The Eagle Eye

Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Arianna Schimek Ergler enjoys reading over his lines during his free time.

Shawn Ergler, LHU senior from Altoona, PA, has been acting since he was 13 years-old. In middle school, acting was more of a hobby for Ergler, but over time, it became a very therapeutic outlet that led to a career aspiration.

"It [acting] teaches you to never stop playing, never stop pretending. When you're a kid you're always playing and its fun, but as you get older, you think more complexly, and you have to look deeper into things because everything slowly becomes more of a challenge. Once you get into a role, it becomes more fluent and personal. You connect to the character you're being and get help from others around you who can give you advice and point you in the right direction. It's a lot of fun!" said Ergler.

Ergler has acted in 8 different shows at LHU, including "Laramie Project" and "Fuddy Mirrors." His personal favorite role thus far in his acting career was Puck in the play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"The setting was great, the stage became a speakeasy, and I got to play a sniveling little gangster. I had to learn a lot of tumbling, a lot of gymnastics, and a lot of smiling, all on top of the Shakespeare language. It was such a great role, because of all the physicality I had to prep for and I got to have so much fun just playing with lines and different types of voices and expressions," said Ergler.

Ergler raved about how much fun it is to be a member of the LHU University Players because there are so many ways to get involved and stay involved with everything that is going on.

"There are a lot of opportunities. Your involvement makes you more marketable as far as a portfolio or resume is concerned. The professors are awesome too. They're very helpful and patient," said Ergler.

He recommends that students who want to just let loose and have a good time with friends should check out Dangerously Improv, a club that has fun with unscripted theatre.

"It's a less intense form of theatre that involves thinking on your feet, finding truth in comedy, and establishing a very fun, exaggerated story on the fly. Hanging out with your best buds while doing it is a lot of fun too!" said Ergler.

Continued...

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