Stories

The Theatre & Dance department hosted its annual Spring Break Artistic Immersion Trip to New York again this year. Eleven students – designers, actors, and dancers – along with 2 faculty members took part a week of inspiration in the Big Apple. The department called upon our large and active alumni network in NYC to help provide some once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our current Junior and Senior students. With the help of this amazing network, our students attended:

• an on-camera acting workshop at a renowned acting studio (Michael Howard Studios)
• a number of Broadway shows, highlighted by trips to To Kill A Mockingbird and Hamilton. At each of these performances, students were treated to an added bonus of being able to go backstage and meet key players in the shows (Tony award winner James Monroe Iglehart in Hamilton, for example)
• networking events with alumni
• an informational meeting at Actors Striving To End Poverty (ASTEP)
• giving back to the community by preparing meals for those less fortunate at God’s Love We Deliver
• and one-on-one time with faculty mentors  

As well as these department-sponsored events, we made sure the students had ample free time to create and explore on their own. The students were able to see off-Broadway shows, meet and network with working actors, “shadow” Broadway Stage Managers and crew members on Broadway shows, visit museums, take dance classes at prestigious dance studios, learn how to navigate the city (for some, it was their first time out of California/the Bay Area), and spend time in reflection with each other and faculty members.

Here’s the master list of shows that our students (depending on their individual choices) saw:

To Kill A Mockingbird, Hamilton, Hadestown, Sleep No More, Kiss Me Kate, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Network, My Fair Lady, Kinky Boots, Waitress, Dear Evan Hansen

Because of donations of time, talent and money from our incredible alumni, this trip was considered a complete success –

“This trip was an absolutely amazing experience. The shows were phenomenal, the activities were great, the city is magical. I loved every minute of this trip. It reminded me how much I want to pursue the arts as a career, helped me make several new connections, and allowed me to imagine life after college. I think my favorite part was getting to meet with alumni and hear them reminisce about their time at SCU and see that so many of them are still friends was so so beautiful. Also, just seeing how eager everyone was to help us and each other was so beautiful. I think more than anything, this trip reminded me how lucky I am to be an SCU theatre student and how exciting what comes next can be. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“I came away from this trip knowing more than ever that a profession in the arts is noble. It has immense potential to alter the lives of those who experience it. The stories told through the arts remind us of who we are and help to define us as a culture and a community. They all do different things, whether stimulating the mind or the heart, but all of those things are equally important. I feel more confident now in my decision to dedicate myself to a life in the arts than I ever have before.”

We expect to offer similar artistic immersion trips each Spring for our students and will continue to rely on this network and those in other Theatre & Dance hotbed cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Ashland!