Tatum Grell (she/her/hers)
BFA Musical Theatre
Class of 2024
Email: tatumrgrell@gmail.com
IG: @tatumgrell
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
There are so many things I love about Emerson’s musical theatre program, but one aspect that I feel encapsulates most of those things is the space for us to be ourselves. All of us are different artists, and because of that, we’re all going to prepare, think, and learn in different ways. Not only does our faculty acknowledge this, but they encourage it. As students in Emerson’s MT program, we’re given multiple tools and methods in order to access the skills we’re going to need as professionals. At the beginning of sophomore year, one of my professors said something that sticks with me: “We’re going to teach you how to prepare.” There’s a real emphasis on the work at Emerson — usually, in class we don’t ‘perform’, we work (which is something I love). Preparation is a key skill taught at Emerson, and the professors are so willing to work with individual students in order to give them the tools that specifically work for them. In a business where most everything seems out of our control, I love that our curriculum focuses on the things we’re responsible for in a way that meets our needs and encourages our individuality.
What would you change about your program? Why?
I would love to be taking more dance as a musical theatre major. Of course, that’s not to say that we don’t get to dance at all; every musical theatre major is required to take one dance class each semester. However, because 56 out of 128 credits of our degree are housed within liberal arts requirements (aka our non-musical theatre classes), there’s not a lot of wiggle room in our schedules. If you’re not a dance minor or come into college with credits that will allow elective space, it’s often hard to take more than one dance class per semester. There are plenty of other dance opportunities on campus, though — Emerson Dance Company and Emerson Urban Dance Company are two established student organizations on campus that perform in a variety of styles each semester. But, since Emerson’s dance program is growing and expanding, I would really like to see more opportunities (especially for MTs with packed schedules like me) for dance classes each semester.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
I would describe the overall atmosphere as supportive. The expectation at Emerson isn’t that you come in absolutely perfect in every discipline. As I’ve mentioned before, the professors are very invested in getting to know you and seeing you progress and work through your material. In class, the focus is on an individual working through their material rather than performing it and students are serious about their work as well as learning from each other. Outside of class, the vibe is also supportive! Each class is relatively small — about 18 students — which allows for us to really get to know one another. Some MT classes are each other's best friends and some all have their separate friend groups, but ultimately I think each class is committed to creating a comfortable environment where we lift each other up. While there is, of course, a competitive element to theatre, I would categorize it as a friendly competition that pushes us all to do our best.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
I was a freshman during the 2020-2021 school year, so there were many things that surprised me, but one was how essential student theatre seemed to be to the first-year musical theatre experience at Emerson. While first-years aren’t allowed to audition for Emerson Stage shows, they’re able to audition for all of the MANY student theatre organizations we have on campus. During the first year on campus as a musical theatre major, you take quite a few performing arts requirement classes that have you mix with other performing arts majors at the college (which is such a nice way to meet people who aren’t in your immediate MT class). Outside of these classes, the only class you take with your MT class is musicianship. Since we were still doing hybrid method classes during my freshman year, I opted not to take part in any student theatre productions, most of which were done on Zoom or filmed. Because of this choice, outside of voice lessons, I didn’t really feel like I was doing a ton of musical theatre. It really made me realize how important student theatre is to Emerson, especially during the first year before we take any studio classes. So, now that theatre is back, I would encourage any MT freshman to NOT follow my example and totally participate in student theatre during their first year at Emerson because it’s a ton of fun (& try not to over-commit yourself, which is the classic Emerson student dilemma)!!
What makes your program unique?
I think some of the methods we are taught — especially when it comes to preparing and then acting through a song — are so unique to Emerson, and aren’t taught in that way at any other program. I also think Emerson’s MT program is not only focused on training talented professionals, but also well-rounded people. As I mentioned before, 56 of our 128 credits are liberal arts requirements, so as well as receiving amazing musical theatre training, we’re also taking classes on philosophy, sociology or a variety of global and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
Emerson Stage, also known as EmStage, produces two musicals (one in the fall and one in the spring), five plays over both semesters, and multiple plays for NewFest in the spring. Auditions and casting for these shows occur the semester before they happen. First-year students are not allowed to audition for EmStage shows and must complete a crew assignment on an EmStage show in order to be eligible to audition later. Only the performing arts majors at Emerson are eligible to audition for EmStage. I wouldn’t say casting prioritizes seniority. Outside of EmStage, all students in the college also have the option to audition for the many student theatre organizations. This process is called Common Auds, and students audition once in front of all of the theatre organizations like a mini Unifieds. From there, students receive callbacks and are able to rank the productions they’d like to be a part of. This process definitely doesn’t conform to seniority or anything like that because it’s open to everyone, but casting can still get competitive!
What’s it like outside of performance classes? Is it possible to participate in extracurriculars? Greek life? Double majors? Minors?
There are a TON of extracurriculars at Emerson both inside and outside of the performing arts, and it’s definitely possible to participate in them as an MT major. We do have Greek life on campus, but it’s definitely more laid back and less of a presence than it might be at a huge state school. There also aren't any sorority or fraternity-specific housing options. While certain minors are possible as an MT major (I know people with minors in dance, business and creative enterprises, arts management, etc.), they can be difficult to fit into our credit load which is already pretty packed. Unfortunately, double majoring isn’t possible as a musical theatre major, but I do know some people in the Theatre and Performance program with double majors and more robust minors.
Does your school help you pursue professional working opportunities during the year, over the summer, and/or post-graduation? How so?
The school doesn’t typically promote working on outside opportunities during the school year, but they are completely open and enthusiastic when it comes to helping students find work over the summer and post-graduation. Our faculty is incredibly supportive and make it clear that they are available to us outside of class to assist with coachings, summer stock, auditions, or whatever you need. I also hear stories from professors of MT graduates calling/texting our MT faculty for advice when they need it, which I think is amazing and shows how wonderful our professors are!! We also have a pretty robust Emerson alumni network, which is super cool.
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
I’ve already mentioned that I’d like more space for dance in the MT curriculum. This next one might just be a me-thing, but I wish there was a study abroad option for musical theatre majors during the school year. I completely understand why there currently isn’t (our class is so small that we would all have to go, our faculty teaches multiple levels of our MT studio, etc.), but Emerson’s other study abroad options are so amazing — we literally have a castle in the Netherlands — that I wish it was an option. However, MT majors do have the ability to study abroad during the summer.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
As I’ve mentioned multiple times above, our faculty is so supportive and knowledgeable. I would say almost all (if not all) of our professors currently work as actors, directors, music directors, etc. in Boston, New York, and all around the country. I love hearing about their professional experiences and how it informs the way they teach us.
What types of structures are in place for students to receive feedback inside and outside of the classroom? How about for students to give feedback?
A majority of our studio-based musical theatre classes are all about working on the material as opposed to ‘performing’ it. Students not only receive immediate feedback from professors, but we’re also taught to give feedback to our peers in a meaningful way. Most professors are also available outside of class during their office hours for coachings or general questions/feedback. Some professors will ask for feedback in class or in online reflections, and students can also give feedback during course evaluations at the end of the semester.
What steps has your school taken/is your school currently taking to promote greater representation for minority communities and to ensure greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the educational environment?
A fabulous question! I want to focus this answer specifically on what Emerson as an institution is doing instead of what the students are doing (which the students are, by the way, creating a lot of opportunities and spaces for BIPOC students that our school otherwise lacks). Before entering Emerson, all incoming freshmen must take online Diversity and Inclusion Training as well as Power-Based Interpersonal Violence Training (these programs were implemented after students advocated for them). Regarding theatre specifically, while our classroom curriculum does focus on a variety of works by diverse artists, it doesn’t always seem like this translates to the shows that the performing arts department produces. The EmStage seasons are now chosen by faculty after being vetted by subcommittees of performing arts students, which is a step toward making student’s voices heard, but I don’t personally believe this has changed much regarding the producing of shows that explicitly center BIPOC. The School of the Arts does currently have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mission statement complete with goals that can be found on the Emerson website. Emstage still has a lot of work to do regarding DEI, and as a first step, I’d like to see the performing arts department create their own statement, including goals with actionable items such as benchmarks and targets regarding topics such as admitted students and the Emstage seasons.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
Emerson Counseling and Psychological Services (also known as ECAPS) provides various kinds of counseling, consultations, workshops, and can even help connect students to therapists within Boston. We also have the Center for Health and Wellness that can provide students with nutrition/various types of wellness counseling. We have a gym on campus with a fitness staff and programs including group classes and the ability to create a personalized fitness plan.
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
I think I was worried a lot about generally proving myself, especially as a musical theatre major. I was frightened others might question if I belonged in the program, which I absolutely did not need to worry about at all. One thing faculty members have reminded us of is that everyone is at a different place in their journey, and I think they’ve done an amazing job at fostering an environment where we can learn and grow without feeling pressured to be in constant competition with our peers. There’s no question as to who ‘belongs’ in our program because we all show up to support each other and do the things we love!
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
I was lucky enough to attend Emerson’s five week pre-college musical theatre program during summer 2019, and that experience taught me so much about what I wanted in college. I connected with how the material was taught, and then I had the unique experience of putting what I had learned at Emerson into practice when I returned home — I felt like a new actor. I also loved the people I met, the faculty, the location, and overall liberal arts-y vibe of Emerson. It fit a lot of my criteria in terms of what I wanted in a school and in an MT program.