During my fall term (2021) study abroad in Spain, I was awarded a $500 Minerva Exploration Grant to study Spanish theatre and music. During this project. I took a hands-on Spanish script writing course with a renowned Mexican playwright Amaranta Osorio in the international acting school in Madrid. The six students in her class, alongside Amanda, performed a self-written show called: breaking the silence and received many heart-warming responses. The solo performance of me earned me a casting call to a new Spanish series in Madrid.
The second part of my project was an intensive Spanish singing course with an Argentinian teacher named Elizabeth Dolinka, where I worked on improving my vocal techniques and Spanish pronunciation which was required to perform materials written in Spanish. The three months I trained with Elizabeth earned me a soloist opportunity at the University of Complutense annual theatre performance 2021.
Ultimately, these courses not only helped me prepare myself as an actor and singer, but they were crucial in integrating me with the Madrid society during my time abroad. I spent most of my weekends taking lessons and rehearsal with local actors. These two experiences opened up doors for me in Spain well after my time abroad, and I will forever be indebted to the Minerva Office