Zelda Stein BA’27 can still remember sitting in the lobby of Willamette’s Pelton Theatre when she received the news: Willamette’s new Musical Theatre Major was official. As Willamette’s first student in the brand new major, Stein did more than just take classes — she gave feedback and worked with her professors to help shape the direction of the major.
With a dream of pursuing musical theatre professionally, Stein had applied to 14 schools, five of which were in the United Kingdom; several had large established programs. It was perhaps a leap of faith to come to a school that, at the time, did not have a musical theatre major. However, Susan Coromel, Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre, took note of Stein’s interest and encouraged them to consider a visit to campus.
“She said that they were starting this program and that if I went to Willamette, they would be more than willing to have me be involved as much as I can in the process of the major being created,” Stein recalls.
Stein had never set foot in Oregon until visiting as a prospective student. The child of a drama teacher and a dance teacher, Stein grew up and lived most of her life in Poland, so their visit to Willamette involved a long international flight.
For Stein, Willamette had something special that made it stand out from all the rest of the programs she considered: an intimate and dynamic creative community where she could actively shape the future of the musical theatre program.
“Willamette is growing, but it’s also a small enough community that my individual voice is heard,” Stein says.
Becoming a well-rounded performer
The new program brings together the best of Willamette’s theatre and music curricula to help create well-rounded artists and storytellers who are familiar with all aspects of the performing arts — from vocal technique to dance to directing productions.
“Our goal in creating a distinct Musical Theatre major was to structure a program that meets national standards. One that spans multiple disciplines, ensuring students receive comprehensive training in theatre, music, and dance,” Coromel said. “Our hope is that the major will attract a more diverse pool of theatre students, while also maximizing our existing theatre and music resources to create an exceptional cross-disciplinary experience.”
Along with acting studio courses, voice lessons, and music theory courses, the blending of music and theatre came together for Stein in a new course called Acting Through Song, a cabaret-style exploration of musical storytelling. Students performed opera and musical theatre songs in solos, duos, or groups on the semester’s theme: gothic horror comedy.
“I had so much fun just creating and getting to work with a mix of music and theater students,” Stein says. “I was actually looking back at the video recently as I'm trying to make my demo reel and I was like, ‘wow, I'm actually really proud of that performance,’” Stein says.
Stein appreciates the comprehensive approach to theatre education she has received. She’s had the opportunity to practice directing, building scenery, and working in the costume shop. In a Musical Theatre Dance course, Stein learned how to bring together music, vocal technique, and movement. She’s also mastered the nuts and bolts of performance, such as speaking in dialects, learning the physiology of the vocal chords, and projecting in front of an audience.
“Willamette is so great because they really emphasize having that well-rounded experience, which I'm so grateful for because then you get to do both the onstage and backstage stuff and beyond,” Stein says.
Stein is now halfway through a year studying abroad at York St. John University in the U.K., where she is getting an international perspective on musical theatre. But she’s already looking forward to returning to Salem to complete her degree.
“I'm just so excited to go back and do everything one final time and make it as big and amazing as possible,” Stein says. “I can’t wait to be part of the musical, the opera, and — Shakespeare is happening my senior year!”
