Even the biggest of theatrical stars relies on the worker behind the curtains, and Dionne O’Dell is the perfect person to make sure things run smoothly behind the scenes.
O’Dell is an academic adviser and program director for MSU Department of Theatre. She puts her students in the right place at the right time both on stage and in their educational tracks.
“The most rewarding part of the job is working with the students one-on-one, whether it’s advising or directing a show,” O’Dell said.
O’Dell has been working at MSU for 14 months, and has been in her current position for almost a year. While most of her students are gone for the season, O’Dell leads the Summer Circle Theatre; she recently wrote and directed this year’s children’s show.
“We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls during the day saying [viewers] love our shows,” O’Dell said. “The feedback has been really positive.”
O’Dell said during the school year she receives a variety of questions from students. They talk to her about anything from academic stress to her professional connections or what city life is like.
“I lived out of state for about 13 years, so it was really nice to come back to Michigan and to have this opportunity to work at Michigan State,” O’Dell said. “The theater department has been really amazing.”