Yearlong Audition Updates: Jan. 14, 2013

Rex Kennedy
Dance

Rex Kennedy traveled to VCU from Colorado, but wasn’t nervous for classes to start up at the beginning of the fall semester.

In the past semester, Kennedy has excelled at his dance classes and performed in the Senior Dance Projects in a piece curated by friend and fellow Colorado native, Rachel Brady. Outside of school, Kennedy has spent the semester working at Bath and Body Works at Short Pump Town Center.

On Nov. 8, Kennedy explored his interest in local fashion as a model in the R.A.I.N. fashion show at Selba Lounge.  Kennedy has also spent his semester rehearsing for his position as an understudy for the VCU Dance Now performance, which will take place in February.

Over the winter break, Kennedy took an abbreviated trip back home to Colorado for a little over a week before returning to Richmond for his job.

Kennedy celebrated New Years in Virginia Beach with his boyfriend and fellow dance major Nikolai McKenzie. Kennedy spent the last few days of break visiting friends in New York City, where he took a couple of modern dance and Gaga Improvisational classes with Lee Sher at Mark Morris Dance School in Brooklyn, among other classes around the city.

While there, Kennedy also saw a performance by one of his favorite dance companies, the Rosie Herrera Dance Theater, at the Joyce Theater. “Rosie… is brilliant and makes electrifying, stimulating, witty (and) humorous dance, which is hard to find in other dance companies,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy returned to Richmond Saturday evening in anticipation of spring semester courses. “I’m ready to get this semester started and get freshman year over with,” said Kennedy. “I’m just not an academic school person so the faster I can get it over with and get into the dance world (the better).”

Tricia Wiles
Theater Performance

Tricia Wiles came to VCU already an avid participant in theater. Her passion for performance has only grown throughout the semester with her classes and work in the department.

Wiles received a work study job as a production intern with the School of the Performing Arts (SPARC), in the Richmond Community where she helped with production of the play “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” Wiles also performed in the Jewish Community Center’s production of “Children of Eden” as Yonah, a descendent of the cursed race of Cain.

Wiles has also become involved with the VCU Christian Ministry and moved out of her parents home in Ashland to live in the Chi Alpha house with other members of the VCU Christian Ministry.

Like her peers, Wiles happily spent a majority of her winter break visiting with family and friends. As per her family’s tradition, Wiles and her family obtained their Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.

With most of her family living in Virginia, Wiles had to do little traveling since most of her family visited Richmond for the holidays. In addition to holiday lunches, dinners and a white elephant gift exchange with family, Wiles attended a black tie Christmas party at her family’s church.

Wiles spent some of break volunteering for Full Circle Theatre Project’s “Seize the Song: A Musical Theatre Open Mic Night.”

Soon after last semester’s exams, Wiles auditioned for the Riverside Theatre production of “Les Misérables.” Despite a four-hour wait, Wiles reports the entire audition process was “easy, relaxing and fun.”

The audition consisted of singing 20 measures of prepared music. As the director encouraged actors to sing from the show, Wiles sang “A Little Fall of Rain,” the dying song of character Epinone with her unrequited love, Marius.

Callbacks will begin around the end of February and, while the official dates have yet to be announced, the show will run from summer into the fall semester.

Andrew Kearns
French – formerly Art Foundations

After spending his senior year of high school abroad in France, Andrew Kearns was barely home a month before being immersed into college life and VCU’s rigorous Art Foundation program.

At the beginning of the semester, Kearns had a difficult time in his AFO studio classes, but soon settled into a routine with his classes and work study job in the graphic design department media lab. However, at the end of the previous semester, Kearns decided to leave the AFO program halfway through and switch to a French major.

Kearns spent three weeks of his winter break with his boyfriend Léo Philipot-Maurice, who he met during his trip to France and had not seen since this past summer.

Since it was Philipot-Maurice’s first time visiting the country, Kearns spent the three weeks giving Philipot-Maurice an abbreviated tour of the east coast. Beginning with a weekend in Richmond, the pair spent a day in the D.C. area touring the capital before seeing a concert by The Killers at George Mason University.

The pair then spent a week in Salem, VA, Kearns’ hometown, before driving up to Boston on Christmas day to visit a mutual friend from Kearns’ exchange program. From Boston, the pair traveled to New York City for the day before heading back to Salem, after which Philipot-Maurice returned to France.

Kearns spent his last week of break relaxing at home and mentally prepping for his first semester of classes in his new French major. As of right now, Kearns has no regrets about his decision to switch. “The prospect of cramming for finals and writing papers seems so much more appealing than doing never ending art projects, so I’m feeling pretty good about everything,” Kearns said.

Kearns is looking forward to his French class, advanced grammar and writing, more than any other in his course load as he finds reading French much more difficult than speaking the language.

“After having spent a year in France, I feel that I can consider myself almost entirely fluent as far as conversations go, but there is the whole realm of French literature to delve into.”

Brooke Marsh
Art Foundations

Brooke Marsh came to VCU not quite knowing what to expect, but let her optimism help her through the semester.

During the beginning of the semester, Marsh was content to spend much of her time alone, and used the time to excel in her AFO classes, even striving for “the impossible A.” She has since become closer with the people in her dorm, Johnson Hall. She often works on projects in the dorm’s hallway with her fellow AFO students.

Marsh also received a work study job in the Pollak building as an office assistant with Jon Sheridan, an assistant professor of photography.

Marsh spent a majority of her winter break visiting with family and friends. Because there was not much activity going on in her hometown, Mechanicsville, Md., Marsh said she spent a lot of break shopping.

Marsh and her family had a low-key Christmas Eve at Marsh’s uncle’s house, where the family had dinner and exchanged gifts. Rather than request big gifts from her parents, Marsh purchased her big-ticket item of the season, a drawing tablet, for herself.

Another highlight of Marsh’s winter break was obtaining her Maryland driver’s license which, because of a combination of her own unease and at her mother’s request, Marsh hadn’t pursued obtaining in the past.

Despite having to leave her friends again, Marsh said she is ready to get started with the spring semester, with the exception of her Space Research studio class. “I’m looking forward to all of my classes this semester, except Space Research. I’m kind of nervous since I have never worked with any type of 3D design.”

However, for the past month or so, Marsh has been struggling with an internal debate — which major she should apply to later this semester. While Marsh originally came to VCU intending to major in photography, she is no longer sure of her choice, saying that photography has become more of a hobby for her now.

“VCU’s program seems a lot more conceptual and super artistic more than I was expecting and less towards what I’d like to do with photography,” Marsh said. “…I’ve learned about more opportunities that seem like something I’d enjoy more.”

Marsh is currently entertaining the idea of majoring in graphic design or communication arts, both of which she feels would allow her to work with more clients and with a wider variety of media.