Senior Centerfold: Mary Charlotte Gitlin

Grace Schneider, staff writer

Mary Charlotte Gitlin seems born for stardom. After all, she earned lead roles as Elizabeth Bennet in last fall’s “Pride and Prejudice” and as Elle Woods in this spring’s “Legally Blonde: the Musical.”

But she’s far from a diva. She earned her chops playing Gaston’s silly sidekick Lefou in last spring’s musical “Beauty and the Beast.”

Before that she played the demon Lilith in “She Kills Monsters.”

She plans to major in a S.T.E.M. field at Rutgers University. So, why acting?

“Because I like telling stories that make people feel something and provide an escape from the repetitive nature of daily life,” Gitlin said.

What makes her so good at it? Theater teacher Tami Moon credits Gitlin’s work ethic as well as her empathy.

“She’s always aware of everyone around her, and she can figure out what they need, and she makes sure they get it,” Moon said.

Fellow actor and senior Michael Cheng (Emmett Richmond in “Legally Blonde”) can vouch for that.

“’During Chip on My Shoulder,’ I had made a pretty bad mistake in my part, mixing up different verses and as a result, butchering lines. MC saved me by improvising and making it seem like I hadn’t messed up at all.”