Southwestern College Office of Admissions
The Moundbuilder Puppeteer
In the spring of '07 I graduated from SC with a BA majoring in Theatre (Performance) with a minor in Psychology. Before graduating from SC my theatre professor, Roger Moon, presented me with an email he had received from a company looking for potential puppeteers for a company located in Orlando, FL. I had already been offered many other positions with various companies located around the US so I was in the process of narrowing down my choices and making a decision. After much discussion and a "wild hair" I sent in a video audition and my resume'. Imagine my surprise when they called me and asked if they could fly me to Orlando for an interview.
After meeting the people in the company and auditioning in person for them they immediately offered me the position. So currently I work with the puppet company called MicheLee Puppets. We travel the state of Florida presenting a show called Extreme Health Challenge to Elementary School students. The show is to help fight the rise in childhood obesity in the state of Florida. In the show I am the puppeteer for 6 different puppets in a 45 minute show. Moving to Orlando has presented me with many opportunities to further my career and grow on a personal level. As well as working with MicheLee Puppets I was offered a position with the company Cirque USA as a performer in their shows. Recently we have traveled to Long Island, NY and the Northern part of Florida for shows.
As well as performances with Cirque USA, I have begun the long vigorous process of training with them doing other cirque acts. Currently I am training on chiffon (ariel silks) and hand-to-hand balancing. I work with a group of very talented performers who come from many parts of the world including Russia, Jamaica, and the United States. After performing for MicheLee Puppets, Cirque USA, and various other theatre companies here in Florida I will move to Blue Lake, CA to receive my MFA from Del 'Arte in Physical Based Ensemble Theatre.
The faculty and staff at Southwestern College have been some of the most amazing people I have encountered. They not only taught me how to succeed in my professional life but in my every day activities. People often ask me where I graduated from and I always say with pride I graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. I am a Moundbuilder.
~ Aaron Rose Class of 2007