All the world's a stage! Recent and Upcoming Productions at Fordham and in NYC!

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to be in the Mimes and Mummers first production of the semester, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. This show is an interesting take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Stoppard gives the audience a sort of “Behind the Scenes” look at the events of Hamlet through the eyes of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I played the role of Ophelia in this production. The show was a huge success; we were even sold out on Thursday and Sunday!  

The poster for this production was made by the Mimes & Mummers' Vice President, James Demetriades, FCRH '14! 

The following Monday, I went to our monthly Campus Activities Board (CAB) raffle for events around New York City. At the raffle, you’re given one ticket with a number on it. It’s free to enter the raffle, and then if your number is called, you’re given the option to buy tickets to any of the available events for only $20! This month, the events were Phantom of the Opera, Sleep No More, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Aziz Ansari’s Madison Square Garden show. I lucked out this month, and my number was called! I chose tickets to Sleep No More, an interactive reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. My roommate and I are so excited to go later this month! 

Tickets for this show normally run upwards of $85; getting them for a fraction of that price is just one of the many perks of being a Fordham student!

To complete my week of theatre events at Fordham, on Wednesday I auditioned for Fordham Experimental Theatre’s Playwrights’ Festival. Every semester, students are invited to submit shows that they have written that are between 5 and 30 minutes long. The executive board of the club picks between 3 and 5 of them to be performed. I was fortunate enough to be cast in one of the shows, The Sweepstakes Redemption written and directed by Nick McNallen, FCRH ’16. The Playwrights’ Festival is one of my favorite events at Fordham, and I’m so excited to be a part of it this semester!

The poster for the Spring 2014 Playwrights' Festival; I was in Confessions by AJ Golio! 

Theatre Community at Fordham

Theatre and preforming have been two of my favorite things for as long as I can remember. All throughout middle school and high school I was involved in theatre in one way or another. My situation at Fordham isn’t any different. Fordham is home to countless theatre groups on campus, and there is almost always some type of free, or cheap entertainment taking place on campus every weekend! Whether you like to be onstage, behind the scenes, or just a member of the audience, Fordham has a place for you!

This is Collin's Auditorium, home to both the main stage and black box theatre

Fordham has three main theatre groups. The Mimes and Mummers, Fordham Experimental Theatre (or “FET”), and Theatrical Outreach Program (better known as “TOP”).  The Mimes and Mummers is Fordham’s oldest theatre troupe on campus.  They preform two shows a semester on the main stage in Collins auditorium.  This year the Mimes will be preforming “Spamalot” “Rent” and “Inherit the Wind.”  Just this past week they preformed “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.” I saw it, and it was absolutely incredible!  Fordham Experimental theatre is Fordham’s largest theatre group on campus. FET also puts up two shows a semester.  In addition to regular shows, FET is home to 4 umbrella groups including an improv troupe, sketch comedy group, standup comedy group, and a spoken word group.  All FET productions take place in a small creative space in the back of Collins called “The Black Box.”  Last but certainly not least, is Theatrical Outreach Program.  The Theatrical Outreach Program performs abridged versions of classical plays and performs them on campus, as well as at local elementary schools.

This is the black box home to FET and its umbrella groups: sketch comedy, standup, improve and spoken word

I am so excited to be a part of TOP’s first ever one acts festival this year! TOP is holding a one acts festival on family weekend while short one act plays like “The Lottery” and “The Intruder” will be performed. This is my first year I have been involved with TOP.  Last year I was in a few Fordham Experimental theatre shows, including the all student written and produced show called “A Boat on The Shore.” Perhaps one of the most exciting things about Fordham’s theatre programs is that you can be involved in more than one at a time! I have friends who are involved in all three groups.  Having been involved with various theatre groups on campus over the course of three semesters,  I can attest to the fact that each cast becomes it's own little family. I have built long lasting friendships through my theatrical endeavors here at Fordham and hope to build many more over the next three years.

This is the poster art For Theatrical Outreach Programs First two shows!

As you can see, there are plenty of different theatrical clubs to get involved with.  In addition, the theatre groups are not only in need of actors, you can also get involved in virtually any aspect of theatre you want whether it be stage management, hair and makeup, costumes, lighting. You name it! Even if you aren’t into any of that, you are always encouraged to come see your fellow rams show off their gifts and talents on stage! Theatre here at Fordham is more then just an extracurricular activity, it serves as an art form which brings all of us rams closer together as a community.