Current freshman at Towson University, Taylor Rieland, is the supportive lead in the spring musical this year: Spring Awakening. Between the many shows, even more rehearsals, loads of schoolwork, and auditioning for other plays, and Taylor was kind enough to sit down and give an interview (and mini photoshoot)!
Her Campus: Congratulations on all the success that the show is having! Tell me about your character.
Taylor Rieland: Thank you! Hanschen Rilow is a very complex person. He’s very comfortable with himself physically and doesn’t put up with a lot of drama. He’s very cocky and manipulative and at times. There are things he wants so badly and can’t have because of outside forces like his religion and people wanting things for him. But I try to bring out a side of him that is loveable.
HC: How many freshmen total are in the musical?
TR: There are five of us total. The cast is very small but talented.
HC: How long ago were auditions? Were you nervous?
TR: Auditions were in the beginning of October. There was a big break between auditions and actually rehearsing for the play – which was a very short rehearsal process. In the meantime, we [the cast] were responsible for learning the dialogue and exploring our characters. I was really nervous because it was my first audition for the acting track.
HC: What did you do to prepare?
TR: We had to prepare 16 bars for the audition piece. I ended up messing up completely and I was really distraught because I thought I wasn’t good enough. I surprisingly got a callback for a character that’s not mine, but while they were pairing up different people who also got callbacks to see which potential lovers looked and sang the best together, they saw something in me that they liked and cast me as Hanschen.
HC: How long ago did the cast actually begin rehearsing?
TR: Not until March 1st. Like I said, the rehearsal process is very short. It’s actually really nerve-wracking and only takes about a month to rehearse for, opposed to the month and a half it takes to rehearse a play. Compared to high school, college rehearsals are a lot longer – especially the night rehearsals.
HC: Tell me what the musical is about.
TR: It’s set in Germany 1891 in a very provincial town, where parents are afraid to define the definition of sex or sexual acts to their children. The children end up exploring ways to feed the urges they are having, even though their parents are forcing them to believe that these urges are not right and are against their religion. Many things are discovered throughout the play as the characters admit deep dark secrets that they have kept hidden due to their fear of rejection. Themes such as abuse, homosexuality, suicide, and abortion, are all evident in this musical based on the German play by Frank Wedekind.
HC: Is musical theatre something you want to pursue? What is your major?
TR: Yes. My major is acting but I’m trying to make a makeshift musical theatre degree because there isn’t a musical theatre degree here. So I’m taking acting classes here and taking singing and dancing classes on the side so I can tie them all together in grad school.
HC: What is the most challenging thing about being a freshman with a supportive lead role in one of the biggest shows of the year?
TR: Trying to hold my own weight amongst everyone in the ensemble. It wasn’t a big problem because the people around me are phenomenal upperclassmen and I was able to work with them to make myself better. It was challenging at first, but it ended up being a blessing.
If you are interested in seeing the musical, there are four more shows left: Wednesday, May 8th and Thursday, May 9th at 7:30pm, and Friday, May 10th and Saturday, May 11th at 8pm at Mainstage Theatre in Center for the Arts.
It is recommended for mature audiences.
We wish Taylor all the best with the remaining shows and the shows he is in the process of auditioning for right now and thank him for his time.
Images courtesy of Cydney Humphrey.