Emory & Henry senior Hahna Kaleigh Bowyer lands acting job
After graduating in May 2020 with her Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre, Hahna Kaleigh Bowyer, from Blacksburg, VA., will be making the move to Roswell, Georgia to join the Apprentice Company at Georgia Ensemble Theatre for a year-round acting job. This job focuses on theatre for young audiences, and these apprentices act as Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s ambassadors to the metro-Atlanta community. Many people might recognize her from her work with the Barter Player during her 2018 internship at Abingdon’s Barter Theatre, the state theatre of Virginia. She has also been in various campus productions, most recently as the lead of Elle Woods for “Legally Blonde: The Musical”.
“Emory & Henry gave me the resources and the training to really develop a greater understanding, appreciation, and skill for professional theatre,” says Bowyer. “Through my classes which range anywhere from Theatre History courses, dance classes, voice lessons, and master classes with working theatre professionals, I have cultivated a set of skills that has allowed me to attend auditions and conferences, get callbacks, and book professional jobs in theatre.”
Bowyer’s parents met through theatre and she has been involved with it her entire life, performing nonstop since she was a toddler in community theatre. It was making connections during the 2018 internship with the Barter Players where she developed a passion for theatre as a tool for education, youth outreach, and community service. Bowyer approaches her art with the intention of reaching a diverse audience as possible, and wants to bring them the stories they need to hear. She has been able to forge connections with her lifelong experience and growth as a performer, along with the passion for theatre for young audiences and the opportunities for education and engagement.
“The professors in the Theatre Department have taught me an abundance of things about being a professional and about being a human. Annalee Tull and Rachel Black both were a crucial part of my education and growth as a theatre performer. No matter what, Annalee Tull always encouraged us to push ourselves while still acknowledging how much we have accomplished. This ideal has given me the confidence and motivation to pursue jobs, training, and feedback that has been essential to my career thus far. “
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Through my classes which range anywhere from Theatre History courses, dance classes, voice lessons, and master classes with working theatre professionals, I have cultivated a set of skills that has allowed me to attend auditions and conferences, get callbacks, and book professional jobs in theatre.
- Hahna Kaleigh Bowyer