One of the many perks of the St. Ambrose University Theatre Department is that being a major is not a requirement to be involved with our program. And senior Allison Hutson is a glowing example of that.
Hutson is originally from Quincy, Illinois, and finishing up her final semester on campus as a Music major with a minor in Marketing. While pursuing a music degree has certainly kept her busy, Hutson still found time to participate in four mainstage productions during her time here.
Hutson's theatrical journey at SAU started her freshman year when she was cast as Texas, one of the Kit Kat Girls, in the musical Cabaret. From there, she went on to play Cassie in Rumors, Penny in Honk Jr., and the Mermaid/Ensemble in Big Fish during her sophomore and junior years of college respectively. Additionally, her theatrical journey took her outside of the Galvin Fine Arts Center when she starred as Kim MacAfee in Quincy Community Theatre's production of Bye Bye Birdie the summer after her sophomore year.
"While each show was wonderful and memorable in their own way, I'd probably have to say Cabaret was my favorite," Hutson said. "Working with a team of women (Dr. Cory Johnson, Dr. Thea Engleson, and Andrea Moore) was just such a positive and educational experience for me, and telling a story such as Cabaret is really important so audiences can get the conversation moving. I feel that meaningful post-show conversation is very important, especially living in a world that is constantly changing."
Furthermore, Hutson stayed involved by becoming an executive officer for the Theatre Appreciation Club her junior year. Hutson served as the club's treasurer and has helped with planning club events.
"I wanted to help amplify the non-theatre major voices within decisions we make or workshops we hold within the group," Hutson said. "My favorite part of being in the club has to be the Chicago trips we've taken in the past to educate ourselves more about theatre and what goes into creating it. We also had networking events with alumni which was super beneficial to the students looking to go into theatre or a creative arts career."
While Hutson is still looking for employment opportunities post-graduation, she did offer one piece of advice to students hoping to make the most of their college experience.
"Take care of yourself! Your mental health is SO important, and I cannot stress that enough," Hutson said. "Take time for yourself, manage your time well (do your homework!!), and immerse yourself into your school community. There are so many wonderful people to meet and so many amazing things to do. Take advantage of the time you have in college, because it goes by so fast.
All in all, Hutson has been a terrific addition to the SAU Theatre Department, and her kind smile and gorgeous singing voice will be greatly missed next semester, and in the years to come.
Luckily, everyone still has one more opportunity to see Hutson perform, which is at her Senior Vocal Recital on November 8 at 2 p.m. on the Allaert mainstage, with a public live-stream to be released at a later date. Seats will be socially-distanced, and Hutson has announced there will even be an entire set dedicated to musical theatre!
The Department has loved getting to work with Hutson, and everyone wishes her well on all of her future endeavors!
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