In May of her senior year of high school, junior Caroline Colino was set to go to the University of Delaware to study biology. The Delaware native went to an arts high school in Wilmington, Delaware, starting off on a singing track and switching to the acting track her junior year.
Her involvement in the theater prompted her to change her mind about her college plans.
“I heard about Elon [University] from a friend who was here for music theater,” Colino said. “I didn’t get in until May, because I was on the waitlist for my program.”
Though she started late, when Colino began the acting program, she threw herself into every possible role that she could while also painting sets when needed and helping out whenever possible.
Her active role brought her to another switch: acting to directing.
“I always felt this pressure freshman year — and kind of sophomore year — to have to prove myself, and it is probably what lead me to directing,” she said.
Colino is directing this year’s production of “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams for Alpha Psi Omega, the national theater honor society. This was Williams’ first major play that set him up as one of the most famous playwrights in history. It also is one of his most well-known works to date.
Facing new challenges
Acting has paved the way for Colino to discover her love of directing, which sparked after she took a class on the subject last year. Because her passion shifted from acting to directing, Colino has a very special perspective on “The Glass Menagerie,” and it has impacted what she wants students to take away from watching the play.
“I want students to go in and leave questioning their perceptions of the world and their perception of how life is supposed to turn out,” Colino said. “That is something I have been dealing with a lot, and that is why I connect to the play so much.”
As director for the show, Colino is a bit nervous about how well she’ll get her vision to come to the stage.
“This is my first big project,” Colino said. “I have never done anything on this scope. It’s scary, but exciting. I feel like if I wasn’t scared then something is wrong.”
Taking on such an well-known play can be intense, but Colino lets the pressure fuel her. Though the play isn’t going to be performed until late April, Colino spends hours every night after she finishes her homework to work on forming her vision for the play.
“I am really lucky this is the play that was chosen because it is on a lot of directors’ bucket lists,” Colino said.
Alpha Psi Omega has an extensive list of plays they can choose from to produce each spring.
“This production is going to be very special,” said Hunter McCormick, president of Alpha Psi Omega and Colino’s producer and mentor. “There is so much commitment and love going into it from everyone involved.”
Working backstage
Since “The Glass Menagerie” is such a sought-after play to work with, it comes with its challenges to produce. The time commitment is something that surprised Colino, coming from an actor’s point of view to a director’s.
Though rehearsals haven’t even started, Colino is planning in advance so everything will run as smoothly as possible, making her vision easier to achieve. She needs to begin thinking about costumes and set designs months earlier, all while keeping complete faith in her actors to perform the best they can when the time comes to begin rehearsing.
“Just because it is theater, it does not mean that it is easy,” Colino said. “It takes a lot of work. I don’t think people realize what our program is about and how much work we put into the things we do and how smart my classmates are.”
Being an acting major has allowed Colino to explore multiple aspects of the performing arts program that interested her outside of the theater. She loves tap dancing and tries to do it as much as she can, breaking out her tap shoes for any class she can take.
Colino has still managed to prioritize her love for science along with her busy acting schedule. She still loves biology and takes science classes — such as anatomy and physiology — as electives as they fit with her schedule.
Though Colino went into college loving acting, just as she went into high school with a passion for singing, somewhere along the way she lost the excitement that she once had for acting and felt that passion for directing instead.
“Any of my friends can tell you I have a very dramatic personality because I am an actor,” said Colino, “But I stopped getting joy from acting.”
It was while preparing to performe in “Harper Regan” this fall that Colino realized she lost the passion that she once had. With acting, Colino wouldn’t really memorize her lines until she absolutely had to — but with directing, she is starting early with planning and enjoying the full process more.
Thinking ahead
“The Glass Menagerie” presents a complex story for the college student to interpret. The protagonist, Tom, works at a shoe factory but aspires to be a poet. He lives in a small apartment in St. Louis with his mother Amanda and his sister Laura, who suffers from a limp due to polio.
The play is told by Tom as a memory, and each event is tainted by his emotions. The climax is his realization that he only feels “free” after he leaves the small apartment, and has to make the choice to not see his mother or sister.
Though the story doesn’t seem relatable for college students at first glance, Colino believes the deeper meaning will shine through in her production. She thinks that people will be able to relate to Tom and how he feels stuck where he is, without chasing his dreams or following his passions.
Although Colino doesn’t know exactly where her passions will take her or what her plans will be in the future, she isn’t worried.
“I don’t feel like I have to know, but so far in my life I have just kinda ended up in good situations,” Colino said.
“Was I planning on directing the show? No. Did I want to? Yes. Did I know I was going to come to Elon? No, I was going to go to UD for biology. So I have no idea where I am going to end up.”
Many destinations appeal to Colino, but she doesn’t know exactly if she would act or direct if she were to move to a popular entertainment hub such as Chicago or Los Angeles after graduating.
“My philosophy is the American Dream,” Colino said. “If you work hard, good things will come of it, which is funny because my play is actually contradictory to that.”