If you’re anything like me, you were a huge musical and band geek in highschool (and proud of it too). However, once I started Penn State it was clear that my heavy schedule would no longer allow me to be able to handle regular band or theater rehearsals that I loved. Because of this, I sought to find ways to support and explore Penn State’s music programs.
Penn State is a school with many specialties- some more well known than others. As an entering engineer, I was familiar with Penn State’s great stem programs, and I had even heard about their renowned school of business. However, I was surprised to learn that our school also has an amazing music and theater program. As a former band and theater geek in high school, I was delighted to hear about all the opportunities to support fellow classmates in the fine arts.
I’ll admit I was unaware of how amazing our theater program was until I enrolled in a theater study abroad course. This course was during the maymester of my freshman year and required me to attend a few school productions during the spring semester. Some shows included the musical ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ and the play ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. Throughout these shows I was amazed by the production design, the costumes, and the talent I saw before me- all at a really affordable price for students!
The course I took had a wide variety of students- from stem majors, to finance majors, to education and theater majors- all with an underlying interest in the performing arts. As I got to know my classmates better, I learned that a few of them were involved in theater programs outside of the college as well, such as the thespian society.
After this course and my new knowledge of all the theater programs both on and off campus, I’ve gone out of my way to attend more of these amazing and affordable shows while I’m on campus. Since performances usually line up towards the end of the semester, I’ve found that these musicals provide the perfect study break and night out with friends. This past year, I was delighted to attend Penn State’s performance of A Little Night Music in the winter, and enjoyed watching several of my former classmates perform. I was also set to support my friend in her leading role as Sophie in the Thespian’s production of Mamma Mia this spring, however with the early spring move out I was unable to. Once things at state college begin to return to normal, I highly recommend looking into these organizations’ performances and planning an exciting night out!
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