2024 Day of Giving

In a world of automation, the analog, human-to-human experiences and connections are even more important. You know this. That’s why you’re on this page. You remember attending a performance or a class where you were allowed to explore the world through a different lens, in real time, with a group of people in the same space as you. Community, connection, belonging…these are key attributes of an experience in the Theatre and Dance department along with, of course, creativity, expression and collaboration. If you have been in our halls, studios, shops, audiences or on our stages, you know the power of the performing arts to transform you and others with you.

The students in the Theatre and Dance program continue to seek out those transformative experiences, and because of donors like you, we were able to reinstate one of our favorite extra-curricular learning experiences: The NYC Spring Break Immersion. Ten students visited NYC over Spring Break and took master classes with Broadway dance teachers, met and engaged in conversations with a panel of industry professionals and artists, watched incredible Broadway shows (including the Broadway premiere of a new musical: Suffs), networked with alumni, and engaged in a service day with God’s Love We Deliver. It was powerful, inspiring, fun, and a great way to get introduced to the Big Apple. We hope to keep this experience going, so we hope you will consider designating your donations to “Theatre and Dance NYC Trip” for next year’s NYC Immersion. 

Talk about transformative experiences! How about a Walk Across California?  That’s right. David Popalisky is bringing back his incredible class where students will walk from Ocean Beach in San Francisco to Yosemite. This trip will have students exploring environmental issues such as forest management, water rights and conservation, sustainable farming practices and the beautifully diverse California landscapes. To cover the various costs of the walk, students pay a fee to participate in this class, but with donations from supporters like you we can keep the fee manageable for all. Please designate your donation to “Walk Across California” to help with this event. 

As always, we appreciate your support and hope to see you in our audiences or on our stages soon! 

With Gratitude,  

Kimberly Mohne Hill 

Department Chair

NEW PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT – First Look

When we came back from Covid, we had some reckoning to do in terms of our process for choosing shows for the Main Stage season. Our students let us know what they wanted: representation…both at the table when decisions were made and ON stage in the form of more diverse selections of material.  They wanted a range of experiences with a range of time commitments – from the high-commitment, full quarter, every night rehearsal process of a main stage show to the low commitment, one day only experience of a staged reading. We listened. And they helped us create a new program called the First Look Series!

Through this one-night-only, once a quarter staged reading series, students and university audiences are able to hear a play that we are considering for the following main stage season. This programming enables us to offer a wide range of voices, styles, and topics to engage our students and the campus community. 

The support of donors like you has allowed us to bring in professional actors to work with our students in this exciting new program. Thank you! 

This year’s First Look plays were: 

black odyssey by Marcus Gardley, directed by Aldo Billingslea 

Electricidad by Luis Alfaro, directed by Karina Gutiérrez 

She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, directed by Lazlo Pearlman (NOW IN OUR MAIN STAGE SEASON NEXT YEAR!)