After four years of intense focus, hilarity, and devotion to theater, senior Rosie Brownlow is saying goodbye to Whitman College and Harper Joy Theatre.
The winner of the Pioneer’s Senior Artist of the Year for “Best Actor,” Rosie Brownlow, stated that whatever doubts she may have had as a college student, her dedication to acting has never wavered.
“I would have declared [as a theater major] the day I rolled into Walla Walla if I’d known I could,” said Brownlow on her major and desired career. “That’s one thing I’ve had almost no doubt about.”
Born in New York City and raised the majority of her life in Portland, Brownlow first started acting at the age of 6, where she played an elephant at a theater camp.
She started “seriously acting” in the 8th grade, finally deciding to be an actor her senior year of high school after playing a mental patient in “Dracula.”
Her involvement with the theater program has been intense as well. As the Drama Club President, Brownlow has been responsible for organizing Drama Club events such as Drama Rush (a barbecue put on at the beginning of the year for first year Drama Club members), the spring break trip to Ashland, Drama Banquet and other events.
Some of Brownlow’s favorite aspects of the Whitman theater program and Harper Joy Theatre include its small size, accessible opportunity for fun activities and the general closeness.
“It’s so small… everyone is always in a play and working in the shop, taking Drama Literature courses and playing on the softball team,” said Brownlow. “We all spend 5 or 6 hours a day in the theatre and know each other really well. [There is an] incredible sense of community and the opportunities afforded here.”
Brownlow also loves the quirks and character of Harper Joy as well, with its secret nooks, compartments, tunnels and walls covered in old playbills.
“I’ve spent years staring at the walls and every time I find a new playbill or poster I swear wasn’t there before,” said Brownlow.
Some of her notable college roles include Lady Britomart in last year’s production of “Major Barbara”, for which she received a “Best Supporting Actress” award from Harper Joy Theater, as well as Mrs. Myrtle Webb in this year’s production of “Our Town”, and Helena in 2006’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
Aside from acting, Brownlow also directed this year’s Instant Play Festival and One Act Play Festival, worked on the “deck and fly” crew of “Urine Town” in spring of 2006 and as a properties designer for “Apparition” in spring of 2008. Brownlow considers her most memorable project at Whitman College to be her senior project playing the lead character in “My Name is Rachel Corrie.”
Brownlow attributes much of her theatrical knowledge and her development as an actress to the theater professors, particularly Assistant Professor of Theatre Chris Petit and Garrett Professor of Dramatic Art Nancy Simon.
“Chris… has the most energy per square inch of anyone I’ve ever met and Nancy has directed me in all of the really meaningful theatre experiences I’ve had at Whitman,” said Brownlow. “They’ve taught me everything I know.”
Brownlow’s presence at Whitman College will be sorely missed by the Drama Club and theater community as she moves to New York City next year to audition.
