Additional Resources
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Eve Summer Theatrical Translator of the “Human” Connection Assumption was blessed with many gifts bestowed by Eve Summer ’07 as she pursued her passion for all things theatrical. Raised in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, Eve, 23, a retired professional ballerina, majored in Foreign Languages (French and German) and minored in Italian Studies. She received the prestigious 2005–2006 Denommè Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence in French, and she completed her bachelor’s degree within three years. Eve became a presence on campus—an extraordinary theatrical talent who shone with each opportunity. Going above and beyond, Eve totally immersed herself in acting, choreography, writing, performing, directing, and producing for Assumption’s Theatre Arts Workshop. She was also a member of dance Company X, and taught ballet full-time in Putman, CT. Eve’s interest in theater, particularly Shakespeare, was sparked as a child, when she had the opportunity to perform in Much Ado About Nothing, as Boy, with the Nashville Shakespeare Company; and The Merry Wives of Windsor, as Robin, with the New England Theater Company, as a young girl. In the Summer of 2006, she choreographed and played Ceres in The Tempest with the Redfeather Theater Company, in Worcester. During her first semester at Assumption, she played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, which she also choreographed. Impressed with her spirit and professionalism, Brian Tivnan, instructor of Theatre Arts, suggested that she direct Extremities the next spring. Last semester, Fall 2006, she directed and played the female lead in The Woolgatherer. Two weeks later, she played a lead role in Lend Me a Tenor—all of these to rave reviews. Eve has long been a devotee of writer Thomas Berger. With Berger’s permission, she wrote a play based on his novel, Neighbors, which she produced and directed this spring. Berger loved her adaptation, and corresponded with Her mentor, Brian Tivnan, says, “Since she delayed entering college, and already had professional experience in dance and theatre, Eve came to us ready, willing, and able to work on a graduate level. The theater courses here couldn’t accommodate her advanced talents, so we made up the opportunity for her to take on the whole production of The Woolgatherer and Neighbors from soup to nuts by herself with my supervision, only. I want to encourage more of this creative education. Everyone benefits.” Eve was already fluent in French when she enrolled at Assumption. She has been immersed in music since birth. Her mother teaches music therapy, and her father is an opera composer, so it is not surprising that she loves music and the languages of the great European operas. Surrounded by this passionate medium from birth, its stories, told in rich language, drew her to not only to study French and German, but also to minor in Italian Studies, and tackle learning the language, which she has mastered in short order. Her advisor and the director of the Italian Studies Program, Richard Bonanno, said of Eve, “In a nutshell, she is incredibly diligent. She is naturally bright, but her diligence, which is truly exemplary, has allowed her to achieve excellence. In turn, her enthusiasm and work ethic inspire others, classmates and instructors alike.” Eve says, “My vision is to bring good theatre to opera. Opera is not just about the arias, it should be a complete theatrical experience, not stiff and elitist and geared only towards musicians and opera buffs. The key to enjoying theater, for me, lies in simplicity. Be it a play or an opera, the writing and the music should be good enough to speak for themselves, to come to life through good direction, so the audience can make natural, human connections with it.” It is evident that Eve is well on her way to making that happen. There is no question of the talent she exudes, and the focus she has to follow her passion to experience every aspect of the theatre and to discover unexplored venues. Eve plans to go to graduate school in stage direction, to pursue her dreams. Watch for her name in lights.
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Class Year: 2007
her throughout the process.