In light of the pandemic, some of our students in the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance opted to learn from home. Rounding out the school year from West Virginia is sophomore theatre arts major with concentrations in musical theatre and pre-teaching, Magdelyn Kelly (She/Her). This week, Kelly visited campus for the first time in a year and opened up in RUTDInsider's first in-person Q&A since the pandemic began. She came to campus to shoot B-Roll for the department's virtual production of The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, streaming April 9th-11th.
Right now, Kelly is taking Elements of Dance, Dance for the Musical Theatre, Acting I, Contemporary World Theatre, Stage Makeup, and voice lessons. Want to hear about her virtual learning experience? Keep on reading!
When Rowan put out the official notice students were being sent home last March, Kelly was about to open, 'Colors in Dark', written and directed by Abby Leyh (She/Her). The show went on and she originated the role of Alice. Immediately after closing night, Kelly had to pack up her dorm and move home.
After the shutdown, how did you prepare to continue learning from home?
Kelly: "When I lived in West Virginia I don't feel like I was as organized. I had to take a lot of things like the calendar on my wall and my sticky notes, put them in my room, and set a schedule for myself to make sure I was doing it. In West Virginia, it doesn't feel like I need to be doing work because I'm not here, so I had to really nail down a schedule to be able to learn."
Do you feel like theatre and dance is teachable in an online format?
Kelly: "Yes, but it hasn't felt the same. I think that Michael Dean Morgan (MDM) does a really, really good job of making it happen online and I still progress a lot in his class (Acting I). He takes the time to do different exercises that we wouldn't even be able to do in person. It makes it really interesting.
But then there are other classes that I find really challenging to be online. I do not consider myself much of a dancer, I haven't danced much before this semester, and now I'm in two dance classes feeling behind. Also, I think that with theatre one of the big things is connecting, and that's not easy to do over a camera. It's hard to find the motivation to keep doing it when I don't feel that connection all the time. But we're doing it! It's happening!"
Going virtual has provided Kelly with the opportunity to turn off her camera in moments where she needs extra time to learn in dance classes. Watch a clip of her performing for class here:
When asked her favorite class, Kelly said Acting I.
Kelly: "How do I explain it... he (MDM) just makes me feel like I can play and explore without being judged, so I feel like that's a class where I can relax, enjoy what I do, and explore my art without having to feel so worried that people are watching me and I'm messing up."
How do you handle Zoom fatigue?
Kelly: "That's something so bad I've been dealing with lately. Not even me, I've just heard a lot of other students say we're getting burnt out really fast. I think something really big for me this semester is that it's okay to take breaks. As much as I am a person who always likes to get straight As, this semester I don't have to. I need to take care of my mental health first and sometimes that results in having to miss a class, to breathe."
When you move back to campus this fall, what are you most looking forward to?
Kelly: "I'm looking forward to people again. Any of my friends I had in high school are now in other states, so I have been spending a lot of time with my family. I need people really bad, and I think when I moved here my anxiety got a lot better because I learned how to have connections, so I miss that."
Outside of school work, Kelly is currently playing the role of Soccer Mom in The Wolves directed by Michael Dean Morgan. Most of her free time is spent practicing lines and in rehearsals.
How has your experience been rehearsing and recording The Wolves as a virtual production?
Kelly: "I start my filming next week, but rehearsing has been really interesting. I feel like we've had to really look out for each other in a way that we didn't as much when we were in person. We're all struggling in different ways now, so we're all bringing new things to the table. We started out by creating community agreements in the beginning, and now we decided that we're going to check in and check out at every rehearsal. That's so helpful because it's a really good way to say, 'Hey, today I'm dealing with this, and it's hard, but I'm ready to work.' I think being really understanding has been super helpful in that process. It has been so much fun."
See you next week!
Erica Gerold
Theatre Arts & Public Relations '23
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