College of Fine Arts Student Refines Theatre Role Through Creative Research
Gilbreath worked alongside playwright Joe Stollenwerk, Ph.D., assistant professor of theatre, and director Chaya Gordon-Bland, associate professor of theatre, to create the role of Hecuba from the ground up.
Gilbreath studied Ancient Greek theatre and history as well as the mythology behind the places and people that surrounded the Trojan War. Her research assisted her and the direction team in fully building the character of Hecuba, her relationships and the reasons behind her words and actions throughout the show.
“The inspiration for this research directly correlated to what my goal was in the undertaking of this show: to take the mythological character of Hecuba and ground her in reality,” Gilbreath said of her project.
“She brought many ideas to the table during the cast’s textual analysis of the play and was a true collaborator,” said Stollenwerk. “She was able to incorporate many script changes that occurred during the rehearsal process and gave helpful feedback on making edits and cuts.”
Expanding upon her work from “These Women of Troy,” Gilbreath took the opportunity to travel to Greece to attend the Greek Summer Acting Intensive in July of 2022. There, she took what she accomplished during her research at USD and expanded upon it.
“I worked with a group of brilliant artists to devise a show based off Madeline Miller’s ‘Circe,’ and when we weren’t workshopping our show, we were studying, watching or discussing other Ancient Greek plays,” Gilbreath recalled. “It was a trip I will never forget, and the work I did with my peers in Greece still influences how I view theatre and art today.”
After graduating with her BFA in musical theatre, Gilbreath plans to continue auditioning for projects like the ones she has been involved with and hopes to move to New York City to pursue a career in performing arts. Her goal in this field is to create art and foster communities with other artists to create performances that resonate with audiences across the world.
“I am proud how my research has changed my view on the world of theatre and the shows that are created,” Gilbreath said. “I will continue to seek out ways to create art that will impact people.”
