On Monday, March 11, Mesa Dramatic Arts majors were thrilled when five Mesa College
alumni came to speak with current students about their journey in the performing arts
thus far. The panel, titled Life Post Mesa in the Performing Arts: Transfer and more, was organized by Drama Professor George Ye’. He explained that he wanted to show
current students a “cross section of people with different pathways.”
Malachi Beasly appeared via zoom from New York. Like many Mesa students, his path
to Mesa was, at times, winding. He described failing his first year at Southwestern
College in Chula Vista, feeling a sense of shock at the difficulty of classes and
college in general. Subsequently, he joined the United States Military, serving at
the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. When he returned to San Diego, he came to Mesa to play
football as a Mesa Olympian and took classes in the Drama program. Malachi pursued
his dream by transferring to Cal State Long Beach where he continued to study drama.
He has since earned his MFA in acting at the prestigious Yale Drama School. Now, he
is pursuing an acting career in New York
All the panelists spoke to the highs and lows they have faced while pursuing a career
in the performing arts. Deepti Kingra, currently a working actress in Los Angeles,
transferred to Cal State Northridge after earning her AA degree in Dramatic Arts at
Mesa. While at Mesa, she designed, produced, and acted in Mesa College Theatre Company
productions. Deepti reminded the students that staying local and working on smaller
productions, like independent and student films, can “only help” develop your career.
This message was reinforced by other panelists as well. Kaivan Mohsenzadeh, who was
fresh from hosting a pro-wrestling event the night before, explained that he feels
his success in the performing arts has come from being interested in, invested in,
and knowledgeable about many facets of the industry. Emilee Zuniga also shared that
the Mesa Drama Program taught her transferable skills that she uses today. Emilee
just completed a successful run starring in Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company’s
production of “How I Learned to Drive.” While speaking, she was recognized by several
members of the crowd, who had been to see her in the production just the night before.
The alumni also responded to questions and provided concrete advice. Lexsy McKowen,
an actress based in Los Angeles whose credits include the Hallmark movie, “Marry Me
in Yosemite”, gave insights into the business of getting work in Hollywood. She recently
signed with a notable agency, and initiated a discussion about the complex and occasionally
ambiguous process of getting work as an actor. In particular, one student asked a
deceptively simple question, “How do you tell whether an agent is good?” The panelists
took the time to explain the complex hierarchy of agents, using their own experiences
to illustrate the system’s benefits and pitfalls.
Malachi, Deepti, Kaivan, Emilee, and Lexsy connected with the students, and they had
high praise for the training, education, and experience they received while at Mesa.
To vigorous head-nodding agreement from his fellow panelists, Kaivan observed, “my
passion [for performing arts] came from working in Mesa College Theatre Company.”
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| Kaivan Mohsenzadeh performs in the Mesa College Theatre Company's 2018 production
of Peter and the Starcatcher |
This Spring 2024, the College Theatre Company will present William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, April 19-28th at the San Diego Mesa College Apolliad Theatre. Tickets can be purchased
at this link: https://mesacollegetheatrecompany.ludus.com/
About San Diego Mesa College Theatre Company
The Mesa College Theater Company, a two-year training program for Dramatic Arts Majors,
has been producing quality shows and quality theater artists for over fifteen years.
Individuals who become a part of Mesa College Theater Company get the unique opportunity
of having hands-on theater training while working towards an AA degree. Utilizing
a main stage theatre and a New York style black box theatre, students are involved
in the experience of creating a show from the ground up. Students apply what they
learn in their acting and design classes to produce two quality shows each semester--all
shows are student acted, designed, built and crewed and one production each season
is student directed. The four-semester program provides students with a good foundation
for successful transfer to four-year programs such as San Diego State, UCSD, UCI,
UCLA, San Francisco State, CSU Long Beach, Harvard's Acting Program, ACT, and the
Miesner Institute. MCTC graduates are working in the film and television industries
as well as holding positions at the La Jolla Playhouse, the Old Globe Theater and
the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Find them on social media @mesacollegetheatrecompany.
Tags: Press Release, LatestNews, Alumni, Dramatic Arts
