Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 31

ARTS

Beyond the stage

Alumni use theater education to succeed in their professions
STORY BY MATTHEW MAKOWSKI / PHOTO BY AMANDA PITTS

Some students enroll in
Grand Valley's theater program
with grandiose ambitions of
one day headlining Broadway,
thanking their parents while
accepting their first Academy
Award, or obtaining platinumalbum status.
Karen Libman, professor of
theater, said most students
simply come to the university
with a passion for performing,
but leave with a broader sense
of what can be accomplished
with a theater background.
"Some students may come in thinking
they want to be a Broadway star, but most
leave thinking they want a profession that
encourages their creative and collaborative
abilities and allows them to demonstrate
their discipline and work ethic," she said.
Theater teaches students crucial life
and professional skills such as discipline,
flexibility and time management, but
Libman said, most importantly, theater
shows students how they can positively
impact the future.
"Theater teaches you what it means to be
human, and that is what we need in order to
deal with what will happen in the future that
we cannot predict," said Libman. "We need
humans who understand humanity, hard
work, problem solving and empathy."
While numerous alumni have ventured
into the world of theater and found success,
many have also transitioned away from
the field. That doesn't, however, mean that
they brushed aside the invaluable skills and
knowledge obtained while working on- and
off-stage as undergraduate students.
Grand Valley Magazine caught up with
four theater alumni whose careers took
them down non-theatrical paths.

Matthew Bryant, '04
Team Leader, Driveshop

It is essential that Matthew Bryant
memorizes the many features of individual
cars that he promotes to the public as a team
leader for Driveshop, a national automotive
marketing company. The Los Angeles
resident said this aspect of his work is
incredibly similar to memorizing his lines
during theater productions.
"Having a theater background has been
a great asset as it allows me to interact with
anyone without fear or stage fright,"
Bryant said.
Bryant recently worked with Kia Motors
for the auto show circuit, which required
him to memorize specs for about 10 different
vehicles, such as engines, horsepower, price
and fuel economy and trim levels.
He continues to flex his acting chops
through his church's performance and
acting group, Change Performance Ministry.
The group helps people pursue their dreams
of becoming professional entertainers by
honing their skills in acting, voiceover work,
singing, script writing and more.
"Our goal this year is to put on a new
performance each month, whether it
involves video, staged readings or singing,
and we also have sessions where we meet
with stage managers and agents who work
in Los Angeles as well," Bryant said. "It's
a good community. We work together and
support each other, which helps when trying
to pursue acting in big cities."
Bryant said his goal is to one day rejoin
the professional theater world.

Melissa Fortino, '03
Owner, Organized by Melissa

Melissa Fortino landed gig after gig of paid
theater work throughout West Michigan
after graduating in 2003, including
voiceover work, acting, stage management,
and ticket sales. She even taught young
actors through Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
and Grand Rapids Children's Museum.

Matthew Bryant,
Favorite GVSU
productions:
"Mother Courage
and Her Children"
(2002) and
"Dutchman"
(2003)

"Having a theater
background has been a
great asset as it allows
me to interact with
anyone without fear or
stage fright."
MATTHEW BRYANT, '04

She recalled having an honest
conversation with herself in 2012 about
what she really wanted to do for a living,
after spending her first 10 post-college
years working in both theater and
corporate America.
Fortino decided that she wanted to
have a job that allowed her to help people,
own her own business and do what she
loves: organize. Her solution to this wish
list was to launch Organized by Melissa, a
professional organizing company.
"What I love most about organizing is
helping people through the holistic healing
power of purging and reorganizing, so that
my clients' homes become an oasis space
that works for them and not against them,"
she said.
Fortino's company operates in West
Michigan, Ann Arbor and Detroit, and she
occasionally works out-of-state.

ARTS

31

CAMPUS NE WS



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017

West Side story
Knowledge for all
Hopes and dreams for a better future
Fund honors son's memory
Athletics
Q&A
Off the Path
Research
Arts
Campus News Briefs
Alumni Giving
Alumni Profile
Alumni News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 1
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 2
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 3
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - West Side story
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 5
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 6
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 7
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Knowledge for all
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 9
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 10
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 11
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 12
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Hopes and dreams for a better future
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 14
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 15
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Fund honors son's memory
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 17
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 18
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 19
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 20
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 21
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Athletics
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 23
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Q&A
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 25
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Off the Path
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 27
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Research
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 29
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Arts
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 31
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 32
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Campus News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 34
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 35
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 36
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 37
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni Giving
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 39
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni Profile
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 41
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - Alumni News Briefs
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 43
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 44
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 45
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 46
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 47
Grand Valley Magazine Spring 2017 - 48
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