A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E - Colby-Sawyer College

class and wanted to jump right into it. My professor told me to
go for it. The original assignment was to do one scene, but we
ended up doing a full staged reading, in costume, with blocking.
It is one of my favorite achievements as a student.
Was part of your motivation to do “Our
Class” to provide a theater experience for
Colby-Sawyer students that was darker?
It was a chance for actors to dive into their characters, to work
on their voice and make their character come alive to achieve
a catharsis for the audience. Some of my other stage roles were
in “Pride and Prejudice,” “The Enchanted Pig,” “You’re a Good
Man, Charlie Brown” and some “SNAFUS,” which are studentwritten
plays. I directed a play my sophomore year and then
this year wrote one and directed another.
You’ve been able to combine what you
learned in your experience abroad, your
love of theater, and your enjoyment of
teaching. What’s next?
I’m exploring the idea of traveling, doing some scholarly work
abroad, perhaps something like a Fulbright Scholarship. I know
I’d like to be in a fast-paced city environment with cultural
diversity.
Did you come to Colby-Sawyer knowing
you wanted to major in Communication
Studies?
I was interested in going to law school at that point, so I picked
English with the pre-law track because in researching law
schools, I found they like to see English and history majors.
And then I took Media Criticism with Melissa Meade (associate
professor of Humanities), and I immediately thought, “This is
definitely for me, what am I doing in English?” I switched my
advisor and went right for it.
What do you love about communications?
I like communications because it’s so broad. I like learning
and asking questions, and that’s what communication theory
classes are all about. It’s not necessarily about getting questions
answered; it’s about leaving with more questions than you
started with. In all my classes I enjoyed relating what I was
learning to pop culture. I like analyzing the culture that we live
in and what it means to our society.
What do you love about theater, and what
was your most challenging role as an actor
at Colby-Sawyer?
I like acting a lot, but I also like directing. My most challenging
role was in Professor Jerry Bliss’s last show, “Waiting for
In November 2010, Assistant Professor of Fine and Performing Arts Julie Vogt
directed the American premiere of James Shirley’s 1635 play, “The Lady of
Pleasure,” adapting the Jacobean era play for “The Real Housewives of London”
and the Mod Era of 1960s England. Jaycee played the role of Kickshaw and is
shown here with Juliette Longvall ’14, who played Isabella.
Godot,” written by Samuel Beckett. Beckett is hard to do anyway,
so being a sophomore and not necessarily knowing the
world of Beckett…I probably didn’t ask as many questions as I
should have. I still get the most recognition for that role.
What big changes do you see in yourself
from your time here?
I did theater in middle school and took a break and didn’t get
back to it until later in high school, and I was afraid to commit
myself to it. During college I realized this is what I really want
to do. Now I’m okay saying that theater is a huge part of my
life and will continue to be. I’ve also become better at communicating,
both through my major and through my leadership
experiences.
Looking back on my experience abroad…there’s so much
you don’t even think is important, but in hindsight you go,
wow, I ordered my own meal in Polish? I spent a day sitting by
the river, reading a book, living my life in a whole other part
of the world? I learned so much more about myself than I did
even about academics. It’s as much about the culture as it is
about anything else. Everything you do changes what you are
on the inside – every argument, every congratulations, every
moment. ■
Michael Clark is an admissions counselor at Colby-Sawyer
College as well as a writer and actor.
SUMMER 2011 17
PHOTO: Amanda Rossi ’11