TWC ARCHES Fall 2012

S
ince joining Tennessee Wesleyan College in 2008 as an
assistant professor of theatre and speech, it has been my
honor to see TWC theatre grow and find a place as an integral part
of student and community life. Augusto Boal, Brazilian author and
theatre artist said, “Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and
can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us
build our future, rather than just waiting for it.” In this spirit, TWC
theatre has created positive change through service to the campus
and community.
In 2008 student involvement in theatre was low and we had to find
a way to increase it through offerings students were interested in. A
new concept arose out of my speech classes. The first assignment for
my speech class was to tell a short story from your life. One after
another, I heard gripping stories that needed to have a voice outside
of the classroom. That is how the WORKS IN PROGRESS series
was born. Our actors learn and then perform the true stories of other
students. The final aspect comes from music students creating and
performing original compositions, giving the performance another
level of creativity and beauty.
In March we performed the fourth installment of WORKS IN
PROGRESS, HIT OR MISS, in the new quad space on campus. HIT
OR MISS told stories of the tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011, and
raised almost $400 for relief efforts through The Salvation Army.
WORKS IN PROGRESS has achieved what we set out to do: student
involvement in theatre is up from a handful of students to nearly 40!
We have also harnessed that energy for other productions encouraging
community engagement.
In Fall 2010, we inaugurated the TEN FOR TENN Festival. The TEN
FOR TENN produces 10 ten-minute plays by Tennessee playwrights,
or which feature Tennessee themes. We are in our third year of the
TEN FOR TENN, and have had well over a hundred plays submitted
in that time. We have increased awareness of TWC Theatre on a
regional and national level. We have produced plays by TWC
students and alumni, Athens writers, as well as writers around the
state and nation. This September we present the TEN FOR TENN
at the Athens Area Council for the Arts in what is truly a “town and
gown” event.
24 ARCHES | Fall 2012
the FACULTY
PERSPECTIVE
DR. ERIC LOVE
In that same spirit, we are producing William Shakespeare’s A
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM in April at the Athens Area
Council for the Arts as part of their 2012-2013 performance season.
It will feature the musical score by Felix Mendelssohn and the voices
of the Athens Community Chorus under the direction of Dr. Nathan
Windt. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM is a fitting way to
celebrate our new bachelor of arts degree in the fine arts. In one of the
most significant developments since I arrived at TWC, students in
theatre and art no longer must settle for a minor but may now major
in the fine arts with a concentration in theatre, art or music.
We have also expanded student opportunities in the world of theatre
beyond TWC through the WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory.
WordBRIDGE brings promising new playwrights to the Centerstage
Theatre in Baltimore for two weeks of intensive work with some
of the country’s best directors, actors, designers and artists. This
year I directed the new “Student Artists Project.” The producers of
WordBRIDGE heard about WORKS IN PROGRESS and asked me if
I could do something similar for WordBRIDGE. The Student Artists
arrive a week early and we put them through a rigorous training
process to learn the WordBRIDGE method of play development.
The Student Artists also create a new play to perform for the entire
company. Two Wesleyan students participated this year and I could
not be more proud of them. They made the most of a tremendous
opportunity and opened the door for future Wesleyan students.
It really is an exciting time for TWC theatre! The Drama Team keeps
growing and gets bigger every semester. The Drama Team is engaged
and inclusive: anyone who shows up at 8 p.m. on Tuesday nights in
Townsend is welcome to join us. We have also re-activated Alpha Psi
Omega, the national theatre honor society, and it continues to grow.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose
yourself in the service of others.” That sums up the attitude of TWC
theatre. Most of our students are not theatre emphasis majors, or
even theatre minors. They do theatre because they feel it makes a
difference for their campus and community. Fortunately, we have
dedicated, talented and generous students who give tirelessly for what
they believe in. We are all familiar with Servant Leadership and the
phrase, “Learn, Serve, Lead…and Believe.” For our students
these are more than words. It is how they live.