Hello! My name is Ross Barron and I'm a first time company member at Princeton Summer Theater. At Princeton, I'm a rising junior and an English major. Originally, I'm from Boulder, Colorado and grew up acting in school productions and spending my summers backpacking in the Rocky Mountains. With that in mind, it's a little strange to be spending a majority of the summer inside a theater -- but my PST experience (though devoid of Colorado mountains to explore) has already been extremely enjoyable.
The first show of our season, Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman, is a show based in the ensemble -- meaning that all company members are onstage and participating in practically every scene. Last summer, (in a departure from my normal backpacking adventures), I studied acting at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. There, like in Metamorphoses, the teachers put a very high emphasis on the integrity of the ensemble. At Guildhall, the teachers would often say, "A group of performers must become the instruments of an orchestra before they become an ensemble. Each instrument must be on the correct tempo, must pay attention to the piece's dynamics, and only then may it offer its own unique sound to the chorus."
The comparison of an ensemble to an orchestra, in my mind, only becomes complete when the ensemble can agree on a single objective. In a piece of music, there is an objective sound to be achieved and within a piece of theater, there is an objective idea, moral, story, or feeling to be communicated. The incredibly exciting thing to me is that the experience of each audience member watching a piece of theater might be completely unique!
I'm someone who is easily moved by art. I find myself lost very quickly in stories and characters, and each day that I get to contribute my instrument and bring a narrative to life is a gift. I'm so very lucky and grateful to spend the summer with Princeton Summer Theater!
Come fall into a story with us! Best wishes,
Ross Barron