By Jakob Miller, Division of the Arts
Since his first theatrical performance in third grade, Jameson Milhaupt knew he wanted to be an actor. But the UW–Madison junior double majoring in theatre and political science never imagined all the roles he’d be taking on by his third year of college: Entrepreneur. Scenic Carpenter. Marketing coordinator for a student org. Maybe most fun of all, getting cast in the Department of Theatre and Drama’s fall production of “Dance Nation” to play Pat, an overbearing dance teacher inspired by Abby Lee Miller from the popular reality television show “Dance Moms.”
“Dance Nation” was just an absolutely incredible experience,” Milhaupt says. “It was a really fun experience and a really challenging experience for me as an actor.”
The challenge came in the form of the role he was tapped to embody. “The character that I played, Dance Teacher Pat, is really kind of a terrible person,” Milhaupt says. “He’s very mean. He’s very rude, condescending to the dancers in this play.”
That break from his usual roles pushed him to think harder, and go outside his comfort zone and try to empathize with someone he didn’t like. “At some level I have to agree with what he’s saying because if I don’t agree with what he’s saying, it’s a less authentic performance,” he explains. “Even if it’s a minuscule justification for his actions, I do have to search for some sort of justification.”
Milhaupt’s theater presence isn’t limited to just the spotlight. Behind the scenes, he works as a scenic carpenter in the Department of Theatre and Drama’s scene shop. “I’ve helped build pretty much every production, both last year and including ‘Dance Nation,’” he says. “It also is such a payoff to work for weeks and weeks building a set from basically nothing, completely from scratch. … We’re acting on the set that I built, I just think that’s pretty cool.”
Milhaupt also studies political science and is pursuing a certificate in entrepreneurship, and he sees connections between these worlds. “Theater requires me to be a people-person, to be able to solve conflict, to work with peers to achieve a common goal,” he says. “And I think all three of those things really play a big role in political science and entrepreneurship as well.”
On top of that, Milhaupt also serves as PR and marketing coordinator for InterMission Theatre, a registered student organization that “empowers students to create performance art through interdisciplinary collaboration.” He sees it as his way of bridging the gap between his poli-sci mind and his theater passion, and believes the arts matter for every student, not just for those who major in theatre.
“I think it’s important for anybody to engage with the arts,” he says. “I think the arts are a very important aspect of our society and our lives. And I think that it often gets overlooked just because of the stigma that there is around how arts aren’t really as important as a kind of a commodity or a hobby.”
This is where he believes campus involvement can make a difference. In other words, taking on as many roles as possible. “If we were able to get more students involved in university theater, both in the shops backstage and on stage, or in student theater organizations, I think that we could really destigmatize the arts,” he says. “What I think people forget is that the arts have such a profound impact on our mental state and our personality as a whole.”
Greater participation isn’t just about filling seats or recruiting more performers. It’s about changing the way the arts are seen and valued. “Sometimes when you can’t see that effect on paper, it often gets overlooked,” he says. “I think that the more people we get involved in any sort of artistic venue, we can really start to work towards bringing the arts up to these other topics and subjects that aren’t always overlooked.”
Milhaupt’s commitment to theater isn’t temporary. “Theater will always play the most major role in my life from now on,” he says. “I really am doing my best to set myself up for a life in theater because that’s just what I’m passionate about. … And there’s so much you can do in theater that’s not just acting. For example, that entrepreneurship certificate. I mean, I could open my own theater company … I really don’t see theater taking a backseat anytime soon.”
By the time he leaves UW–Madison, Milhaupt will have been an actor, a carpenter, a marketer, a student, and a leader. Each role has shown him how theater is not only a performance, but also a community, and a way to make an impact.
Those lessons will stay with him long after college. Whether he starts his own company, keeps working in theater, or steps into a completely new field, Milhaupt carries a strong belief in how powerful the arts can be. After trying on many roles at UW–Madison, he’s ready for whatever the next act may bring.
Jakob Miller is a student staff writer and photographer for the Division of the Arts.