The Daily Iowan: What’s the best part about being a Hawkeye?

Kelli Tosic: There are so many different events. Whatever you are interested in, there is something for you. There is a club, there is a social gathering, there is something.

Who have you met at Iowa who has inspired you?

One of my theater professors, Megan Gogerty. She is so amazing, and everything she has taught allows me to think about art in a different way. Seeing her be so accomplished and getting one-on-one experience with her is awesome.

Do you major in theater?

Yes. I am majoring in musical theater and minoring in cinema and Spanish.

What is your favorite class you are taking this semester?

It’s probably musical theater history with Megan Gogerty. It’s really interesting because I love musicals a lot, and I thought I knew a decent amount about them going into this class. Now my perception of a lot of things has shifted, and it’s been really interesting.

What is your favorite musical?

It changes a lot. As of right now, in the top slot is probably “Chicago.”

Do you have any specific plans for after college?

Yes and no. I know I want to go to Chicago to continue pursuing theater. I just really love Chicago a lot, and I am from the northern suburbs. There are a lot of people in the theater department that go to New York City post-graduation, but I really want to go to Chicago.

What grabbed your attention about theater?

For my entire life, I’ve loved performing in general. Even if it was just to give a presentation in class or something, I would love doing that. But the defining moment that made me realize that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life was during my freshman year of high school when I saw a
production of “Hamilton.”

What was so special about that performance?

It blew me away. I had an idea of what a play is, but then I saw “Hamilton.” I was like, “You can rap in this? You can have people moving chairs in an artistic way and tell a story about a founding father?” I mean, “Hamilton” isn’t my favorite musical, but it is the musical that made me want to be a theater artist.

Are there any elements of cross country and theater that overlap?

I’ve been thinking about this so much. I think they overlap a lot. In a lot of my theater classes I’ve taken, we talk so much about the breath and the body through the lens of theater and how it fuels your performance. In athletics, it’s also all about how you use your body
during your performance.