Major News for Theatre

The St. Ambrose University Theatre Department has suffered many losses throughout the last school year. Some of which include a canceled musical, a canceled children's show, and laid off staff members. While these are difficult circumstances, SAU theatre faculty and students have been hit yet again with a wave of bad news.

"The SAU Board of Trustees accepted the recommendation from the Dean of [the College of] Arts and Sciences to close the theatre major here at SAU," explained professor and director Dr. Cory Johnson. "Moving forward, the Theatre Department will be allowed to teach out all currently enrolled theatre students and will support their classroom and production experiences to graduate from SAU with their theatre major."

"The Board of Trustees decision to cut the Theatre major was devastating," senior Luke Peterson said. "It is mind-boggling to me that in a time where people need creative outlets more than ever, the university would rather give funding to additional sports programs, than to an educational program which champions the liberal arts tradition SAU claims to pride itself on. The ability to empathize and to expand our worldview has never been more critical, and it hurts my heart to think about how future students will not have the same opportunities to express themselves that I had."

The Theatre minor will continue be offered in the future and a reduced on-campus season of produced plays will be retained. However, the loss of students majoring in the discipline will certainly be a change for the environment of the Theatre Department.

While trying to make sense of the news, the changes COVID-19 has brought to SAU theatre are still very prevalent. Junior K. Hampton is in two theatre courses this semester, Stagecraft and Directing, and has had to adjust to the many changes the global pandemic brought on.

"Being in theatre classes during COVID has been difficult to say the least," she said. "A lot of our instruction is verbal and based on being able to be in a theatre. However, it's important to still make the most out of this unusual semester."

Likewise, when asked about challenges she has faced while teaching this semester, Dr. Johnson had one class in particular that is proving to be quite tricky.

"The directing class has had its fair share of quarantines and interruptions," Johnson said. "It is definitely hard to get a complete acting and directing experience when half of the actors' faces are covered in fabric."

Overall, students in the directing class have had to be incredibly accommodating during this time. This year, online rehearsals, last-minute re-casting, and even changing entire shows have become a reality. If there is a silver lining, it is that students are determined to succeed despite the changes the department has encountered.

"The directing class one-acts this year have a sense of familiarity to them, while still adhering to the CDC health and safety guidelines," Peterson said. "We are able to rehearse in-person as per usual, but actors must wear face masks/shields and be spaced 6 feet apart at all times while on stage. It is a fun challenge for the directors most definitely, and I am happy to be involved."

While it is exciting to be able to participate in theatre again, the news of the major being cut continues to hang over the department like a cloud. However, the SAU Theatre Department will continue to fight the battle of change while shining a spotlight on what is most important: creating art for ourselves and for others.