BWW Blog: Amanda Grillo - Theatre Bug Infects the Campus: Student Perspective

Since the theatre program first came to be, the University of New Haven has not been the same. Watching the program grow has infected the rest of campus with the theatre bug. Student organizations have been inspired to take on more theatrical events around campus. To quote Cabaret cast member Katherine Lutz, "Theatre is no longer a group of misunderstood outcasts; theatre is now a welcomed part of student life on campus!"

Thanks to the success of the Fall Musical Theatre Cabaret that was put on by the Theatre Club last semester, UNH Pride decided to follow it by putting on Cabaret 2: Electric Boogaloo. Being a proud cast member of both productions, I cannot even begin to describe the thrill of packing the house to the point of turning people away at the door. Electric Boogaloo was in such high demand that we had to schedule a second night.

These cabarets have brought people back to the stage when they thought they left it behind in high school and have brought people to the stage that have never even done it before. In a discussion with Robert Vaccaro, director of both the Fall Musical Theatre Cabaret and Electric Boogaloo, he informs us that "We had a lot of kids who normally would never be in a play or musical or set foot on the stage for whatever reason so we more than fulfilled our goal." Theatre is becoming so much more than just for theatre kids. Vaccaro states that, "It is becoming a place where not only theater kids can strive. Theaters a place where you can be yourself and not be afraid to look stupid doing a song or say a line weirdly and make a stupid joke." I also had the pleasure of discussing the theatrical epidemic with cast member and future PRIDE executive assistant, Samantha Paquette.

When asked her thoughts on combining her two passions, Miss Paquette shares that "It was an absolute dream come true. Being part of the LGTBQ+ community often puts you on the outskirts of things, but I knew with this it would be the perfect combination of both. Having my club put on such an incredible show was the most amazing thing that's ever happened in my life and I'm so glad that I got to perform in it."

Not only is PRIDE catching the theatre bug, Victomology Club at University of New Haven joins the fun. They now perform a yearly staged reading of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues to promote awareness for sexual assault awareness month.

Beyond student involvement, university faculty has also been a big part of the growth of the program. In the most recent production of As You Like It, the role of Hymen was a new guest star each night of the four show run. The role was played by University President Steven Kaplan, Dean of Arts and Sciences Lourdes Alvarez, Campus Chaplin Professor Marty O'Connor, and Director of Bands Jason DeGroff. Interviews with faculty will be featured next time in "Theatre Bug Infects Campus: Perspective".

I recently had the pleasure of talking to several cast members of As You Like It and Cabaret 2: Electric Boogaloo. Cast member of both productions, Francesca Fontanez, absolutely loves how theatre has impacted her campus life. "Theatre has really impacted my campus and/or social life greatly! Even days after a show closed, people will come up to me and tell me what they thought of the performance! I think I speak for most performers when I say we often get the, "Hey, weren't you just in...?" question all the time. People know you; more people are watching than you think! It's actually pretty cool to see all walks of life being interested in what your program has going on!" she explains.

Electric Boogaloo cast member and vocal coach, Dalimar Irizarry, recently changed her major from Criminal Justice to Theatre. When asked what made her switch, she enlightens us that "what made me change wasn't the lack of interest or passion in my past major, it was the people. Professors and classmates alike were a driving force in me realizing what I love and why I love it, it's who I get to do it with."

In discussion with Cabaret and As You Like It cast member and future Theatre Club executive assistant, Jared Reynolds, in regards to the growth of the department as a whole, he explains,

"The Theater Program keeps growing year after year, and more and more students are changing majors to become a theater major after being in a show with us. We all try to be warm and open and we really love getting people involved in our department, especially those who have very little to no experience on the stage. We bring areas of this campus that normally would never interact with each other: we have theater majors on the sports teams, we've had the band director, the school Chaplin, and even the president of the university get on stage during a performance, and so much more. We try to reach out to as many people as we can."

The growth of the department not only benefits the students involved in the program, but the university as a whole. The theatre bug may be a spreading epidemic on campus, but the happiness it brings to the community is a cure in itself.

Coming up Next: Theatre Bug Infects the Campus: Faculty Perspective

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