Arts Spotlight: Amanda Black (Theatre)
Enter Amanda Black, stage left, a 24-year-old senior theatre major with a passion for performance and playwriting. She decided to pursue theatre at Columbus State University after taking drama in high school helped her come into her own. “I enjoy entertaining people through the art of live storytelling,” she said. “I enjoyed it so much, I decided to pursue it professionally.” Auditioning with a dramatic and comedic monologue, Amanda came to CSU because she personally felt it was the best program to provide the facilities a theatre student needs.
Going beyond the normal curriculum, theatre majors are required to complete a number of hours in various other areas to help show production in a given season. Amanda has spent time at activities such as building sets and hanging lights. “Going above and beyond what is expected of you is an inevitability. In this discipline you can’t go home until the job is done. And however long it takes, is not up to you,” said Amanda. However, she also noted that producing a show is not a solitary activity, and everyone coming together to do their best work can make some fun experiences.
“An average day for me is no different from any other student,” said Amanda. She spends time participating in a lot of writing activities, and has membership in the Creative Writing Club and a playwrights group she created with a peer. She also keeps up to date with department events by checking the department mailbox and department call board where information about her peers’ show dates, festival flyers, and audition times can be found. There are also convocations she has to attend, including shows her department produces each season.
As for professor mentorship, Amanda finds that “They all give me completely different perspectives, but I respect all of them the same because they are kind and patient and are always willing to take the time to teach you. With them, there are no stupid questions. They are great artists who understand how to collaborate.”
But what is the highlight for someone studying theatre at our school? For Amanda, it was the production of her original work. “My proudest moment at CSU came last spring. I had the great opportunity to have my one-act play produced as part of the One-Act Festival. I got the chance to collaborate with a brilliant student director and together we brought the piece to life.”
Many theatre students take pride in their connection with their spectators. “Watching and listening to the audience respond to my work in such a positive way was the most satisfying moment for me,” said Amanda. “I was proud of my director, the great cast, the incredibly talented designers, and I was even proud of the audience for being open to the story I was telling. I was just a smiling, ball of happy.”
But Amanda reminds us that we all have to start somewhere. “My lowest point at CSU was my freshman year. I’m a first generation college student. I didn’t understand anything about being in college or what it would cost me. I had a terrible roommate and could not balance being a student of theatre and a regular student. I was a hot mess, [so I am] glad that’s over.”
After graduation, Amanda hopes to take the graduate route and go for playwriting. She’ll tell anyone questioning her choice in career that she wanted “to acquire the creative skills that I could use to carve out a career for me within the theatre industry. I chose theatre because it has played a major role in helping me to become a better version of myself. If people have a hard time understanding that, then perhaps I’m not the one they should be questioning.”
