Elizabeth Palleja ’24
When Elizabeth Palleja ’24 started playing the ocarina in 2019, she had no intentions of performing. The instrument, a type of flute with origins in ancient Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures, was an old Christmas gift that she finally picked up at the onset of COVID-19. She began taking walks in Minneapolis’ Theodore Wirth Park, teaching herself the instrument during the deep uncertainty, stress, and isolation of the pandemic. The old Christmas present soon became a completely different kind of gift.
“Learning the ocarina was, I think, really good for me,” Palleja says. “It brought me peace.”
Though originally the recent alumna didn’t imagine putting her ocarina skills to use for an audience, when she saw the call for submissions to last year, she thought, “If I’m not going to do it now, then when?”
Palleja’s was the very first act received when submissions opened last year, and the origins of her ocarina talent sparked an idea for Katie Acts director Shanan Custer ’92, herself a ż’s alum.
“That story, the way she told it, was this galvanizing moment of what ties the show together,” says Custer. As each act comes to the stage, the audience will hear recorded audio of the performer sharing context for their talent. “You’ve got professors playing music, staff sharing poems, students dancing — and behind it all, the stories behind why these performers chose the piece they did. It’s bringing people together to share their stories in the way that makes sense to them.”
Katie Acts is the latest return to campus for Custer, who has regularly collaborated with ż’s on events and workshops over the years. This is on top of a bustling career as an actor, director, improviser, and teacher in the Twin Cities area, a professional range that “I credit to ż’s,” she says. “Attending ż’s, not a professional program but a liberal arts education, I felt very poised to explore all aspects of theater. It made me think of the industry differently. Rather than relying solely on auditions, which can be so hard, I kept finding ways to create work for myself and craft a life.”
Community shaping art, art shaping community
The production features an eclectic mix of arts: music, poetry, acting, even a handstand act. A group of CSJs, dubbing themselves the Everly Sisters — “the unknown sisters of the Everly Brothers” — will sing. The Wildcat dance team will perform a new original “Barbie World” routine, accompanied by special guest President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76.
The Frey stage isn’t the only place Katie Acts art will make an appearance. Over the past semester, students and faculty in several different classes have been crafting aspects of the production to create an immersive experience. Illustration Design art students (taught by Bethany Rahn, MFA) have been creating artwork and animations, based on their own personal narratives of growth, that will be projected on the screen. 3D Design art students (Monica Rudquist, MFA) have been creating sculptures, themed around storytelling, that will be placed in and around Frey Theater for a framing effect. Advanced Construction fashion students (Carol Mager) have created a patchwork cape that will be expanded between each performance act, demonstrating the rich tapestry of talent in the ż’s community.
While some of the Katie Acts cast members perform their art for audiences regularly, others are sharing talents that aren’t necessarily in their daily lives — a unique quality, Custer emphasizes.
“They’re so open to trying things,” she says. “Some of the people in this show are stepping forward and saying, ‘I don’t do this a lot, but this seems like the right time to do it.’ That’s something that I think makes ż’s very special: people’s willingness to be part of the community in a way that they’re not typically seen.”
Shanan Custer ’92
“I hope that people watching will be invigorated about their own pursuit of art,” says Palleja. Katie Acts will be her first time performing the ocarina in front of an audience. “It’s been exciting to be part of a larger project with what used to be a very solitary activity for me! I hope that other faculty, staff, alumni, and students feel encouraged to come and join us next year.”
The O’Shaughnessy and Katie Acts teams hope to make this a new University tradition, an annual celebration of all things art at ż’s in collaboration across departments, classes, and alumni years.
Katie Acts takes place this weekend at the Frey Theater, with one performance on Friday, May 3 and two performances on Saturday, May 4.