Posting Date: September 6, 2011
Meet Maged Roushdi: Performing with contagious enthusiasm
By Jessica Linnell Price
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Maged Roushdi Photo by Tracie L. Hinnant |
Maged Roushdi remembers watching Conan O'Brien as a child and thinking that he wanted to be on his show. He also was greatly influenced by the Egyptian actor Adel Emam. “I really started getting into acting in high school because all my friends did it, but it’s always been something that I wanted to do,” Maged says.
Currently a junior theatre and performance studies major with a concentration in acting, Maged came to Kennesaw State University last year. He chose KSU because he says, “the shows here have been outstanding every single time.”
Now that he’s spent a year in the program, he believes he made the best decision. “I would go as far as to say it’s the strongest theater program in Georgia,” he says. He loves the professors and says each has influenced him in some way. He believes the fact that many professors are also professionals in the theater field serve to strengthen the program further. “It’s not just theory,” he says. “It’s application too.”
Assistant Professor Charles Parrott says Maged’s enthusiasm for learning is contagious. "College life is hard but Maged never fails to appreciate the fact that he gets to be part of an artistic community,” Parrott says. “Most days he is downright thrilled that getting his education requires him to analyze poems, wear masks, and dress up!”
Maged’s first year at KSU was a busy one. He performed in “The Good Person of Szechuan” and "What’s Your Secret?" and is a member of the KSU Tellers and K.I.S.S (Kennesaw Improv Society, Stupid!). He is also a member of the Theatre Honor Society, Alpha Psi Omega, and received a scholarship to attend a three-day workshop on stage fighting.
Despite his busy schedule, Maged’s enthusiasm for performing doesn’t waver. “Storytelling as performance is just a lot of fun,” Maged says. “I love being able to tell a story and paint a picture with no props, no scenery, or anything like that.”
Maged’s love of storytelling shows. "When you watch Maged tell stories or do any sort of performance it is always evident that he is having a great time,” Parrott says. “Whether in a classroom or a coffee shop, his joy helps to transform the space he is performing in for the audience."
In October, Maged is excited to be a part of “Dark Forest,” an adaptation of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. “I feel very lucky to be a part of this project,” Maged says. He explains that an opportunity like this doesn’t happen every year. “It’s going to be a very daunting and exciting project.”