In this episode we talked with another recent graduate, Elizabeth Burrow of Pascagoula, who just received her BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. Elizabeth's story is pretty interesting because it opens with a twist: She had originally come to college with a totally different career path firmly in mind, but within a semester had decided to pursue her love of performing.
In this episode we talked with another recent graduate, Elizabeth Burrow of Pascagoula, who just received her BFA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. Elizabeth's story is pretty interesting because it opens with a twist: She had originally come to college with a totally different career path firmly in mind, but within a semester had decided to pursue her love of performing.
Over the course of the episode, we discussed a couple of things that might benefit from further explanation.
First, Ole Miss Student Dance or OMSD is, like it sounds, a student-run dance organization that students from every part of the university (and of course, many from our department) participate in. We have many dance classes within our program, and this is a way for dancers to be even more involved.
Also, Elizabeth talked about her experience choreographing our spring production of Urinetown, and there were references to it being "virtual" and "remote." In order to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, rehearsals were conducted distanced and with masks, and then for the actual performance, each actor was filmed individually so they could perform without masks, and everything was edited together to make it appear as if they were all sharing the stage. It was quite something! You can learn more about the show and how it was done here: https://news.olemiss.edu/musical-theater-and-film-blend-to-take-audiences-to-satirical-dystopia/
As ever, the Department of Theatre & Film is grateful for its patrons and corporate sponsors. As a department we are committed to the high quality instruction that our students receive. Investing in the students’ education and these quality productions helps us move toward our common goal of graduating successful, creative adults who are lifelong learners. If you are interested in contributing to these efforts, please visit: https://umfoundation.givingfuel.com/theatreandfilm
From the Department of Theatre & Film at the University of Mississippi, this is Stage & Screen.
Katherine Stewart
Hello, hello and welcome back to Stage & Screen. I'm your host, Katherine Stewart and joining me today is Elizabeth Burrow who just graduated with a BFA in Theatre Arts. Emphasis in musical theatre.
Katherine Stewart
Elizabeth joined our department midway through her freshman year in what can only be described as a 180 away from her original college plan, and it's a good thing she did because she went on to receive the department's Award for Outstanding Body of Work in Performance as a junior.
Katherine Stewart
And that's an award that usually goes to seniors. She also became heavily involved in dance, which she'd given up.
Katherine Stewart
In high school and ended up choreographing a big musical in her senior year.
Katherine Stewart
So stay tuned to hear about Elizabeth. Surprising about face and how she made use of her time in our program. Without further ado, here's Elizabeth. Hi Elizabeth, how are you doing today?
Elizabeth Burrow
I'm doing great.
Katherine Stewart
Good good. Well thank you for taking the time to visit with me. I'm looking forward to talking with you just to get us started.
Katherine Stewart
If you could introduce yourself and tell us where you're from, and I would love to hear how you got into theater.
Elizabeth Burrow
Uh, well so my name is Elizabeth Burrow.
Elizabeth Burrow
I am from Pascagoula, Ms. Well, I'm probably about less than a mile from the Gulf, uh, way, way down in South Mississippi and I got into theater.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think a.
Elizabeth Burrow
Slightly different way than the rest of my classmates.
Elizabeth Burrow
I’ve always sung. I've always wanted to do that. My mother was for me at dance classes and and I did like one or two shows in high school.
Elizabeth Burrow
But I originally went to the University of Mississippi for a degree in biochemistry. Really, my dream. Yes, my dream was to become a pediatrician, possibly at the time my freshman year arms.
Elizabeth Burrow
Planning to go into pediatric surgery and to come work with any of that. Maybe even a trauma surgeon. I don't know, but for some reason that was my dream. And when I got here, my older sister Victoria told me that I should audition for Ole Miss.
Elizabeth Burrow
Theater, which it was at the time, should do their production of Chicago, and it's like sure like it'll be a nice time to like, you know, do whatever I'm like. It's a nice extracurricular. I love the show and so then I did it and I got.
Elizabeth Burrow
Asked and Matthew R. Wilson, the director at the time, and professor said to me at my call like he's like, well, we'll schedule a meeting with you to come for your advisor to change your major, and I was like yeah haha. And then maybe we feel like having maybe.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like a month later and we sat down and I had a talk and I was like, yeah, this is, uh, this is kind of what I want to do and I think I was.
Elizabeth Burrow
Maybe a double major? At that point, I'm still taking chemistry and biology.
Elizabeth Burrow
My spring semester and then.
Elizabeth Burrow
The way that they had it before it was you.
Elizabeth Burrow
You'd you'd be.
Elizabeth Burrow
A BA in theatre and then at the end of your freshman year you do auditions for the BFA and I chose to do that at the end of my freshman year. And so then I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Never looked back.
Elizabeth Burrow
So that's really.
Elizabeth Burrow
Come.
Elizabeth Burrow
That's how I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Got started in in theater was dumb.
Elizabeth Burrow
Purely by chance and a leap of faith, I would say.
Katherine Stewart
Wow, so I had no idea that you started out with a totally different idea in mind. That's that's wild.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah I yeah, I think uh, most people don't know, at least like I mean all my classmates me because I really.
Elizabeth Burrow
When I got to rehearsal and they were like because I'm not. I wasn't any of their classes and so they were like. Are you a music major? And I was like no.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yes, it's true.
Elizabeth Burrow
Wait, excuse me uhm.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, and I I feel like you know, you wouldn't really know that. Just like meeting me at first glance.
Elizabeth Burrow
But yeah, that's a attribute it to like you know me being a Gemini just very two very different sides of me that I both close. But yeah, that's how that's how I got into theater more so.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, so was there. Like a tipping point in that first performance experience that let you know, like oh, I'm definitely going to change my path. This is what I want to do or.
Elizabeth Burrow
Oh yeah, I I remember the amendments very specifically. It was um
It was after.
Elizabeth Burrow
Rehearsal very I guess one day.
Elizabeth Burrow
And.
Elizabeth Burrow
Matthew Wilson giving notes as you do at the end of rehearsals and talking about different things and more.
Elizabeth Burrow
Specifically, to like the principles.
Elizabeth Burrow
I was an ensemble. I was a dancer, so most of the things that we were talking about were with in selectors and other things.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just kind of had this moment 'cause.
Elizabeth Burrow
I there are a lot of things that I didn't know what he's talking about or that I had.
Elizabeth Burrow
Never considered before and at that time my my whole family except for maybe like one person I think was was in the arts. It was all either like stem or in. You know, my father is a lawyer.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I've never seen an adult in theater and like take it as seriously as I was seeing the professors and specifically Matthew Wilson doing it. And so I was just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Seeing that seeing those types of adults that that.
Elizabeth Burrow
Had made a living and.
Elizabeth Burrow
Had made a career out of it then.
Elizabeth Burrow
'cause I was always. I guess I had always had the notion or connotation that that was something that you couldn't do.
Elizabeth Burrow
To seeing that.
Elizabeth Burrow
Going to college and seeing that mean you realize it's like, oh I can do that.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think I'd signed it.
Elizabeth Burrow
Off for for a while, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
But he was giving notes and.
Elizabeth Burrow
There's just so much I hadn't learned yet that I wanted to learn, and I'm so curious about it that I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Just I just wanted to keep learning so I was taking classes and then that's only had the BFA auditions and we talked about it again and I was like, yeah, I guess I, you know I'm.
Elizabeth Burrow
Closing that that door to.
Elizabeth Burrow
What where I thought my life was once gonna be and opening it up to a completely brand new and uncertain one, but?
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, that's that was.
Elizabeth Burrow
That was a big moment for me.
Elizabeth Burrow
Then
Katherine Stewart
Wow, so so once you decided to commit to the theater program, did you have certain ideas in mind for what you wanted to do with that or certain goals for your time in the department?
Elizabeth Burrow
I'm.
I'm I'm not sure. Well I.
Elizabeth Burrow
I'm not.
Elizabeth Burrow
Think some of it was done. My choice.
To do this was was.
Elizabeth Burrow
Slightly impulsive, but also slightly like a discovery and and like, uhm.
Elizabeth Burrow
About myself and like why I felt so drawn to this.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so I guess maybe my goal is to.
Really, just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
See how far I could go in my L3 at that point with my three years there and.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just wanted to perform my bike like that.
Elizabeth Burrow
That was something that.
Elizabeth Burrow
I always felt very, very drawn to and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think because of the the.
Elizabeth Burrow
Way that I.
Elizabeth Burrow
The way that I got into theater.
Elizabeth Burrow
I don't know.
Elizabeth Burrow
If I thought too much about like long.
Elizabeth Burrow
Term goals or any of that sort of thing, but I knew I wanted to be on stage. I knew I wanted to perform, but more than that I think.
Elizabeth Burrow
I wanted to I I just wanted to.
Elizabeth Burrow
I wanted to learn, I just I wanted to.
Elizabeth Burrow
Soak up as much as.
Elizabeth Burrow
I as I could, and so I would take as many classes I could.
Elizabeth Burrow
I obviously did BFA musical theater just different from the new major, and so some of the classes were a little different from what the curriculum is now, but I still was just so eager to just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Absorb any information that I could and just really see, like how far I could go with this and where it take me so.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, not super. Not not like a super specific goal. I just wanted to absorb everything. I just wanted to learn everything.
Katherine Stewart
Well, and you did throw yourself into a lot of opportunities. You were heavily involved with Ole Miss Student Dance.
Katherine Stewart
You were also involved with Ghostlight Repertory Theater. I'm curious about Ole Miss Student Dance, in particular because we don't have a dance major, but that's an opportunity to do a lot of dancing.
Katherine Stewart
What was your role there?
Elizabeth Burrow
Uhm, so I was production manager for two years. My junior and senior year.
Elizabeth Burrow
I actually didn't do it my freshman year. My sister was artistic director at the time were three years apart, so when she was a senior I was a freshman.
Elizabeth Burrow
She also really pushed me to change my major as well. She had a similar experience due to illness for International Studies and then decided to drop down to Spanish and then minor in theater so that she could pursue dance.
Elizabeth Burrow
So her her influence definitely was really big on that. That transition in my life where she was like do it like you know.
Elizabeth Burrow
And a really big encourager.
Elizabeth Burrow
But I didn't.
Elizabeth Burrow
Theater and singing was always something that I felt really drawn to dance. Particularly, I was not. I never.
Elizabeth Burrow
I know it's, I know it's it's crazy, I tell people.
Elizabeth Burrow
All the time I was like.
Elizabeth Burrow
When I was I, I quit dance.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think ladies, sophomore or junior year of high school.
Elizabeth Burrow
I there's just a lot of like frustrations with it and like and you know self doubt and everything with it until really big big dance studio and I was new and so I was always like, you know, flower number Flower Girl number 13 in the back or something.
Elizabeth Burrow
So it's always not in the spotlight, which is fine. It's not, uh.
Elizabeth Burrow
The biggest thing about it I guess.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just wasn't feeling like very specifically like focused on or like. Didn't feel like I was improving at all and so I left and then I didn't dance.
Elizabeth Burrow
That's for.
Elizabeth Burrow
Two or three years and then Chicago whipped me into shape. Truly and dumb. But when I when it came time sophomore year to do honesty and I was like of course I'll do it and getting back into the rhythm of it was as a dancer I guess was was a little tough and there is a lot of.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, there is still some of that same like self doubt creeping in, but I guess the difference with it was that.
Elizabeth Burrow
Everyone was kind of.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like in the same boat as well and everyone everyone was just there to learn and it was more so like on the dance. We're here to learn and to improve on ourselves. We're not here to be front, center and to.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like whack your leg the hardest or any sort of way about that. And so I I know Misty obviously has.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know student choreographer. That's really just about like creating art, and I've lost that joy when I was in high school and when I got back into it my sophomore year, I, I found that again.
Elizabeth Burrow
And especially a community there because it, you know, it's obviously made up of a lot of non theater majors, but just people who are passionate about dance.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so then junior year I was able to choreograph again for it, and that was I'd never really even considered that before.
Elizabeth Burrow
Once again, 'cause I think my my sister, she was always the one that would do dances for us when we were little. She that's something that she has always felt naturally drawn to.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I didn't. But oh Misty gave me that opportunity to try something that I hadn't ever seen myself doing before, and I ended up loving it and being really, really into it. And then that of course.
Elizabeth Burrow
This led to, you know my work with here in town and all those stepping stones that led me to where I am right now.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think you told me freshman year, but that's how I would leave senior year, even even after like I'd switch to be if I had never would have I never would have believed you, but honesty.
Elizabeth Burrow
Helped me get into dancing again and then. That's of course a big part of what I do now.
Elizabeth Burrow
Now but also.
Elizabeth Burrow
Choreographing and you know, I never would have been given the opportunity to choreograph an entire musical if it hadn't started with OMST, so it holds a very special place in my heart, and I really, really love it. And and I, when I, you know, venture out into the future.
Elizabeth Burrow
I will definitely keep that in with me and I will become, you know, considering taking a direct role or.
Elizabeth Burrow
More choreographic
Elizabeth Burrow
Route some as I.
Elizabeth Burrow
As I enter the quote unquote real.
Elizabeth Burrow
New world.
so yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just I I really love doing this team.
Katherine Stewart
So you mentioned choreography for Urinetown. What was that experience like? I know this production in particular just was like in this wild new virtual world of theater that are running without steam right now. What was that like doing that kind of remotely I guess.
Elizabeth Burrow
Oh yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
Uh-huh
Elizabeth Burrow
That
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think.
Elizabeth Burrow
Just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
It it was, it was so. On one hand it was so fun and it was. It was a little easy easy because.
Elizabeth Burrow
I mean Urinetown is a parody of a parody of a parody and and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
There are.
Elizabeth Burrow
So.
Elizabeth Burrow
You can see so many styles of musical theater just seeped in through the music and through obviously the story.
Elizabeth Burrow
The tropes that they use and and so I wanted to recreate that also with dance and one of the big things that you know, I've been learning this whole time, was all kinds of different choreographers that they had.
Elizabeth Burrow
Used as like, well, Fosse and and all kinds of and, and Jerome Robbins with West Side Story and people that I'm, you know, people whose whose dance I just adored.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I I I loved their ideas and so being able to use that knowledge into my own work made it a much more fun.
Elizabeth Burrow
And enjoyable.
Elizabeth Burrow
And easier process.
Elizabeth Burrow
However, obviously there are a lot of limitations to it.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think a big thing with dance is the spatial recognition of other people and spatial recognition in the choreography and the types of shapes that they can make and create and pathways that they can. They can outline for the dancers and all of that just went away.
Elizabeth Burrow
Any sort of spatial recognition, which is obviously in a huge part of dance and choreography was just gone and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
So keeping that dynamic while the while the the characters are still in their remote place next to no one.
Elizabeth Burrow
While they're dancing, I think was the biggest challenge for me even in filming. And you know, it's it's really tough when you you learn a piece with people.
Elizabeth Burrow
And you have people you go off of. You have your rifles or your cannons and.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know you you feel each other as one, and that's a that's also, you know important part of dancing as well.
Elizabeth Burrow
And then when it comes time to do the final product, you're out on a stage alone and with no one there and just the camera and me and Michael, Shane Brewer, and and so I can.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's about sometimes the dance.
Elizabeth Burrow
Dancers fell a little just like deer in the headlights come and and so part of my work with it as well. Was like kind of coaxing them to.
Elizabeth Burrow
To be more comfortable in front of a camera and dancing, not only by themselves, but you know with just the camera zoomed in on them.
Then
Elizabeth Burrow
Uh, besides the choreographic elements, just getting them to be comfortable in their own, you know body and and.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know keeping.
Elizabeth Burrow
Keeping the energy up while also making sure that they've got all the right timing and everything.
Elizabeth Burrow
Well, that's the next big challenge, but I think that.
Elizabeth Burrow
They were all great sports and.
Elizabeth Burrow
They were really, really great with it, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
That was that was.
Elizabeth Burrow
Probably the hardest thing about sure here in town.
Katherine Stewart
Yeah, so were you actually able to see the choreography with everybody all together before the finished product?
Elizabeth Burrow
Yes, well, technically we did so.
Elizabeth Burrow
We had we had a few rehearsals in between filming where we would do.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
We had masks on and we just used the recordings that we had. You know, for what they made like way back in January.
Elizabeth Burrow
So they didn't sing and they had they had masks on and they just and they did the dances that they were, you know, in in their spots and everything.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so I was really able to see everybody come do it. I think for the bigger numbers like snuff that girl and on my mind blanking right now, we're not sorry. And like when freedom run those baked ones in the in the second act.
Elizabeth Burrow
Those are really.
Elizabeth Burrow
Those are ones that I really wanted to see beforehand, but yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I didn't get.
Elizabeth Burrow
To see them beforehand, but it's just different.
Elizabeth Burrow
'cause they would know it and then when they would get up there because there was like no one up there at like just I think it just sort of, you know, miss with their their.
Elizabeth Burrow
I guess remembering of it they would just mess up on small things that they had like across the board everyone would and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, I was able.
Elizabeth Burrow
I was fortunate enough to be able to do it, but more importantly, they were able to dance with everyone else with it.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I remember telling them just like remember how this feels right now to do this. Remember what you did in these moments like interacting with people and looking to other people?
Elizabeth Burrow
And so I think that that that.
Elizabeth Burrow
So.
Elizabeth Burrow
Elizabeth Burrow
Helped them a lot, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, it was a process to especially.
Elizabeth Burrow
For the dancing to get that down, wow.
Katherine Stewart
Wow, so do you foresee carrying choreography into your future career and and if so? Or if not, what? What are your plans next?
Elizabeth Burrow
So I'll be in Oxford for the summer, just saving up money trying to.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know gain as much cash as I can.
Elizabeth Burrow
And then the plan is to move to Atlanta and.
Elizabeth Burrow
To work with whatever is there.
Elizabeth Burrow
I like Atlanta because it is.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's not New York.
Elizabeth Burrow
City, and so it doesn't come with a price tag of New York City.
Elizabeth Burrow
I'm I'm speaking to Renee Polium, former head of musical theater here, and she was telling me about all the alumni that's there.
Elizabeth Burrow
I know there are few dance companies that alumni have have created in Atlanta. There's a lot of film and television opportunities as well.
Elizabeth Burrow
If I decide to go into that and there's also, you know, the Big Alliance theater in Atlanta and also smaller theaters there.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think it's a really great hub of Southern art that will. I think it's a good stepping stone to where I might eventually want to be.
Elizabeth Burrow
Whether that's New York or Hell, even away if I decide to go. But I think right now, especially with the time that we are in, I know they just.
Elizabeth Burrow
Uhm?
Elizabeth Burrow
Elizabeth Burrow
Announced that Broadway will be reopening.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I'm sure the other like off Broadway and off off Broadway and other smaller theaters will follow in that, but I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Think that's probably.
Elizabeth Burrow
Somewhere smaller and cheaper where I can find some credits will be easier for me. Will they make the transition to New York City easier for me as well?
Elizabeth Burrow
So that that's.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I I I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Really do plan anywhere that I can, you know, choreograph.
Elizabeth Burrow
With with anywhere I think I would. I would love to.
Elizabeth Burrow
So this time without maybe.
Elizabeth Burrow
The camera and COVID restrictions but.
Katherine Stewart
At least you learn how to do it that way. I mean, that's that's something that other people will not have had that experience. Maybe could be either.
Elizabeth Burrow
That's very true.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, that's very, very true.
Katherine Stewart
What about what about some advice for prospective or incoming students?
Elizabeth Burrow
Hmm.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I know Peter asked this in senior seminar.
Elizabeth Burrow
One week for discussion.
Elizabeth Burrow
Mine and OK for.
Elizabeth Burrow
Just College in general, I would say.
Elizabeth Burrow
There's a difference between going out of your comfort zone and trying.
Elizabeth Burrow
New things and then there.
Elizabeth Burrow
Is doing things that you just should.
Elizabeth Burrow
We are not comfortable with and that sounds.
Elizabeth Burrow
It sounds counter intuitive, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
Anything that you you just have a really.
Elizabeth Burrow
Bad feeling about I guess.
Elizabeth Burrow
Don't do it if, if, if, and.
Elizabeth Burrow
Just to impress the upperclassmen.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I know that it's it's easy to like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Fall into that trap of like wanting to be, you know friends with the upperclassmen and being fun and doing whatever. And that's OK.
Elizabeth Burrow
Hey, but there were just a lot of times that things didn't feel super right, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
But something wasn't said because it was just, you know.
Elizabeth Burrow
Assumed that it was.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like fun or normal or any sort of thing like that and so for any prospective students, I would just encourage them to stick to your gut on certain things, and if there's, you know, don't don't feel FOMO. Slash like fear of missing out.
Elizabeth Burrow
From doing what is going to be comfortable for you, it's important to get out of your comfort zone and of course to try new things.
Elizabeth Burrow
Things and college itself is going to be very quote unquote.
Elizabeth Burrow
Unquote uncomfortable for a while, but you'll know yourself and you'll know what is right for you. And if something doesn't feel right for you, don't do it just because your friends are doing it even like your new friends or the Upperclassmen. Speak up if something. If you see something that isn't right.
Elizabeth Burrow
And yeah, but for I guess for specifically theatre advice.
Elizabeth Burrow
Uhm?
Elizabeth Burrow
Learn to say no.
Elizabeth Burrow
Learn to say no because.
Elizabeth Burrow
You already are doing so much, you're.
Elizabeth Burrow
Most most of our students are on.
Elizabeth Burrow
Scholarships they have to be at 15 hours.
Elizabeth Burrow
Most of them will be BFA, and so they will have to audition and perform in the shows that they are cast in and.
Elizabeth Burrow
And this is isn’t a dig at Ghostlight or OMSD or any sort of extracurricular activities. It's important to find friends outside of the department truly, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know your workload and you.
Elizabeth Burrow
Know how much you can handle and.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's it's, it's really. It's really easy to just like do.
Elizabeth Burrow
Everything and try everything and help out with everything but.
Elizabeth Burrow
You will find as you get older and as the years go on that the more and more that you say yes.
Elizabeth Burrow
Then more and more people will start to take that for granted and sort of just, you know, ask you to do more and more of these things, and so it's important to learn how to say no to people and that will carry you on in.
Elizabeth Burrow
Any any life.
Elizabeth Burrow
And in any job you pursue learning how to say no will be.
Elizabeth Burrow
A wonderful skill for you to learn, especially young students. I mean, they just everyone wants to impress. Everyone wants to, you know, be the best everyone wants to, you know, get the role. And let's do this and that.
Elizabeth Burrow
That that's OK. Then my other advice will be.
Elizabeth Burrow
Getting cast is not.
Elizabeth Burrow
Getting cast isn't as important as you think it is because there's so many jobs and so many roles for you to fill in a new time.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like I my my work in the scene shop was.
Elizabeth Burrow
Some of the best.
Elizabeth Burrow
Times that I'd had that some of the most like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Learning experience some of the best learning experiences. Some of the best like skill creating like I will. I will take the work that I did in scene shop with me wherever I go and even as an actor you need to learn every bit theater and you need to learn. You know the costumes, the set.
Elizabeth Burrow
The the sound, the lighting design, the you know directing every every bit of it, the dramaturgy and.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so you know.
Elizabeth Burrow
If if if you're not cast in a show.
Elizabeth Burrow
Then
Elizabeth Burrow
It's you're, you're more than welcome to try to.
Elizabeth Burrow
Do any of the production positions that they need to fill.
Elizabeth Burrow
Or, you know, if you decide not to go that route, then doing a design for ghost Light, you know that's how I did makeup design for Ghost Light, and I've never done that before.
Elizabeth Burrow
And then I ended up taking a.
Elizabeth Burrow
Make up class so so interested in it and now I have that skill like you know under my belt.
Elizabeth Burrow
Same thing I took, set design and then I you know, I've been working in there for three years and I'll take those skills with me forever.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, being cast or not being cast isn't isn't as important as freshmen usually think it is. There are a lot of other things for you to pursue that might end up interesting you more than you know. Whatever show role.
Elizabeth Burrow
That you were wanting.
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
That's my advice in a nutshell, thank you.
Katherine Stewart
Well, it's good. It's great advice, great advice.
Katherine Stewart
So finally, do you have any favorite memories from your time either at UM or or specifically with the department?
Katherine Stewart
That you could share.
Elizabeth Burrow
Favorite memories?
Elizabeth Burrow
Hmm.
Elizabeth Burrow
Uhm?
Elizabeth Burrow
Well.
Elizabeth Burrow
So I I think my.
Elizabeth Burrow
Favorite show?
Elizabeth Burrow
Ah, I don't know Sophomore.
Elizabeth Burrow
year is just such full full.
Elizabeth Burrow
Full of great memories, uhm?
Elizabeth Burrow
But obviously we did Assassins and Fly by Night.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just
Elizabeth Burrow
I think the whole process of Assassins and the new take that we took on on the balladeer in the in the way that we did the show, especially at a time like this.
Elizabeth Burrow
I think it was really, really powerful.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I think, just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
The.
Elizabeth Burrow
The bond that we had with the cast and everybody was so dumb.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's just very, very powerful and connected and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, I really really loved that show, uhm?
Elizabeth Burrow
I think.
Elizabeth Burrow
Favorite memories?
Elizabeth Burrow
Sure.
Elizabeth Burrow
I don't know a lot of them go back to freshman year as well, specifically Chicago, 'cause that's when I met all of my friends right now. I'll tell this story though it might embarrass Gregor Patti.
Elizabeth Burrow
We we were at the dance call for Chicago.
Elizabeth Burrow
And I I was, you know, we were off in the wings while another group was going and I was going through the dance and I see.
Elizabeth Burrow
These two these two boys.
Elizabeth Burrow
You know, close together, seen them together before, and the taller one is like looking at me like over shoulder. And while I'm dancing and I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Look over it and like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like I think we made eye contact or something and.
Elizabeth Burrow
Like it's this guy like.
Elizabeth Burrow
What's his deal? I was just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
My first thought was like is he like checking me out right now at a dance call? and I was so like confused and then we made eye contact again and then he turns around and he's like.
Elizabeth Burrow
Can you show me how?
Elizabeth Burrow
To do that, or like.
Elizabeth Burrow
And of course is Gregor. And then Keeton Landfair was just, you know, doing it facing the wall. Just like going over the dance by himself, but that.
Elizabeth Burrow
That's how we got introduced.
Elizabeth Burrow
Each other.
Elizabeth Burrow
And.
Elizabeth Burrow
So.
Elizabeth Burrow
And of course, Gregor is a, you know, lifelong friend of mine, but uhm.
Elizabeth Burrow
But that's how we met was a.
Elizabeth Burrow
Was at the dance call very funny way, but.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, that's one memory that sticks out for me. I yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I just remember.
Elizabeth Burrow
I oh, I wasn't on
Elizabeth Burrow
Green room for the longest time, the you know the email service that sends out to everybody in the department. So I always had to find out for the.
Elizabeth Burrow
The first year, yes my freshman year.
Elizabeth Burrow
I wasn't on it.
Elizabeth Burrow
I had to get all like important emails from.
Elizabeth Burrow
Everyone and I remember when it's Michael Barnett, I think in the middle of freshman year and I was like can I get on these that like on these emails?
Elizabeth Burrow
How do I do?
Elizabeth Burrow
That and he was like you're not on.
Elizabeth Burrow
These yet he's like how have.
Elizabeth Burrow
You been getting emails and I was like I just have people forward them to me so I I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Guess I still couldn't quite commit.
Elizabeth Burrow
To the department, but but yes, that is 1.
Elizabeth Burrow
Moment.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah, there's just too many yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
Way way too many but.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
And so I I.
Elizabeth Burrow
Any any memory from Fly by Night I think was it was a wonderful one.
Elizabeth Burrow
I I I don't know, I don't know if I have a favorite show.
Elizabeth Burrow
Or not, but I think that was up there.
Katherine Stewart
It was a great show.
Elizabeth Burrow
It was a very great show.
Katherine Stewart
I love that show.
Katherine Stewart
I love that.
Katherine Stewart
I I enjoyed that show, yeah.
Elizabeth Burrow
I do too.
Elizabeth Burrow
I wish we could.
Elizabeth Burrow
Find more shows like that. Like a smaller cast that isn't super well known but is just like.
Elizabeth Burrow
So powerful and so.
Elizabeth Burrow
It's a poignant but.
Elizabeth Burrow
I really, really loved it.
Elizabeth Burrow
Obviously Ford Center any any work I did in the Ford Center was beautiful.
Elizabeth Burrow
With Little Women and everything.
Katherine Stewart
Wonderful good memories kiddo. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for sharing them and thank you for visiting with me today.
Elizabeth Burrow
Goodness.
Katherine Stewart
This is fun, fun conversation. I really appreciate it. Yeah, I hope you'll keep us posted on what you're doing in the future. We'd love to share any news you have. We will be.
Elizabeth Burrow
Of course, this is been so fun.
Katherine Stewart
Following along with your I'm sure excellent career from here on out.
Elizabeth Burrow
Thank you for the confidence boost yeah.
Katherine Stewart
Absolutely absolutely alright. Well thank you very much. I hope you have a great rest of your day.
Elizabeth Burrow
Thank you you too bye Katherine.
Katherine Stewart
OK, again, that was recent graduate Elizabeth Burrow. During this conversation we talked at length about Ole Miss Student Dance as well as our department spring production of the musical urinetown
Katherine Stewart
I'm going to put some information about both of those in the show notes, in particular about Urinetown, which was produced in a very unusual way, and if you didn't know the details, some of our.
Katherine Stewart
Conversation about it might not have been totally clear.
Elizabeth Burrow
Yeah.
Katherine Stewart
In the coming weeks, we'll be catching up with more alums who are doing very interesting things, so stay tuned for future episodes until next time. This is Stage & Screen.