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Theatre arts: a community event and a way to build community

Linking campus and community in a creative and inclusive medium

Theatre strides beyond the notion of good entertainment; it challenges the intellect and inspires positive change. It reaches out across disciplines, touching artist and scientist, sociologist and engineer. It engages young and old, male and female, and enables us to collectively relate across cultures.

National stage

Virginia Tech’s highly successful and innovative Department of Theatre Arts has been ranked in the nation’s top 50 with students and productions receiving more awards at the American College Theatre Festival than any other college or university in the Southeast. Three Virginia Tech productions have been invited for presentation at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

In 2006, the department developed a partnership with Arena Stage, Washington, D.C., in the form of summer workshops on the university’s Blacksburg campus to develop upcoming productions at one of the most prestigious theatres in the country.

Practical experience

Named a University Exemplary Department for linking research and scholarship to teaching, the theatre arts department has a vital and symbiotic relationship between faculty scholarship and student production.

"Our undergraduate curriculum is unique in the nation with its focus on collaborative teaching and learning that is examined and tested in the laboratory — the theatre,” said Patricia Raun, department head and professor. “For example, a rigorous way of involving all students in actual production beginning their first year is the Production Lab, an opportunity for every student to learn some aspect of theatre production through practical work."

In the lab, students have the opportunity to experiment with such areas as lighting, costumes, performance, arts management, stage management, properties, and sound.

Faculty kudos

Theatre arts students also learn from some of the best in the business.

Bob Leonard, who oversees the Master of Fine Arts program in directing and public dialogue, has a career-long commitment to the development of community-based professional performing organizations. Leonard is a founding member of Alternate ROOTS and the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET). He is co-director of the Community Arts Network (CAN), an information and communication resource for the field of community art.

Raun serves on the board of the Jefferson Center Foundation in Roanoke, Va., and was also elected to the board of directors of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association Inc., an international organization dedicated to fostering excellence in the field of voice and speech training.

Professor Ann Kilkelly garnered the 2007 College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Award for Outreach Excellence for work she has done in the community. In spring 2007, she helped to coordinate an 18-week educational program for refugee and immigrant girls in Roanoke.

“We wanted to give these 11 teenagers empowerment,” said Kilkelly. “You learn many new skills in dance, and it’s very healthy in overcoming language issues."

• Find out more about theatre arts faculty.

World-class ties

Virginia Tech faculty members also have extensive ties to the professional and commercial theatre worlds, enabling students to rub shoulders with internationally acclaimed theatre practitioners through a visiting scholar residency program.

In turn, Virginia Tech alumni grace America’s stage, film, and television industries.  Among them are the head of casting at Fox, the art director from such films as The Rainmaker, the producer of Dead Man Walking, the writer and performer of a one-woman HBO show, a scenic designer for Euro Disney, and a stage-combat master.

At the China’s Golden Horse Film Awards, alumna Michelle Krusiec was one vote away from “Best Actress” kudos in 2005, but walked away with the People's Choice Award for her romantic comedy, "Saving Face." Her most recent work, “Far North,” will premiere on Aug. 30 at the 64th Annual Venice Film Festival in Italy.

Diversity dialogue

Last year, a pair of graduate students created the play, “[classified],” that showcased the need for intervention in social justice situations. Megan Carney and Shannon Turner collected and compiled stories to create a public dialogue about somewhat taboo topics – racism, sexism, and homophobia.

Opportunities for audience dialogue took place throughout the play, allowing those in attendance to voice their thoughts about how these issues affect their community, and to develop ideas that promote positive change within the community.