Two recent VI graduates have shown their colors and explored the realm of opportunities in dramatic arts. From film acting in Richmond to design and makeup artistry in New York, Sarah Jones ’12 and Jenna McClelland-Nease ’13 have found exciting opportunities for theatre majors.
Sarah Jones was recently cast in the independent film Prima Donna through VCUarts Cinema. Jones was specifically requested for the part based on her years of acting and opera experience, and she is also a stand in for one of the lead roles in the film. “For me this is great because I’ve never been involved with a film and being a stand in allows me to learn what the process is like,” said Jones. She is involved in a networking group called the Virginia Production Alliance, which posts casting calls and helps channel specific actors for roles like this one. Jones says this film is a great way for her to get her foot in the door for many more film projects going on in the Richmond area. Prima Donna started filming on June 10.
Jenna McClelland-Nease, a May 2013 graduate, took a seven-week internship with SummerScape at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. The SummerScape is centered on the 24th Annual Bard Music Festival and the works of Igor Stravinsky. McClelland-Nease will practice her skills with hairstyling and makeup artistry for a variety of productions from opera to ballet. Some of the shows she will be working on include Sergey Tanyev’s Oresteia (an opera based on Aeschylus’ tragedies), a theatrical adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita, and a film festival. To follow the productions McClelland-Nease is working on, visit the SummerScape’s site here.