Alumni Then & Now: Charity Schubert
Subtitle
Centenary alumna Charity Schubert recently returned to her alma mater to direct a production of Erica Schmidt's MAC BETH, a modern recontextualization of Shakespeare's classic Macbeth. The production was a huge success and was extended to a second weekend at the College's Marjorie Lyons Playhouse.
Life at Centenary
I attended Centenary College from 2000 – 2006. I graduated in 2005 with a B.A. in French and in 2006 with a B.A. in Theatre. I spent the better part of a year in Lille, France, studying at our sister school, L’Université Catholique de Lille. For a time, I was a member of the Centenary Feminist Organization. I was also a member of Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre fraternity, and Rivertown Players at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse. I was a theatre/French double major and spent a lot of time in the playhouse taking classes, rehearsing, building sets, and performing.
Life Today
I live in New York City, Astoria, Queens, specifically, with my boyfriend, Michael. I have a day job with VNS Health, the country’s oldest home healthcare company. I’ve worked for this nonprofit since 2012 and love being a part of a historic organization that provides high-quality healthcare to some of New York City’s most vulnerable residents. Over the years I have acted in many off-off Broadway productions and readings as well as independent films.
What was your favorite off campus hang out spot?
My favorite off-campus hangout was Murrell’s. RIP. What I wouldn’t give for their grilled cheese, Cajun fries, and some Saltines and Green Goddess dressing.
Who was your favorite professor?
I had lots of professors who inspired me, so it’s hard to choose, but the one who made a definite impact was Bryan Alexander in the English department. His passion for literature and learning were contagious and I was in awe of his voracious appetite for information and understanding. I hope a little of that rubbed off on me. He was also kind and supportive when I was going through a difficult period in my life, and I have always remembered that.
What lessons did you learn at Centenary that you bring into your current career?
At Centenary I learned to banish the words “good enough” from my vocabulary when it came to my craft.
What was your favorite Centenary memory or Centenary theatre memory?
My favorite theatre memory is playing Evelyn in The Shape of Things. I struggled mightily in that role but learned so much and it’s a production that people still talk about to this day.
What advice would you give to Centenary students?
Enjoy it. Your time at Centenary will go faster than you can imagine so be present and take advantage of all the resources and experiences you can. If there is something you want to do or try, do it now. Be willing to struggle, fail, and make a fool of yourself. You won’t learn very much from your successes.
What did you enjoy most about coming back to direct MAC BETH? What was it like working with students? What was most challenging?
Coming back to direct MAC BETH was an incredibly rewarding but intimidating experience. As a high schooler I saw lots of shows at MLP and I was fortunate to be involved with many more during my time at Centenary as a student under Robert Buseick and Patric McWilliams’ direction. To say the least, the bar was high, and I wanted my production to live up to the standards of quality I had seen demonstrated to me as a student.
I most enjoyed watching the students grow in their roles. Seeing them get excited about exploring Shakespeare’s language and find their characters step by step was inspiring and kept me energized. The students were fantastic to work with. I was so impressed with their dedication and professionalism, and that includes both the cast and crew. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of students to work with.
The most challenging part of directing MAC BETH was trusting in my training, experience, and instincts to get the job done. When you are in the middle of making something, you are often too close to it to truly tell if you are on the right path or not and you certainly don’t know what the outcome is going to be. But I just had to keep taking leaps of faith, day after day. You keep jumping off that cliff and sometimes you hit the rocks below and have to adjust your approach and other times you soar. In the end, it all gets added up and hopefully all those risks and experiments pay off.