Jenny Byer ’04 was shot at this summer. “I know that’s not supposed to be funny, but the outcome was ok, so I think it’s hilarious,” she said. Byer explailned: “I was standing outside during a [theater] performance when a police officer approached me and said that a man with a gun was standing across the street from me… I told her I couldn’t go inside or else I would interrupt the whole show. We went back and forth like that for awhile, she left, he fired, and what did I do? I went inside.” So what exactly was Byer doing this summer? She was attending a theater workshop run by the University of Southern Californig. Although being shot at may seem crazy to those students who vacationed no farther than their refrigerator, it was nonetheless only a small part of Byer’s experience. In fact, she describes the highlight of the program to be the success of the final performance. “I was really happy with myself as a performer, an entirely new feeling for me,” she said. The workshop Byer attended consisted of character conferences and daily seminars for six hours daily. Her instructors were professional actresses Lora Zane and Kathleen Dunn. The program culminated in a production of Late Night Encounters, a play which takes place only within a taxi cab in New York City. “I played a contessa who had just escaped from a mental institution,” Byer said. “[But] just days before the performance, I had to take on another role. That was one of the greatest things I learned while there, acting on your feet. In another taxi, I had to transform into a lesbian fashion model.” The 15 students participating in the program came from as far away as Turkey, some with professional knowledge and others with none at all. “[The language and culture barriers] made the whole experience more difficult at times, but the challenges made it more rewarding in the long run,” Byer said. “In the beginning, the teachers warned us about being ‘typical petty actors,’ discussing each other’s work and judging each other’s style. We all had to work to see past our own insecurities and really except the artist within everyone.” Before this past summer, Byer’s own experience consisted of community theater, Andover performance, and some work as a producer. However, she had never been in an intensive acting program outside of a production. By attending the USC workshop, she hoped to learn about the school as well as develop her skills as an actress in the broadest sense. She was not disappointed. “I learned so much about acting as an art form… its execution…. the college process, and pursuing acting as a major,” she said. Byer plans to bring her experience to Andover through the roles she plays this year. She also hopes to use her leadership and responsibility as a producer to help other students perform to the best of their abilities.
