“It’s a community of people”: Students find value in theatre
By Katelyn Lindsey
It was the first night of Arden of Feversham. I wiped my sweaty palms onto my jeans. The jaunty medieval soundtrack bounced off the walls of the Muskingum University theatre. The dimly lit backstage area buzzed with activity as actors hurriedly adjusted their puppets and whispered last-minute lines. I could feel the collective energy of the cast and crew, a mix of excitement and anticipation. “Sound standby,” the voice of the stage manager, Anne Schafer, rang through the headset. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves.
The cast and crew of the fall 2023 production of Arden of Feversham / Photo credit: Muskingum Theatre Facebook Group
My past week of training late into the night had led up to this moment. The production developed like a perfectly woven tapestry. Each line and gesture resonated with the audience, creating a palpable connection between the stage and the seats. As the scenes progressed the applause and laughter became a testament to our collective effort.
This production was my first venture into college theatre production—my curiosity had led me to join the sound crew for Arden of Feversham. I knew a few students active in the theatre and I had heard of the busy schedules and late night rehearsals. However, I underestimated just how much work went into a seamless production.
My one-week stint made me curious to learn what draws students to the theatre at our small liberal arts college.
Spotlight
What intrigued me most about the theatre production, was the diversity of the involved students. Contrary to my initial assumption, the theatre community extended beyond dedicated theatre majors, encompassing students with majors ranging from the humanities to STEM fields.
Ady Baesmann, who is a first-year exercise science major at Muskingum, undertook multiple roles in Arden of Feversham, including the characters of Susan, Prentice and Ferryman.
Ady Baesmann / Photo by Katelyn Lindsey
Despite not being a theatre major, Baesmann has been able to explore her passion for the creative arts at Muskingum while pursuing a STEM degree. The opportunity for non-theatre majors to join the theatre community made Muskingum the ideal choice for her academic and artistic journey.
“It [Muskingum University] had like a good camaraderie in the theatre,” Baesmann said. “It just looked very close-knit and like everybody was friendly with each other.”
To Baesmann, her involvement with the theatre has served as an outlet from the stress of her demanding STEM classes. She believes that it could be valuable for other STEM majors to participate in creative art projects on campus as well.
“It [theatre] is just something that I love to do,” Baesmann said. “I feel like no matter what field you are in, you need to have an escape from everything, and that is what theatre has been for me.”
In the future, Baesmann hopes to become an athletic trainer for Broadway productions or with a sports team.
Alyssa Derry is a first-year student planning to pursue a combination of communication studies, media production, theatre, and English. Derry played Mosbie in Arden of Feversham.
Alyssa Derry / Photo by Katelyn Lindsey
While reflecting on the atmosphere of the theatre department at Muskingum, Derry painted a vivid picture of excitement and dedication. Despite the time-intensive rehearsal schedule, she finds value and community in rehearsing for productions. Rehearsals are three hours each night and six hours during “tech week,” which is the week leading up to the night of the show.
“I think everybody comes in and we're all very excited about the show, and we're all very eager to be doing what we're doing,” Derry said. “And so, it means that our environment is always very, I mean, I would say very high energy. It's just—you can tell that everybody wants to be there, and we want this show to succeed.”
Derry passionately advocated for all students, regardless of their major, to consider participating in college theatre.
“Even if you're not interested in being on stage or you have your reasons for not wanting to be on stage, don't let that deter you from doing college theatre,” Derry said. “Because college theatre rocks.”
Derry aspires to pursue a career in voiceover work and voice acting in the future.
August Niner is first-year student majoring in English and theatre. He played multiple roles in Arden of Feversham, including Bradshaw, Lord Cheiny and Adam.
August Niner / Photo by Katelyn Lindsey
Like Baesmann and Derry, Niner thinks that the performing arts can provide students with a fresh perspective on the college experience:
“I think that it would be more beneficial to young artists and to anybody everywhere, to be able to be exposed to different forms of art and actually able to explore those areas without judgment and without being overwhelmed,” Niner said. “I think that's something that is good about liberal arts colleges…they encourage you to explore other things a little bit more.”
Niner has quickly found a place of support within the theatre community at Muskingum. He aims to pursue a career as a writer and a playwright.
“Everyone in the theater department is rooting for your success,” Niner said.
Assistant professor of theatre, Dr. Cassie King, oversees all technical and design aspects of the theatre at Muskingum. King provides a unique perspective as a Muskingum alumna, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication and theatre. To King, theatre provides students with a valuable community on campus:
Assistant Professor of Theatre Cassie King
/ Photo from Muskingum University
“Even for those people who aren't going to go on and make a career of it, it's a community of people. It's learning new skills, it's working on team building, collaboration and listening and healthy use of emotions and all of these good things,” King said. “And I think if we say that college is only for learning the things that will make you money, then we're losing a lot of the quality of college.”
King believes that the skills students learn from participating in the theatre will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Working with other students reveals new opportunities and skills that they otherwise may not have discovered. She informed me that there is no better place on campus to forge new bonds and friendships than the theatre.
“Our community of students is so incredibly welcoming and they're so open to people of like any, any kind of person really, no matter how you present or what potential challenges you might face,” King said. “They're [theatre students] aggressively friendly.”
Curtain Call
The Muskingum University's theatre serves as a reflection of the encompassing liberal arts atmosphere, a space that promotes curiosity, embraces diversity, and nurtures collaboration across academic disciplines.
There isn’t one answer to “why” students pursue theatre in a small liberal arts college. The answer resides in a passion for the arts and community. The holistic liberal arts education that schools such as Muskingum provide allows students the freedom to explore different passions. As the final curtain descends on "Arden of Feversham," the impact of this performance extends beyond the applause. The Muskingum University Theatre is an environment where students, in their portrayal of characters or behind the scenes, collectively weave a narrative of creativity, personal development, and a sense of community that transcends the boundaries of majors and backgrounds.
I am grateful to have experienced the close-knit and welcoming atmosphere firsthand. The theatre provided me with a sense of community, even as a non-theatre student peering behind the curtain.
