STATEMENT OF PURPOSE....
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Antonin Artaud said, “it has not been definitely proved that the language of words is the best possible language.” This quote encompasses my thoughtful journey as an artist from my final days in undergraduate school through my adventure in the“real world.” I have always known that I was willing to do whatever it took to work in the theatre. However, after moving to one of the top cities for theatre in the United States, I uncovered a passion for a kind of theatre that leaves words behind, or at least de-emphasizes them. Experiencing clown, circus, and mask theatre has roused in me the need to dedicate my life’s work to performing and sharing Physical Theatre. I want to set the foundation for that goal by getting the very best training, and I believe I will get that training at ADA. I know that there are people out there that seek graduate school as a means to fame or fortune, as just a bridge to a degree, or even as a way to put off being battered in professional theatre, but for me, attaining a Masters of Fine Arts is a means to getting the training, experience, and future stability that I need to succeed in my passion. ADA is the ideal school for me because it offers an unsurpassed richness of study,the opportunity to work with passionate peers and experts to hone unique techniques where they originated, and the schooling and life experience needed to set foot on the path to a lifetime of doing what I love.....
For a short period of my acting career, I was unaware of most styles of acting that weren’t based in some form of realism. I was surrounded by similarly educated people, and we dreamed together of making films and acting in plays that were just like life. I was satisfied by that, and I did not realize anything was lacking. When I first saw a play using masks, the effect it had on me was striking, and I will never forget it. A new professor at my undergraduate school directed The Visit with a variety of character and neutral masks, and the effect was hypnotizing.Though I knew nearly every actor as a friend, I could not see them behind their masks. What’s more, I found the story instantly more captivating and affecting because I felt like I could see the characters’ true selves. It was haunting and beautiful. Since then, I have sought out circus, puppet, movement, and clown theatre in my current home, Chicago, because I find it clearer, more delightful, magical, and inspirational. In physical theatre, I find an added layer of potency because of its heightened emotional state and its spectacle, and I want that potency to be a part of the rest of my life. ....
In order to do that, I want to participate fully in becoming an expert in the field, and unfortunately few schools in the world support that dream. The few that there are cannot attempt to compare with specialists like a founder of the Roy Hart Theatre or circus technicians like Claudia Schnürer. Some may offer opportunities to study abroad, but never to jewels like the Berliner Schule Für Schauspiel in Germany, the Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque in Belgium, and the Teatro Fondamenta Nuove in Venice. The training opportunities are utterly matchless. Moreover, I know of no MFA programs that can provide the chance to study these techniques on the very soil from which they stemmed. The mere suggestion of studying Commedia dell’Arte in the mountains where it originally toured for the people of Italy is absolutely electrifying. ....
However, for me attending ADA represents more than just taking great classes taught by great teachers. It would be the opportunity to build a community with peers and professionals. I am the type of person who thrives when working closely with other people whom I respect. If I am accepted into Ad'A, I look forward to creating work with people who have similar interests and to experiencing the joy of sharing community-based acting as opposed to the individualized technique that psychological realism supports. The concept of building an ensemble is exciting because the bonds of trust that would be formed would lead to deeper, more truthful work.....
I want to pursue this degree because I am ready to make a commitment to setting my life on a course of performing and teaching performance. I want to spend the rest of my existence sharing the magic of clowning, mask-work, and circus arts with audiences and students alike. I am seeking theatre as an art that shares the extraordinary and the enchanting with the everyman. I want to catalyze students to learn about themselves and inspire other people through these powerful techniques. I have been an informal teacher for six years, and a performer for eleven. To me, these two very different professions are unequivocally linked through a common goal: to illustrate a point of view in order to broaden another’s view of the world. This goal is something I endlessly enjoy and want to do for the rest of my life. Earning an MFA will allow me to teach on a college level,which will offer me stability, an outlet to research and experiment, and the opportunity to inspire passionate young people.....
I understand that I am going to be faced with challenges unlike any that I have faced yet, and I am ready to face them. Performance and teaching performance are among the most competitive professions, but I am ready to fight. I believe that studying at Ad’A will add immeasurable richness to my life, and I would very much like to pursue an education there if you will have me. I’m deeply grateful for your consideration,and wish you the best possible class for your inaugural year.....
