Name: Elijah Wood
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Psychology/Theatre
Hometown: Houlton, WI
Meet Elijah Wood: no, he’s not the actor from “The Lord of the Rings” franchise; he just happens to have the same name. Eli is an energetic individual with a busy lifestyle. When he is not studying, he is at play rehearsals. When Eli is not rehearsing, he is on-duty as a Resident Assistant in Prentiss-Lucas (P-L) hall. Eli has a million things on his plate but somehow manages to keep it all under control. Meet this guy and see how he does it all!
HC Winona (HC): Tell us a little about yourself!
Eli Wood (EW): I have been performing since the age of 5. My dad would do coffee shop gigs and he would have my sister and I come along and perform songs. I started theatre in middle school and have loved doing it ever since. I love singing and playing guitar. The dream is to be a high school counselor and to help out with the plays in the school.
Below is me in the Skits Outreach Services (SOS) for youth company, where I got started in theatre.
HC: Your major is Psychology. How did you chose your major?
EW: I want to become a counselor someday. Psychology is the best route in my opinion to achieve that goal.
HC: You are a Resident Assistant (RA) in P-L this year. What influenced you to decide to be an RA?
EW: I wanted to do this job because of how similar it is to the kind of social work I want to do when I get older.
HC: What is the best thing about being an RA?
EW: I get to meet new freshman and help them out while being paid. It is quite similar to what I want to do when I get older.
HC: You are in the production of “Spamalot,” which starts on October 19th. How did you get involved in theatre?
EW: I joined a group called SOS for youth which is a theatre group that travels to schools to do skits about teen social issues. It had a great impact on my life and it set the groundwork for my future interests. After that, I started to audition for plays in my high school and in college.
HC: Can you explain a little about what “Spamalot” is about? Maybe tell us a little about who your character is?
EW: It is a very silly comedic spoof of King Arthur. He is on a quest to find the Holy Grail with his knights of the round table. I play the Knight, Sir Galahad. He is a bit of a drama queen and he joins Arthur on the quest after being transformed from a peasant to a knight by another character named The Lady of the Lake.
HC: You are a very busy person; how do you balance everything? Any tips for our readers?
EW: My advice is to communicate and to chunk your work. Not everything has to be done in one day. Set goals on what can be accomplished. Also communicate with peers so they know when you are and are not available. Also, using time for relaxation as well. Recognizing when you are burnt out is essential. I go for walks or spend time doing other things so I don’t over stress about everything.
As you can see, you can do it all! Eli’s life seems hectic, but he embraces it and finds ways to balance and manage everything in a way that allows for some fun in his life, which is how it should be.
Be sure to check out “Spamalot” on October 19- 23 in Vivian Fusillo Theatre at the PAC on campus!