When Defne Tim (C ‘26) showed up to The Mask and Wig Club’s auditions during her freshman year, she expected free food. Instead, she discovered a love for musical comedy and a community that “basically raised her” at Penn. As both an international student from Turkey and a member of Mask and Wig’s first gender–inclusive class, Defne faced a doubly confusing first year. Now that she’s cast director, those experiences are guiding her vision as the troupe prepares for their upcoming shows. Amid writing sessions and rehearsals, Defne reflected on how language, leadership, and serendipity have shaped her journey at Penn.
Name: Defne Tim
Hometown: Istanbul and İzmir, Turkey
Majors: Mathematical economics and cognitive science
Activities: The Mask and Wig Club, Global Research and Consulting Club, Penn Spark
Can you tell us about your hometown?
I was born in Istanbul, but I moved to the Mediterranean side when I was 14. So I lived my teenage years in this town called İzmir. It’s a great city; it has a beach and a lot of windsurfing. When I moved to İzmir, I started going to an American school, and I was one year older than everyone because I took a year to learn English when I came to the school. After I learned English I was like, “Oh, wow. I’m really excited,” so I thought maybe I should apply for college in the United States. I applied to Penn and they gave me a lot of aid, so I came here. I didn’t really look into it, but that’s my story.
How was the transition during your first month at Penn?
So, this was really interesting. Me and my mom went to, I don’t know, a T.J. Maxx or something. We were in New Jersey because one of my brothers lives in New Jersey. So, we were trying to get some school supplies. I was really afraid to talk to American people because I’d never spoken to anyone whose first language is English before. So I was really, really afraid to talk to the cashier, and I thought, “How am I gonna survive in college if I can’t even talk to the person who’s trying to sell me my supplies?” I think the first couple of months were really hard. And when I came to Penn, I didn’t realize that clubs were such a big thing. First of all, extracurricular culture was not that big in Turkey. I did theater when I was in high school, but it was in Turkish. When I came to Penn, I thought that I wasn’t gonna do theater at all: “I’m not gonna do anything. I’m not gonna join any clubs. I’m just gonna try and figure my life out, keep my academics up, and try to live life in the U.S. for the first time.”
How did you decide to join Mask and Wig?
So, how I auditioned for Mask and Wig is actually the funniest story. One of my Turkish friends—who was one of the only friends that I had at the time—lied to me. She said, “There’s free food at the Mask and Wig auditions. I’ll get the free food. I’ll pick you up from the audition.” She was auditioning, and she’s in Biz right now. Actually, it’s funny—I went and thought, “Yo, these people seem really, really energetic and cool. Oh, might as well audition while I’m here.” It’s just an experience. I didn’t even realize that Mask and Wig was a musical theater group. I didn’t know how to sing, and I didn’t realize they were a comedy group. I just thought they did plays. Then, as I go into the audition process and they’re making me sing Oklahoma, I realize I don’t know what the frick is going on right now, and I totally bombed the singing audition. The whole process was super fun, and people were super supportive. I think they kind of liked the fact that I was from Turkey because they didn’t have any international students before me. Then I got in—I didn’t know what I was getting into.
You were part of a groundbreaking class in Mask and Wig. What was different about your cohort?
That was the first year of gender inclusion. I was so surprised when I was at the audition and I went into the audition room. It was just a bunch of men, and I was really confused. People told me that it was the first year of gender inclusion, but I didn’t realize that when I was there. I joined in with a class of two other guys and a bunch of other girls—four girls. The entire company was 50 people. There were, I think, ten women, and besides that there were all upperclassmen—American boys.
The club has changed a lot in the years that you’ve been a part of it. You mentioned there were only a few women when you joined, but that’s no longer the case.
In our first year of gender inclusion, people were really afraid, because it was just a bunch of older guys and freshmen girls. I think they tried to weigh the benefits of keeping the majority of the traditions alive while also making it so that women can comfortably participate in it. That kind of made the entire process a little bit confusing for us. My first year, I didn’t know what to do at all. I was honestly one of the weakest performers because of the language barrier and everything, and I was one of the weakest writers. But it didn't matter so much, because Mask and Wig is such a collaborative process to which you add energy, and the writing room always contributes. I remember thinking that these people were so talented—I just wanted to be around them. And that was the whole freshman–year experience for me. I am now in charge of making sure that this company transitions in a way where it keeps its traditions alive, but also continues to be a welcoming place for women. That’s when we started creating some of our own traditions, which was the best part of my sophomore year because now I had a bunch of new guys to deal with and be responsible for. As of today, almost all of our leadership positions are occupied by women.
What made you decide to go for cast director?
I wanted Mask and Wig to be more of a community that’s open to different senses of humor and highlights different talents. I think I'm talented in understanding people and organizing people. Maybe I’m not the best sketch writer or the best morale person, but I had trust in myself that I could make the rehearsal space a little bit more fun and less stressful. Joining as one of the first women and also being from another country, I felt the process was a little bit hard to break into, and it was also a little intense. I wanted to make it a little bit more fun. It doesn’t matter what level of talent or what level of strength you have. It just matters that you show up and that you bring the energy.
Where we’re writing a bit and people are pitching some jokes, and I’m like, "I don’t think that joke makes sense for people from these communities. I don’t think that translates." I had that perspective. So I think that was why I wanted to do it. And also Emilia [Bronk (C ‘26)] wanted to be chair. Emilia is the person that I joined with. Lauren [Cho (C ‘26)]’s one of the greatest writers that I’ve ever seen, so she’s head writer. I wanted to take on this responsibility to give back to the community that basically raised me at Penn.
Is there anything about Mask and Wig that you think people might be surprised to learn, or anything that surprised you when you joined?
I think one of the biggest things that surprised me is how much external support Mask and Wig has. Alumni care a lot about Mask and Wig, and they give a lot of energy and effort to make sure that we’re all settled, that we’re doing well. They give us financial support. They give us emotional support when we don’t know how to deal with stuff. It’s also something that you need to grapple with, something you need to deal with, because that means that you need to please a lot of people at the same time. Mask and Wig is one of those communities that is student–owned, but you do need to have very good public relations skills in order to please a lot of different people.
What other activities do you do on campus? What other communities are you a part of?
I moved around a little bit. I will say that Mask and Wig takes a lot of your time as a student. So I think Mask and Wig was always my primary focus. I am technically in greek life. This is Tabard house (she says, gesturing to the space around us). There are all these women that I can connect with here, so that’s very helpful. They're polar opposite communities, I would say, Tabard and Mask and Wig. They were some of the biggest communities that I had when I was a freshman and sophomore. Honestly, they did a really great job of raising me as well. I was in a consulting club for a little bit, GRC. And then Spark, where I tried to learn about design and coding. I don’t think anything was as strong as Mask and Wig as a community, just because I would say that creating something together is just a special experience. It makes you feel closer to people.
Looking ahead to the next two semesters, do you have any specific goals as cast director?
One of the biggest things about me being cast director—this relates to my vision—is that I don’t have a set vision. I feel like a lot of previous cast directors that came into play were very strong creative people that had an idea of what the show should look like. My idea is that I want the show to look like the brainchild of everyone that is in the cast. So my vision is to give people a lot of agency to voice their opinions. I’m trying to find a good balance of being efficient with that approach but also just asking people for their input whenever I have the chance, even when it comes to costumes, the set, or which bits are going to be un the show. I know that it's my decision, but at the end of the day, I want it to be everyone’s decision. I want everyone to feel like the show was their own and that they own it as much as I do, just to get rid of that hierarchy a little bit.
What about more long term? What’s next for you, if you know?
I know. Thank God, huh? It’s a blessing to know—I feel I would be going crazy if I was trying to get myself a job right now, especially considering that it’s tough in this economy in the United States. But I am going to be working at McKinsey & Company. I interned there this summer. I was living in New York, but I’m in the New Jersey office, so I’m gonna go back there, try to do a little bit of consulting and see how it goes.
Could you ever see yourself going back to Turkey?
Oh, hopefully. I think Turkey is a big—I don’t want to call my country a mess. I love Turkey—so blessed to be raised there. I think it’s a little complicated for me, especially five years after graduation. I think I do want to stay in the United States to get a little bit ahead in my career and maybe go to school again through McKinsey, getting my MBA. But eventually, I think I would love to move back to Turkey. I love speaking my language. I love my culture. I love hanging out with people that I can share those things with. I feel like you leave a part of your personality behind when you move. Language is personality, and it’s humor. I think I’m very adaptable, but I also don’t want to lose that very special part of myself. I think I do want to go back at some point.
Lightning Round:
Favorite place to eat on campus? Manakeesh Cafe Bakery & Grill
Favorite thing to do in Philly? Go to the cemetery here, The Woodlands
Do you have a favorite comedian or actor?
I like Meryl Streep. She’s not a comedian. She’s very mainstream as well. When I was younger, my mom would always point her out and be like, “Oh, you got to be like this woman.”
Favorite Mask and Wig show that you’ve been in over the past six semesters?
Deja Groove—I got to be the most creative in this show, and I got to take direction. It is the best cast I have had over the past four years.
Last song that you listened to: "Cant Stand Losing You" by The Police
There are two types of people at Penn … People who go to class and people who don’t.
And you are? I don’t.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
