A quality education is about more than what you learn in the classroom. Most students know that the key to getting your money’s worth out of your time at the University, and making sure you are prepared for life in the real world, is by joining any clubs, activities and organizations that are related to your interests.
The students behind Boom Roasted Student Productions (BRSP) have been extremely successful in getting involved outside the classroom, most recently by putting on Almost, Maine, which ran at 8:00 pm last Friday and Saturday.
The group draws its name from an episode of “The Office”, during which Steve Carrell’s character has a roast of the other staff members. This became an inside joke among the members of this campus organization and grew to the point where it inspired the group’s name. As such, the audience is “boom roasted” by viewing a BRPS production.
Samantha Myers, English and secondary education major, is a member of the production group. “[My] best experience is working with everyone and being proud of the actors I directed,” she commented. “My fellow cast members are naturally talented. With bits of direction, we created an awesome play and I’m proud of all of us.”
Building off her experiences, Myers wants to continue to direct plays for whichever high school she works in after graduating.
Zoe Bulitt, sophomore theater and social work double major, serves at the vice president of the group, helping to organize their work, relay information and reach out to important officials on campus. “This group as a whole has probably been my best experience here at Monmouth,” she said. “We are such a close group of people that have really taken this club far considering it is only our first year as an official club on campus. Every individual person really makes this group what it is.”
Bulitt went on to add, “We had read through this script before in our acting class last year and we were pretty stuck on what to do for this semester’s show.”
“Almost, Maine has a lot of different roles to offer to the cast and has very relatable situations. Although at times it can be a little cheesy and not realistic (like for instance, one girl keeps her heart in a bag after it has been broken and turned to slate) it shows us the different sides to every type of relationship and how any possibility could be going on all at the same time,” Bulitt commented.
She also said that the group’s advisor, Maurice Moran, professor of theater, was instrumental in putting on a great performance. Though it was a student-run performance, Bulitt said his experience and vast knowledge made him the ideal faculty member to help the new production group create a successful, enjoyable experience. “You could not ask for a better advisor,” said Bulitt, adding “We really wouldn’t be anything without the support of our community.”
Another dedicated member of the group is Gavin Ó Cianáin, a theater major and study abroad student from Regents College, London. He ran props and played the roles of Phil and Pete in the show. “I would say the best thing about the process overall would truly have to be having gotten to know everyone in the cast and crew, and also having been exposed to the structure involved in doing a show at Monmouth,” Ó Cianáin said. “I think all of the cast did an amazing job and it was such a nice experience to be welcomed into such a supportive and focused group.”
“Having seen the work which has been put into the production and the focus which the group members have has inspired me to look further into developing something similar at my school or further down the line,” he added.
Henry Siebecker, the senior theater arts major who founded the group three years ago, did so in hopes that they would be able to put on more than one show per year in Woods Theater.
“When Boom Roasted first banded together we managed to do a selection of monologues and scenes from a big book of little scenes called, Heaven and Hell,” Siebecker said. “Since then we’ve done a one act collection of vignettes called Check Please, a short one act play called Dog Sees God and this year have produced The Vagina Monologues as well as our full two act play, Almost, Maine.”
Siebecker formerly served as president of BRPS, directed “Dog Sees God”, and has designed the lighting for the past two of the four shows he’s worked on. He hopes to one day be an actor, though now considers technical designing or production managing as potential career paths.
Siebecker encourages all theater majors and interested students to join, especially men, because “there is commonly an influx of too many girls to too few boys.” The group helps to “instill a pride in theatrical work” and makes each member “a more rounded thespian.”
Whether you intend on being a professional actor or just want to get involved with theater on campus, Boom Roasted Student Productions offers an unforgettable experience.
