Mike Witczak ‘14 – So you guys, you totally should have taken Theatre 303. I am currently writing this blog post in a tiny Hostel room consisting of two beds that are literally touching. I am sitting on my bed facing the wall, which I can touch with my big toe if I lean back and extend my leg out. My window is slightly cracked and sounds of people yelling, laughing and sirens rushing around fill my room like I am in the movie Taxi Driver.
So why should you have taken this class? Let me tell you what I did today (as if the whole Taxi Driver argument wasn’t enough). I woke up and had a bagel that was the best bagel I have ever had. You underestimate how good a bagel can be before you have one like the one I had. I then met a man who runs and started his own theatre website. He told me that he would love to help me out if I was ever in the city trying to write about theatre myself. I then saw this play called Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. It was on Broadway, which is kind of a big deal. Oh, did I mention that it starred Scarlett Johansen? Believe it or not the whole play she is married to a guy who can hardly look at her let alone kiss her (only in New York right?). Anyway, other then me not being able to relate to denying the love of a woman like Scarlett, the play was really good. I am a total sucker for the classics and they definitely did this one justice.
I should also mention that we got to go back stage after this Broadway play. I didn’t realize that there was no room back there. You imagine glamorous changing rooms with plenty of space to move around, but people forget that many of these buildings are around a hundred years old. There really just isn’t much space.
In all honesty this class is a perfect example of why immersion trips are a vital part of the Wabash experience. I have seen some of the most talented actors in the world, worked through acting workshops with professionals and eaten dinner with an actual Broadway actress. I know what its like to be backstage of a major production and I have walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. My point is, that no matter how much you read about something, actually experiencing it will add true perspective. You watch movies and you read about actors, but to actually meet them and watch them perform live makes it feel so much more authentic. No longer is the dream of being involved in New York City theatre something stuck in my head, it is more tangible now. The people we read about are real, just like you and me.
