Graduates of the UW–Madison School of Education are enjoying successful careers in fields across the arts, health, and education — and we are excited to share what they are doing today.
Following is a Q&A with Marcus Jahn, who graduated in 2016 with a BS in Theatre and Drama and Political Science.
How did you get interested in this field/major?
I’ve always had a passion for theatre and acting, but it was more of a side thing. My parents were more traditional so they pushed me towards law and politics. I came into school thinking I was pre-law, with theatre just being an outlet as something I enjoyed. I wanted to be a defense attorney, and so I thought also getting a degree in Theatre and Drama would set myself apart — I think theatre artists bring a lot to the table in any field. Although I didn’t end up pursuing law school, earning a Theatre and Drama degree opened doors for me.
What are you doing today (professionally, or where are you pursuing further education)?
I’m a freelance actor and producer. I’ve been working steadily as a producer for a mobile app company while doing freelance acting on the side, with a few contracts for commercial products as a spokesman. For the last five years, I’ve been fully in the industry. I was an audiobook narrator for a little more than a year. I worked for Netflix for 13 months and voiced assets for Netflix’s show, “After School.” I’ve stayed involved in, not quite the theatre industry per se, but certainly in the performing arts. You don’t have to use a strict definition of “theatre” to apply a Theatre and Drama degree to a career.
What was your most meaningful experience with the Theatre and Drama program?
The Theatre and Drama program, unlike other Big 10 schools, is pretty tight-knit and connected. You really get to know the same people over a few years and build relationships, which is meaningful networking. The closeness and growing with my class was such a unique and meaningful experience to me. I wasn’t expecting a community-based feeling at such a big university. Having the professors know you and being able to say “hi” to you on a random day was really nice. I bailed on law school because of my wonderful experiences with the Department of Theatre and Drama, and I’m doing what I’m doing now because of them and can’t imagine doing anything else.
What was an impactful lesson you learned by majoring in Theatre and Drama?
I learned about how to be a human, a worker, an adult, and a member of something bigger than myself, more than just in a purely academic setting. Certain classes built tools and foundations that I still draw on. I felt like my teachers and advisors really understood the theatre and drama industry, and a huge part of the industry is just understanding life. There were so many times when I learned about what an actual connection with another person is. I’ve learned about interpersonal skills and how to work with people, and sometimes, knowing how to work with people you don’t like just to create an incredible product is a very useful life lesson.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
My sophomore year I took Acting 250 with Instructor Whitney Derendinger. The language he used to connect me with the material spoke to me on a level that I never had by any professor, coach, or teacher before. I felt like I grew as a performer, and a student — theatre student in particular. It was then that I had this feeling that I was on the right path.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about your time at the School of Education or UW–Madison?
In terms of the Theatre and Drama program, I’m extremely thankful. It’s not something I expected coming in, but had I known just how many opportunities this program would create for me, I would have made the decision to major in Theater and Drama from the get go.