After a whirlwind 6 months living abroad, I finally returned to the land of unlimited cellular data and unembarrassed daily visits to Starbucks. One week after returning to the US of A, I got in my car and drove the 488 miles from our house to Durham, NC to finish up my junior year at Duke University. Here are some of the highlights of the 5 months that followed.
Legally Blonde the Musical!
While abroad, I had begun the process of producing Hoof ‘n’ Horn’s winter show: Legally Blonde the Musical. When I got back to campus, I jumped right back into the thick of it. Legally Blonde rehearsals were in full swing and had an extremely successful two week run in Reynolds Theater. Producing this show was a challenge and a blessing at the same time; I never could have done it without the other two members of the power trio: my director, Elena Lagon, and my music director, Taylor Walls (who also happen to be two of my best of my best friends). To see a little bit of what we created, watch the video below or check out our production photos here.
Somehow, I still managed to find time to go to class…
I took four classes last semester (a full course load at Duke) and they were as follows:
English 482S – Contemporary Theory: this English course was the hardest class I’m ever taken at Duke but also the most rewarding. We read the work of dozens of different theorists and applied them to a myriad of poems, short stories, and two novels: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Never Let Me Go. Professor Tennenhouse is one of the best professors Duke has to offer – if any of you lucky duckies with any time left at Duke happens to be reading this, run, don’t walk, to take his course.
Theater Studies 255S – Directing: all Theater Studies majors at Duke are required to take a directing course. I took mine with professor Jody McAuliffe. We focused entirely on Ibsen plays, covering The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, and finally, A Doll’s House.
Theater Studies 390S – Sound Design: all Theater Studies majors are also required to take a design course and I completed mine this spring with a visiting professor: Brendan Connelly, a composer and sound designer.
Computer Science 92 – Information and the Internet: math for the upperclassmen who forgot to complete their math credits earlier. Oops.
HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR
On Sunday afternoon, Legally Blonde closed. On Tuesday, we began rehearsals for HAIR, our spring musical, which I was directing. Safe to say, I left myself very little time to breath this semester but that’s how I like it. HAIR is one of my favorite shows of all time and this was without a doubt one of my favorite theatrical experiences so far. In short, it was two months spent working on my favorite musical with a cast of my favorite people on Duke’s campus. What could be better? Nothing. I also got the chance to work on this show with the extremely wonderful Jon Aisenberg (Musical Director), James Hamilton (Producer), Melody Iro (choreographer), and Kayla Morton (Stage Manager)… Just to name a few of the extraordinary people who had a hand in this production. To see some of the magic we made, check out our production photos or our promotional video.
And that’s not all!
This semester, Duke also WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, which we watched with a few thousand of our closest friends inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Andrea and I continued to hold the title of the best roommate pair around, bar none.
And too many of my best friends graduated.
Also, Vanessa Carlton gave a mildly disappointing concert, 85% of campus was under construction, I was elected president of Hoof ‘n’ Horn, and I tamed the stray cats outside of our dorm. All in all, it was a semester to remember.
half the world away 