For students involved in the arts at Gettysburg College, the opportunity to work with professionals in the fields they are interested in allows them to cultivate their knowledge and enduring skills to pursue their passions.
This past semester, the Theatre Arts Department welcomed Tony Award-winning actress Trazana Beverley as the guest director of the fall play, “Animal Farm.” With her guidance, Gettysburg students staged an adaptation of George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm,” from Oct. 24-27, 2024 in Kline Theatre, depicting a satirical story of animals forming a totalitarian society.
An actress, director, and educator, Beverley came to Gettysburg with a strong dedication to the arts and expertise in many scopes of entertainment, all stemming from a love of acting from a young age. She received her undergraduate theater training at the NYU School of the Arts and has worked on several film projects throughout her career with notable figures, including Oprah Winfrey. In 1977, she earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in the Broadway production of “For Colored Girls,” a story about seven Black women who live interconnected lives in New York City and navigate their struggles together as women of color.
With experience in theater pedagogy and leading workshops at institutions such as the Juilliard School and Purchase College, Beverley continues to travel to schools nationwide to share her experiences with the next generation of performers and technicians of theater, with Gettysburg being one stop of many in a field of constant motion.
Before coming to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for an extended stay from late August to performance week, Beverley had never visited the town, but now appreciates the consequential place where Gettysburgians live and learn. Beverley learned of this opportunity from Theatre Arts Prof. Susan Russell, whom she met online during the COVID-19 pandemic through a mutual pastor and invited her to campus.
“Gettysburg is quite historic and beautiful. The scenery is just breathtaking,” said Beverley. “Susan has been a member of this faculty for many years, and it is a very normal thing for colleges and universities to bring a professional person for a different lane of performance focus.”
With Beverley’s mentorship, bringing knowledge from her extensive experience in theater, students not only took on acting roles, but also assumed stage managing and directing responsibilities for a fully student-run production. This experience built their knowledge and enduring skills in all aspects of theater.
“I have a very broad base of experience, and one thing informs the other as I direct and as I write or teach or act,” Beverley said. “That’s a very beautiful thing because it gives you a very broad perspective.”
Beverley hopes that experiences in theater, such as this one, will help students follow their passions and appreciate the arts, despite uncertainties in the field.
“If you want to make your life a career at being an artist, you have to hustle,” she said. “It’s like a calling that you must pursue. There is something wired into the soul of mankind that needs to see beautiful things and hear something that stimulates the mind and imagination and moves the heart.”
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By Ainsley Green ’27
Photos by Abbey Frisco
Posted: 02/05/25