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Jennifer Sassaman
Jennifer hails from the Washington,
D.C. area and will be pursuing an MFA in
Direction this fall at Florida State University.
A talented actress and singer from Bradford's
creative arts program, Jennifer's approach to
the performing arts is focused on reaching out
to others... she wrote "if the most basic
responsibilities of theater are to entertain,
expand boundaries and educate, my fundamental
aim is to use these elements to improve and
build community. I am driven by the
conviction that I can make lives better through
art -- using both laughter and adversity to
engage the audience directly with critically
important issues."
Since graduation, Jennifer's resume reflects
a journey devoted to using theater as a tool for
enrichment. In addition to founding her
own not-for-profit theater company, performing,
directing, writing and adapting plays, she has
taught voice, piano, theater and dance and has
coached and mentored countless young adults to
be, as Jennifer says, "stronger performers
who are more comfortable with their senses of
self." She has also used those skills
to volunteer for both political and civil rights
organizations and to implement summer sessions
for young theater professionals and an outreach
program for "at risk" inner-city youth in a
school lacking a theater program for over a
decade.
One of her former students, now a
professional actress, writes this about
Jennifer: "growing up, I always felt a bit out
of place in my family and experienced a mounting
insecurity each year... It was then that I met
Jennifer... I cannot express the importance of
courage and confidence that Jennifer has helped
me to achieve; and the community she created has
made all the pains of this business much more
bearable... She brings out the individuality in
people and gives them the courage to be unique."
Jennifer herself is quite unique.
Having done Spanish immersion in Costa Rica, she
aims to use her graduate work to bring
Shakespeare to their people. "I would like
an opportunity to prove Shakespeare is a
warm-blooded playwright with a cold-blooded
reputation." She is also developing a
bilingual version of West Side Story to reach a
wider audience.
The scholarship committee is positive
Jennifer will take charge to realize her goals
and bring them to successful fruition for the
benefit of many. |
