APSU theatre student lands leading role in NYC showcase

By: Ethan Steinquest July 18, 2024

Murrell performing in “The Ruminants” at Austin Peay.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Performing in New York City always felt like a dream out of reach for senior theatre major Prichan Murrell, but it became reality this summer when they were chosen for a leading role in College Collaboration Project’s showcase of “The Ruminants.”

Murrell was cast as EB — a junior at “Rose College” in a campus animal rights group — based on their performance in Austin Peay State University’s production of “The Ruminants" this spring. Written by Dipti Bramhandkar and produced by The Farm Theater in collaboration with APSU, Shenandoah University and Middle Tennessee State University, the play explores protest, privilege and legacy through a story of animal rights activism.

“The playwright and the producer for the Farm Theater came to the show and picked me based on that and the performances they saw at other schools,” Murrell said. “It made me feel really good because it was the first show I’d been a part of where the cast got along especially well, and it felt like a natural process, so I was elated when they asked me to do it.”

Murrell, center, at The Ford Theater in New York City.

Murrell stood out to the production team because of their genuine honesty in the role, and their connection to the material was apparent during rehearsals.

“I played EB, and there are a lot of similarities between me and that character,” they said. “The biggest thing for me was separating myself, so I didn’t end up taking the things that happened on stage home. I found that I would get really emotional at the end of every rehearsal and that it was affecting me in my day-to-day life, so I had to find some space between myself and the character.”

That experience proved valuable when Murrell traveled to New York for the showcase, which brought together students from various productions of “The Ruminants” for an all-star performance on May 20. Murrell’s trip was funded by APSU Academic Affairs and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

Murrell performing in “The Ruminants” at Austin Peay.

“I feel like I got to make a lot of strong connections with other people and professional actors in New York, which is a really big dream for me,” they said. “The people there encouraged me, gave me resources to help beyond graduation and changed my perspective on theatre in general.”

Along with performance opportunities, the trip gave Murrell a chance to immerse themselves in New York’s vibrant theatre scene.

“When I first went up there, the director of the show and I went to see ‘The Wiz’ revival on Broadway,” they said. “I love that show, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of it in some way. Getting to see the revival on stage with Wayne Brady, Deborah Cox and Nichelle Lewis was amazing … I saw it before going into my first rehearsal for ‘The Ruminants,’ and it was really inspiring. I think that was the highlight of the trip for me.”

Their trip to New York marked a major step in Murrell’s theatrical career, but their love for the stage runs deeper.

Murrell, red shirt, performing at The Ford Theater.

“I’ve always wanted to do theatre, but I was scared. The first time I ever did theatre was when I got into college,” they said. “I was leaning toward being a lawyer or psychologist, but when I actually got into college, I couldn’t imagine doing anything other than performing. I feel like it’s what I do best, and it brings my heart a lot of joy.”

Murrell originally attended Northwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, then found a home at Austin Peay in 2022 after taking time away from college.

“I feel like Austin Peay has a lot of resources, specifically in the theatre department … it’s given me a lot creatively, and I feel like I have a wider scope of what I can do ������,” they said. “Many of the professors are current performers or active in the field, which gives us a lot of insight, and they also have events like The Fringe where you can create your own work if you’re not in a show.”

In addition to bringing characters to life on stage, Murrell has served as a show captain for multiple performances and assistant director for a production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at Austin Peay.

Murrell’s efforts earned them the 2023-2024 College of Arts and Letters Student Leadership Award for the Department of Theatre & Dance, and they hope to use the leadership skills they honed to work in either Philadelphia or New York after graduation.

“The experience I had in New York doing ‘The Ruminants’ was incredible,” they said. “Everybody was extremely into their work and very passionate, and it was nice to be around other creatives … it was very validating and made me happy that I chose to be in theatre again because I felt like I was right where I belonged.”