Chardon native ends acting career at Ashland University

Related Media

Aaron Arnold (right) with his brother, Austin.

ASHLAND, OH (05/01/2013)(readMedia)--  When the performers and crew took their final bows April 14 they knew it was the end of a chapter of their lives. For most, there would always be the next show at AU, but for Aaron Arnold, it was the end of the AU chapter of his life.

Arnold, a senior theatre major from Chardon Ohio, is the son of William and Laura Arnold and has been acting at AU since his freshmen year. He co-starred in the two man show "A Life in the Theatre" by David Mamet alongside AU theatre professor and mentor, Ric Goodwin. It was Goodwin's last show at AU as well, since May would mark the beginning of his retirement.

"A Life in the Theatre" is a show about a young actor, played by Arnold, and a veteran actor, played by Goodwin, and the relationship they share with each other and the theatre.

"It was a really cool experience," Arnold said. "There were no weak links in this play. Once we got the lines memorized we could experiment however we wanted. It was a really creative atmosphere."

The director of the show, Nathaniel Sayatovich, is also a senior graduating this May and has been working with Goodwin and Arnold since he was a freshman.

Arnold, Goodwin and Sayatovich have also been working together since 2009 when they were all involved in "Equus" and have continued working together for many productions since then.

"Unlike other shows, there was a lot of one-on-one attention in this show," Arnold said. "Since there's only two actors, you are always getting feedback."

Arnold said working with Goodwin for the past four years has really gotten him prepared for his future, where he plans to move to Los Angeles with his brother, Austin Arnold, to pursue careers as actors.

"Working on these shows have given me a lot of discipline," Aaron said. "It prepares you for a whole new level of play. The role also looks really great on a resume."

Aaron has also been a four year member of Phi Kappa Psi and has acted in several other non-AU productions.

"I have so many good memories to take away from Ashland and the theatre department," Aaron said. "This show, and all the others, have made me better and better and it will be really useful in the future."

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2013, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.