayWorld, I also contribute monthly to a baseball blog, where I write about current events/history/topics relating to the baseball world. I have been a part of this blog since February, and I’m glad that I can channel my passion for sports through this gig. 

Conclusion 

On paper (pun intended) this seems like a lot, so in that vein, I've got to remember that it is important to give myself time to enjoy things. There's plenty of theatre to see, baseball to watch, and books to read, so on and so forth. To paraphrase the ever-iconic George Costanza, "I proclaim this the 'Summer of Emily'!" As all the cool kids say, I'm going to claim this affirmation.