Spring Semester... busy busy busy.

Greetings Y'all! (this is my North Dakota homage to Professor Emily Cherry and her fun Texan drawl!)

The spring semester has kicked off and is full of things to do and things to see.  I'm Ben Klipfel - one of the UND Theatre Arts Graduate Students...  I'm in my second semester of my M.A. and am having such a great time - though it's busy.


tick... tick... BOOM! by Jonathan Larson opens on March 2 - which ironically is my birthday, so I am very excited about that - I'm not in the show, so I'll just be a spectator.  Jonathan Larson's works hold a very special "musical theatre" place in my heart.  Unlike a lot of my fellow students - I was in college the year RENT came out, and was part of the generation that was moved, almost to frenzy, but the show.  It's great to be able to see the "coming of age" story about RENT (tick...tick...BOOM) on our own stage.  I have a lot of friends in the show too, so I am really looking forward to it.  After TTB, however, I begin rehearsals for Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl.  I am more excited for Eurydice than any show I've been in... and it's not just because I get to play "Nasty Man/Child, Lord of the Underworld."  Okay... it's mostly that, but the show is brilliant, and I hear that it's going to rain on-stage, so that is always a good time.


I do have to say how grateful I am for UND Theatre.  In my "professional" life, I produce community theatre, children's theatre and non-equity professional music theatre.  UND has made my transition back into a graduate student so seamless, and I have learned so much in the short time here - lessons I can immediately apply to my professional life.  UND Theatre makes their students "job ready" and that is something very unique!  I figured I best blog now, since my thesis is coming up (SCARCITY by Lucy Thurber - Next November), and I envision dissappearing into solitude and the library for the next several months! :)  Mix that in with


Current UND students - thank you for welcoming this "old guy" into the student fold - and potential future UND theatre students... get here, get involved, get on stage.  One of the things I love best about UND is the opportunities we have as students.  This semester alone, there are over 40 opportunities to audition for shows, scenes, one-acts, musical theatre numbers.  There will be two mainstay student directed shows next year (one of them is mine).  There is so much going on, it's hard to believe!  I invite you to come, take a gander, join our family and get the education of a lifetime!


All the best - Ben