Featured Student: Forest Clark

BIO

• NAME: Forest Calhoun Clark
• PREFERRED PRONOUNS: Him/He
• HOMETOWN: Owensboro, Kentucky
• YEAR AT MURRAY STATE: Senior
• DEGREE): Theatre Major with a Minor in Entrepreneurial Business 
• QUIRKY FACT: I host an interview-based podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, as well as Google Podcasts called “The White Rabbit Odyssey,” and I’ve interviewed several MSU faculty and students on the show! It’s one of my creative outlets, and I love conducting interviews with the interesting people I’ve met.
• FAVORITES TO WATCH & READ: Favorite book is Catcher in the Rye, my favorite movie is I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and my favorite TV Show is Bojack Horseman.
• FAVORITE FOOD OR DRINK ON CAMPUS: Can’t go wrong with the campus Sushi. 
• FAVORITE CAMPUS EVENT: Family Weekend is the best; I’m a big fan of the free groceries and meals that particular weekend.

Q&A

Why did you choose to attend Murray State?

I toured other schools, but none of the other schools felt quite like home in the way that Murray State did immediately. 

Why did you choose your major and minor?

I did theatre in high school and would have loved to major in it in college, but I was somewhat afraid I wasn’t good enough to act in college. I didn’t have the confidence to pursue what I was passionate about. David Balthrop, a faculty member and former chair of the theatre program, talked to me about it. He had faith in me and told me to give it a shot, and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. (Thanks, David!)

Tell us about a few of your favorite courses, projects, or mentors. 

My favorite class I’ve ever taken was called movement for the actor. It really changed my relationship with exercise, and it taught me how to fully utilize my own physicality on stage as well as in the real world. The professors I’ve been able to work with on multiple occasions have been very influential for sure: Daryl Phillipy, Matthew Crider, Lissa Graham-Schneider, and Dr. Roxane Riegler, among many others, have been hugely influential in shaping my education experience. As for projects, the best thing I’ve done was my senior thesis for the Honors College for sure. I was able to pair my senior thesis with my senior capstone as an actor, so I did a 176-page analysis of an Irish play called Faith Healer during the fall semester, then performed as the titular character the next semester on stage. It was both a massive amount of work as well as an extremely worthwhile undertaking. Truly surreal. 

Tell us about any accomplishments you’ve experienced while at Murray State, or any clubs/organizations you’ve enjoyed being a part of.

I joined Alpha Tau Omega my freshman year, and it was one of the best choices of my life. I got a group of friends I’ll have for the rest of my life, and the memories I’ve made with ATO have been the best of my time in college. A terrific bunch of young men. 

What are your plans for after graduation?

I’m considering working in theatre education or theatre administration for a bit while I look into auditions near me for film, television and theatre acting work. I’m also considering looking into working in sales while I pursue performance. I’ve got a personality for it, I think, and I feel as though I would enjoy it. I really like working with people in general. I want to pursue performance but I’m realistic about it. There are several directions I could go in the pursuit of what I’m passionate about. Who knows? 

What advice would you give to incoming students at Murray State?

Try not to blink; it goes fast. 

Thank you, Forest!