Theatre major and 2016 graduate Allison Dellinger recently wrote Susan Fecho, Dean of the School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts, to tell her all about the exciting things happening in her new theatre career:
“In January of this year, I had a phone interview with Lauren Kennedy at Theatre Raleigh. I interned with TR the summer of 2014 in just about every job they would let me fill: assistant stage manager (or ASM), dresser, running crew, building crew, design assistant; so I already had a good relationship with her and the TR staff. They are such a wonderful group of artists! I assisted with the first musical of the season: The Mystery of Edwin Drood and got to meet the author Rupert Holmes! We took a selfie, and it was amazing.
“My first big-girl job began with pre-production work even before graduation. I was the Production Stage Manager (PSM) for All My Sons. It was an amazing experience, and I learned so much working with some absolutely astounding actors.
“My next show was a production unlike any I had done before. I was rehearsal stage manager/ASM for Light in the Piazza, a gorgeous show that performed in the North Carolina Museum of Art! Not only was the story moving and universal, the score amazing, and the cast to die for, I gained so much experience through working in a non-theatre setting and with the staff at the museum. This show was sandwiched between two shows I was PSM for, so I missed the first few rehearsals and had to leave before the run was through. Busy is good in the theatre world!
“Steel Magnolias might be my favorite show of the summer. The six amazing women that were cast in the show were each an inspiration to me in their own way, and the girl-power was such an uplifting force and made my job as PSM such a joy. The director (Richard Roland) also taught me so much, and I would work with any of them again in an instant!
“We are currently finishing up with Million Dollar Quartet, for which I am an ASM. A touring show presents so many obstacles, but also so much opportunity for learning about different theaters and working with different companies/facilities. It is going to be an amazing finish to the season for TR 2016!
“After this—well, starting this week—I am beginning scenic design work on Picasso at the Lapin Agile. I am so excited to expand my experience in the theatre world and work on the design side. I have assisted before and am anxious to dive in. During this, I will also be PSM for a one-night re-mount of Pump Boys and Dinettes with Theatre Raleigh, and then jumping straight into an ASM position at the North Carolina Theatre for Spamalot. I may have some time off in December if another project doesn’t creep in (my family would love this!), and then I am looking at working more with NCT next year and working Theatre Raleigh’s Family Series February – April 2017.
“I am so thankful to Barton and the Theatre/Art programs for preparing me for this whirlwind of work and am so glad to be back (if briefly) to share some of my work with the Barton/Wilson community.”