Francesca Panzara (she/her/hers)
BFA Musical Theatre, Class of 2021
francescapanzara@gmail.com
IG: francescapanzara
FB: Francesca Panzara
Okay. One sentence to describe a typical day in your program. GO!
Wake up, commute to the “Stage”, dance, act, sing (and everything in between), go to rehearsal and/or home, try to rest up for the next day ahead.
What is your FAVORITE thing about your program?
The ability to take acting classes with acting majors!! Because I was able to take so many acting classes that have the same structural curriculum as acting majors do, I felt my acting was one of my biggest growths over the 4 years.
What’s something you would change about your program? Why?
More performance opportunities, or opportunities to create your own work. I feel like it started becoming more common for many to create their own work later in my time at Syracuse and I hope it continues in that direction. I always felt that there were not enough chances for everyone to be able to perform in the mainstage seasons at SU Drama or Syracuse Stage. At the same time, giving more students the opportunity to create their own work not only allows them to exercise a very important creative muscle, but to also perhaps give more students an opportunity to perform, especially if they did not get into a mainstage or Blackbox production.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your program? Competitive? Supportive? A bit of both? Something else?!
As with I think most BFA programs, there is a sense of competition at Syracuse. However, I mostly noticed the competition creeping in only around audition seasons, whether it be for summer stock or general auditions for the upcoming season of shows. In the classroom, I generally felt very supported by faculty and fellow students which elevated my excitement to learn and grow freely with others.
What was the biggest surprise about your program that you didn’t anticipate as an incoming freshman?
People were so much more welcoming than I ever could have imagined! I was a little pessimistic when heading into a BFA program because I was worried that competitiveness would not make people welcoming. But I was soooo wrong! I was fully welcomed with open arms by faculty and students, which set up a phenomenal omen for the rest of my 4 years.
What’s something that you think makes your program unique?
My department’s partnership with a professional theater company. At SU Drama, we share a building with “Syracuse Stage” which has allowed the department to have an incredible relationship with the company. As a result, students can audition for and perform in their shows, and learn directly from active theater professionals how everything we are learning is applied in the real world. Many special guests have come through from different facets of the theater industry, and often take the time to speak with the students about their experiences. In addition, second semester senior year all students can do the “Tepper Semester” where students take classes in New York City at SU’s Satellite campus from faculty members that continue to be active in the NYC entertainment industry. This was a lifechanging semester for me, even given all the circumstances surrounding Covid. I was still able to move to NYC, grow in ways I never thought I could, meet some of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and begin my next chapter with ease.
Real talk: How do the audition & casting processes function at your program?
Every Fall and Spring there is a “General Audition” for the Mainstage, Syracuse Stage, and Blackbox Productions. “Blackbox Players” is a student group that organizes their own shows that take place in the Blackbox theater. In addition to this general audition, there are sometimes auditions that happen afterwards for faculty projects and other student projects that are not associated with “Blackbox Players.” Following General Auditions, callback lists are posted, and students go through the standard, scheduled callback process. As part of the casting process all directors choose their top 3 choices for every single role and go into a meeting of deliberation where they discuss which director gets their first choice for each role, and so on. People often are only allowed max one role per semester because of rehearsal overlap. The only time this rule is broken is if someone is cast in the first show of the fall semester, and then they are also cast in the co-production with Syracuse Stage happening during the holiday season.
What’s it like outside of performance classes? Is it possible to participate in extracurriculars? Greek life? Are students encouraged to create their own work? Double majors? Minors?
What I love about SU Drama is that it is associated with a university that has an insane amount of school spirit. There are opportunities to go to sports games and parties that mimic typical college lifestyle. It is possible to participate in extracurriculars, but it is more challenging to do so when you are a part of the Department of Drama because of how rigorous your schedule is all four years. However, it has been done! I know many who are involved in Greek life and other on-campus organizations. I was involved with an International Music Fraternity called Sigma Alpha Iota, which was filled with supportive women from primarily the music department who supported me and made accommodations for my busy schedule so I could also continue to be a part of the organization. It was a great outlet for me to meet people beyond the dept. of drama. I have not heard of someone with a BFA in Musical Theater doing a double major but have heard of people doing a major with a BFA in Musical Theater and doing a minor in something else.
Can you travel abroad if desired?
Yes you are able to travel abroad! SU Drama has a program fall of Junior Year that allows you to travel to London and study at The Globe. Though this program was initially meant for acting majors, many of my musical theater friends decided to go and were still able to graduate on time or even early in some circumstances as they coordinated with their faculty advisor how to make sure they fit this abroad opportunity in with their credit load.
Are there any opportunities and/or resources that you feel are lacking in your program?
As I previously mentioned, I think it could be more encouraged for students to be making their own work and putting them on as productions at SU Drama. Since I have been there, the opportunity to take classes about producing and creating your own work has increased which I think is amazing progress. In addition, I wish SU Drama had specific faculty members that are focused on actor’s mental health, and physical health. Even though we have resources and courses on main campus that are specific to that, I feel like the theater industry is such a demanding career path, that (like athletes) actors need their own trainers, coaches, and motivational figures that can help personally teach them the importance of self-care, with an added understanding of the career path they are going into.
What’s the dynamic like between students and faculty?
Students and faculty tend to get along very well. Faculty always open their doors for students to come in for office hours and even provide coachings for auditions or events that happen outside of the school curriculum. I have mainly felt sooo empowered by faculty members at SU. They will be some of the most valuable and impactful resources and people in my life moving forward. There were some faculty members during my time that did teach with intimidation, but they have since moved on, and even if some of them decide to come back or stick around, I feel they are overpowered by faculty who are very supportive and encouraging.
Can you tell us about some of the faculty you train with who really inspire you?
It is difficult for me to describe the true meaning of the faculty members who most inspired me at SU Drama in just a few words, but I am gonna try! There were many days when I felt super down on myself, questioning my worth in the industry, the program, etc. I sometimes went into voice lessons timid and unsure of whether I should take some risks that could only benefit me in my growth. However, these faculty members NEVER let me get away with going that low. They saw potential in me no matter how I was feeling in a given day and pushed me to be the best version of myself that they knew I could be, even though I did not. They helped me realize one of the key parts of my growth: which is the only person getting in my way of not reaching my full potential was myself. As a result, they helped me blossom into the woman and performer I am now; and am so excited, but humbled to have become. S/O to Kathleen Wrinn (my voice teacher), Rufus Bonds Jr. (MT performance teacher), Marie Kemp (MT performance teacher- who has since retired), Andrea Leigh-Smith (dance teacher), Brian Cimmet (teaches many different things), Holly Thuma (Voice/Verse Teacher) and Daisy Prince (Tepper Semester: MT Performance teacher).
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?
One of the biggest rules at SU Drama to help provide a supportive atmosphere is to not discuss outside of class what has happened in class. Phones, photos, and videos are never allowed of classroom work, as everything is a work-in-progress in those settings. Students are encouraged to provide feedback within a classroom setting and are often graded on how often they do/how beneficial their feedback is. As I previously mentioned, faculty members always leave their office hours open to discuss their own feedback and help further the student’s growth.
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?
The students and faculty have had numerous town halls and meetings discussing actions to be taken to promote greater representation, especially in the department of drama. Drama students of color created a set of demands that were presented to the faculty and included subjects such as diversity and authenticity in casting, greater representation of diversity in the faculty, shows being presented, plays being read in class, scenes being chosen for assignments, and terminology being used and greater authenticity when it comes to costumes, hair and makeup, and more. The faculty has responded to this list of demands with their specific corresponding solutions, and state they are in the process of organizing change to ensure greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the educational environment. However, it seems like the change might take a while. I am unsure of the progress of the general university as a whole (they are not doing a great job of keeping people in the loop) in response to many calls-to-action that have been made by POC from all different departments on SU’s campus. But am hoping they are working on doing the same, and have promised that they are also going to make changes and progress.
What types of resources does your school encourage/make available for students in regards to mental, physical, and emotional health?
During my Junior year, The Barnes Center was a new facility that was built to help promote the importance of, and offer resources for the mental physical, and emotional health of students. Many activity options such as swimming, track-running, a multi-purpose gym, fitness classes, and a rock-climbing wall are offered. In addition, there are puppy visits every week, a section of the center devoted to counseling and therapy, and a physical wellness area as well which allows you to make appointments with doctors. While I do wish the department of drama has a specific counselor that was devoted to the health of actors, the Barnes Center at the Arch was a wonderful addition to the Syracuse Campus and I think is a facility that should definitely be utilized for all of these services. I wish it was there for all four of my years!
What were you most worried about as an incoming freshman that you TOTALLY didn’t need to be worried about?
One of my biggest fears was being able to make friends because of the competitive nature of the theater industry. I TOTALLY didn’t need to worry about that one. I encourage you to stay open with the people around you even though you might feel a tendency to be closed off. Because you are all going through this program together, it is important to keep in mind that you are all an ensemble, and you are all there because you worked for it and are unique in your own ways. Because I kept this in mind, I made amazing friends at Syracuse that will stay with me for the rest of my life: not just students, but faculty as well.
How did you know that this was the right place for you?
It all came down to my original list of criteria, and what area I wanted to grow most in. Some of my criteria included being at a big university, with the ability to learn about other subjects in addition to theater, as well as having a conservatory-style BFA Musical Theater program. I also realized that while I wanted to grow in all 3 areas of musical theater, a lot of programs did not focus on the importance of acting as much as Syracuse did. However, when I visited there, I realized this place had everything I was looking for. It felt right. At the info sessions, I listened very carefully to the philosophy of the department, to see if this would be a place where I would be supported, but also challenged. They seemed to speak like me, and seemed to give me the impression that even though I had not been doing theater for as long as others, that they saw something in me to accept me and were willing to stand by me for four years to help me grow and prosper, not just as an artist, but as a person.