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Student ProfileRonnie GilliamWhen Ronnie Gilliam transferred to Butler, he realized just how lucky he was. Coming from a large state school on the East coast, Ronnie was excited to come to a place with a supportive atmosphere. “I was really impressed by the environment when I came here,” Ronnie explains. “It wasn’t just the beautiful campus, but the professors and people were so friendly.” Ronnie became interested in Butler because he admired the style of the theatre program and department chair Dr. John Green. “I like that it is more avant garde, more modern, more experimental-based, so you have the chance to really create new art.” Ronnie says he came to Butler as an actor but ended up taking other classes as well. During his sophomore year, he fell in love with the Chinese language and wanted to combine that with his love of theatre. By studying in China through the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (APA), Ronnie was able to study theatre in Chinese. Although the experience was challenging, he decided to add another project to his plate. Ronnie went to the dean to ask for permission to direct a play. “The Chinese style is more mainstream, so I wanted to give them a taste of the kind of thing Butler can offer.” Ronnie directed and filmed Quad and Naucht Und Traüme with other students at the academy. Not ready to leave the Chinese culture, Ronnie received a grant that allowed him to stay for the summer to study at Peking University, a school he describes as “the Yale of China.” After he returned to Butler, Ronnie says he realized what an opportunity he was given to study theatre and Chinese at the same time. “I really appreciated the chance to have an individualized major,” he explains. “Plus, I was lucky that I had professors who would help me achieve that.” Ronnie graduated from Butler in 2003 and is now pursuing graduate studies in Theatre at the Tisch School of Arts in New York.
Butler Theater, Jordan College
of Fine Arts
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