Current Favorite Song: “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers. Basically anything Phoebe Bridgers!
Favorite Dance Scene: Singin’ in the Rain!
Marlee Kitei will be graduating from The Dalton School this spring, and will attend Tufts University this fall double majoring in Drama and another yet undecided major! She loves studying politics, and has an interest in Tufts’ Film and Media major, so she has potential options on her mind for her second major. Before she heads off to college, she’s prepping her dorm room and will be working as a camp counselor at a day camp this summer.
Marlee has been a student at SHUFFLES for 7 years; her first May Show was Le Grand Cirque! She remembers starting around 10 or 11 years old, and was terrified of the older kids. From her time at SHUFFLES, Marlee has learned that “in order to improve you have to find the right balance of believing in yourself and your potential, but also not taking yourself too seriously.” Marlee says she will miss her SHUFFLES family when she heads off to college, as well as the constant support and learning in weekly classes.
Her favorite SHUFFLES performance was her first showcase in The Studio at SHUFFLES. “I looked up to everyone so much and was so honored to have been a part of the showcase,” Marlee says. “I remember being so proud of all the hard work we put in.” Coming in at a close second is her favorite dance number, “Our Favorite Son” from The Will Rogers Follies in our 2018 May Show, Meet Me At the Plaza! Her favorite memories at SHUFFLES are all from waiting backstage at the Kaye Playhouse before the annual May Show. She felt she really got to bond with the other members of Studio and Studio AP, and had so much fun being together in their free time before going on stage. She even remembers having a huge dance party right before places were called before the 2019 May Show, No Place Like Home, to shake everyone’s nerves away! What a great energy to start a show with!
When not at SHUFFLES, Marlee loves to play piano and sing along to whatever she’s playing! She also enjoys painting, being a part of the mock trial team at school, and watching Netflix. Her absolute favorite thing to do, however, is spend time with her friends and explore the city. On leaving New York City, Marlee said she will miss Central Park, the community of people she has here, and the convenience of being able to walk anywhere and everywhere!
For her career, Marlee said, “I feel like I've never just had one dream for my career. I think one of my dreams is definitely to keep acting and see where that takes me, but I would also love to do something entrepreneurial and creative in a business sense.” Her biggest inspiration is her grandmother, who is also one of the biggest supporters in her life. Speaking about her grandma, Marlee said, “She’s been through so many challenges in her life and has always come out of them positively and found incredible success. She also constantly gives back to everyone around her.”
Congratulations, Marlee! We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!