Miss IU to star in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Recently named Miss Indiana University 2012, junior Brianna McClellan portrays the roles of two strong, powerful women.

First, she is Miss IU — a pageant queen involved with the Safe Schools for Every Student organization after her brother was bullied in high school for being gay.

But this weekend, McClellan, who is a musical theater major, will be better known as Hermia in the upcoming play featured by the Department of Theatre and Drama, Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

McClellan describes both her personas as women with a passion for something and with ambitious desires.

In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, the traditional Shakespearean language is paired with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood in the 1930s. The plot of the play emphasizes the extremes of love and their effects.

The role of Hermia is a young woman who falls in love with the wrong man, Lysander. Her father, Egeus, is intent upon marrying Hermia to Demetrius, a man she refuses to love. Distraught, Hermia flees her family and elopes with Lysander.

“(Hermia) is very self-possessed, willful, determined, defiant, and witty and funny, and passionate, all of which Brianna has done extremely well,” said Gavin Cameron-Webb,
director of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The very high-strung Hermia, McClellan said, has a passion to be with the love of her life.

As Miss IU, McClellan is a woman with a passion for her community and school.
“Some of the most talented and smart girls are at IU,” she said. “Some just need a nudge in the right direction.”

McClellan said her affection for both roles makes her a strong representative for both IU and the theater department.

She strives to juggle the two roles to promote the IU arts community.

“Unfortunately, theater falls by the wayside in Big Ten schools,” McClellan said. “My goal is to constantly be involved in the theater department on campus and draw people in.”

Drew Bratton, arts administrator for the Department of Theatre and Drama, said it is sometimes a challenge to get the word out about some of the department’s productions.

“If Brianna’s role as Miss IU helps raise student awareness of the IU theater program, I think that is great,” Bratton said. “Brianna is a wonderful person, and I am sure she will make a great ambassador for IU and our program.”

In the Miss IU competition, 35 percent of the competition is dedicated to the talent portion. McClellan chose vocals as her medium.

She said that by showing other students in the arts her passion for her school via the pageant, she hopes other girls in the arts will gain the excitement to be a part of the competition next year.

“We like to say that you can see ‘theater stars of tomorrow’ on the IU theater stage,” Bratton said. “But it’s not often that we have a celebrity on stage while still in school.”