SAU Theatre & Dance students have traveled the country this summer to gain hands-on experience through numerous summer intensives. From Arkansas to New York and cities in between, Muleriders took to the boards to learn from the best in the business.
Four SAU students were selected to participate in The Open Jar Broadway College Intensive this summer. Tianna Bonner and Egypt Dollmeyer attended the first intensive from May 31st–June 6th.
Bonner, a senior musical theatre major from Jacksonville, AR, dreamed of experiencing the stage in New York City. Thanks to Open Jar intensive, she studied in the heart of Broadway, learning craft from some of the industry’s best professionals, while also taking in three Tony Award-nominated shows.
“This experience is something I will never forget,” Bonner said. “I love theatre. Getting to experience auditions, seeing the shows, and walking through the city solidified my dream of moving to New York after I graduate.”
Carmelo Brown and Annabelle Ferren attended the second Open Jar intensive, held August 3-9. Before joining Open Jar, Brown, a senior musical theatre major from El Dorado, Arkansas, traveled 450 miles from the Waterside Theatre in Manteo, NC, where he joined the cast of The Lost Colony for a second time.
“Working in a professional theatre environment surrounded by passionate artists has challenged me, inspired me, and strengthened my love for storytelling,” Brown said of the production that is celebrating its 88th anniversary season.
Roughly 650 miles west at the College of Wooster, Charlie Bradshaw, a senior technical theatre major from Magnolia, AR, has joined SAU alums Dani Hawkins and Rylee Creed at the Ohio Light Opera. The SAU trio have been working in technical positions, and by the end of the program, they will have built and produced six different shows within 10 weeks.
“This experience helped me get over some of my anxiety about what the future looks like after college,” Bradshaw said about his role as a carpenter. “I’m so incredibly grateful that I get to do this kind of work for a living because I’m doing exactly what I love!”
Lucy Strahin, a junior musical theatre major from Conway, AR, did not have to travel far for the Morrilton production of The Sound of Music. She was joined by fellow Mulerider Danajah Penn, of Morrilton, who played Rolf Gruber in the production.
“I actually began my theatre journey at the Rialto Community Arts Theatre back in 2015, so I was very thankful to be back 11 years later as Baroness Schraeder,” Strahin said. “This role really helped me appreciate the process of learning and loving a new character.”
To learn more about SAU Theatre & Dance, please visit: saumag.edu/theatre.
About SAU:
Southern Arkansas University provides students with the complete college experience in a caring environment of service, innovation, and community. With more than 100 degrees across four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies, SAU initiates new degree programs to meet the needs of today’s career and professional trends. To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu.
