Howdy, y'all! I'm Alex, a queer and trans student from Tennessee. This year I'm involved with a lot: I'm serving as the Production Manager for the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals, acting as Social Chair for Amarna, rushing Phi Tau, giving tours on campus, exploring the offerings of the Dartmouth Outing Club, joining Farm Club, getting more involved with the O-Farm and sustainability on campus, and generally enjoying my second year here at Dartmouth!
As a theater-kid-turned-English-major who already loved Shakespeare before taking this class, highlighting this as my favorite class of the term is a no-brainer. This class is completely accessible to anyone who is has never read Shakespeare while still being an engaging class for seasoned Shakespeare enthusiast. Class time is mostly devoted to discussion of the texts, and I feel like I came out of the class with a strengthened ability to analyze the themes present in Shakespeare's works as well as a better comprehension of the nuances of language used in the plays.
Before this class, my experience on the technical side of theater was severely limited. I've been acting onstage for a decade, and even though I knew that productions would be impossible without what goes on behind the scenes, actually learning how to DO what goes on behind the scenes was another experience entirely. THEA 40 is an incredibly fun and informative class, and I can confidently say I have a much more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to make a show come together. And next term, I'll have to opportunity to apply my new knowledge and skills as Production Manager for the Rude Mechanicals, Dartmouth's student-run Shakespeare company! I can't wait!
In this class we read stage plays through various lenses. These lenses comprised a general overview of the different readings of a play necessary in order to get it from script to stage: reading as actors, writers, directors, designers, dramaturgs, etc. I had an amazing time I feel my foundation of theater knowledge has been enhanced by what I learned in this class! I've been able to apply this knowledge as I continue to read and write plays in my spare time.
I took this class to fulfill one of my distributive requirements, but it ended up being my favorite class this term. I found the readings fascinating, the lectures engaging, and the group work super enjoyable (we were assigned to stream video games a couple hours per week!). Despite the large class size (100+ students) the lectures remained engaging and the professor made sure to hold weekly office hours to get to know as many of the students as possible; he even brought donuts sometimes! Overall, if this class were a video game, I’d hit replay as soon as the credits rolled.
Something Wicked This Way Comes... Directing Macbeth in 24S!
Every term I blog about the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals (Dartmouth's student-run Shakespeare Company), and this term will be no different.
Well, it is a little different: I served the organization in two new roles: Company Manager and Director of this term's production! I love working with the wonderful individuals in this company, and I look forward to continuing as Company Manager and directing more shows in the future.
Prepping
My work started back home in Tennessee, where I was taking an off-term. From December 2023 through March 2024, I easily read Macbeth 20 times over—and that's a conservative estimate. I also watched 5 professional productions of the play, cut thirty pages of the play for our Mech's production (we try to keep our shows under two hours), did some costume design, made a props list, and sketched out some rough blocking and lighting for the entire show.
This was all before I even knew if I was directing or not…
Pitching
Spoiler Alert, I did end up directing. I pitched my vision for the show at the 24W Mechs end-of-term meeting, and it was chosen by the company.
Disclaimer: The Curse
If you're familiar with the theater world, you know that there are a lot of superstitions associated with Macbeth. Many believe the play is cursed, and actors will often get in trouble for speaking the title of the show in a theater space: most call it "The Scottish Play." Now, thankfully, I don't think our production was cursed. But we did have a few hiccups: we didn't have a confirmed performance space until halfway through the semester, we were still missing a cast member when we began rehearsing, COSO (Council on Student Organizations) decided that our favorite rooms were off-limits for rehearsals on weekends, and our two of our cast members felt under the weather on opening night. But nevertheless, the show must go on!
One of the witches works her magic
The Production Process
The production process for this show looked very similar to other Mechs shows I've been involved in (and written about here, here, and here). We spent the bulk of our rehearsal time blocking the show, but we also had fight choreography (courtesy of Heather Damia '24), intimacy choreography (courtesy of Lilla Bozek '27), and lots of act reviews prior to tech week! When it comes to technical elements, we had props, costumes, lights, and sound.
The Mechs see Something Rotten!
A Picture from Shakespeare Day!
Intermission
One of my favorite things about the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals is that we're also friends outside of rehearsal. When we weren't working on Macbeth this term, we were busy hanging out! We had a cabin overnight with one of the other student-run theater companies; we went to see a production of "Something Rotten!" (a Shakespeare/Renaissance musical) together; and a few of us went to a nearby school and did workshops with elementary and middle school students for their Shakespeare Day!
Cast and Crew Photo for Macbeth
The Final Act
Macbeth had four wonderful performances in the Currier Theater, a temporary black box theater constructed by the Department of Theater while the Hopkins Center for the Arts is under renovation. Lots of folks came to see the show, and we sold out our Monday Memorial Day Matinee (say that ten times fast). We received glowing reviews from family and friends alike. My long-distance partner and my parents were able to visit, and some older Mechs who have already graduated from Dartmouth also came to see the show! This production was incredibly rewarding, and I am honored to have worked with such a talented cast and crew to make such a fabulous show.
After the show, I thank the audience for coming!
Looking Forward…
I know I will direct another show for the Mechs, and I hope to direct for the Department of Theater one term as well. My incredible experience with this show has inspired me to take a directing class in the fall and consider a directing thesis for my theater major. I am grateful for this new path in my theater journey and excited to explore all the opportunities it will offer!
More Photos (and Video!)
If you'd like to see more photos from the production, go to our Instagram! If you'd like to watch our production of Macbeth it will be up on our YouTube channel soon!
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In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
