Madeline Shuron ’20 has been addicted to the stage since she was four years old but only recently did she learn that theater was her ultimate path.
“I didn’t plan on coming to college for theater, and now I want to be a theater major,” she says.
During her first semester at Bryn Mawr, Madeline plunged herself into the college’s theater scene, enrolling in a 300-level Plays by Women class in addition to Fundamentals of Acting. She also earned herself the role of Juliet in Shakespeare Performance Troupe’s production of After Juliet.
“As the semester kept rolling on, I was like, this is what I really love… And here we are now! I’m head-first into the new semester taking four theater and performance-based classes,” says Madeline.
When asked about prior roles, Madeline laughs as she reminisces on her early days, playing a mouse in a community production of Dragon Slayers and playing a bird in a Syracuse community theater production of The Little Mermaid.
Madeline has since graduated from her community theater, ensemble-based days. This summer, she will be playing the part of Ilse in Spring Awakening with the Syracuse Summer Theatre at the Oncenter.
She cites the part as a “dream role.” “I was literally speechless for like five minutes,” she says of finding out she earned the part. Although it is her first professional role, she hopes it is not her last.
Madeline is already thinking about life after Bryn Mawr with possible plans to join the vibrant Philadelphia theater scene.
“I’ve always done musicals, throughout my childhood, and just recently I’ve gotten into straight plays and devised work, and I think Philly is a really great place to do that, so it’d be really cool to work here for a company,” says Madeline.
Catch Madeline July 21-August 6 in her debut performance at Syracuse’s Oncenter.
Students interested in theater opportunities should browse the Theater Program’s webpage for upcoming auditions. Extracurricular opportunities are available through Bi-Co Original Works, Greasepaint Productions, and more.