From art school to graduate school: With graduation on the horizon, Shenyse Harris, a senior in the Performing Arts Department, recently joined the legions of graduating students from this school and around the country auditioning for graduate performing arts programs. Harris, a BFA Acting major, has appeared in a number of productions during her time at SFUAD, including Dracula, Our Lady of 121st Street, Some Girl(s), and Once on This Island. Harris sat down with Jackalope to discuss the audition process, her prep work with PAD faculty member Jon Jory, and her successful audition for one prestigious MFA program. Jackalope Magazine: Why did you want to become an actress? Shenyse Harris: Mostly it was because I missed my sister a lot growing up. My sister is about 13 years older than me, and she moved away to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. I think for me, acting was something that made me feel closer to her and gave us something to talk about, because, you know, when you have an older sister, you sometimes don’t really have a lot in common or a lot to talk about, so it was a common ground for us. Then, from there, it kind of grew and progressed into something that I was good at. I always wanted to do sports. I danced, I did sports, and then acting happened. JM: Why did you choose Santa Fe University of Art and Design? SH: The financial aid packet was pretty bomb! (laughs) But at the time, I was in a mindset of just trying to leave the house and I auditioned for a lot of schools at the International Thespians Festival, and I got callbacks…but for some reason my mind wasn’t set on going to a...
Black History Show Auditions
posted by Serafima Fedorova
Watching SFUAD students audition for the Black History Show, one can’t help but have an immediate reaction. The sounds are diverse and heavy with meaning. Whether it’s singing, rapping or playing an instrument, the individuality of each performance can be heard. “We’re looking for students that can encapsulate our entire history. Go all the way back to the roots; Negro spirituals and bring it back to who we are today. We want to have a wide range of musical talents,” says Ryan Henson, the Black Student Union advisor. In preparation for the actual event, which will take place in the 7-9 p.m. Feb. 20 in the Forum, the Black Student Union committee evaluated a series of performances by SFUAD students who auditioned on Feb. 5. One of the first to audition, Josiah St. Lewis-Noray starts at the very foundations of African music by playing the djembe. This type of African drum is played with the hands and is built from animal skin and wood. From the very first beat, the echo reverberates in the body. The rhythm starts off slow and then builds to a point where it seems like there’s nothing else to do but dance. Then, just as abruptly as he began to play, St. Lewis-Noray stops. The rest of the students hoping to be a part of the Black History Show stop nodding and tapping to the beat and applaud. “Mostly it’s just fun,” St.Lewis-Noray says about the upcoming student show, “but it’s also a way to share information about black culture; something positive.” After his drum solo, the audience is catapulted into more contemporary music through renditions of songs by Etta James and Whitney Houston. Julaine Williams imbued the lyrics to “At Last” by Etta James with her own meaning. “My grandmother just passed away and Etta James is someone she really enjoyed listening to,” Williams says “Besides me, my grandmother is the only other singer in my family, so I wanted to dedicate the song to her.” A pattern emerges in the responses of all the students auditioning. Through the opportunity the Black History show presents, students are able to relate and pay homage to an entire history of the evolution of sound that their culture developed. “I feel like black history month is something that is slowly becoming less important,” Williams says. “We have to understand why as a culture and as a race we’re able to get so far as a community. This history is a part of who I am. I can’t deny the color of my skin or that my talent comes from the people before me. It’s in my blood, it’s in my body.” Brianna Pitts, who sang Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All,” also talks about how culture and music intertwine. “It’s empowering when black people stand up. You’ve got a lot of expectations. My color is a set off and I want to break through that barrier. People can feel us when we sing and when we do anything because we have so much heart. We are still underrated and underestimated.” Eugene Mason the fourth, also known as G-4, and his African name Toumani, rapped the cover of musician Kendrick Koulmar’s untitled song. “I’m a lyricist so when I hear a conscious influential message through spoken word and rap it inspires me. I hope the audience can see more than just a black guy rapping,” Mason says. “I hope they see somebody who has a vision, someone who has a message. As black people we are more than what the media tells us we are. We can use words to inspire people beyond the status quo.” After the auditions are over, the Black Student Union committee goes over the individual performances and decides who will be performing at the actual event. While evaluating both the sound and stage presence of those who auditioned, Tikia “Fame” Hudson, BSU...
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