Nicole D’Andrea ’18 has been a part of every Bryant Players performance since she first came to campus. She’s acted, directed, sang, and even served as Treasurer for the University’s theatre troupe, which puts on three productions a year. In her final show as a Player, D’Andrea was cast as the lead in the troupe’s spring production of Heathers: The Musical.
Over her years with the group she saw a transformation come over herself – one beyond her transition from ensemble member to leading lady. “I’ve grown as a singer and as an actress, but also as a person,” she says.
"When you’re on that stage, you’re not just you anymore, you’re a Bryant Player and that means a lot.”
“When I first came to campus I was very timid and very shy. I wasn’t too social and I was definitely in that awkward period where you don’t really know what you’re doing or who your friends are yet,” says D’Andrea. “Through Players, I found my home.”
A supportive family
That growth isn’t uncommon among the Players. “You definitely see a transformation in students from show to show and even just over the course of one production,” says Heathers director Mike Criscuolo ’19. “In just a couple of months, they really improve their communication, their confidence, and their presenting skills."
Those skills grow from practice, sound advice from students who’ve been there before, and unwavering support. Dana Brokmeier ’21 had been a theatre regular in high school but her recent performance in Heathers was her biggest role to date – and even included a solo number. She wasn’t worried though. “I knew that the rest of the Players believed in me and I had their support behind me.”
“The group’s definitely a family,” says Brokmeier. “When you’re on that stage you’re not just you anymore, you’re a Bryant Player and that means a lot.”
That support, and the benefits from it, extend well beyond the stage. “I’ve had trouble meeting and talking to people in the past,” says Robert Simoneau ’21. “But with the Players I’ve been able to meet so many new people and it’s really helped my confidence. I can start a conversation with someone now.”
Putting the puzzle together
Lorenzo Ricci ’21 remembers being recruited by D’Andrea when he came to Bryant for Accepted Students Day. He’s quick to tell you how helpful Criscuolo has been in helping him plan his classes and he’s glad that Simoneau and Brokmeier are among the many friends he’s made through the Players.
“Every person in this club has their own style, their own sense of humor, their own trait that makes them a unique part of the club,” says Ricci. “It’s very much like a big puzzle, and when it all comes together you see the big picture and that every piece fits in somewhere.”
