This month's First-Year Focus is all about Micah Dennis. Dennis is a DeWitt, Iowa native and is majoring in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English while minoring in Theatre. However, SAU wasn't Dennis's first time experiencing college classes.
"I initially went to Muscatine Community College to get my prerequisites done for my degree," said Dennis. "When I finished those, I knew I wanted to attend St. Ambrose because of the awesome education and theatre program I had heard about all throughout high school."
One of Dennis's dream roles was Seymour from the musical Little Shop of Horrors, and upon graduating high school, his dream became a reality. However, he has other favorite roles as well.
"My all-time favorite role I have played has to be the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz during my senior year of high school," said Dennis. "It was our school's musical that year, and I was the very first one on the audition sign-up sheet! I was also very fortunate to student direct that show as well."
"Being a part of the theatre community comes with many memories attached," Dennis said. "Artists get the opportunity to be different people, live in new places, and ultimately tell someone else's story." Each production has its own set of special memories attached to it, and Dennis thinks fondly of all the past productions he's been involved in.
"My favorite theatre memory was during my freshman year of high school," said Dennis. "I was cast as a character whose gender was subject to change depending on the individual that got cast. Originally, it was written as a female part. I immediately talked to my director and insisted that the role not be changed. So, I went all in. I shaved my legs, wore heals to every practice, and even sported a bra that held two three-pound weights."
Micah Dennis
My all-time favorite role I have played has to be the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz" during my senior year of high school.
While Dennis enjoys theatre, he has other hobbies as well: comic books, writing, reading, schooling his family in Jeopardy!, and graphic design!
Dennis is looking forward to starting his student teaching hours very soon and getting involved in more theatre productions during his stay here. For ultimately, Dennis's favorite thing about SAU is the community.
"Ambrose has such a great sense of community," said Dennis. "Unfortunately, it is difficult to be as involved during a pandemic, but St. Ambrose has done such a great job in making me feel at home and as if I belong."
The Department is glad to have Dennis on campus and looks forward to his future accomplishments.
In the meantime, make sure to keep your ears open for SAU's upcoming radio play, An Enemy of the People, where everyone can listen to Dennis get involved in the action as the play's announcer and citizen of the town.
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