Meet Our Fall 2015 Entertainment Section Opener: Morgan Sichler

It’s always been said that the quiet ones will surprise you, and Penn State senior Morgan Sichler is no exception.

A quiet girl born and raised in State College, Sichler found herself through her voice.

“Ever since I was little, I was always singing. It was always an outlet for me,” Sichler says. “Whenever I’m happy, I sing. Whenever I’m sad, I sing.”

Being involved in theatre since her elementary school days, now 21-year-old Sichler has taken her talent to a much bigger and blonder stage. Sichler, a music education major, just recently starred in the iconic role of Elle Woods in Penn State’s Thespian’s fall musical, Legally Blonde.

Stepping into drenched-in-pink dresses and heels and performing with Elle Woods’ endless enthusiasm and optimism may seem like an exhausting feat for some people, but for Sichler, it was just another dream come true.

Although admittedly intimated at first, Sichler confidently stepped into the role and filled the Schwab Auditorium with laughter and tears during its run the weekend of October 22 -24. And it was the character she was playing itself that kept her motivated.

“She [Elle] is a very positive person and I definitely am, too. Anything negative that happened to me in my life, I always tried to find the positive,” Sichler said. “Elle is also very social and friendly, and I try to learn more from her in that aspect. I definitely want to be more like her. I admire her.”

Besides Elle Woods, Sichler’s favorite role she’s ever had was playing Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years with No Refund Theatre. Also a member of Penn State’s concert choir, Sichler definitely keeps herself busy doing what she loves most.

Part of what keeps her grounded with all of her commitments is her involvement with Penn State Thespians. Sichler has been involved since her freshman year and fondly refers to as the group of students as her family.

“There is very much a family aspect and we love each other. We might be having the worst day and we can walk into rehearsal and there’s a bundle of love and affection,” says Sichler.

It’s so great to walk in there and have your whole day disappear. It’s been something really nice to have in my life for so long.

When it came time to choose a college, Sichler said that there was simply no other choice than Penn State. Both of her parents had attended the university, so it’s always been in her blood.

Besides the appeal of the full stadiums and football games, the other deciding factor that drove Sichler to become a Nittany Lion was Penn State’s School of Music.

“It’s a relatively small school, but I just love how I’m in such a big environment and get the best of both worlds,” Sichler says. “I can see in a class with 30 students and then walk outside and see thousands and thousands of students on campus. There’s nothing else like it.”

Looking towards the future, Sichler’s passion is teaching. She longs to teach music at the high school level and get her teacher certificate in theatre. However, that’s not the only path she sees herself taking.

“I never want to give up on theatre,” Sichler says. “It’s never given up on me and has always been there for me. I would absolutely love to do both, so who knows?”