As part of our third year in the Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting program, we work with an exciting contemporary playwright as they develop, write, and revise a new play. This year, my classmates and I had the privilege of collaborating with Nick Gandiello on his new play "Cicada". For more about Nick, check out his bio on his website – he's a wonderful, accomplished playwright, and "Cicada" is an incredibly moving piece. Working with Nick during this workshop was one of my favorite experiences of graduate school; it was so fulfilling to be in such a creative, collaborative environment. We were constantly getting new pages, reading them on the fly, and then delving deep with our analysis of the characters and themes of the play. We ended the workshop with an invited reading of the piece, in which I read the role of Benny. Keep an eye out for "Cicada" – I'm sure it'll be going places in the future!
The CWRU/CPH MFA Acting class of 2018, with Katie Lupica (director of the workshop), Nick Gandiello, and Rachel Learner-Ley (CPH's resident dramaturg)
Reading new pages during the workshop.