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Undergraduate Spotlight -- Danny Cackley
Q & A with Danny, a Drama undergrad and new VA Players President
Age: 20
Year in School: 3rd year
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Why U.Va.? I applied to several Virginia schools, but out of all of them, U.Va. had the best combination of factors including campus size, location, balance of arts and science and opportunities to both be challenged academically and excel in extra-curriculars. On top of that, U.Va. just felt like home when I visited. The campus was beautiful; the people I talked to were interesting and knowledgeable; and overall I was enthralled with the sense of community that surrounded U.Va..
Major/ Minor/ concentration: Drama
U.Va. Drama resume: Twelfth Night (Nov/Dec 2007), Homicide Blog (U.Va. Lab Series), Some Girl(s) (Sept/Oct 2008) and upcoming-- Oklahoma! (Nov/Dec 2008).
Best thing about U.Va. Drama: The intimate size of the department makes for an easy and comfortable atmosphere. I think that students feel safe talking to the faculty, taking them to lunch, asking them for help on special projects or even just discussing theatre.
Worst thing about U.Va. Drama: The lack of rehearsal space/time and the inability for students to access the Drama building and its resources when we most need to (over the weekends/in the evenings).
What are you most excited about for the Fall 2008 semester? I'm extremely excited to be part of two department shows, Some Girl(s) and Oklahoma!. In addition to that, I'm excited about being President of the Virginia Players, a student organization that works in and around the Drama Department as a sort of student coalition that advises the faculty and plans events.
What are your plans for Virginia Players as the new President? I'd really like to encourage the involvement of more students, including the new graduate students. In addition to our usual events like Jingle Ball and Dram Prom, we're planning a possible trip down to Staunton to see a show at the American Shakespeare Center, and if we can manage it, possibly even a trip up to NYC in the spring to visit Broadway and see some of the U.Va. Drama Graduates up there.
What did you do this summer? I worked several jobs up in Northern Virginia while living at home, including a stint as a camp counselor teaching middle school kids about improv and radio drama. In addition, I took 3 weeks and acted in a black box production of Richard III, produced by The Empty Chair Theatre Company, which a friend of mine founded.
Post-U.Va. goals? I'm investigating the possibility of several graduate programs, including Yale, the Shakespeare Theatre Acting Fellowship in Washington D.C., and the Old Globe program in San Diego. Barring that, I plan to move to Chicago to join the growing ranks of U.Va.'s Drama Graduates!
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