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Don’t Avoid Drama in College – Embrace It!

I first began theatre in high school playing the role of Mr. Gibbs in the play “Arsenic and Old Lace” and then I was an extra in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” In college, I did not necessarily plan to perform theatre since I was a political science major but I auditioned my freshman year because I couldn’t resist the allure.

I ended up playing some country hick in a skit play called “Talking With...And Moving On” and appeared on stage again as an extra in the spring musical “The Robber Bridegroom.” In my junior year, I was an extra in a musical about evangelist John Wesley called “Ride! Ride!” This production was particularly time consuming and contributed nothing to my major; after the show ended, so did my college theatre career.

Even though I was a political science major, I had always found the stage interesting and mainly auditioned for roles for the fun of it. I did gain some experience in stage construction, time management skills and, of course, performance. I also received one semester hour of theatre class credit for my first freshman role.

College theatre can be an enthralling experience even if you are not a theatre, performing arts or music major. The key is to know if the time necessary for stage practice will cut too much into class or study time. I learned how to better manage my studying and homework, as I had to schedule it around rehearsal.

If you are considering becoming involved in all that college drama, here are a few guidelines:

1. Always be early to practice.
2. Always pay attention to instructions.
3. Always take part in stage construction and destruction.
4. If you plan to quit, quit early.
5. Make sure practice doesn’t ruin your grades.

If you can abide by these simple rules, then maybe you’re ready for the art of the stage!

Thomas Lee recently graduated from Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina with a BA in political science and journalism. His father is an ordained Church of God minister and his mother is a private school teacher; he also has two younger sisters. Thomas’ interests include politics, law, debate, global issues and writing fiction and he believes in a personal relationship to Jesus Christ and a strong commitment to biblical morality and ethics. He currently resides in Washington, North Carolina and will be attending law school in the near future.

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