First-Year Focus Quinnie Rodman

This year, the St. Ambrose University Theatre Department welcomed a new group of enthusiastic theatre students. One of these delightful students is Quinnie Rodman. While she has only been on campus a few weeks, she has already made herself at home with the SAU Theatre Department.

A native of Mount Vernon, IA, Rodman fell in love with theatre at a young age. While her hometown was small, it was big enough to sport its own children's theatre company named The Odyssey Theatre.

Wanting his daughter to break out of her shell, Rodman's father signed her up for a show at the theater. The show was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Rodman found herself playing the role of bubble-gum lover Violet. It only took one show, and she was hooked.

Rodman continued her love for theatre throughout high school and found herself playing roles such as Gangster 1 in The Drowsy Chaperone and Ado Annie in Oklahoma!. While she enjoyed her time in both productions, her favorite show in high school was Ken Ludwig's Fox on the Fairway. The farce, which takes place at a country club, was Rodman's favorite production because she was able to share the stage with her best friends.

"It was a really cool experience because not only was the assistant director my best friend, but I was close friends with the entire cast," she said. "The show was a blast to be a part of, and it was a great start to my senior year of high school."

At first, when it came time to pick a college to call home for the next four years, Rodman was torn. 

"I always knew I wanted to major in both music education and theatre," Rodman said. "But it was hard finding a school that had strong programs in both fields." 

Luckily, after receiving a recommendation from a friend, SAU sophomore and theatre major Joe Lasher, she decided to give St. Ambrose a visit. She fell in love right away.

After committing to SAU, Rodman decided to apply for the esteemed Michael Kennedy scholarship. The decision proved to be a good one, as she was the recipient of the award.

Now, with her freshman year officially started, Rodman has set goals for herself. 

"I just can't wait for when I get cast in my first show," she said. "People always look at me and say, 'Oh! She must be a character actress.' And while there is nothing wrong with being a character actress, I want to prove to people I have more skills to offer than just making people laugh." 

In addition, she said she is looking forward to her time at SAU because she wants to develop a stronger singing voice, meet new friends and take on positions in which she can step outside her comfort zone. The latter of the goals has already come true, as she was a member of the run crew for SAU's Studio Theatre production of Time Stands Still. While she had run crew experience at community theatres, it was her first time doing it at the collegiate level. She said she learned so much from the process.

All in all, the SAU Theatre Department is so lucky that Rodman chose to call SAU home. The Department can't wait to see what this year's Michael Kennedy scholar accomplishes next!