Acting without an Audience

Photo courtesy Dillon Facebook page 

NORMAL, Ill.- Illinois State University’s  teachers and students continue to navigate this “new normal”and stay positive amid this pandemic.

One ISU theater student Jackson Dillon adjusts to not being with his classmates.

“For my acting class, we’re used to doing it in person, in front of everyone with props. Now we’re really confined to our rooms, with limited space and props,” said Dillon.

For Dillon’s movement class, specifically, this is whole new territory.

Movement class is exactly how it sounds. “It’s a class where we learn about the different styles of movement, from working with masks, to embodying an animal. To just the core idea of understanding how our body’s move and how to use that in a scene or show,” said Dillon.

“My movement class mostly dealt with working as a group, and now we have to change to working individually,” said Dillon. “It’s just a different way of learning.”

However, Dillon’s classes are not the only alteration. Every year the ISU School of Theater puts on the Freestage festival, which is a collection of shows worked on and performed all by students, and it was canceled.

Photo courtesy to Jackson Dillon Facebook page

“It’s upsetting because this was some freshmen’s first chance of putting on a show here, and it unfortunately was taken away,” said Dillon.

However, in times of trouble Dillon has found that the show tunes Well Seize the Day and Once and for All from the 1992 American musical “Newsies” has really lifted his spirits and recommends it to all his fellow Redbirds.

“It’s all about taking a bad situation, and making a change,” said Dillon. “So while we’re stuck in quarantine, do you’re part and stay home, make that change.”