The show will go on…

In the basement of Porter Hall, there is a single hallway. It is usually loud and crowded. This small part of campus is known as the “theatre hall” because it houses the theatre faculty and a few theatre classrooms. It can be daunting to anyone who is not a frequent visitor. To those who haunt it during the school year, though, it is home.

“There is one couch in the middle of the hallway,” says senior theatre major Erin Williams. “That is where you will usually find us circled around. It isn’t very practical, but it’s ours.”

This hub of activity has seen change as school resumed. The big story is a double faculty swap.

“We are excited for the new faces. There are a lot of hopes and aspirations for this new year with new people joining our team,” said sophomore theatre major Nic Marrone. “We have a lot to get done, but there is no doubt it will all go really well.”

Karen Berman is the new theatre department chair. She is an Atlanta native with many accomplishments, including degrees from George Washington University and The Catholic University of America.

Berman is currently doing research on campus for her Ph.D. She was also recently inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at the Kennedy Center. Only about 170 people have been named Fellows, including Pulitzer Prize winners.

Much of Berman’s career work is geared towards her support of theatre for social change. When Berman was the president of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education, she initiated a program called The Katrina Project.

“It is a project to aid high schools devastated by Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild their drama programs,” Berman said. “We worked in collaboration with the Black Theatre Network on this project as well.”

Also joining the Theatre Department is Eric Griffis, an associate professor and costume designer.

Griffis received degrees from Southern Arkansas University and the University of Southern Mississippi. He has worked in a variety of jobs, including a casino and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in the wardrobe department.

“All my experiences taught me how to work with people,” Griffis said, “because, in theatre, you meet all kinds.”

GCSU drew Griffis in with not only a job opening, but the familiar small-town feel of his home town and alma mater. A job as an associate youth director of a community program in Louisiana inspired Griffis and eventually led him back to teaching.

“The reason I want to teach in the first place is because I have had the most amazing teachers in my life,” Griffis said. “I kind of feel like I owe it to the world at large to give back what has been given to me.”

With a full cast of faculty and students, the theatre department has hit the ground running.

“This season’s theme is ‘Women in the Spotlight: Plays by Women.’ It is different than anything that’s been done here,” Berman said. “I am really excited about bringing something like this to our campus.”

Running in October, the first play of the year is “Eurydice,” written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Amy Pinney. It will feature original music by Doug O’Grady of the GCSU Music Department.

“Yours, Anne,” written by Enid Futterman and directed by Byron Grant, will premiere in November. “The Rover,” written by Aphra Behn and directed by Berman will come to the stage in February.

There will also be a variety of senior capstones to see, including student productions and one-man shows. The annual Arts & Letters Festival and 24 Hour Plays will open in spring. The Theatre Department is also having guest artists, workshops and luncheons throughout the year.

Stop by and visit the theatre hall in the basement of Porter Hall if you have any questions or simply want to get involved. There is always a resident theatre expert standing by.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 5 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry