Covering Theatre Arts Auditions for Marquette's Scholarship Competition

With a bookshelf packed with play scripts in the backdrop, Stephen Hudson-Mairet, chair of Marquette's department of digital media and performing arts, underscored the powerful interactions he has had during this annual event.

"I can still remember some of my graduates coming on this day," he said.

It was the scholarship competition for the university's Theatre Arts program, a day in which incoming students visit the program, participate in workshops and audition for tuition scholarships. Lucky for those seeking a behind-the-scenes look on the event, the cameras were rolling.

A challenge with this piece was getting interviewees to explain what was happening. Questions had to be simple and direct. Despite the interviewer and interviewee both knowing the answer, the answer had to be caught on camera so that viewers could follow the day's events without prior knowledge. The best way to explain the action was not with my voice, but the voices of the participants. This goal drove the interviews to capture perspectives from faculty, current students and students who will be arriving on campus in the fall.

The program is a tight-knit community, apparent from initial conversations. Hospitality was abundant for the visitors, as the current students were willing to answer questions and share the value of the program. Action worth recording was happening all over – answering parent concerns, tours of Helfaer Theatre and the nervous vibes of an upcoming audition being loosened by new friends.

This was the other challenge, trying to have the camera everywhere. At one point, the parents split from the students, so it was a difficult choice of where to go to capture meaningful shots from both. It was a real example of Bethany Swain's lesson for young journalists that, when the camera is rolling, they should not worry about what they are missing. Footage is about quality over quantity. 

Putting the piece all together, going through enough film to fill an hour, was the most exciting part. Being at the event is one thing, building the video so that anyone, anywhere, at any time can experience it as well is what makes being a journalist special. The time spent making small cuts to clips on iMovie was all worth it when the video was complete.

Thankful for the opportunity to cover this unique Marquette event. Look for this next generation of performers on a stage near you.