BVU Theatre Seniors Celebrate One Last Hurrah in "Spamalot"

Four Buena Vista University seniors will say their goodbye to the theatre department with their involvement in “Monty Python’s Spamalot" on the stage of Schaller Memorial Chapel.

Spamalot revolves around the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, absurdly retold with elements that are both derived from the original Monty Python film and unique to the musical performance. Skylar Finch, a senior arts management and Spanish double major, plays the Lady of the Lake and is excited to share this unique story with the audience.

“I think it’s a good twist on something that the audience may be familiar with. It’s a good balance of the jokes that everybody knows and loves with some unexpected laughs that they haven’t witnessed before.”

“It’s the energy that comes from nailing something on stage and from making the audience feel something—whether that’s laughing, crying, or laugh-crying.”

Austin Dean

Finch, who is also president of BVU’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, a national honorary theatre group, will graduate in December 2019, which likely makes Spamalot her last big performance at BVU. She says it has been a whirlwind of a college career, especially since she actually started out as a business major. However, Dr. Bethany Larson, professor of theatre, convinced Finch to audition for a play her freshman year, and Finch has been a part of BVU theatre ever since.

“I can’t not touch every show that has come to the BVU stage,” Finch says. “This will be my ninth production, fifth on stage.”  She has also helped with house management, public relations, makeup, backstage happenings, and more.

Finch is not the only senior who is making this show her last big hurrah before graduating; others include: Austin Dean, an animation major with minors in graphic design and theatre; Emily White, a music production and music performance double major; and Chance Johnson, a theatre major.

“All of them are completely dedicated human beings,” says Larson. “I will be so happy at their graduations, but I will miss them all at the same time. They’re like family.”  However, each student became a part of the family a little differently; Dean and White actively sought to join BVU theatre almost right away, while Johnson dropped the chemistry part of his double major to focus solely on theatre.

“Bethany Larson and David Walker opened me up more to theatre, and once I dropped my chemistry major, I devoted all of my time and effort to theatre,” says Johnson.  “There is something about it that has made it my passion for a long time.”

For White, that passion is driven by one small moment before every show. “About a minute and a half before the show starts, while everyone is settling in their seats, I fill up this huge ball of nervous energy. It makes me hold my head up and puff out my chest, and confidence washes over me. That’s my favorite part,” says White.

Dean agrees. “It’s the energy that comes from nailing something on stage and from making the audience feel something—whether that’s laughing, crying, or laugh-crying.”

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