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Medici Mondays: Haiden Pederson

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Monday, September 23, 2024
College of Fine Arts, School of Theatre, Film & Television

Haiden Pederson took an eight-week Shakespeare intensive at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), thanks to support from the College of Fine Arts Medici Circle.

Pederson is a senior BFA musical theatre major at the School of Theatre, Film & Television. The Shakespeare intensive in London attracts students from all around the world. Pederson participated in full-day skills-based training courses in acting, movement, voice, and stage combat, as well as rehearsals for two separate plays. She performed as Maria in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and Old Thorney/Cuddy Banks in the Jacobean tragedy “The Witch of Edmonton”). 

Students: Become a Medici Scholar. | Supporters: Join the Medici Circle.

LAMDA also scheduled various tours and trips to some of the world’s most well-recognized theatres like The Globe Theatre or the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon. In her free time, Pederson took in many plays and musicals, immersing herself in the culture of the city.  

“My main incentive for taking part in LAMDA’s training was to experience how theatre is taught on a different cultural level,” she said. “There is so much value that comes from learning this craft through as many lenses as possible. Stepping into a part of the world I have never visited before and diving in headfirst to a new and different way, although initially daunting, was as exciting as it was rewarding.” 

Pederson worked with the esteemed faculty members of LAMDA, who are seasoned actors, directors, and creatives, as well as students from different regions of the world. 

“It forced me to break out of the box of what I thought “the right way” was and focus rather on what it could be. I will be coming back to the Arizona with mounds of inspiration and drive to share and implement these breakthroughs through my upcoming work. 

Students: Become a Medici Scholar. | Supporters: Join the Medici Circle.

Medici Circle Appreciation

“My training with LAMDA could not have been made possible without the generous support of Pamela Becker and Vincent Immordino. It is immensely affirming to have the support of those who recognize the importance of educational pathways for artists, and I can undoubtedly say that their contribution has helped make significant strides for my capacity as a theatrical artist. 

Medici Circle support allows talented artist and scholars like Haiden Pederson to pursue an educational summer project beyond the classroom.

Previously on “Medici Mondays”