Students Lissa Caballero - LC (senior, digital communication) and Siobhan Conye - SC (sophomore, speech-language pathology) discuss their experience as members of the AU Theatre Wing.
How did you find out about the AU Theatre Wing and join?
LC: I found out about the AU Theatre Wing my freshman year through one of my close friends. As a freshman with a horrible case of stage fright I never would have considered joining the club had my friend not encouraged me to give it a try and if the club had not happened to be putting on a production of my most favorite thing ever: Narnia.
SC: During the club fair freshman year. I always liked theater and enjoyed a lot of the types of people that come along with it, and to find a theater group on campus was exactly what I had been looking for. I didn’t ask too many questions, I just went for it.
How long have you been in it?
LC: I have been in the club for about 4 years now.
SC: About a year and a half.
What do you enjoy most about being in the Theatre Wing?
LC: The thing that I enjoyed most about being in Theater was that it allowed me a safe space to be unapologetically myself. When I joined, everyone was so welcoming and really created a judgment-free zone where we could all just be crazy, learn, and have fun together.
SC: I have made some good connections in theater and have met people I really enjoy spending time with; I go to one of their houses for game nights, I’m working on fun projects with some of them outside of school. I really am glad for a few people I have met.
What is your favorite production you’ve been in?
LC: My favorite production I've been in was definitely “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” I love Narnia, so being able to see it come to life and be a part of it was amazing! I played one of the White Witch's dwarves and we had an absolute blast, despite us having to walk around on our knees the whole time. My favorite scene is hard to pin down but I think the scene where we come to claim Edmund from Aslan's camp was pretty great. As the White Witch's minions, we were acting all cocky and picking fights with characters in the background until Aslan scares us into running away. (Have you ever had to run away on your knees?! It's not as easy as it sounds!)
SC: [I played] Jane Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” the kind older sister of the main character. The best scenes were probably the bonding between Jane and Elizabeth. The production went much better than expected; there were issues behind the scenes and last minute changes, but the production itself went well. It was stressful but very fun, despite me having to sprint from firefighting training to the first performance. There were a lot of outside variables, but it worked out well.
Do you recommend joining, and if so, what would you say to anyone considering joining?
LC: Yes, I would recommend joining the Club! Even if you are not interested in acting there are many other things you can help with like sets, lighting, costumes, graphic design etc. We also do fun group activities on occasion like outings and game nights. Theater can be a great place to grow and learn more about yourself; and who knows, maybe you will overcome your stage fright like me! Of course, as a student-led and funded club, we are all volunteers, so at times it can be a pretty large time commitment–but in the end I think it's worth it!
You can check out more from the AU Theatre Wing at their website and Instagram @autheatrewing!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.