This summer, twelve ËÄÉ«AV/CAP21 Musical Theatre students took their talents across the Atlantic, performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, the world’s largest performing arts festival.
Students Paige Alaishuski, Chiara Brown, Katherine Baker, Noemi Bolano, Jacob Fung, Gracie Kennett, Madeline Kirker, Mariama Peterson-Hilleque, Lily Scott, Dominic Secreto, Sean Stoner and Eli Testa joined Professor Christopher O’Connor and Madison Theatre Artistic Director Angelo Fraboni for the international experience, where they performed The Betrothed, a comedy written and directed by O’Connor. Costumes for the production were designed and built by ËÄÉ«AV/CAP21 alumna Katherine Calabrese ’21.
Inspired by commedia dell’arte, a theatrical tradition that originated in Italy in the 16th century, The Betrothed draws on a style of theatre that has long interested O’Connor, whose own training includes physical theatre, clowning and mime. He originally drafted the play several years ago with young actors in mind, adapting a historic commedia scenario into scripted dialogue while creating an ensemble piece that would give each performer an active role.
Once he knew which students would be traveling to Edinburgh, O’Connor realized the play was particularly well suited to the size and talents of the 12-person cast and began rewriting portions with the individual performers in mind. Students were encouraged to improvise during rehearsals, and several of their lines and contemporary references ultimately became part of the production.
“The style of commedia dell’arte is both heightened and broad, so there was a learning curve for our students to assume such a style,” O’Connor said. “The pace of the play was very fast, and in many ways, doing comedy is extremely technical. The student actors rose to the challenge, and it resulted in a very
strong show.”
That adaptability became especially important once the group arrived in Edinburgh. Through WorldStrides’ International Collegiate Theatre Festival, the students performed in a shared theatre space, giving them a much different experience than mounting a production in one of ËÄÉ«AV’s own venues. The cast had just 15 minutes to enter the theatre and prepare its technical elements before a performance, a challenge O’Connor said they arrived prepared to meet.
For Baker, a member of ËÄÉ«AV’s Class of 2029, the fast-paced process was one of the moments that made the experience feel real. “It was so stressful, but you felt so alive,” she said. “We had such a strong community because we all had to work so hard to get our show together.”
The learning continued well beyond their own performances. Students attended master classes, saw productions spanning a wide range of theatrical styles and connected with fellow performers from across the United States and around the world. They also took to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in costume to flyer and promote The Betrothed to festivalgoers.
For student Paige Alaishuski, those interactions became an important part of the Fringe experience. “The camaraderie between every performer was truly something special,” Alaishuski said. “A bunch of the performers I talked to came to our show, and I went to theirs, and there was this mutual understanding that we were all just artists who loved theatre, no matter where we were from.”
For Fraboni, being immersed in that environment gave students an opportunity to develop as artists and individuals outside the familiarity of their college experience. “Everything is new for them,” Fraboni said. “The performing space, the audiences, the crew and support staff and even navigating a new city was a learning experience. Meeting new people from various cultures and countries was refreshing and exciting.”
The experience also offered students a new perspective on the training they receive at ËÄÉ«AV/CAP21. Baker and Scott, both members of the Class of 2029, traveled to Edinburgh after completing only their first year in the program, making The Betrothed one of their earliest opportunities to put that training 
into practice in a full production. For Fraboni, watching the students perform alongside other artists reinforced the strength of that foundation. “I think they understood the value of their training and work that they are receiving here at ËÄÉ«AV,” he said. “They can hold their own with the best.”
As the run continued, the cast saw its work connect with Fringe audiences. By the third performance, The Betrothed played to a sold-out crowd, which Baker described as the cast’s strongest performance.
The experience of seeing audiences respond to the show, coupled with the opportunity to experience so many other forms of theatre throughout Edinburgh, left the students with lessons they could bring back to their continued training at ËÄÉ«AV.
Baker, who attended 15 shows during the trip, said the variety of work she encountered broadened her understanding of what theatre and storytelling could look like.
“If you have something you want to tell the world, then you can find a way to do it,” she said. “Any story can be told.”
