Sweet Caroline
Between singing PEADS practice, DRAMAT meetings and rehearsal for the mainstage production, senior Caroline Sullivan’s schedule is full of the arts. Since her prep year, Sullivan has been deeply interested in both music and theater and has dedicated her Exeter career to various on-campus groups that revolve around these pursuits.
Sullivan has been interested in music for as long as she can remember. In particular, a cappella appealed to her from an early age. “I’ve loved a cappella forever. I’m kind of obsessed with it,” Sullivan said. “I knew I wanted to do a cappella when I got here, but I didn’t audition prep year. I didn’t want to overload myself.” Sullivan took the leap during her lower year, though, and PEADS accepted her with open arms. This began Sullivan’s foray into Exeter’s a cappella culture, a venture which brought her to her current position as PEADS co-head.
Sullivan has also been involved with the Exeter Association of Rock (E.A.R), and performed several times with other students in the club. The independent nature of both E.A.R and PEADS is what attracted Sullivan to the clubs initially, and it has become one of her favorite qualities about them. “It’s really cool to help something come together like that, and Exeter gives us the freedom to do it on our own,” Sullivan said. “A cappella is the same. In PEADS, we write our own arrangements, and we learn all the techniques ourselves with some guidance from Mr. Johnson.”
Sullivan also enjoys Dramat, the student-operated theater organization, for the same reasons. “Dramat is entirely student-run,” Sullivan said. “So that’s like a whole different type of collaboration because it’s students working together and directing each other, and there’s not a teacher standing there watching over everything and making it happen. The students do it on their own, and I think that is the coolest part about Dramat. That’s why I’m passionate about it.”
Sullivan’s Dramat career began almost by accident, after she decided to audition for a play on a whim. “I don’t even think I knew what Dramat was until mid-way through prep year,” Sullivan said. “I auditioned for something in the spring, but I didn’t get in. But the audition process was so cool that I was like ‘I have to do this again,’ so I auditioned the next fall.” Sullivan went on to act in and direct many more Dramat plays, eventually becoming an interim Dramat co-head.
Sullivan also has acted in numerous mainstage productions throughout her time at the Academy, and she credits those plays with helping her to form a strong and supportive network of friends. “The mainstage is where I’ve met a lot of really cool people at Exeter,” Sullivan said. “It’s how I became friends with a lot of the theater upperclassmen, whom I learned a lot from.”
This network of friends has influenced Sullivan heavily over the last three years, and it has shaped her Exeter experience as a whole. “Everyone is a part of the Exeter community in a different way, and I feel like this is the way that I’m involved,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard to identify a specific way that the arts have shaped my experience at Exeter, since they’ve made such a huge impact on my time here.”
Sullivan’s involvement in theater on campus has helped her hone her acting talents, as well as refine her skills at the Harkness table. “I think that theater really plays a big role in my Harkness experience because it has really taught me how to look deeper into characters and to try to understand them,” Sullivan said. “It’s showed me how to look at experiences in my life and see how I can apply those to the current situation. That, I think, impacts me a lot in English class. I think being able to analyze a story from an empathetic point of view is really helpful.”
This ability to sink into character is put on display every time that Sullivan steps onto the stage. History instructor and McConnell dorm head Michael Golay made note of Sullivan’s acting ability when he watched her perform a reading of a Clifford Odets play at an event that he had organized. “Last winter, I put on a Great Depression conference,” Golay said. “Caroline had one of the roles [in the reading], and it ended up being terrific. It was a real highlight of the conference. We got a good crowd, and it was really a spectacular addition to the event.”
Golay praised Sullivan’s stage presence, calling her “very natural on stage” and “very self-possessed.” Robert Richards, Chair of the Theater and Dance Department and mentor to Sullivan, also noted Sullivan’s easy-going personality and intense presence on stage. “She rolls with the punches, which is wonderful because in theater and in art you are put into a lot of interesting dramatic situations,” Richards said. “In every play there is a conflict, and the rehearsal process can be stressful. But caroline is not only easy going, she’s also a very positive force. She’s very talented, and she has great stage presence.”
“I was really impressed with how she handled the reading,” Golay said. “The actors were all dressed in 1930’s period costumes, it was great. I enjoyed it.”
Golay has known Sullivan since she entered the Academy as a prep and has observed her transformation from a shy 9th grader to a confident senior.
“She’s always had a really vibrant personality,” Golay said. “That hasn’t changed. One of the fascinating things about teaching here is seeing people come in as children and leave as young adults. And certainly Caroline is doing that.”
Sullivan’s dormmates were also quick to shower her with praise. “Caroline is awesome,” senior Josie Russ said. “She is very creative and fun. She is accepting of everyone. She is just a funny, sweet and hilarious person.”
As a proctor, Sullivan acts as a role model and leader to the younger students in the dorm, and she has succeeded in gaining their friendship and respect. “She gets along with everyone,” Golay said. “She’s got a very warm personality, she’s just great to be around.”
While Sullivan has been successful in many of her endeavours at Exeter, she urged other students not to give up when they encounter failure. “If you don’t get into an a capella group, or you don’t get into the mainstage, or you don’t get into the music group that you wanted to be in, don’t give up,” Sullivan said. “It’s really easy to get discouraged and think that the reason you didn’t get it is because you just aren’t good at that thing. But just keep on trying. There’s a lot of talent at Exeter, so it can be hard to make your way into things. But, if you keep trying, most likely you’ll eventually get in somewhere and you’ll get to meet those really talented people, and you’ll have a great experience.”