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Tavan Radke ‘27, a first year theater major, has a stage presence that fills a room upon arrival. Having spent much of his life on stage, he knows how to capture and keep an audience’s attention. Radke has most recently performed in William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, directed by Matt Trucano, playing the emotionally complex role of Belarius. For this and other involvements in the Gustavus Theatre and Dance Department, he earned the Lee and Laurie Walker Scholarship Award, given to first year theatre or dance majors who have made a significant contribution to the department.
Radke ‘27 sat down and discussed his experience at Gustavus, from Cymbeline to his time with the choir.
How did receiving the award make you feel?
It certainly wasn’t something I was expecting, but it was a really nice surprise.
Has your time at Gustavus helped you with what direction you want to take?
I think it has made me more confident in knowing I want to move closer to theater and that it is the path I want to go down.
Why Gustavus?
Part of it was definitely the scholarships! I think another reason was the G-choir because I was there to watch their home choir after the international tour and I knew I needed to be a part of this. I also just heard the general ambience of the theater department and the shows that we do are something I was interested in trying out.
Professor Matt Trucano echoed the praise for Radke ‘27, adding “His curiosity, availability, diligence, and warmth all shone through in his performance [in Cymbeline]and his sense of humor in rehearsal was a delight for the cast and crew. It’s been my pleasure to watch Tavan grow this year and I’m looking forward to seeing his development through his time at Gustavus.”