Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Not every city has the resources necessary for artists to enjoy a thriving career in their hometowns. Luckily for Kyle Haden, his hometown happens to be Pittsburgh.
“As a kid who grew up here, it’s just cool to know that you don’t have to go far to have these possibilities,” said Haden, a Bethel Park native.
7 comments:
I have tickets to go see “Christmas at Pemberley” and I am so excited. At the time I got the tickets, I didn’t realize how many people from CMU are actually involved in the show. I know I would have enjoyed the show no matter what, as I’m a sucker for anything Christmas or considered a period piece. But having a personal connection to a show makes the experience more enjoyable. More to the focus of the article, I like what Kyle said about having possibilities in your home town. I am a little sad that I won’t ever have the opportunity to return to my hometown and find almost any jobs in stage management that aren’t community theater. I find Pittsburgh to be unique in its big-city size but hometown feeling. The fact that we have access to multiple professional opportunities here means we have the chance to remain in Pittsburgh after graduation (and as someone who has fallen in love with this city I greatly appreciate that).
I really like the fact that Carnegie Mellon drama students are able to both go to school and work professionally simultaneously as I feel like this would allow for a smooth transition between student and professional life. I sadly don't think I'll have a chance to see "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley," but I would have loved the opportunity to support fellow CMU students and see a local show as I have not yet experienced very much theater in Pittsburgh outside of CMU's shows. I relate to Kyle's wish to do theater in his hometown, and I am very greatful that I will likely be able to have that experience. I grew up in DC and would love to be a part of the great theater scene there. I love DC and it feels like home to me, so I am very lucky that it does have theater and I can continue my theater career there.
I hope that I can go see this show! I think that it is really exciting to see so many people I know from the School of Drama and people I have seen around in the School of Drama work professionally in shows that are in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, I will not be able to go see “Christmas at Pemberley”, but it was lovely to read this article about working in one's hometown. I think that as an international student, it is interesting to read about Kyle’s experience and joy about working in his hometown. I always wish that, like Kyle, whether it is back home or in America, I could find opportunities to work where I felt at home. I also forgot that there is luckiness in Pittsburgh's location. It is not a crazy metropolitan city like NYC or LA, where the competition is insane, but it is still a large city with many opportunities and alumni that have led the way for us in the past.
I think it is really cool to see that so many Carnegie Mellon students and alumni work on productions together, and especially have the opportunity as current students to do projects outside of the school. I hope in the upcoming years I will also be able to do some work outside of the CMU bubble. Christmas at Pemberley sounds like a very fun show and I am a big fan of the original Pride and Prejudice novel and subsequent film adaptations. This production looks so fun, and the people that I know who are a part of it are fantastic so I’m sure the show will be a big hit. I have yet to see a City Theatre production but I have been keeping an eye out for their productions they have been putting on. I hope I am able to see the show before it closes and I wish the cast and crew the best of runs!
I thought this article was beautifully written. I’ve known Kyle Haden for a long time and his sentiments towards being able to work where you grew up resonated with me deeply. There is something about getting to work in a familiar place surrounded by the people you love, I know shocking that that is the case. I see a world in which I work in my home town, although it is small so likely not for long but it would be super fun. As someone who definitely now considers Pittsburgh home it is super comforting to know that there is plenty of professional work here in the city. Additionally, the connections that I have made in Pittsburgh will have changed my life for the better which I appreciate endlessly. I will be seeing this show sometime next week and I am super excited. It is always so cool to go to a show outside of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and still get to support my friends. It will be a fun show to see that I’m sure will get me in the holiday spirit.
Congratulations to all the CMU alumni, faculty, and students who have worked so hard on the show on their official opening! This is such an incredible opportunity for students to experience working professionally and still be supported by faculty they know and trust. Sustaining oneself for seventeen performances definitely is a skill that comes with practice.Everyone I have talked to has absolutely raved about the show, so I am looking forward to seeing it. I am grateful for the wide network of CMU alumni that expands across the industry and hope I am able to take advantage of that as I begin to work professionally. It is reassuring to know one doesn’t have to be very familiar with Jane Austin’s work to enjoy the show, but of course anyone who is familiar will understand the complexity of character relations. Maybe this will be the push I needed to finally watch Pride and Prejudice.
I was able to see ‘Christmas at Pemberley’ and really enjoyed it! It was so cool seeing how many CMU students and alumni were involved, it definitely made me get excited for possible future opportunities. It was also so exciting to see people that I knew in the production! The set as well was very beautiful, I liked how the hallway/back of the wall receded as if it led to other rooms, it added a lot of depth to the piece. Overall the whole piece read as Jane Austen very well, and really encapsulated the holiday feel. I thought it was really cool that the scrim they were using as their curtain rolled to the left instead of being flown up. It surprised me and I felt changed the atmosphere of the opening scene which I really enjoyed. Also, outside the windows they spontaneously dropped snowflakes down on the floor, which was a cool effect but I wonder if something dropped them automatically or if someone was sitting above the window the whole show sprinkling snowflakes - is a fun thought :)
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