When the curtain rises this weekend on SUNY Oneonta’s final Theatre Department production of the semester, it will be due, in large part, to visiting guest actor MaConnia Chesser, the third participant in the university’s new Artist-in-Residence Program.
Chesser will conclude her month-long residency by starring as protagonist Prospero in a four-show Goodrich Theatre run, beginning Thursday, of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by Professor Andrew Kahl. As the School of Liberal Arts and Business’ most recent artist-in-residence, Chesser's collaboration with students has fostered creative growth and provided invaluable insights into the professional theater world, showcasing the powerful impact of real-world experience on aspiring actors.
In between working on the script and auditioning for future roles, Chesser has spent her days in Oneonta learning her lines and visiting classes like Audition Techniques, where she watched students perform monologues and dialogues and provided feedback. And her nights? Those were reserved for rehearsals with the 12-person cast of The Tempest.
“This is a really great group of students, and being able to interact and play back and forth with them onstage has been rewarding,” Chesser said. “I appreciate the fact that Oneonta’s Theatre program requires students to audition for shows like you would professionally, and that students have the opportunity to work backstage and behind the scenes, which is so beneficial and creates well-rounded thespians. It’s been wonderful playing a small part in fostering the next generation of actors, all while being part of a welcoming community and beautiful campus.”
Chesser has 22 years of professional acting under her belt, with eight appearances in film and television and roles in more than 40 theatrical productions with companies across the country—from Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
Oskar Isaksson-Stahler, a junior Theatre major from Franklin, NY, who's playing the part of Caliban, said working with MaConnia “has been an absolute pleasure.”
“I greatly admire the ease with which she balances both dramatic and comedic aspects of a performance, as well as her patience and good humor throughout the rehearsal process,” Isaksson-Stahler said. “Working with someone this experienced has reminded me why I enjoy acting so much. When performing, actors contribute energy to a well that we all draw from. When the energy provided is this honed and generous, I can immerse myself fully in the moment with full confidence.”
When deciding on a show for this semester, Kahl explained that his team picked The Tempest because it allows for an older, more seasoned actor to play the part of Prospero: perfect for an artist-in-residence. After meeting Chesser during a local stage production, Kahl invited her to apply for the opportunity.
“When we first started talking about this, we wanted to work with a professional and bring them into our bubble, and we wanted to give our students the opportunity to work side-by-side in a collaborative way with them, creating art in a really authentic way,” Kahl said. “MaConnia has expanded students’ minds as far as what is possible in rehearsal and beyond. Working with someone at such an advanced level, seeing it modeled in a way they wouldn’t necessarily see if they were just in a group of their peers, she’s brought out the best in our actors and the whole production team and increased their confidence. It has been a rich, fun five-and-a-half weeks.”
SUNY Oneonta’s Artist in Residence program, facilitated by the School of Liberal Arts and Business, is designed to support the development of new creative works by providing live-in artists with dedicated time, specialized facilities and willing collaborators within the campus community. SUNY Oneonta invites proposal submissions for short-term residencies from artists who engage in music, visual art, and theater or dance in an interdisciplinary manner.