By Mateo Biggs
- What has been your favorite part of working with the theater, choir, or art department of Roanoke College?
Jasey Williams: I love the opportunity to express myself and to be given freedom/autonomy over my own self-expression. if that makes sense
Bradley Sperl: Being in the choir since my first semester of college gave me an initial group of friends that would later lead to closer relationships.
Claire McDonald: I can confidently say my favorite experience was touring France for the 75th anniversary of D-day. We got to sing in these beautiful old churches with great acoustics.
Tess Weidenkopf: The best thing about the theatre department is the number of characters I have been able to play and the level of perspective I have gained.
- What exactly got you interested in these programs?
Jasey: I’ve just always done theatre since I was a little kid! It’s like biting my nails–I have no explanation other than it’s something I’ve always done
Bradley: I have been a musical person since a young age, singing in church, being part of orchestras and choirs, and since singing was my favorite I decided to join on scholarship with the choir.
Claire: I did theater in high school so I took acting one freshman year. The professor, Lisa Warren, encouraged me to audition for the fall play “Our Town”. I’ve been involved since.
Tess: Theatre became a creative outlet for me to diffuse any anxiety or irritation in the other aspects of my life.
- Is there something you know for sure you will miss?
Jasey: I will miss seeing/rehearsing with my friends every single night
Bradley: Nothing with ever be as easy and built into my normal schedule as singing with the Roanoke College Choir or (Roanoke College A Capella Choir) RCACC
Claire: What I’ll miss most is the people.
Tess: I am going to miss working with my hands to construct sets, and the rush of performing in front of a live audience as someone who is not my self
- What advice can you give to your underclassmen?
Jasey: I would say auditon! TRC is a small department, so it always needs more people!
Bradley: Once you learn how to schedule your time you should start to fill up some, but not all, of your free time participating in a club, partaking in social activities, and just having some fun.
Claire: If I could give a piece of advice, I would recommend that you commit yourself wholeheartedly to whatever it is you become involved in.
Tess: The more experience you have, even if you think you won’t like something, the better artist you will be. You also might surprise yourself
