{"id":10569,"date":"2021-08-10T16:13:48","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T20:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/?p=10569"},"modified":"2022-08-17T17:39:06","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T21:39:06","slug":"earlham-grad-named-top-student-dramaturg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/news-events\/earlham-grad-named-top-student-dramaturg\/","title":{"rendered":"Earlham grad earns national honors for best dramaturgy in college theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Spencer North had two reasons to celebrate when they graduated from Earlham College in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long after the dust had settled on commencement, North was awarded national honors in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for best overall dramaturgy. Awardees were also given an all-expenses paid residency at the Wildwind Performance Lab, a selective summer theater program on the campus of Texas Tech University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was still in my suit that I had worn for graduation,\u201d North recalls of the moment they learned about the award during a Zoom call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI burst into tears almost immediately,\u201d they said. \u201cI was so thankful to have been considered for this award and to have been given the opportunity for my work to be recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moments of joy and unexpected surprises have become common for North, who graduated with a degree in ancient and classical studies and a budding resume as an up-and-coming theatre artist. In four years, they were cast as a dramaturg in five plays, studied abroad in Greece and performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland as part of a fully funded excursion through Earlham\u2019s Epic Advantage initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Spencer<\/figure>
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 \u201cI am really grateful to Earlham for the opportunity to have done all of these things. The Epic Advantage isn\u2019t something that every school has, but part of the reason I also chose Earlham was that it was a smaller school and professors get to know their students on a personal level. We all know each other and that let me pursue the kind of education I wanted. \u2014 Spencer North<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201cI am really grateful to Earlham for the opportunity to have done all of these things,\u201d North said. \u201cThe Epic Advantage isn\u2019t something that every school has, but part of the reason I also chose Earlham was that it was a smaller school and professors get to know their students on a personal level. We all know each other and that let me pursue the kind of education I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No dramaturgy classes, no problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With an emphasis on history and performance arts, dramaturgy is at the intersection of North\u2019s intellectual pursuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDramaturgs have two main jobs: One is to look for historical accuracy,\u201d North explains. \u201cThey also work really closely with the director to discern the themes that the director wants to pull for a show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coursework in dramaturgy is uncommon at small, liberal arts colleges, but Earlham\u2019s curriculum and focus on the liberal arts offers the necessary training to get started, said Lynne Perkins Socey<\/strong><\/a>, Earlham professor of theatre arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScript analysis and history is in a lot of our courses and other academic programs on campus,\u201d Perkins Socey said. \u201cA dramaturg\u2019s work is all about research and analysis, synthesis, creative problem solving, and the creation of materials that support the artistic team and curate audience experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North\u2019s first foray into dramaturgy was as a sensitivity reader for the College\u2019s production of Company<\/em>. In preparation for performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe<\/a>, North researched steampunk literature for the College\u2019s production of The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway<\/em>, a story written by a Wayne County, Indiana, author and adapted for stage by Perkins Socey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Earlham
Earlham students perform at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

North\u2019s most extensive work in dramaturgy came during their senior year on campus during the College\u2019s production of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play<\/em>, a dark comedy about the aftermath of an unspecified apocalyptic event as described in an episode of the cartoon series The Simpsons<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North penned a program note and developed a lobby display for the production. Part of their preparation for the production involved research with the Geology Department to better understand the relationship between nuclear reactors and geological events including earthquakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used interdisciplinary knowledge in order to make the show more accessible to the audience,\u201d they said. \u201cThe lobby display was in phases which helped to set the places and times for the show, and I collaborated with the people who marketed the show to invite audience members to participate in the lobby display.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their work resulted in winning three awards at the 53rd annual Region III KCACTF in January. The awards included best program note, outstanding lobby display and overall student dramaturgy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regional winners also earned an invitation to virtually attend the KCACTF\u2019s national event, which included opportunities to attend workshops, meet with guest artists, and compete for national recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEarlham did a pretty great job of preparing me to be a dramaturg but it was cool to watch an actual dramaturg work with different kinds of material and get to ask them questions,\u201d North said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, North\u2019s resume and extensive experience with college theatre changed the whole trajectory of their summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With virtually no time to prepare, North was on a plane flying to Texas to participate in the Wildwind Performance Lab\u2019s summer program. \u201cI got the call and a week later I left,\u201d North said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two \u2018incredible\u2019 weeks in Texas<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The residency at Wildwind Performance Lab was a fitting encore to North\u2019s undergraduate experience on Earlham\u2019s campus. Once they arrived on Texas Tech\u2019s campus, they were assigned housing and given a food stipend and access to workshops and networking experiences for each of the two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEach week of the program there is a new play that they bring in,\u201d North explained. \u201cThey fly the playwrights in to campus. We read through the scripts of their play and we talked about how things could go better\u2014we actually workshop it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the mornings, they also fly in guest artists to do workshop. It was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North also learned a lesson in self-care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt 5:30 p.m. everyone would mentally clock out and we\u2019d hang out,\u201d North said. \u201cThere\u2019s such a stereotype of the starving artist in theatre having to work to the bone in order to follow your passion and be successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was awesome see it modeled that these people, who are professionals, would stop to relax. I learned that you could also set boundaries and take care of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience further cemented North\u2019s interest in becoming a professional dramaturg at some point of their career. But for now, North is taking a gap year to work and save money before pursuing a Ph.D. in ancient Greek theatre, perhaps to become a college professor. \u201cI also plan on spending part of my free time interning as a dramaturg at playhouses in Kentucky and other locations,\u201d they said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just don\u2019t put a label on North\u2019s future pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you set your own boundaries that way and it gets difficult to go beyond that,\u201d they said. \u201cI want to teach but I also want to be a dramaturg. I\u2019ve been thinking about different ways to say I\u2019m a jack-of-all-trades or, \u2018I\u2019m a renaissance person,\u2019 because there are so many things I want to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really do believe there are ways I can blend my interests to do all these things, but I think trying to label myself really could set me back. I\u2019m excited to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Media contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Brian Zimmerman<\/strong>
Assistant vice president of strategic communications
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Email: zimmebr@earlham.edu
Phone: 765.983.1256<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n