Theater
Meet Our Students
Molly Pair
BFA Stage Management ’23
“I was never a Broadway girl. What attracted me most to theater was the weird, the absurdist sides of performance art. This past summer, I was lucky enough to fly abroad with some of my fellow students and professors to Berlin, Germany. There, I was able dive headfirst into some alternative forms of theater that I was unaccustomed to. I saw shows that provoked me, questioned me, screamed in my face, or simply grossed me out. And it was amazing. I often have an anxiety where I do not feel like an artist, stuck with feelings of creative unfulfillment. It would be too little to say that this experience reignited my passion. It was life-changing. Truly.”
Alena Rose
BFA Acting ’24
“The biggest thing for me, especially being a Black plus-sized woman in this industry, is blurring the lines of what certain identities can play. The reason why I chose Mason Gross is how it is a community-centered program. I trust that they want to strengthen my skills and give me the tools that I need to be the artist I want to be. I want to change the world and society for the better, and it starts with seeing people that you can trust in the industry, that will fight for you and will open the doors.“
WATCH: “Mason Gross Actress Challenges What it Means to be a Black Plus-Sized Actress”
Marcus Raymer
BFA Costume Design ’23
“The second I saw the extravagant lilac satin gown designed by Catherine Zuber for the “Shall We Dance?” number in the 2015 Broadway revival of The King and I, time seemed to slow as I watched it dance across the stage, each layer becoming a swaying ocean of glowing fabric, each stone glittering under the lights. My eyes welled, and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as I was struck with the realization of my life’s purpose: to create.”
Helena Magee
BFA Lighting Design ’24
“The lessons learned through technical theater are extremely applicable to many areas of life and career paths. My family knows that whether I continue my career in lighting or end up on a completely different path, my education will help get me to where I want to be.”
Sasha Manxetti
BFA Acting ’23
“The professors here have so much trust in their students to succeed and do the things that we’re being taught. I was introduced to Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ in high school, and was so scared of it. I didn’t think for two seconds that I would ever be invested in or trusted in that way. To take on material like that and then realize, as a trans woman in America, I can say that I got to play one of the most classically famous Russian women ever… that’s something that could only happen at an institution like Rutgers. To be given an opportunity like that, that’s something I don’t take lightly.”