Carol Dunne, a senior lecturer in the theater department, was named "Best Director of a Musical" at the 9th Annual New Hampshire Theater Awards in February for her work on "The Pirates of Penzance" at the New London Barn Playhouse.
Dunne, who is entering her fourth year as the artistic director for the Barn Playhouse, oversees the casting and hiring of actors, staff and designers. She chooses the plays performed each season and is in charge of fundraising, marketing and development.
"The Pirates of Penzance" won eight other awards at the same ceremony, including "Best Production of a Musical," "Best Actor in a Musical" and "Best Actress in a Musical."
"The Pirates of Penzance," a comic opera, follows Frederic, a boy who is released from his apprenticeship with a band of pirates after his 21st year of service. After his release, Frederick quickly falls in love with a girl named Mabel. However, he soon realizes that since he was born on a leap year, he must return to the pirates because he is bound to them until his official 21st birthday 63 years away.
Dunne chose to put on this musical because she felt it was unjustly seen as old-fashioned.
"When I was growing up, my parents took me to see the musical, and it was the funniest and coolest thing I'd ever seen," Dunne recalled. "It's fabulous theater that should have a comeback."
Dunne's love for this musical clearly manifested itself in the final production, according to actor Tom Ford.
"She was able to find a real simplicity and honesty in the piece and still make it funny and quirky and eccentric without it being pushy," Ford said. "I think that's what people responded so strongly to. There was a gentleness to the production."
Talene Monahon '13, who performed with the Barn Playhouse during the 2010 summer season, said that she originally thought that the play was "so old and prim." After working with Dunne, she changed her opinion.
"[Dunne] encouraged us to explore the comedic element to the max," Monahon said. "I hadn't thought about the comedy to the extent she was envisioning it. She's good about having a dialogue about things if something isn't feeling right."
David Mavricos '10 was also in the cast of "The Pirates of Penzance."
According to Dunne, about 20 Dartmouth students have worked with her in the past at the Barn Playhouse. Dunne said she hires 16 actors for each season.
"Our casts are so exiting and talented, and that makes the Barn Playhouse different from other theaters. We have a core company for the entire season," Dunne said.
The actors who are hired for the season are featured in every show, but Dunne also hires professional union actors for age appropriate roles.
"That way, the younger people are playing leads against highly accomplished players" Dunne said. "Compare us to the minor league of baseball. It's like if you put Derek Jeter into the game with these college players."
Ford hopes that the award wins will help further the theater's expansion.
"They will be able to use [the awards] as a calling card and get people from a further geographic range for the theater," Ford said.
Before working on "The Pirates of Penzance," Dunne directed musicals both on and off-campus. Her on-campus directing credits include "Hair" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." This past fall, she was the musical director and choreographer for Dartmouth theater department's production of "Two Gentleman of Verona," and this past winter she and Peter Hackett directed the theater department's "Eurydice."
"There are people that lead by force and by aggression but Carol leads by charm and humor and there's a strength in it" Ford said.
Dunne also teaches two courses at Dartmouth, "Acting I" and "Acting for Musical Theater." Whether teaching experienced theater majors or students who have never taken a theater class, Dunne said she values students' "interest and hunger for knowledge and experience."
Dunne said the breadth of experience that Dartmouth students bring to the classroom from traveling the world to embracing non-major classes helps them be better actors.
"Smart actors are better actors" Dunne said.
