Alumni Story

My time at Catawba gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a career in performance.”

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to perform on a main stage in front of thousands of people?

Well, Catawba College alum Jameson Clanton doesn’t have to wonder. He’s doing it!

Clanton is starring as Melvin Franklin in the musical Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, currently touring across the U.S.!

He landed this amazing opportunity back in July after deciding to move to New York City at the start of the year.

“At the start of 2024, I made the decision to take a leap of faith and move up to New York City to begin pursuing auditions and opportunities happening in the city. The audition process for ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ started for me at the end of April with an initial self-tape submission, and ultimately culminated in a final in-person callback that took place in mid-July. Several days after this final callback took place, I was elated to receive a phone call offering me the role of Melvin Franklin,” said Jameson.

Jameson's journey from Catawba to landing a major role in Ain't Too Proud has been filled with pivotal opportunities and growth, each experience building on the last.

“In the fall of 2019, while I was still a student at Catawba, I made the decision to do the pre-screening auditions through NCTC (North Carolina Theatre Conference) and advanced to audition at SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference). I was blessed to receive my first job offer out of college from this audition to perform in the cast at Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson, MO. After spending two years in Branson, I made the decision to leave and pursue other regional theatrical opportunities. These opportunities took me to cities in Florida, Wisconsin, and even my hometown of Raleigh.”

When asked about his experience with Ain’t Too Proud so far, Jameson shared an outpouring of positivity and appreciation for the journey.

“Working with this cast and crew has been an incredible experience so far. There is such a dynamic camaraderie that has been built amongst the group in which we are all constantly cheering and rooting for each other throughout this rehearsal process. It is truly a joy stepping into the rehearsal room everyday with this beautiful company. Even on hard days, I’m able to push through knowing that the people around me are there ultimately working towards the same goal,” he said.

As the rehearsal process continues, he’s finding the challenge of this production to be both the hardest and the most rewarding he's ever undertaken.

He said, “This is, by far, the hardest show I have ever worked on but I can tell that it will be the most rewarding experience once we have all of the pieces up and running. The Temptations are one of, if not the, most influential groups in music history. Getting this opportunity to tell their story all across the United States is so special.”

Adding to the excitement, Jameson is working directly with Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo, the original Broadway Director and Choreographer, which he describes as a surreal and humbling experience.

“Getting to work with Des McAnuff and Sergio Trujillo, the original Broadway production’s Director and Choreographer respectively, in this process has probably been the most surreal part of this whole experience. Learning Tony-award winning choreography and carrying on the legacy set before us by the previous casts has been so humbling and I still have yet to wrap my mind around the gravity of what we’re doing as a company,” he said.

Further deepening the experience, Jameson recently received a message from a member of Melvin Franklin's family, congratulating him on his role and offering words of encouragement.

“Also, I was recently contacted by a member of Melvin’s family congratulating me on landing the role and encouraging me as I start this journey as Melvin. It is incredible knowing that the family and friends of the people we’re portraying are rooting for us just as if they were our own family,” he said.

This milestone in Jameson’s career is deeply rooted in the foundation he built at Catawba, a place that he instantly fell in love with upon arrival.  

“I pretty much instantly fell in love with Catawba the moment I set foot on campus. When I was going through the college-decision process, I was instantly welcomed by students and faculty alike upon my first visit. I knew then that Catawba was the place I wanted to call home for my undergraduate career,” he said.

He added,” Also, I loved how the Theatre department’s approach was to create a well-rounded theatre practitioner. Up until I came to Catawba, I only had experience as an actor but was looking to explore as many facets of theatre as I could. I believed that of the schools I was considering, Catawba would offer me the best experience in exploring these other areas of theatre.”

One of Jameson’s favorite aspects of Catawba is its smaller size that allows for a close-knit community.

“Perhaps my favorite part about Catawba is how small the class-sizes are. Rather than being in lecture halls filled with students, most of my classes were more intimate and allowed for a more unique experience. I felt like the relationships I was forming amongst my peers as well as my professors were more personal and ultimately created a more comfortable environment,” he said.

Jameson credits Catawba for giving him the confidence to pursue his dreams of performing.

“My time at Catawba gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a career in performance. As a student, I performed in eight different productions, and I truly believe that each of those productions shaped me into the performer I am today. As a theatre education major, it was important to me that I still continued to gain performance experience alongside the education curriculum,” he said.

Building on the lessons he learned during his time at Catawba, he shared valuable advice for aspiring theatre professionals.

He said, “The biggest piece of advice I could give to any student wanting to pursue a career in theatre is to be a good person in all you do and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. In most industries, but especially theatre, everyone wants to work with good people. No matter if you’re an actor, a technician, or someone on the creative team, being a good person can carry you far. Even at times where it may feel like you’re receiving a lot of “no’s,” that one yes could come out of just simply having good character. In theatre, you’re constantly marketing yourself. With each audition or interview, that is just as much of a chance to show your unique skill set as it is to try and make a connection with the people sitting behind the table. You won’t book every job/audition that you go in for, but one audition/interview can lead to another later on down the line.”

Looking toward the future, Jameson would love to be in a Broadway show, star in film and television, and ultimately educate the next generation of performers.

“There are so many things I would like to pursue following this tour. I would love to do a show on Broadway as well as possibly branch out into tv/film at some point. My ultimate aspiration is to eventually teach and pass down my passion for the performing arts to future generations. My degree is in education and while I am currently pursuing performance full-time, I know that at some point I would like to either pivot entirely into teaching or create opportunities to teach alongside my career as a performer. As someone who has experienced the benefits of having accessibility to the arts from a young age, I believe that exposure can be vital to anyone and is a necessity,” he said.