UVU theater major Aspen Thompson setting sights on Broadway career
Aspen Thompson, a junior theater major, has a clear and dedicated passion for theater. Her experience and enthusiasm have led her to the UVU theater program where she is currently studying and emphasizing in acting.
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Aspen Thompson, a junior theater major, has a clear and dedicated passion for theater. Her experience and enthusiasm have led her to the UVU theater program where she is currently studying and emphasizing in acting.
Thompson’s passion for performing began when she was in grade school.
“Performing is pretty much what I’ve been doing most of my life. I started kindergarten at a performing arts school,” Thompson said. “I was always involved in dance groups and theatre growing up and then I actually got to go to a performing arts high school that really just solidified performance as what I want to go into and make a career out of.”
She set her sights on the school after learning of one of their theater performances. A few years prior, UVU’s theater program had put on a performance at a national competition called KCACTF in which their department won some awards. Thompson heard of them through the competition and decided to apply to the school.
“I admit that at first, I was kind of skeptical because I had never seen any theatre [performances] here so I was a little bit blind coming into it,” Thompson said. “I think that like a lot of people, I kind of underestimated UVU. I feel like it’s kind of the little, hidden gem. It really is an incredible school.”
In her third year as part of the theater program, Thompson has been cast in many of the school’s theatrical performances including the recent adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing where she played the character, Hero. She also played the part of Nina in last year performance of Seagull directed by Jeremy Sortore.
“Aspen is a really dedicated artist. You can tell that performance means a lot to her, and she’s exhibited so much growth and determination since I’ve known her — she’s on a path to success,” Sortore said.
As part of her involvement in the program, she has been able to use the new Noorda Center. The new center has been a place for Thompson to call her own.
“I feel really like honored to be a part of it,” Thompson said. “I feel like as the theater department is growing and as people are understanding how great UVU is to get a theatrical education, more people are going to be flocking to it. So I think It’s really cool that we have more space.”
The Noorda Center has been up and running since January. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be on March 25 from 2-4 p.m. The open house will allow the public to see the practice spaces and studios which has been bringing the different art departments together.
“It’s really cool to have the Smith Proscenium Theatre which is a little different” Thompson said. “It’s a bigger theatre. Also just having more rooms with mirrors to dance in and having areas to practice as well.”
Currently, Thompson is rehearsing for the student-directed performance of Julius Caesar (directed by Tristin Smith) where she is being cast as Calpurnia. Upon graduation, she hopes to go to London to pursue a master’s degree in theatrical performance or acting. Thompson said, “Broadway is a rather lofty goal, but I hope to be there one day.”
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Photographer, @Meghan_De.Haas on Instagram
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