{"id":165120,"date":"2026-04-16T15:31:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=165120"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:33:54","slug":"professional-performance-begins-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/04\/16\/professional-performance-begins-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional performance begins here"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Evelyn<\/a>

Wright State musical theatre major Evelyn Vortriede plays Jackie Coryton in the Human Race Theatre Company\u2019s production of \u201cHay Fever.\u201d (Photo by Judd Plattenburg)<\/p><\/div>\n

The strength of the acting program first drew Skye Hodgkin and Evelyn Vordtriede to Wright State University from Michigan and Missouri, but it was the fine arts environment that landed Wright State the starring role of the college<\/em> in their lives.<\/p>\n

Right now, audiences can have fun seeing the skills Hodgkin and Vordtriede have shaped within that environment as they share the stage in \u201cHay Fever\u201d with Dayton\u2019s Human Race Theatre Company. It\u2019s a comedy by No\u00ebl Coward playing at The Loft Theatre through April 19. View showtimes and purchase tickets.<\/a><\/p>\n

From their first experience with Wright State, they both talked about the intangibles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like they saw me the most,\u201d said Hodgkin, a senior acting major<\/a>, recalling her initial visit to Wright State and the people she met during her trip. \u201cLike, I felt the most human at that audition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Skye<\/a>

Acting major Skye Hodgkin as Sorel Bliss in a performance of \u201cHay Fever.\u201d (Photo by Judd Plattenburg)<\/p><\/div>\n

The feeling of belonging helps create the space to do more than perform; it\u2019s where transformation becomes possible. It provides a foundation for growth that deepens through experiences built into Wright State\u2019s program, like opportunities to work with professional actors in productions like \u201cHay Fever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vordtriede, a junior musical theatre major<\/a>, auditioned for more than 20 schools before choosing Wright State for its balance of excellence and support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe standards are high, but it doesn\u2019t feel overly competitive,\u201d said Vordtriede. \u201cEveryone is kind \u2026 and when it\u2019s time to work, we know it\u2019s time to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s important as students step from academia into the working world. \u201cHay Fever\u201d was rehearsed over the course of three weeks. Hodgkin and Vordtriede worked alongside experienced actors, navigating a faster pace and higher expectations than a typical university production.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a great stepping stone,\u201d Hodgkin said. \u201cGoing from an academic environment into a more realistic, professional environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the biggest shift wasn\u2019t the pace \u2014 it was in mindset. The experience allowed them to develop trust in their training. For Hodgkin, it was freeing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re so kind to themselves,\u201d she said about the pros they are working with. \u201cThey don\u2019t take anything too personally.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sparked a change in how she observes and approaches her own work.<\/p>\n

Vordtriede was also leaning in to lessons from her castmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re expected to come in and do the work,\u201d she said, describing the difference between making adjustments based on constant feedback versus short directives and reliance on her preparation and instincts \u2014 an essential step toward becoming a working performer.<\/p>\n

For Wright State acting graduates, working<\/em> is the point. Alumni of the acting program are as well known in the industry for the strength of their work as their ethic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWright State workhorses,\u201d said Hodgkin. \u201cThat\u2019s what people in New York call our acting and musical theatre majors. Because if you want to get something done, and you want it to be done well, you get someone from Wright State.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opportunities to perform in productions like \u201cHay Fever\u201d help the university continue that tradition.<\/p>\n

For audiences, the result is a fun performance that can help you forget your phone, your politics or your problems for at least 90 minutes. For the students, it\u2019s something more lasting \u2014 an opportunity for growth that shapes how they see themselves, and the roles they\u2019ll play next.<\/p>\n

Explore more:<\/strong><\/p>\n