It all started in elementary school for Rachel Gardner, a fifth-year BFA musical theatre major, who began performing on stage in plays produced by her school. This was just the start of Gardner’s journey as a performing artist.

When Gardner got to high school, she continued performing in theatrical shows and even went to the Governor’s School of the Arts (GSA), a rigorous summer arts intensive program funded by the state of Kentucky. As Gardner finished high school and was looking to pursue higher education, attending NKU for her four-year degree was a no-brainer for her.

“NKU is the number one school for theater in the state. I also went to the Governor’s School for the Arts in 2018, and with that, it gives lots of access to students for scholarships to pursue the arts in higher education,” Gardner said.

Fast forward to Gardner’s last semester before she graduates, she’ll wrap up one of her last shows at NKU by playing the role of Judy Burnley in SOTA’s “9 to 5: The Musical,” which ran from Nov. 3-11 at the Carnegie Theater in Covington, Kentucky. 

“So Judy is really fun, she’s quirky and she’s really nervous. She’s going through a divorce, she’s never worked a day in her life and at the beginning of the show she starts off really anxious, and it’s her first day in an office situation. Throughout the play, she really learns to stand up for herself in the office and to her ex-husband.” 

Playing the character has been super fun for Gardner, especially as the character grows more confident throughout the show.

“I think she’s fun. I get to explore anxieties, and it’s so fun when she becomes powerful because she flips a switch in her at the end of act one,” Gardner said. 

Gardner hopes for audience members to understand the show’s message, which touches on workplace discrimination and women in the workplace in the 1980s. Though the topics can be heavy for some watching the show, they are discussed in a comedic way. 

“A lot of the topics are heavier. They are talked about in a funny way in the show, but they are a little bit heavier,” Gardner said. “And it wasn’t just in the 70s or early 80s. Women still face this today, so we should be aware of it and support each other through whatever you’re going through.” 

Preparations to get the show on stage started as early as January of this year when auditions for the show took place. In addition, the show spends quite a lot of time rehearsing. Toward the beginning of the process, rehearsals would take place five days a week. As the show got closer to opening, Gardner mentioned that rehearsals were six days a week, which makes for a pretty busy schedule on top of other commitments. 

“It’s stressful for sure. Since we rehearse in the evenings, I work at a gym in the mornings. I work shifts that are either 4:30 to 11:00 a.m. or 4:30 to 9:30 a.m.,” Gardner said. “My afternoons are my time, my me time and my homework time. It’s just a lot to do with time management.” 

Gardner also does other activities to help her prepare for long rehearsals, like exercising and vocal warm-ups. 

“I love going on a walk before rehearsal or before a show, or just getting a little exercise in to help me warm up and get some energy going,” Gardner said. “I also do a vocal warm-up. A fun little trick is that if you suck on a Sour Patch Kid, it’ll make sure that your voice is not dry.” 

Although the rehearsal schedule is almost daily, much time outside of the rehearsal room is spent preparing for the show as well. 

“It’s a lot of work with all of the lines and songs, so you really have to work a lot outside of rehearsal to make sure you’re fully prepared in the rehearsal room. This is because there’s not a lot of time to get stuff done,” Gardner said. 

Overall, the leading actress hopes audience members will learn the power of standing up for themselves by seeing this show. 

“It’s okay to stand up for yourself and to make sure you’re not just sitting back when you’re being mistreated, whether that be at home, work, at school or anywhere. It’s really empowering to surround yourself with other people who share similar qualities to you,” Gardner said. 

NKU’s SOTA features a mainstage season every year. This year SOTA will be going throughout different parts of campus and the greater Northern Kentucky area. For more information on upcoming shows or to purchase tickets, visit www.nku.edu/academics/artsci/about/SchoolOfTheArts/news-events/tickets.html.