Growing up, Bixby Piccolo Hill ’27 and his three siblings spent a lot of time playing together as a family. He explains that in their TV-free household, the siblings liked to make up imaginary scenarios and play act.
When Bixby was in elementary school, his older sister, Parker Piccolo Hill ’25, performed in her middle school’s production of Into the Woods.
“I remember sitting in the audience and thinking to myself, ‘I could do that. And I really want to do that!’” Bixby says. “I remember going up to the boy who played Jack after the play and saying, ‘Hi, I’m Parker’s brother. I want to be you.’”
Ever since then, Bixby’s been involved with theater. Bixby relishes the mixed plate of opportunities he has in the Performing & Media Arts (PMA) Department in the College of Arts & Sciences. From wiring and hanging lights in the Schwartz Performing Arts Center, to acting, dancing, improvising, and directing—he loves it all.
I think, for me, it was always Cornell. I don’t think I would have been satisfied at any other place.
He’s grateful to the university for the generous financial support he’s receiving. Bixby is a recipient of the Martin and Bernice Rosenzweig Scholarship, in addition to Cornell grant aid. With both he and his sister at Cornell, and his brother currently applying to college, Bixby said his aid package makes a big difference for his family.
“Knowing that my family is not sacrificing too much for me to get this education—it gives me a sense of security. So, I can focus on taking advantage of all the opportunities Cornell offers me,” he says.
A well-rounded education
The chance to explore his academic interests, both inside and outside the theater, is part of what Bixby loves about Cornell.
This semester, he’s starring as the lead in a student-written short film, Milkshake Kiss. Bixby plays Charlie, who imbibes a magic milkshake and is visited by figures from his past. He invites the audience to see the film when it premieres at the Kiplinger Theatre.
Bixby is also practicing the art of directing. Last semester he took a directing class with David Feldshuh, a PMA professor and former Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow (Cornell’s highest teaching award). Bixby said this class has helped him hone in on the central conflict in a scene—something which is critical for a director to keep audience members’ attention.
“Sometimes you’re trying to do something, and it flops. The audience doesn’t understand what you’re doing, or they’re bored, or your scenes just don’t have enough action,” Bixby says. “David gave us a tangible set of tools and a very practical perspective to look at a scene and say, ‘Okay, this isn’t working. So, here are the things I can do.’”
Bixby is currently directing a production of A Streetcar Named Desire, showing in the Schwartz Center’s Black Box Theatre.
“There’s a new generation of people in the industry who do everything,” he says. “That’s what Cornell PMA offers, the opportunity to form yourself into a well-rounded creative who can do it all.”
So many options
Bixby shares his first memory of doing improv back in middle school. He and a group of friends had decided ahead of time that, when it was their turn, they would dance.
“Instead of doing a narrative scene where we were telling a story, we just were dancing for like a minute and a half. After the first five seconds, I knew we didn’t do the right thing,” he recalls. “I didn’t redirect. I should have, but I was just a little middle schooler.”
“There were a million things I could have done differently,” he says.
He knows that all the hours he’s invested in mastering skills like memorizing lines and perfecting an accent are now paying off—helping him become more strategic and poised when he’s on stage.
“I’m just allowing the skills, and all the things that I’ve learned, to really sink in, and become second nature, and become part of my toolkit—so, when I’m on stage, I don’t need to think about them,” he says. “This lets me be in the moment, and think ahead, and react, and do all of those things that make a good performance.”
Bixby’s pragmatic—understanding that he can translate the creative skills and knowledge he’s gaining at Cornell into many career paths.
“If the artist thing doesn’t work out, then I know there are other opportunities,” he explains.
Bixby is considering pursuing a double major or minor in psychology. He says he’s been pleasantly surprised by how much he’s liking his Psychology and Law class this semester.
In his free time, Bixby enjoys his role as president of the Cog Dog Theater Troupe and as treasurer of the Cornell Karate Club.
“Since coming to Cornell, I’m more confident in my ability to either find a creative job, or to find a creative job within a corporate setting—so I’m still working creatively post-graduation.”
