USD Magazine, Spring 2003

HOW DO I. ..

Torero right-hander David Dunn, a senior who has an arsenal offive pitches, demomtrates the grips he uses to mow down opposing batters.

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Brian Hutchison '00 (MFA.) got his first Broadway gig shortly after graduating from USD. I finished the master of fine ans pro– gram, packed my car and headed back to New York to once again make a go of it as an actor when, on a desert highway outside Albuquerque, my cell phone rang. "Hi, chis is the casting office of Lincoln Center Theatre," said the voice on the ocher end. "We saw your showcase presentation in New York, and were wondering if you were available for a role in 'The Invention of Love' on Broadway."

FASTBALL

Dunn throws a fo ur-seam cut fastball, which moves in on left-handed batters. "If you can gee ours just using your fastball, more power to you," he says. 'T hat leaves the rest of your pitches for the batter to worry about next rime."

CURVEBALL His best pitch, Dunn's curveball is a "12-to-6" curve, which means it rotates from the 12 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position as it approaches the batter. "T he grip for a curve is something that should be different for everyone," he says. "Ir's something you have to tinker with until you find something that works. I made up my grip based solely on comfort."

My reply? "Uh, yeah, I'm available. I'm just ... like ... in New Mexico." I got the script faxed to me at a Kinko's and hightailed it to NYC. The audition went great, and I got the job. Maybe there was perfect planet alignment involved, and not everyone is that lucky, but here's some advice that might help. First, gee an agent. You can't get seen with– out a reputable one. Get a flexible job. My job as a proofreader allowed me to survive while waiting months for an audition, and then cramming as many as eight into one week. Have a thick skin. There are minor and major letdowns, and it's important to learn how to handle them. Finally, be patient. I auditioned four times for a national tour of the long-running Broadway play "Proof." I was sec

SLIDER Faster than the curveball, it moves side to side. "Ir's a very effective pitch to use with rwo strikes, and when the batter has already seen my curve," Dunn says. "Ir's something else fo r them to think about. "

CIRCLE CHANGE About 10 mph slower than the fastball, the circle changeup moves away from lefty batters. Dunn uses ic anywhere in the count. "I use ic primarily against lefties," Dunn says. "Ir's difficulc to pick up the difference berween the circle change and a fas tball, because the rotation looks the same." PALMBALL A pitch char few throw, the palmball is a changeup that drops in the strike zone like a split-finger fast– ball, but moves about 12 to 15 mph slower. 'T his is probably the pitch I use least," Dunn says, "bur it comes in handy when the batter has already seen my other pitches."

to do another play when I goc a call chat "Proof" needed a replacement. I went in, for the fifth time, and got the part.

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