Samantha Zaddack has survived a vampire attack and brought a dragon to life. She has inhabited tragic heroines and traveled across time and space.
Such is the experience of a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater theater major.
After four years and 12 productions, Zaddack, from Shawano, is graduating from Whitewater with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and preparing to pursue her dream of becoming a professional actress.
“There is nothing more powerful than live performance,” Zaddack said. “When you’re in the room with people bringing stories to life on stage, the audience is so much more invested in it.”
She will have one final opportunity to take to the stage as a student, when she addresses her peers, faculty and staff members and guests as student speaker at the 2014 winter commencement Dec. 13 at Kachel Fieldhouse. Each semester, graduating seniors compete for the honor.
Zaddack’s love of theater began in high school, and she first arrived at UW-Whitewater as a summer theater camp participant.
“I fell in love with the campus and the people here,” she said. “We practiced voice, movement and improvisation — the fundamentals of performance. I realized I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.”
Her resume with UW-Whitewater’s Department of Theatre/Dance includes leading and significant roles in “Dracula,” “Our Town,” “Clybourne Park,” “Love’s Labours Lost,” “Nate the Dragon” and “Anything to Declare?”
Zaddack took her creative talents across the Atlantic in 2014, when she spent the summer studying at Richmond, The American International University in London. For six weeks, she immersed herself in intensive acting workshops coached by professional actors at Shakespeare’s Globe, the famous Elizabethan playhouse replica on the River Thames.
On campus, Zaddack helped new students transition to college in her role as a peer mentor. As a member of the College of Arts and Communication Dean’s Advisory Board, she offered a unique student perspective during important discussions about the direction of the college.
She has relished the opportunities at Whitewater for personal and professional growth.
“I love UW-Whitewater because no matter what your major or interest, the big picture is about preparing you for whatever you face in life,” she said. “I’ve had the chance to meet people from different backgrounds and learn about the worlds they come from.”
She is the recipient of the King/Chavez Scholarship, Wynett Barnett Scholarship, Theatre Alumni Award, C/J Bodensteiner Scholarship, and the Matthew Schliesman Scholarship for Artistic and Academic Accomplishment.
After commencement, Zaddack plans to move to Los Angeles, hire an agent and become a professional actress.
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” she said, “and I will audition until I make it.”