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Musical theatre maestro Adam Gwon encourages Auburn student performers to embrace authenticity

Auburn Theatre & Dance students performed for and learned from Adam Gwon, award-winning musical theatre writer, composer and lyricist whose work has appeared around the world, as they closed his musical "Ordinary Days" at the Telfair Peet Theatre.

"Ordinary Days" is a collection of musical vignettes about everyday people trying to rebuild and reconnect. Gwon wrote and composed the musical more than a decade ago, inspired by the New Yorkers he saw trying to move forward after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Gwon said the musical continues to resonate with performers and audiences of all ages due to its "deeply human" themes of connection, giving yourself permission to move on and the music in everyday conversation.

"It's really interesting seeing a new generation of actors come to the piece, like the students here at Auburn," Gwon said. "So many of these themes, of connection and facing uncertainty, have come to the surface again after the pandemic. The students have a visceral sense of this longing for connection, of facing a future they aren't sure about."

During his visit, Gwon made time to deliver a performance masterclass in the Department of Theatre & Dance. Gwon said the collaborative nature of theatre means it's important for established artists to nurture the next generation.

The masterclass focused on fine-tuning students' audition skills. Gwon said the great joy of theater is bringing something unique to a part, so successful auditions start with authenticity from the performer.

"The auditions that really jump out at me are the ones where I get a sense of who the person is, because casting is all about the chemistry between who a person is, what they’re bringing into the room and the qualities of the character," Gwon said. "I hope the students will leave feeling like they can be themselves when they audition, because that is what is going to get them parts and get people interested in what they have to say."

Olivia Beland, a junior double majoring in musical theatre and speech, language and hearing sciences, performed "The World According to Chris" from the musical "Carrie." The piece is vocally challenging, so Beland hoped Gwon could give her feedback on how to balance her sound with her acting performance.

"Masterclasses that are set up like a mock audition are really helpful because most of our time in the industry is going to be spent on auditioning," Beland said. "Knowing what they're looking for in the work that we present, and how we present ourselves, can affect the return on those auditions."

Gwon asked Beland why she chose the song and what it meant to her, then directed her to embrace the element of surprise in the song. When Beland performed again, this time incorporating her feelings about the piece, the song was both more vocally appealing and emotionally resonant.

Beland said those notes about being more personal when approaching a piece will pay dividends once she's professionally auditioning.

"One thing that I love about Auburn is that our department provides so many opportunities like this one," Beland said. "Our professors are wonderful, but somebody who's actively in the industry can offer a fresh new perspective on our work. I'm super thankful that they continue to invest so much into us and that this department really cares about our development as people and as actors."

Set the stage for your success at the Department of Theatre & Dance.

Theatre & Dance tickets are FREE for Auburn students. To see the schedule and get tickets, visit the box office website.

Tags: Theatre and Dance Students