Miller Arts Scholars
Miller Arts Scholars
Mary Hall

Mary Hall

Semester of Mini-grant
Year of Mini-grant
2023
Disciplines(s)
Grant Description
As I begin to prepare for my career as an actor, at UVa and beyond, I’ve found that my tools to prepare for and record auditions have simply been lacking as compared to my peers. While I’ve been able to make due with what I have so far, I’d like to put my best foot forward when it comes to future auditions by updating my repertoire with new tools that will aid in my professional development and overall preparedness.
Original Proposal
Proposal Outcome
Title
The Auditioner’s Toolkit
Semester of Mini-grant
Year of Mini-grant
2024
Disciplines(s)
Grant Description
As I continue to market myself as an actor and playwright, in addition to beginning to look at applying to MFA programs in the next year, I’m beginning to understand the importance of having all of my best work in a publicly available forum: a personal website.
Original Proposal
Proposal Outcome
Title
Building an Actor’s Presence & Professionalism
Semester of Mini-grant
Year of Mini-grant
2024
Disciplines(s)
Grant Description
With the assistance of a Miller Arts Scholars minigrant, I’ll be able to further build my portfolio and therefore broaden my opportunities as an actor and artist. I am beyond grateful for this potential opportunity, and thank you so much for your consideration!
Original Proposal
Proposal Outcome
Title
Expanding A Portfolio
Class Year
2025
Disciplines(s)
Arts Award Type
Proposal Outcome
Faculty Advisor
Theresa Davis
Department
Drama
Grant Description
With the help of the Miller Arts Scholars Program, I am requesting $3000 to aid in my research for my undergraduate thesis project: writing a one-act play surrounding Black womanhood and how aspects of it transcend time, then staging and producing it. The Distinguished Majors Program in the African American and African Studies Department is the primary sponsor for this project. Professor Theresa M. Davis has agreed to be my thesis advisor and faculty mentor for Miller Arts, having an extensive background in devising work and the overall field of Black Theatre. The plan is to write a 60 to 90-minute play surrounding two generations of Black women, a mother and daughter, and how they experience life as Black women independently and together. This will be accompanied by a dramaturgical packet: a packet detailing the research and methodology that went into writing the script. My script and dramaturgical packet will be informed by research in areas such as Black feminist theory, queer theory, and social science, in addition to autobiographical perspectives as I pull from lived experiences.
Original Proposal
Title
Exploring Black Womanhood through the Dramatic Lens

Mary Hall is a Ridley and Echols Scholar pursuing majors in African American and African Studies as well as Drama. Originally from Greensboro, NC before relocating to Richmond, VA, she has always had a passion for performing, due in large part to her family doing the same all of her life. She started performing in theatre productions in 2015 as a part of her middle school’s production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. and has never looked back since. Her favorite credits since then are playing Humpty Dumpty in Shrek the Musical (2019) and Diana Morales in Spectrum Theatre’s production of A Chorus Line. Other UVA involvements include acting in UVA Drama’s Overcranked! short films, the Direct to You! Festival, WXTJ Student Radio, and most recently Flux Poetry and Spoken Word. She’s excited to delve deeper into her Drama major and combine it with her AAS major in order to research more of the Black theatre world, and is immensely grateful that she’s able to do so as a Miller Arts Scholar.

2025