Get to Know a Griffin - Courtney Kattengell

Name: Courtney Kattengell

Class Year: 2012

Major: BA Theatre Arts/Musical Theatre minor

Hometown: New Orleans, LA.

Playing on my iPod: Benjy Davis Project

Favorite hangout spot in NYC: There's a specific rock I like to sit on in Central Park, and it is right across from a swing set. It is perfect.

Dream job: A working actress. And secretly, but not so secretly, a detective… Like Veronica Mars.

MMC and Me

Why did you choose to come to Marymount Manhattan?

I chose to come to Marymount Manhattan because New York City seems to be the center of everything theatre and acting, and that is what I want to pursue for a career. I felt like I would get the best training in the best city for my field. I also have a lot of interests so I felt like the liberal arts education would suit me best, as opposed to a conservatory setting. I think studying in may different areas could only improve my acting.

What activities do you participate in at MMC?

I spend most of my time rehearsing for shows. In spring 2010, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with director Richard Niles in the mainstage in The House of Blue Leaves as The Little Nun. Just recently, I sang and danced my way through Sweet Charity as Charity Hope Valentine with an extremely talented cast and crew, with the amazing, always positive Jeff Shade guiding the way. I also appeared in a special January project, Shout! The Mod Musical, directed by Christine Riley.

What has been your favorite class taken at the college? Why?

My favorite class taken at the college would probably be Scene Into Song with John Znidarsic. It's only a class of ten Musical Theatre students. We pair up every few weeks with a partner and work on scenes that move into songs from musicals, ranging from the classics to things that have just been written. It's what I hope to be doing as a career, and this class really gives us the opportunity to practice now with roles that we could be cast as in the future.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time here so far?

There are quite a few good memories! They are all with my friends. However, one that sticks out happened Freshman year- the very last Musical Theatre History class. We had already taken the final, so we decided to have a class gathering on the terrace. The terrace was new that spring, so we all gathered there and took a class picture. It's only half of the 2012 class of Musical Theatre (there were two sections) and some of the students were actually sophomores or juniors. Some ended up leaving the years to follow, but it was our first picture and it was the first feeling of unity for me.