Student Blog: College Clubs

I’M BACK, my dears!

Hi, it’s Natalie and I’d like to write another post on my blog. Today I’m going to tell you about the CLUBS at the University of Michigan, specifically the theater and performance opportunities!

To preface this, I thought I’d give you a little life update. My family is currently camping in far eastern Michigan (literally on Lake Michigan), so I’m writing this from the kitchen table of our camper. I love camping – what’s not to love about sleeping, drinking coffee and just reading in a hammock or on the beach all day? (At least that’s what I do when I’m at camp, I don’t know about you… But I highly recommend it.)

ANYWAY, back to today’s topic: clubs at UMich! I guess I should start by saying that this is a difficult topic to write about because there really is SO MUCH to do at this school that it can seem intimidating. There are literally over 1,000 different clubs and counting because so many new ones are created every year! There are campus-wide clubs as well as ones that are specific to your school or major. These can include anything from sports to counseling, nature, theater and more. Basically, no matter what you like to do in your free time, there is a club at UMich for it. Personally, I am involved in four clubs – I mentioned them a bit in the previous post, but I thought I would discuss them again as they are more relevant here.

Naughty mechanics: This is the only theater club I participate in at UMich. Rude Mechanicals is the largest student-run drama organization on campus. We produce 2 student-run plays per year (1 per semester), completely directed, produced, and performed by students. I am an associate producer, which involves working closely with the executive producers to accomplish organizational tasks and maintain the vision of the current season. Other duties include attending rehearsals and production meetings, and managing some contracts.
- I love this club and everyone involved in this amazing organization. It fosters an inclusive and friendly space where creativity can truly flow. I am very excited to return to this role when I return to campus in the fall.
BBA Marketing Club: In the fall, I will be starting as the membership director for the business school marketing club. Being a member my entire first year has allowed me to make some amazing connections and friendships, and I have grown professionally. This club has definitely given me a leg up when applying for internships this summer and has helped me prepare for my summer marketing internship.
Phi Gamma Nu (PGN): PGN was the first club I joined when I got to UMich—a professional business fraternity within the business school but accepting of all majors. I found some of my closest friends through this organization (including my roommate for next year!). Even if you’re not a business major, business fraternities can be So beneficial, if only because of the professional help and contacts established. By the end of the semester, I had a strong CV, LinkedIn, and knew how to write a cover letter, which I wouldn’t have done without PGN.
Women’s Glee Club: I joined the Glee Club my second semester and had a blast! It’s another club open to all majors and it was great to meet up with other ladies twice a week who also love to sing. Glee has 2 concerts a year (one per semester) and even went on an international tour this year (to Ireland!).

Okay, that was a bit long, but I think it just goes to show how much I love the clubs I’m involved with. They have helped me build a strong community at UMich, and advancing into management positions gives me something to do with my resume and LinkedIn as I begin my career!

Now I’m moving on to theater clubs, specifically UMich. As a non-theatre major (again, I’m majoring in business administration), joining theater was still very important to me, so I will use this space to highlight opportunities for other non-majors.

To put it simply, there are 3 major theater clubs at UMich; Rude Mechanicals, MUSKET and Basement Arts. Of course, there are others, and there are plenty of student-led projects each semester, but these are the 3 I will focus on in this post because they tend to have the most going on and the most potential opportunities to get involved.

Naughty mechanics: As a Rudes producer I am a bit biased towards it, but objectively it is a fantastic club to get involved in, especially as a junior. In addition to the Associate Producer position (which I hold), they need Assistant Directors (usually reserved for first year directing students), Costume Designers, Graphic Designers (for show posters), a Marketing Team, and of course Actors (and more!). The cast of Rudes is usually half actors/BFA and half non-actors. Someone was a psychology major recently! There really is so much acceptance and desire for non-theatre students, and Rudes is a great place to join in theatre while you are in college.
MUSKET: Unlike Rudes, who works exclusively in theater arts, MUSKET produces 2 full-length musicals each year. It operates very similarly to Rudes, with a production team, a marketing team and is entirely student-led and run. While their casts usually consist of more theater majors, there are always those who are not. I actually had a friend who was on the cast of “Catch Me If You Can” last semester and she’s a mechanical engineering major!
Art in the basement: Basement Arts, unlike Rudes and MUSKET, stages a large number of small productions each semester, including plays AND musicals. They do everything from student-written one-act plays to full-length Broadway musicals (I saw Falsettos through BA last semester and… let’s just say there were tears in my eyes). Basement Arts is great because their show schedules tend to be shorter, which gives the creative teams more time to work on other projects if they want to.

Well, there you have it! A look at some of the clubs at UMich, the ones I’m involved in, and just a few theater-focused ones you can join! The amazing thing about UMich clubs is that they are truly welcoming and there really is something for everyone. I know it can seem intimidating (it certainly did for me), but the best thing you can do is just give it your all! Try out things that interest you, and even things you might not! By joining clubs, you will find your best friends and see a huge growth in yourself.

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