There’s a certain sense of pride and togetherness that accompanies seeing alumni staying active on campus, and with Nicole Dohoda, there is certainly no exception. Dohoda and her fiancé (whom she met while in Gannon’s theater program), Jared Lossie, are returning to take part in Fringe Fest Erie 2014 in a production entitled “The Good Doctor.”

“’The Good Doctor’ is a really interesting show written by Neil Simon, who practically adapted a group of Anton Chekhov stories into a wonderful string of vignettes flowing through the mind of the main character- a writer,” Dohoda said. “The writer explains to the audience how his brain works (he’s a bit scatterbrained, which is delightfully relatable), and we essentially travel through it as he brings his characters and stories to life.”

“The Good Doctor” is just one example of the extensive variety of productions being performed at Fringe Fest Erie 2014.  Dohoda went on to explain why she chose to stay active and what kind of effect Gannon had on the places she’s been since graduation. “Quite honestly, I would have come back to perform no matter what the show. Gannon was my home for four years, and I loved the theater program here,” Dohoda said. “I’m learning how difficult it is to get back into the line-learning, character-building process after being away from it since 2011! I  think Simon (and the works of Checkhov he’s chosen to adapt) will surprise and entertain the audience we bring into the theater for the festival.”

As it turns out, Gannon (as well as our theater department) has had a very large impact on Dohoda’s career and where she’s ended up. Dohoda spoke about how nervous she was upon learning about her required airshift on WERG; it was an experience that would eventually lead to her focus in broadcasting. Dohoda is now the promotions assistant at Cumulus Media, Erie, appearing on stations such as Z102.3, Classy 100, AM1260 the Score, NashFM979 and i104.3, as well as hosting midday and afternoon drive shifts for those last two stations.

Dohoda went on to explain what kind of experience incoming students are in for at Gannon. “Gannon isn’t a place where they put you in a box and say, ‘You. You’re a math major. You can’t do theater,’ or ‘You. You’re an education major. Don’t waste your time on science courses just because they interest you,’” Dohoda said. “Gannon is about letting you discover what you love and helping you craft that into useful skills you can keep with you as you pursue life after college. If you’re looking into colleges but are afraid you’ll be painted into a corner after selecting a major, it’s something you won’t have to worry about at Gannon. Go with your gut, but still choose responsibly and then jump right in. You’re bound to find something you love.”

It’s apparent Dohoda is proud to be a Gannon alumna, a feeling not uncommon among most who graduate and wean themselves away from college life here. The Schuster Theatre is certainly proud to have such talented people returning to the school in order to perform what is sure to be an excellent production of “The Good Doctor” at Fringe Fest Erie 2014.