Finals, stress, secrets, crushes, opportunities, relationships and our futures are all things we are trying to balance. College is a time when you’ll never be more free — or under more pressure. You’ll never be more sure of yourself or less sure of your future than right now. Sound familiar?
How is it that in a school of 40,000 kids, one student was able to capture everything we are all thinking and feeling on a daily basis? Bonnie Gleicher, a UW senior majoring in journalism, decided that college students today don’t get enough credit. So, in taking a stand for herself and a step toward her future, she chose to write the musical, “The Era of Me,” about the struggles that college kids really face today.
Q: Why did you choose college-age students for your show?
A: I really can’t stand the way that college students are looked at and how they are considered really irresponsible and lazy. Yeah, sure, we can be lazy, but I feel like we are so underestimated. If I could channel that we’re not just a bunch of kids doing a keg stand, then I could show that college kids are like adults — we are real people with real emotions.
Q: What is underneath the story line of your show?
A: I tried to hit on universal ideas like love and relationships, and a major theme of the show is the fear of the unknown. There’s sexuality, there’s drugs, there’s sex — it’s kinda the whole shebang which is ever-present on campus. It’s also the idea that everyone is trying to figure things out, and it’s nice to know that you are not the only one.
Q: What is the significance of the title “The Era of Me”? Where did it come from and why is it important to understanding the show?
A: The title I came up with [while] talking to one of my best friends at home and having this discussion like, “I’m just so focused on what I want to do and I just can’t think about what everyone else wants.” I remember saying to him, “It’s like the era of me. It’s what I want to do and accomplish, and then I can get to everything else later. Right now, I need to figure out what I want to do and just do it and not lose myself in it all.“
Q: What was the goal you were going for in writing the show?
A: There are just so many things going on in our heads — everything is so confusing — and I think we’re just feeling so many different things right now. I want to put that on the stage in a cohesive way. And I want it to touch people and move them. I want them to really get a feel for these characters and … be able to see themselves in them.
Q: Is there anything left you want to do before you graduate that you have not done yet?
A: I’d love to sleep at Picnic Point. I think that would be really fun, and it would be cool to get a shout-out.
Q: What is the most important thing you have learned in college so far?
A: You have to realize that if you want to do something, you have to go after it. Basically, no one is going to make an opportunity for you, so you have do it for yourself. You’ve got to find that motivation to do it, and that motivation is fueled by passion. So, it’s basically finding something that you love so much that you are willing to take a risk on it. And that is what I’m doing.
Q: What do you want people to take away from the show?
A: I want them to feel motivated and reassured in the fact that they are not alone in these feelings of being confused about what they want to do and leaving their friends. The relationships, guys, girls, and all of that, everyone is going through it. The main message is you are on your own but you’re not alone.
Gleicher will be holding auditions for the spring performance of the show Dec. 4 and 5. More information and an online sign-up sheet will be posted soon to the UTA website. To learn more about Gleicher and the show, visit www.theeraofme.com.
