![\"Elise](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/106\/2020\/10\/elise_floatright.jpg?resize=400%2C551&ssl=1\")
Elise Pannemann dreams of taking her passion for performing to Hollywood and, one day, acting in films. But for now, the third-year Theatre student is honing her skills at University of Detroit Mercy.<\/p>\nElise Pannemann dreams of taking her passion for performing to Hollywood and, one day, acting in films. But for now, the third-year Theatre student is honing her skills at University of Detroit Mercy.<\/p>\n
The COVID-19 pandemic altered Pannemann\u2019s plans with the Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DTMC)<\/a>, leaving her \u201ccraving the chance to perform again.\u201d That led her to explore an unfamiliar form of theatre for a local seasonal show.<\/p>\n Pannemann is the puppeteer for \u201cHaunted,\u201d Open Book Theatre Company\u2019s new Halloween-themed show which opened Oct. 9 and runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October. She was recruited by Detroit Mercy Adjunct Professor Sarah Hawkins Rusk, who is also directing the show.<\/p>\n \u201cI had never done puppeteering before and I thought that this would be a wonderful way to try out something new and feed my cravings to get back on the stage,\u201d Pannemann said.<\/p>\n \u201cHaunted\u201d is an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe\u2019s \u201cThe Raven\u201d and Washington Irving\u2019s \u201cThe Legend of the Sleepy Hollow.\u201d There are two versions of the show \u2014 an earlier, family friendly version and a bloodier, scarier version, \u201cExtra Haunted,\u201d which features Brian Stoker\u2019s \u201cDracula\u201d in addition to the works of Poe and Irving.<\/p>\n Both are being shown as \u201cwindow theatre\u201d performances, which operate similarly to drive-in movies. Actors wear microphones and perform through the windows at Open Book Theatre\u2019s Trenton location, while the audience watches from the parking lot.<\/p>\n Pannemann performs in the background behind a screen, wearing a mask, and works with over 30 puppets.<\/p>\n \u201cI lay on my back on a little rolling scooter with my puppet in hand raised vertical to my chest, either stationary or riding across the sheet, the lights behind me projecting the shadow up onto the sheet,\u201d Pannemann said. \u201cIf I want the shadow to be smaller, I move closer to the sheet. If I want to make the shadow bigger, I move further away from the sheet and closer to the light.\u201d<\/p>\n But most important, she has to make sure not to project her own shadow.<\/p>\n Pannemann said she enjoys puppeteering, as it gives her a chance to perform for an audience.<\/p>\n \u201cI have always been into many forms of entertainment since I was little — singing, dancing, acting and comedy,\u201d Pannemann said. \u201cI loved to make my friends and family laugh growing up, and had performed in a handful of musicals from elementary school through high school. I feel very comfortable on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n After finishing high school, Pannemann made the decision to pursue a career in performance arts and joined Detroit Mercy Theatre Company. Over the past several years, she\u2019s performed in various programs with DMTC and even attended a major regional theatre festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Pannemann, the most enjoyable aspect of performing is \u201cthe ability to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you are up on the stage, you are no longer yourself, you\u2019re someone else,\u201d she said. \u201cThis gives you the freedom to diverge wildly from who you are every day, and it is so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Pannemann knows her time at Detroit Mercy will be important to making her acting dreams come true.<\/p>\n \u201cDetroit Mercy is teaching me how to act to an entire room,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you can convince an entire room that you are feeling the emotions you are trying to convey, then you can transition to film.\u201d<\/p>\n Elise Pannemann dreams of taking her passion for performing to Hollywood and, one day, acting in films. But for now, the third-year Theatre student is …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6],"tags":[2090,1827,216,1662,3381,3382,290,3368,3377,3376,3383,3334,3370,3371,3372,3337,3373,3374,3379,3369,3380,3378,38,39,3375],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbwnTV-1s7","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5587"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5589,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587\/revisions\/5589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Learn more about Detroit Mercy\u2019s Theatre program online<\/a>.<\/h4>\n
For more information on Open Book Theatre\u2019s presentation of \u201cHaunted,\u201d click here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"