From Icons to Ibsen, UAlbany's Uduba Finds Her Calling on Stage

Benedeth Uduba stands smiling, draped in brown fabric in front a lighted dressing room mirror while a costumer assists her with fit.
Senior Benedeth Uduba, left. and faculty costumer Anne Croteau at a costume fitting for Uduba's role in the Department of Music & Theatre's upcoming production of A Doll's House at the Performing Arts Center. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

By Michael Parker

ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 12, 2026) — Growing up in Yonkers, Westchester County, Benedeth Uduba admired the precision and creativity Michael Jackson and Beyoncé brought to the stage. It was a trip to see Mary Poppins on Broadway for her fifth birthday that convinced her she wanted to perform.

“Watching Mary float into the sky at the end of the show was the turning point,” said Uduba. “I never cared much about another career pursuit after that.”

Now a senior theatre major at UAlbany, Uduba plays Kristine Linde in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, running Nov. 18-22 in the Performing Arts Center’s newly renovated Studio Theatre.

Visiting assistant professor of acting Kea Trevett makes her directing debut at the University with Amy Herzog’s contemporary adaptation of Ibsen’s 1879 drama. Set in 1870s Norway, the play follows Nora Helmer as a secret she has kept from her husband forces her to reconsider their marriage.

What the costume reveals

Uduba sees Kristine as a practical, reserved woman whose concern for an old friend draws her into the Helmers’ troubles. At a fitting with faculty costume designer Anne Croteau, Uduba tried on a dress with an exposed hoop skirt. The visible framework gave her a way to think about what Kristine keeps to herself.

“With her costume, there’s a reminder that she has vulnerability underneath her ‘properness,’” said Uduba.

Croteau drew on Norwegian folk clothing for the production’s period costumes. Students in the costume shop helped cut and sew garments and took part in design decisions.

“Ultimately, my design approach for any show here starts with what I think my students need and what they can do,” said Croteau.

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba tries on costume period shoes for the upcoming production of "A Doll's House" while seated in a chair inside of a dressing room of the Performing Arts Center at UAlbany.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • a row of pictures of Norward circa the 1800s serves as inspiration for the costume fitting inside of a dressing room at UAlbany's Performing Arts Center of "A Doll's House."

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits separate pieces of a dress over her costume’s base layer.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • A row of jackets line a dressing room at UAlbany's Performing Arts Center as a performer is fitted for an upcoming theatre performance of "A Doll's House" at UAlbany.

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

  • Benedeth Uduba, an African American woman, stands beside a tall mirror framed by bulbs as Anne Croteau fits a jacket over her costume’s dress..

    (Photos by Patrick Dodson)

    Finding her place at UAlbany

    Uduba first pictured herself at the University while visiting a friend. The two went to the library to study, and Uduba remembers thinking, “I would love to study here.” Seeing the University’s theatre spaces and learning that Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show was on the upcoming schedule helped her decide.

    The Theatre Program’s FRESH ACTS festival gave her room to stretch as an actor in plays written and directed by students. In a 2025 staged reading of Stephen Piazza’s Fortunate, Uduba played Vince, a teenager whose jealousy leads him to humiliate a friend.

    “Instead of going off my own experiences to inform how I play him, I really had to learn to empathize and not judge a person I don’t agree with at all,” said Uduba.

    Uduba, who also minors in acting and Korean, credits faculty support with helping her gain confidence in the classroom and onstage. After graduating a semester early in December, she plans to apply to MFA programs in acting and audition for theatre roles.

    “I feel like I’ve got this and I’m ready for whatever steps I take next,” said Uduba.

    Showtimes and tickets

    The Nov. 18-22 run includes 8 p.m. shows Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, with matinees at 3 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

    Tickets are now available through the Performing Arts Center.