Jill Underwood ‘93 said she went from acting in experimental theater productions in the basement of the Herrick Chapel to working in the largest and most acclaimed theater for multi-generational audiences in North America — and she couldn’t have done it without her time at Occidental.
“I felt safe taking risks [at Occidental]. I could take a new class and fail miserably, but still benefit from it,” Underwood said. “I would take classes in the sciences that may have not been my forte, but I felt like I got another piece of the world where I connected with people that I would not have otherwise.”
Underwood, once a theater major at Occidental, now works in the development department at the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She said the company puts on six to eight large-scale productions every season and they have year-round theater arts training for ages ranging from 2 to 18 year olds.
In the first 15 years after graduating, Underwood said she delved into the theater scene and received professional acting gigs. After that, she said she worked at a small professional theater company in Minnesota, both in acting and marketing. Underwood said the dual opportunities ultimately led her to write grant proposals for the theatre, which inspired her to seek out other similar opportunities.
“To be completely honest, I was tired of auditioning, and I found that I could continue to work in theatre and support the work,” Underwood said. “Now, I was just on the administrative side.”
During her four years at Occidental, Underwood said one of her favorite classes was an experimental theatre class called Theatre Arts Forum with Professor Emeritus of Theater Alan Freeman. Freeman said he invited professional artists to give talks on their careers to show his students that creativity is universal.
“To appreciate something is not enough,” Freeman said. “You want to go harder than that and taste it and touch it, so that it becomes real to you.”
According to Freeman, the initial goal of the class was to find the art in every simple thing around you. At the end of the semester, he said each student would produce an original theater piece, ranging from a written script to a lighting design. Underwood said that Freeman’s philosophy on art was very special to her, as it allowed her to see the world as a place to play and to embrace creativity and innovation.
“Everything comes down to the relationships that you build with your professors and with your mentors,” Underwood said.
Assistant Professor Will Power said that he met Underwood at the Dallas Theatre Center in 2013 when Underwood was in development at the company and Power was a playwright in residence. Power said he had previously been a guest artist at Occidental, ultimately returning as an assistant professor in 2020.
“Jill [is] a very warm and very friendly person,” Power said. “We talked a lot about vegetarianism and a shared love for theater.”
Power said that he wants to encourage current theater students to explore fundraising and business for the arts, including a module about the business of theater in his advanced acting classes. Underwood’s career is just one example of many possible jobs for those with a B.A. in theater, Power said.
As one of Underwood’s professors, Freeman fondly remembers her talent and commitment to the art form.
“Jill was the kind of actress that could play anyone,” Freeman said. “Occasionally, you’ll get students who can play way beyond where they are in life. Jill was one of those people. She really anchored the play and was so much fun to work with. Of course, it just goes to show how great she is as a human being.”
Contact Eliana Joftus at joftus@oxy.edu
