By Janelle Henderson
With its recent accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theater and a listing as one of the nation’s few theater arts programs specializing in African-American theater, the Department of Theater Arts will continue its legacy of inspired productions and groundbreaking performances next fall.
For the fall semester, student-produced and -directed shows have been planned, in addition to the performance of Henrik Ibsen’s “Dollhouse,” Susan Yankowitz’ “Night Sky,” and William Shakespeare’s “Winter Tale.” Also, the African-American Theater Program will present a play commemorating the 50th anniversary of Emmitt Till’s brutal murder, entitled “The State of Mississippi and the Face of Emmett Till.”
Performances from the Theatre Arts Department in the 2004-05 school year included “Steal Away,” “Medea,” “School Play: Inspired by the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. School Board,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “All in the Family: An Evening of One-Act Comedies.”
According to department chair Russell Vandenbroucke, attending performances reverts people back to their natural instincts.
“Art helps us understand ourselves, our neighbors, our community and the big wide world out there,” Vandenbroucke said. “All children love to play and to use their imaginations. Human beings have these instincts and desires innately; sometimes we lose or subvert them as we get older. Experiencing art allows us to tap into this innate human instinct and ability.”
Becoming a Theater Arts major requires traits that can be used later, regardless of the career pursued after college.
“It’s fun, hard work, dedication, assuming responsibility and being dependable,” Vandenbroucke said. “Studying theater means learning some very important skills that can be applied in many different areas: communicating, by word and deed; listening and understanding others; solving problems; collaborating with others; sharing what is important to an individual with an entire community.”
The major offers classes in four different areas: performance, production, African-American theater and academics. In these classes, students can learn about history, design, directing, analyzing scripts and the literature of theater arts.
In addition, students learn how a play is produced outside of the well-known jobs of producer, director and actor — they find out the inner workings of the technical crew.
“On the technical side of things, you’ve got a technical director who oversees all of the technical components to the production,” said James Cronin, a first-year MFA candidate in performance.
“While the actors are rehearsing, the technicians are building the show. The set designer designs the space, and then sets about building it.
The costume designer draws their visions for the costumes, and then they make, buy or pull from the stock wardrobe. The sound designer chooses the music and sound for the show and organizes that. Finally, the lighting designer lights the space.”
Once the Theater Arts students have a knowledge of the skill and history of their craft, they are given the opportunity to perform memorable, insightful plays that are available for students and the Louisville community to view for free or at discounted prices.
“Man does not live by bread alone,” Vandenbroucke explained. “Making art is as universal in the history of humanity as making love, needing food, clothing and shelter. All societies have forms of art.
Yet in America, we sometimes have to justify art because it is not driven by commercial motives and doesn’t ‘make money.’
Being a good parent or a trusting friend doesn’t ‘make money’ either. We might even argue they are vastly more important to people and society than anything that is commercial. It’s the same with making art and experiencing it.”
