Featured Student: Calissa Whitmore

• Year: Junior
• Major/Minor: Theater/Nonprofit Leadership Studies
• Quirky Fact: I love cats and have 2 Scottish Folds.
• Favorite Food/Drink to Get on Campus: I love getting nachos from the T-Room with my friends
• Favorite Book/Movie/Podcast/TV Series: My favorite book and movies are Harry Potter by JK Rowling. 
• Favorite Campus Event: Campus Lights

Q&A

Why did you choose Murray State?

Murray State was actually the only campus I visited because, as soon as I set foot here, I knew it was home. I really loved all the professors and the small classes. I loved the theater program,  and I had friends that had gone through the program from my hometown. It’s a close-knit group because you’re always working on shows together, so you’re together all the time. I knew Murray State was just right.

 

Why did you choose your major?

I’ve been doing theater since I was eight years old, and I’m twenty now, so that’s over a decade. I just knew it was always what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted to be a theater teacher or professor, but that has shifted with more of the work I’ve done in the department. I love making people feel something onstage, and I love being able to create art.

What have been some of your favorite shows you’ve participated in on campus?

I am predominantly a stage manager, but I act, too. Acting-wise, my first semester of my freshman year, I was cast in the show The Praying Mantis, and it was deeply emotional. The Praying Mantis is a dark Chilean comedy involving themes of love, familial secrets, madness and horror. Three sisters compete for the affection of Juan, a young gentleman who sends them down a dark and horrific spiral of love and betrayal. Making people go home and think about what they just saw is really rewarding, so that’s probably my favorite acting credit.

My favorite stage managing credit would probably be She Kills Monsters, which is the first production I stage-managed. I just love the story of She Kills Monsters. It’s about  Agnes, a normal high school teacher who lost her family to a car accident. While cleaning out her younger sister Tilly’s room, she discovers Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons games. Upon finding out that Tilly had written her own adventure, Agnes decides to play the game to learn more about her. Agnes then finds herself lost in the world of fantasy that Tilly created — discovering it is more than just a game. A Stage Manager has many jobs, and is the glue that holds a production together. You manage production staff, actors, crew, and even audience members at times. A Stage Manager is the first to arrive for rehearsal and the last to leave. It is a huge commitment, and it is important for every production to have a dedicated Stage Manager for it to be successful.

Who have been your mentors?

Probably the people who have helped me the most in the stage-management field have been Justin Walsh as a stage management mentor and Benjamin Lishner. I work in the Scene Shop, where Benjamin Lishner is my boss, and I know if I have questions I can go to him. They have both really helped me, and they’re both on my resume as references.

 

How does your minor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies fit into your career plan?

Most theaters, especially community theaters, are nonprofits. When I get out of college, I will hopefully get a job at a theater so I can establish myself, whether it be an education coordinator or something like that. Knowing how the nonprofit business works really helps in the theater world. Even the Marshall County Arts Commission is a nonprofit. Knowing how to keep a business going is good for theater because, if I ever needed to be a financial advisor for a theater, I have a fundamental base of what needs to happen and where things need to go.

 

What are your plans after graduation?

I’m thinking I’m going to get my MFA in stage management. That’s kind of where my mind is now, though I might take a year to save money. I want to stage manage professionally. I love working with children, too. Being a Stage Manager for a children’s show would really just make my day. I will probably look around Cincinnati or other places in the region. I don’t want to go to New York or anything because that’s a thousand dollars a month in rent.

 

What advice would you give a new student at Murray State?

I would say try everything, especially something you don’t think you’ll like. I say that because when I was asked to stage manage for the first time, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but now I love it. Try everything – whether it’s doing intramurals or auditioning for a show or going to a yoga class. Try everything you can because there aren’t as many opportunities like that after college.