(2021) Biggest Takeaway by Magdalyn Rowley-Lange
By: Magdalyn Rowley-Lange (Milwaukee Repertory Theater)
My Biggest Takeaway Magdalyn Rowley-Lange she/her/hers Senior at Reagan IB HS
I had the fortune of being accepted into the Professional Training Institute with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and then into the MPS Arts Internship Program which has certainly become an enormous highlight of my year. Together my PTI cohort of 15 other high school age actors as well as a professional crew complete with a costume, set, and sound designer, put on a production of the play Ghost Bike. The play itself follows a teen named Ora as she processes her grief over the loss of her best friend but the atmosphere on set was anything but gloomy. My director, stage manager, assistant stage manager, and us actors had an absolute blast working together to bring Ora’s journey to life. We were able to work fully vaccinated and unmasked after a year of being separated by screens. This in and of itself brought me so much joy, but the undeniable chemistry of the cast made the experience all the better. For some inexplicable reason we all just clicked from day one. There was no drama, no anger, and no worries, just pure unadulterated fun. It sounds like I’m sugarcoating, but I promise that I’m not. Everything just worked, and I wouldn't trade the past few months for anything.
What really scares me is that I almost didn’t audition to join this year's cohort. I hadn’t auditioned the past few years because I was just too nervous. I never pictured myself as good enough to be a part of PTI, I mean those kids were like Tony winners in the making. But thanks to virtual auditions, I found just enough courage to send in a video, which turned out to be enough to get me a callback. Before joining my zoom callback I frantically wiped sweat from my palms and took many many deep breaths. I went over my notes for the interview portion and I checked my lighting for the performance portion. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I might be done with PTI after that day. I thought I would get cut and that would be the end of that. Thankfully, I was wrong.
I’ll admit, the first day was awkward. We were on zoom and many of us had never met before, but slowly, month after month, we began to form shared memories and build a connection that would make our first day of in-person rehearsal, effortless. Let me be clear, PTI wasn’t always effortless. We spent hours memorizing our lines, learning our characters, and creating the world of the play with our bodies and minimal set/costumes. At times it was physically, mentaly, and emotionally taxing, but we didn’t let that stop us. My cast of unbelievably dedicated, passionate, and supportive peers -I mean friends- made every day seem so much easier. In fact, I actually had a really hard time talking about PTI as “my job” or as “work” to family and friends because it was unlike any other work experience I’d ever had. I just couldn't believe (and I still can’t) that I was getting paid to play with my friends all day.
I make it sound like we did very little, and honestly, some days were more work than others; but regardless, I was still able to gain so much from this experience. PTI has prepared me for my next steps by showing me, first hand, that a career in the performing arts is possible, not just some silly pre-teen dream. I am currently at a huge crossroads as I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life and I still don’t really know. However, I do know one thing: theatre will always be an option for me. That is in thanks, partly, to the connections that I was able to form with the youth in my PTI cohort who are going off to do incredible things and also with all the professionals who have already done so much in their respective fields. PTI therefore, has given me the opportunity to both learn from the experienced and the inexperienced, both of which serve as indispensable sources of wisdom and creativity.
Comments
Post a Comment