{"id":12401,"date":"2013-11-14T08:48:47","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T13:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/?p=12401"},"modified":"2013-11-14T08:48:47","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T13:48:47","slug":"stage-presence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2013\/11\/14\/stage-presence\/","title":{"rendered":"Stage Presence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nicholas McGovern \u201914 never planned to major in theater at the University of Mary Washington. He never considered auditioning for a play and had no idea he had the talent to make it on stage. He didn\u2019t realize that he could sing, let alone belt out a tune in front of hundreds or be accepted into a competitive summer acting school.\u00a0 He never dreamed he would play a lead in the musical \u201cSpring Awakening\u201d at Klein Theatre.<\/p>\n

\"McGovern<\/a>
McGovern spent the summer in New York City as part of a prestigious acting program.
Photo by Geoff Greene.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But, in a space of a year, it all happened. And it all started with baseball.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Springfield, Va., McGovern was surrounded by his sports-loving family. Between McGovern and his cousins, they covered all ranges of sports from ice hockey and lacrosse to cheerleading and collegiate sailing. McGovern swam, played football and baseball, for which he was recruited to play on the varsity team at UMW.<\/p>\n

Although he declared a major in business, McGovern took a theater class during his freshmen year to fill a general education requirement.<\/p>\n

In that theatre class, on the very first day, something clicked for McGovern.<\/p>\n

With a rapidly growing interest, McGovern took more classes in the Department of Theatre and Dance<\/a> and began to notice parallels between theater and baseball that helped him refine his newfound acting skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing anything competitive is great for acting,\u201d said McGovern, explaining how playing sports helped him develop mental stamina for being on stage. \u201cYou have to commit, be brave and spontaneous for both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gregg Stull<\/a>, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance<\/a>, said theater and sports both require a great amount of concentration and effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe intense rehearsals don\u2019t even faze him,\u201d said Stull.<\/p>\n

McGovern excelled in his classes, and in his junior year the faculty encouraged him to audition for the fall musical \u201cInto the Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n

He decided to give it a shot. After a baseball workout, he headed straight to the theater.<\/p>\n

“I had never auditioned and never sang, and it was terrifying,\u201d said McGovern. \u201cI had no clue what I was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He left the audition with his legs shaking.<\/p>\n

\"McGovern<\/a>
McGovern (center) and fellow “Spring Awakening” actors in a recent rehearsal.
Photo by Norm Shafer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To his surprise, he made it.<\/p>\n

For his theatre debut, McGovern played Jack, a young man who traded his beloved cow for magic beans. Standing in the spotlight on stage in full makeup, dyed hair and suspenders, he was almost unrecognizable to his family in the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents turned to each other and said, \u2018who is this guy?\u2019\u201d said McGovern. They had never heard their son sing.<\/p>\n

After landing a role in UMW\u2019s spring production of \u201cHarvey,\u201d and with more auditions popping up, McGovern turned his attention to acting and declared a major in theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like the stars aligning,\u201d he said. \u201cI just kinda knew I was a theatre kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

With encouragement and support from his baseball teammates and coach, McGovern left the team to go to his calling.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The baseball team] come to shows, and I do my best to keep up with their season,\u201d said McGovern. \u201cIt’s about the best outcome that could have happened when I decided to focus my attention on theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he ended his first semester as a theatre major, McGovern sat down with Stull to make plans for the summer<\/a>, to catch up on his training. With his professor\u2019s assistance, McGovern was accepted into a summer intensive program at the Atlantic Acting School<\/a>, an internationally acclaimed school which has fostered actors like Jessica Alba and Elizabeth Olsen.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nicholas<\/a>
Nicholas McGovern (center, standing on chair) plans to move to New York after graduation to pursue acting.
Photo by Geoff Greene.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI think it really did change him remarkably,\u201d said Stull.<\/p>\n

This fall, only one year since his first performance, McGovern is fresh from New York, and ready to tackle the role of Melchior in \u201cSpring Awakening.\u201d<\/a> The show ran through Nov. 24 at Klein Theatre.<\/a><\/p>\n

McGovern was joined on stage by a dynamic cast of UMW students from various majors and disciplines. Everyone can audition for UMW theatre, leaving the door open for anyone to explore the world of acting, said Stull.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting for us when students discover something new about themselves,\u201d said Stull.<\/p>\n

After McGovern graduates in May, he plans to move to New York to give acting his all. And he\u2019s already promised his former baseball coach tickets to his first Broadway show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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