Artwork from Maggie Ruff’s honors thesis in the Art department
For many students, the culmination of their academic career takes the shape of an honors thesis, independent study, or capstone. For the class of 2020, this is not the case. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the switch to online learning has particularly impacted the fate of theses in theater, art, and dance.
Theater majors can participate in a capstone through acting, producing, designing, or playwriting. Julianna Goldfluss ‘20, a theater major and music minor, proposed a two-person musical called Daddy Long Legs as her capstone. She was both the producer and lead and had been working on the project since last March. On producing the show, Goldfluss expressed over email that it “was difficult to say the least, and the promise of getting to the part of the process where I could just sing and act and be onstage was what was getting me through.”
After Conn announced its decision to suspend residential learning, Goldfluss was disappointed but determined to perform her beloved musical. Goldfluss and her director, a senior at the University of Connecticut, pitched the idea to the Theater department of doing a simple rendition of the show in an empty space at UConn. Unfortunately, this option seems less likely to work out as the weeks drag on. In addition to this devastating reality, Goldfluss’ senior voice recital will no longer occur. She had spent over a year designing the repertoire for this performance and worked hard over break to make the program, create the poster, and memorize the lyrics.
Andre Thomas ‘20, also of the Theater department, was directing senior Ana Reyes-Rosado’s play Seven Twenty-Five. Thomas spoke with the chair of the Theater department, Professor Ken Prestininzi, who informed him that the department still wants students to have the ability to present their work in some capacity. This could take the shape of a staged reading over Zoom, which would allow interested parties to join in on the call, but Thomas and I agreed that a virtual interpretation is not the same as a live performance. “Theater, at its most basic level, is about bringing people together into some sort of room or space,” he explained. Thomas and Reyes-Rosado are hoping to produce their work in Chicago so that Seven Twenty-Five can still have a life elsewhere.
Snapshot of a rehearsal of Julianna Goldfluss’ two-person musical “Daddy Long-Legs”
Meanwhile in Cummings, senior art majors had an assigned space in the senior studio to work on their theses, a project which spans two semesters and culminates in both visual and written elements. Maggie Ruff ‘20 is an Art major working on “a series of portraits of different Americans to convey inequities in the United States and to inspire viewers to question their privilege and access to a better life.” She explained that the studio provided “amazing natural light, space to hang my work, and a community of students.” Now at home, Ruff does not have the same access to natural light, which is extremely important when working with color. The physical set up of the studio also allowed students to say “hi” to one another and give each other informal critiques. “I think that’s the part I’ll miss the most,” said Ruff.
Despite the change in venue, the Art department has been in communication with students in regards to finding a way for art majors to complete and present their work. Fortunately, majors working on a thesis are continuing to work at home, and they plan to still have formal critiques, which are a large element of an art honors thesis. Ruff explained, “The biggest difference for most people is we were working on large scale items and now those might be reduced to the size of a large sketchbook.”
Even if students have the materials or space to continue their work, who would experience their theses? With social distancing and isolation, all social events have been cancelled. Although artists and comedians alike have been experimenting with how to bring their art to the world, whether in their bathtub or on IGTV, it is not the same as sitting in the scratchy blue seats in Palmer Auditorium.
Angelina Annino ‘20 was choreographing a thesis as well as performing, stage managing, and designing the lighting for other theses. The dedicated students in the dance department were shocked and let down by the reality they would have to deliver their projects in a virtual realm, according to Annino. “We are brainstorming as a class ways that our pieces can still be performed, whether that be abridged versions, solo versions, edited videos of rehearsals or showings, or really anything else.” While Annino and other honors students have not heard much from the College regarding future plans for dancers or art related majors in general, the Dance department has been extremely supportive. Annino explained that “all of our professors are even hopeful that one day we could return to Conn and have some sort of live performance.”
She went on to say that “even with this terrible bump in the road we are determined to get as much out of our academic experiences and complete our requirements to the fullest of our (virtual) abilities.” Annino and others have been taking advantage of online videos and workouts on Youtube or IGTV, and she looks forward to the warmer weather when she can take her talents outside. “It can be a challenge but we love to dance and need to, so we will!”
Other departments are experiencing similar losses and difficulties. Kayle Waterhouse ‘21 is a film studies major and is enrolled in an Advanced Production course with Professor Ross Morin. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the class reached the decision that producing their films would risk the safety of themselves, the crew, and their families. While Waterhouse will not be able to produce a short horror film tentatively titled “Shelter”, she and her class will be learning more about preproduction and branding. “We are finding ways to bring some closure to the project, but of course we are devastated by the state of the world,” explained Waterhouse.
My connection to theses has only ever been indirect: watching a fellow English major stack up tens of books at her table in Shain Library, or viewing my classmates perform in senior capstone performances in the Theater and Dance departments. As a junior who was previously studying abroad, I can only slightly empathize with the heart-wrenching new reality seniors are facing at this very moment. Despite this, creating art, whether on stage or at home, is a way to come together as a community––and college––during times of isolation and loneliness. •
