Spotlight: Evan Simone Frazier, MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts

Evan Simone Frazier, MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts student, describes herself as having “a chill demeanor.”
“I am always attempting to find the uniqueness in everyone and everything” she says.

Evan Simone Frazier’s poise, charm and grace reflects her depth of experience when she speaks about her work as a graduate student in the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program at Goddard. 

Graduate study has allowed her the space to interweave her interests in philosophy and psychology, Evan says, and the Interdisciplinary Arts MFA has given her opportunities to study her process as an actor.  In digging deeper, Evan landed on the crux of her thesis: how personal and institutional trauma and meditation informs an actor, writer, and theater creator. 

She agrees that listening to other people’s process informs her own work as an actress. “At the end of the day, it’s about studying humans. There are so many different artists at the MFAIA program. All these personalities- you can steal that. That’s gold. As an actor, you are a thief. You can take all of that and use it. Use it to inform yourself and your process.”

Evan emerges from her Goddard MFA with a new one-woman play entitled “Perfect”. The play is about a “young actor named Dill who struggles to book theater gigs as she attempts to manage her severe anxiety. She meets two friends along the way and embarks on a journey towards self-awareness.”

“I’m a writer now, thanks to Goddard.” she says. 

Her advice to aspiring theater artists who might be thinking about getting their masters: “We all want validation of course, but that should not be what drives you. Learn about yourself as a human being and artist.”

“My work focuses on identity- the nuances of identity, how it can shift over time with a focus on generational trauma on the Black american. I was starting to understand what part my blackness plays in being an actor. And this has given me a lot more depth as an actor. I started to grab at the deeper parts of myself and use it when I’m performing.”

Evan has advice to a newly enrolled Goddard student: “When you enter Goddard, failure doesn’t exist. Rather, the relationship with failure changes when you enter a Goddard residency. It’s not a dreadful thing that you have to avoid. A lot of institutions don’t offer that support.”

“The grading system that underlies traditional education is the manifestation of the toxic relationship we have with failure.” Evan says, “When people are working off of fear, they get tense. You don’t see who they are. That fear creates a scarcity mindset.”

In creating your own path of study, choosing your advisors, and interacting with artists of many different disciplines, Evan differentiates Goddard from a traditional learning environment. With the community of supportive artists, Goddard offers no boundaries in terms of how you want to study. The collaboration and support benefits those who enter with a notion of their course of study, an inspired start, but don’t yet know the exact route to pursuing it.

The experience of the Goddard MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts has given Evan Simone Frazier a confidence and deeper understanding of self. She admits to overthinking, having trouble letting go, and growing up with low self-esteem. But her work, she says, in exploring personal trauma and writing about it has led to a “whirlwind of discovery.”

“I was receiving validation for something I’ve never felt validated by.” For someone like Evan, whose commitment to craft and empathetic intelligence is deep, there was a lot to untangle and uncover in the process of knowing.

The work she saw at the MFAIA program at Goddard was “honest and vulnerable”. And this made all the difference, she said, and she decided early on to explore her own emotional experiences. In her first semester, she realized, “Ok, I’m curious to know who I am.”

It was Kelly Meg Brennan, Evan’s vocal coach, who recommended she try Goddard. “She runs towards her goals and fearlessly pushes herself through transformations. I knew her creativity would explode within the progressive model at Goddard.  She says YES to life!” 

Kelly is a 2015 graduate of the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program as well, and has recruited four students to Goddard’s programs since graduating.

Evan agrees that Goddard College is an inspiring learner-driven community. “Goddard is so nurturing . You are creating your own path. The way the degree is structured you build your program, choose your advisor, and guide yourself along.”

“At my previous college, everything was given to you.” Evan says, “For the first time I felt like my voice was valued.”

Evan Simone Frazier believes classic theater training has its place,
but experimentation, writing, and introspection have made all the difference for her process.

The Goddard Student Spotlight focuses attention on students engaged in the depth of their studies. Do you have a current Goddard student to recommend? Contact news@goddard.edu.

Goddard’s MFAIA program is bursting with creatives who offer a supportive environment for you to explore new grounds in your work. If you are looking for a degree to advance your career opportunities, or build a new body or direction of work under a critical lens, Goddard is the right path. Continue your current obligations, while earning your masters degree. There is no better time. Find out more from admissions@goddard.edu or read more stories about Goddardites who are continually making changes in themselves and the world.

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