Kiersten Mickle
Year: Junior
Major: Theatre (Dramaturgy/Theatre History), Music BA
“There are so many opportunities to get on-the-job experience in a learning-friendly environment. I love how closely we get to work with our professors and how our contributions directly effect shows in the department.”
What she’s doing now:
This semester, Kiersten is doing dramaturgy for the theatre department’s production of “The Shape of Things” and Oswego Opera’s operetta, “Die Fledermaus.”
When Kiersten first came to Oswego, dramaturgy was not on her radar but after taking THT: 364 she found herself “very drawn into it,” and is now pursuing the Track 3: Dramaturgy and Theatre History degree. Since then, Kiersten has taken the reins on dramaturgy for “Die Fledermaus.” She has created a Dramaturgy Hub for the production which is a website produced to make dramaturgy research and contextual findings public.
“Everyone is so inclusive, and everyone works together towards the best outcome. As a dramaturg, it is awesome to always have a chair ready for you at rehearsal,” Kiersten said. “Oswego Theatre does a great job utilizing their dramaturgs, as well as making them feel included and respected in the rehearsal environment.”
In the future, Kiersten would like to be a college professor for theatre and music history and is also interested in doing freelance dramaturgy work.
Greg West
Year: Senior
Major: Theatre BA (Tech/Design Track)
“I can go into Waterman Theatre almost whenever and work with the technology to get hands on experience.”
What he’s doing now:
For SUNY Oswego Theatre’s production of “The Shape of Things,” Greg West is the TD, or Technical Director. His job is to budget, load in, and design how the technical elements of the show will be built. He works with the scenic shop as well as other departments to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Greg says that “being able to work with everyone” is the best part of the job. “It’s been great to work with new people and to learn how they do things. What I like is the ability for me to learn outside of the classroom from Cole Sostak and Greg Brewster and learn from our new faculty, Patrick Mathis and Scott Little.”
With Waterman under renovation this semester, Greg has had to learn how to adjust to changes and determine the best way to “make sure that we have everything that we need within the space and make sure everything will work for the show.”
In the future, Greg wants to go on a tour and either be a carpenter or be on an audio team. According to Greg, being TD “falls into that area” and “it is a good start to what I want to do” later in life.
Trey Thomas
Year: Senior
Major: Theatre BA (Acting/Directing Track)
“It’s a great environment to be in. It’s creative and exploratory. Professors will find time in their busy schedule to meet with you, and 15 minutes turns into 45 minutes, but you love it because it’s a discussion of passions.”
What he’s doing now:
Trey is a senior at SUNY Oswego and is playing Adam in the alternate cast of “The Shape of Things.” When talking about the process of the show, Trey explained: “it’s a rigorous task, just like all acting should be… It’s not difficult if you enjoy what you’re doing. If you enjoy what you're doing then it’s just work.”
Trey described the department as a “close knit community where everybody knows everybody. I get to work with my peers and Mya Brown is a wonderful director. She gets very in-depth with the characters. You learn who that person really is, it’s as if they are standing next to you.”
In the future, Trey plans on acting in film and television while occasionally returning to the theatre stage. Trey says that his passion for acting has been instilled in him since he was a young boy where he decided that he wanted be one of two things. “Either an actor like Christian Bale or be Batman, and I knew that I didn’t have the financial capabilities to be Batman so I chose the other thing that I enjoyed most.” Later he said, “It was a couple of years until I realized that my hobby was my passion and my passion was my dream.”
To all incoming students, Trey encourages, “time management is key. You may have four classes and then rehearsal at night and at that point you’ll be up for 15 hours but if it’s your passion then you have to stick through it.”