Andrei Malikov

I was born in Russia, a country with a very strong theatrical tradition, and my parents had always made a point of taking me to as many plays and showing me as many classic movies as possible. As a result my childhood heroes were a Russian actor named Vladimir Visotsky, most famous for his portrayal of Hamlet, and a French actor named Jean-Paul Belmondo. As an unmotivated and directionless high school sophomore I decided to take an introductory acting class. I thought this class would be the easiest way to satisfy my school’s arts requirement and hoped it might entertaining, so I figured I would give it a shot. Three years and three plays later I found myself as an incoming freshman at the USC School of Theatre. Despite the fact that I almost immediately switched majors – first to Psychology, then Political Science, then Comparative Literature, and finally English – my love for theatre has never diminished. I realized that, although I did not necessarily want to be an actor, I was nowhere near being ready to give up on my infatuation with plays.

I eventually ended up with a major in English and a minor in Theatre. Along the way, a few of my classes gave me an opportunity to keep acting; but most of all, I have realized I love examining theatre in an analytical sense. Within both the Theatre department and the English department I have greatly enjoyed classes, in which I had a chance to study plays ranging from Romeo and Juliet to Ruined, the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner. I have come to realize that analyzing theatrical works helps me appreciate everything about them – the set designs, the acting, and everything else. This led me to write my senior thesis on an intersection between my interests in literature and theatre. I focused on Martin McDonagh, a contemporary Irish playwright, and the theatrical qualities of his works.

I am not entirely sure what the future holds for me. On one hand I have been interested in going to law school for quite some time, but then again I also want to pursue my passion for theatre. I plan on taking a year off after graduation in order to make a decision. During the summers of 2008 and 2009 I interned at a law firm and at a theatre for social justice organization, so I hope to continue in both of these varying directions while I attempt to figure everything out. One thing I am sure of is that, regardless of what I end up doing, my love for both literature and theatre will only continue to grow. For this reason, I am very grateful to be receiving the JIMMY award for my academic career – it feels amazing to be recognized for something that has become so rewarding. I would like to thank everyone involved in organizing this award. I am extremely honored.