by Dave Allen ’06
Starting in high school, Matt Dranzik ’13 capered for children at Sesame Place, the Sesame Street theme park near his hometown of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Though he entered Bucknell as a physics major, he quickly gravitated toward the stage: first acting in plays and musicals, and then exploring theatre’s ancient roots in a student-led production of Euripedes’ The Bacchae and an original performance titled Masks, Movement and Mayhem.
After graduate studies in physical theatre at Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, he lived what he calls “a nomad’s existence,” working temp jobs and teaching workshops in New York, Philadelphia and Colorado before the lure of a position at Circus Place, a circus school in Hillsborough, N.J., led him back East.
As assistant director at Circus Place, Dranzik works on promoting the school and developing new programs. He still teaches as well: acrobatics, stage combat and — going back to his roots — clowning. “I joke that I’ve been jack of all trades and master of none,” he says, “but that led me to find a job where I can use all my skills.”
Starting in high school, Matt Dranzik ’13 capered for children at Sesame Place, the Sesame Street theme park near his hometown of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Though he entered Bucknell as a physics major, he quickly gravitated toward the stage: first acting in plays and musicals, and then exploring theatre’s ancient roots in a student-led production of Euripedes’ The Bacchae and an original performance titled Masks, Movement and Mayhem.
After graduate studies in physical theatre at Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, he lived what he calls “a nomad’s existence,” working temp jobs and teaching workshops in New York, Philadelphia and Colorado before the lure of a position at Circus Place, a circus school in Hillsborough, N.J., led him back East.
As assistant director at Circus Place, Dranzik works on promoting the school and developing new programs. He still teaches as well: acrobatics, stage combat and — going back to his roots — clowning. “I joke that I’ve been jack of all trades and master of none,” he says, “but that led me to find a job where I can use all my skills.”