"Collaboration is the biggest word in the theatre. It is the most important element in theatrical success. The theatre is a welding of many arts into one. No one person can be efficient or talented in all of these arts and if any man could write and produce and direct and act and play the music, shift the scenery, design the costumes and, in short, do everything that could be done on one stage and come up with what was literally a one man show, he would still need one more thing: an audience. You cannot get away from collaboration."
-Oscar Hammerstein II
The Theater Repertory course offered here at Monmouth College presents this idea of collaboration as the focal point of its course design. Now, it is true that the course is designed to inspire creativity and put it's students in a similar situation to that of an actual repertory company, but the underlying purpose, which can be found throughout this course, is this goal of a group of students unifying to put up a show in practically every aspect; in short: collaboration.
Through this collaboration the students in the course each take a role, as if it were a professional repertory company, and are assigned to work in this specific role with the rest of the company to put up a professional looking show. The roles include:
- Director
- Stage Manager
- Set Designer
- Lighting Designer
- Sound Designer
- Prop Designer
- Publicity Liaison
- Hair and Makeup Designer
- Dramaturgy
In addition to this list there are multiple other chances for students to get involved if not chosen for one of these roles. These include assistant roles for most positions, and usually consist of shadowing the "lead" student and assisting/learning from them as the show comes together.
Current Cast
Director- Kaytlyn Drost
Stage Manager- Stacy Fields
Set Designer- Kenneth Yeater
Lighting Designer- Jennifer Erbes
Sound Designer- Heather Hall
Prop Designer- Krissy Heinzman
Publicity Liaison- Tynan Sinks
Hair and Makeup Designer- Nicholas Munson
Dramaturgy- Dane Feenstra
Other
Assistant Director- Nicolas Munson
Assistant Stage Manager- Brittany Van Etten
Assistant Set Designer- Jamie Kistler
Assistant Lighting Designer- Nicholas Munson
Assistant Prop Designer- Alex Nall
Assistant Publicity Liaison- Jonathon Snowdon
Assistant Hair and Makeup Designer- Brittany Van Etten
Assistant Dramaturgy- Jennifer Erbes
The former is the list of the current students enrolled in the Fall 2009 production of "Fat Men in Skirts," a show detailing the journey of Bishop Hogan, his mother: Phyllis Hogan, his father: Howard Hogan, and Howard's mistress Pam, as they experience a dark reality which includes multiple cultural taboos.
The hope of this production is to "cause the audience to question values and ideals, if we are speaking from the stand point of what we want to the audience to take away from the show. Speaking as a cast, we hope to show the skills we have effectively and professionally, these are the hopes we have for this production." This quote from director Kaytlyn Drost embodies what our goal as a class is, and refrains it from earlier, which is collaboration.
As the maiden voyage of this course departs we as a class are filled with elation at the opportunity to show our ability, and to better ourselves in the theater program here at Monmouth College. It is our hope that this course will pay dividends for years to come, and that each of us takes something unique and valuable from this life changing opportunity.
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