Mixing business and theater

After attending business classes such as accounting during the day, every night at 6 p.m., junior business major Hannah Schumacher transforms into the persona of M’lynn Eatenton and is whisked away from reality to a hair salon in a small Southern town in the GCSU Department of Theatre production of Steel Magnolias.

Schumacher first found her passion for acting during her middle school years and from that point on, acting has became a part of her life that would provide her with a creative outlet to express herself. As a business major, Schumacher has found this year hard to find a balance between her business life and her theater life, but believes that the struggle has been well worth it. During her time at GCSU, Schumacher has played roles in “RENT,” “The Rover” and “Yours, Anne.”

Lauren Corcino | gcsunade.com

Junior business major Hannah Schumacher

“I’ve always liked small casts because throughout the course of the play, we create a small family. In (Steel Magnolias), each cast member has a specific character that portrays a strong woman and the cast members are so strong in real life. I realized that I could really grow from interacting with all of these women.”

During the auditioning process for “Steel Magnolias,” Schumacher originally went to audition with no particular role in mind, but soon found herself drawn to a character in particular — M’lynn Eatenton.

“I’m a very emotional person in general. I’m a big old crier and when I read for the role of M’lynn, who plays Shelby’s mother, all I could do was cry when I was reading the script.,” Schumacher said. “By the end of that reading, I felt like I was pulled into that role.”

Born and raised in Georgia, the “Steel Magnolias” production has allowed Schumacher to relate to the play in a unique way that she has not been able to with others in past productions.

“It’s been a neat experience being able to act in a play that is set here in the South. I take great pride in how I was raised here in the South and I love being able to relate to this play in a way that I haven’t been able to before,” Schumacher said.

Although Schumacher plans to graduate from GCSU with a degree in business, acting will still be a part of her life after she walks across the stage to grab her diploma.

“(Acting) has never been a question in my life. It’s always been an escape from normal everyday life,” Schumacher said. “I love being on stage and getting the chance to be different from yourself every time you step out on that stage and escape reality whether it is for five minutes or for 2 1/2 hours.”

Posted by Lauren Corcino on Nov 5 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.