A Day in Hollywood, A Time in My Life: A Reflection on the Process and Production of TCU's A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine

Ruff, Abigail

Publication

A Day in Hollywood, A Time in My Life: A Reflection on the Process and Production of TCU's A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine

Ruff, Abigail

Date

2016

Additional date(s)

2016-05-19

Abstract

This paper details my experiences choreographing the musical A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine for Theatre TCU. I will document how my interest as a choreographer first piqued and the steps I took to in order to apply for the position of choreographer, as well as the journey of casting, rehearsing, and going through the tech and performance weeks. I will then conclude with a post-show analysis and review how the entire process gave me a new perspective on choreography and how my future endeavors have been shaped by this process. A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine shed new light on how to be a more well-rounded choreographer, performer, and theatre artist in general. The show taught me how to compromise when I could, stand up for what mattered, that theatre productions are a collaborative effort and it takes an entire team to put on an upstanding production, and, most importantly, that when dancing is needed in a show, it must be used for storytelling, not just for spectacle. These arguments and bits of knowledge are supported within my work as a choreographer and will continue to be prevalent in my works to come.