Alumni Spotlight: Pedro Barquin

0
473

Graduating from college and entering the working world can be intimidating. However, University of Dallas alumni are thriving, as their initiative and their education have set them up for success. Pedro Barquin graduated in the fall of 2020 with a degree in drama and reveals how these experiences have helped prepare him for his life post-college.

Barquin happily expressed that he loves UD, like most alumni. He said that it was the only school for him and he greatly valued the intimate atmosphere of UD, deeply enjoying all the campus events and social gatherings.

“I felt like a member of the community wherever I went,” he expressed. He and his classmates bonded over their studies, their faith, their doubts and their passions. 

Barquin affirmed that his experience at UD prepared him for his career, specifically noting the role the drama program played. He explained that his time in drama taught him to understand managing and working with a team. “The time I spent directing, stage managing, designing, acting and building sets all kind of come together in this sort of way I didn’t think possible,” he said. 

While in the drama department, Barquin did a little bit of everything. He acted in many mainstage productions, senior studios and after hours shows, as well as worked backstage in a few shows. He was the assistant stage manager for a mainstage production, designed sound for a few senior studios and briefly worked in the scene shop. 

“Having a well-rounded experience in theatrical production really helped me enter the so-called “real world” with understanding team management, getting my hands dirty, and working towards a greater vision,” he said. 

As the capstone of his time in the drama program, he directed his own senior studio production, “The Man with the Flower in His Mouth” by Luigi Pirandello. 

Barquin was drawn to the show because of the unique story it tells. “It examined the way that people don’t appreciate what they have until they lose it, as well as how hard it is to accept the unfortunate cards that life deals to us,” he explained. 

Barquin’s production was put on in the fall of 2020 which provided its own series of challenges due to online classes and closed public gathering spaces. To accommodate, he directed and recorded the play over Zoom. 

“It was a challenge, and like the Man with the Flower in his Mouth, I searched for distractions to try and escape the form of Zoom Theatre, but when I accepted it for what it was and what I could do with it, then I really found the beauty in my production,” Barquin said. 

Currently, Barquin currently works for Ford Audio-Video, leading crews across the country in commercial installations. He completes installations of video and audio systems, including speaker systems, video displays and cameras. 

“It’s certainly not where I thought I would be right out of college, but my experience working on Sound Design in the drama department gave me a good way in with the work I do now. The job has me traveling all over the country, since we have clients just about everywhere in the U.S. I’ve gotten to see a lot of interesting places (and a lot of theater) I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to see,” he said. 

Additionally, when he is not traveling across states, Barquin continues to act in productions on the weekends, performing in shows with the American Murder Mystery Company. “It scratches the actor itch in me,” Barquin expressed. 

In the far future, Barquin would like to start his own theater company. He hopes to direct the shows that he loved reading and studying while at UD. In particular, he would like to put on other shows by Pirandello. 

“My goal, however, is still that one day I can direct [“The Man With the Flower in his Mouth”] on a real stage, perhaps with many more life experiences behind me that will reveal more truths hidden in the play,” said Barquin. 

Barquin is using the skills and experience that he gained at UD to thrive in his current career, and it is exciting to see what he achieves in the future. 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here