"From that nothing, we created something."
Bill Ditewig '71 will never forget what he considers the "highlight" of his years at St. Ambrose College in seminary school. He recalls the value of Lewis Hall Room 111, an average-looking lecture hall with an extraordinary purpose. This classroom hosted more than academic lessons. It hosted a unique, collaborative process that transformed a seemingly dull room into a new world to discover.
Lewis Hall Room 111 housed St. Ambrose's first theatrical productions under the title Theatre III. Unlike any other theatre program, the students involved assisted with every aspect of the three theatrical productions each year, including the construction of the stage. This not only provided an experience unlike any other but also built a strong bond between everyone involved.
"Compared to other theatre companies that I was a part of, it truly was an ensemble," said Deborah Wiss '74, a Theatre III member. "It was a group of people who basically performed together in every show, and that was really unique."
Students of all majors participated in Theatre III, but a core group of about 15 to 20 people kept the opportunity thriving. St. Ambrose originated as an all-male college until 1968, so occasionally, students from the all-female college down the street, Marycrest College, would audition for Theatre III productions.
In addition, James "Jim" Willaert led the group and served as the director and designer for a majority plays. Later, Mike Kennedy (who would later become an SAU Theatre Department faculty member) joined Theatre III and greatly influenced the program.
"Jim was a difficult taskmaster," Wiss said. "He wanted it to be perfect, and therefore, it was."
Theatre III productions required all hands on deck. The program produced a variety of plays such as A Man for All Seasons, The Lion in Winter, and Detective Story. The process for each play began with auditions and then rehearsals every day in room 111. Eventually, a rough set was taped out on the floor for the actors to get a feel for the basic layout. However, it wasn't until the weekend before opening weekend that the intense work began.
The Saturday before opening week, all Theatre III students gathered in room 111 early in the morning, prepared for a long day ahead. Then, they would haul equipment and platforms from the music building, a wooden freight building south of Lewis Hall, into Lewis Hall. They constructed the stage out of the platforms right up to the front row of seating. Next, they built the set and hung lights. This process went late into the night, and often, into the early hours of the morning.
"Because we had to constantly build everything from scratch, it brought us together even more," Ditewig said. "The overall feel was very much like an extended family, and we knew each other very well."
For the rest of the week, teachers taught on the stage by day, and actors rehearsed on the stage by night. Adapting to the limited space and structure presented many challenges that had to be conquered in less than a week. Ditewig recalled one instance in which an actor representing God exclaimed, "Goddammit!" after forgetting to duck when exiting. There was also always the risk of actors falling off the stage and into the audience's lap, which caused one actor to miss curtain call. This danger was a constant worry, especially since blackouts served as a curtain.
Each play was open to the public for a small fee the following Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After the play on Sunday, all students involved tore everything down and returned the lecture hall to its normal state before class the next day.
"Ambrose was well-known by the community for its quality of the productions," Ditewig said. "It was an extraordinarily respected program."
The program would continue to grow with a big, new development on the horizon.
Want to know more about Theatre III and its part in SAU history? Look out for Part II of the Theatre III series, which will be presented in May's newsletter!
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