It doesn’t take restating it to remind students that COVID-19 has cancelled many opportunities on and off of Viterbo’s campus. For students in the performing arts at Viterbo University, this was the cancelation of six planned productions. As disheartening as this sounds, however, that didn’t stop them from doing what they love. Because of the Student Theatre Initiative project, put in place by Viterbo’s theatre & music theatre department, students are experiencing live theatre like never before.
Starting as soon as Oct. 31, Halloween, we will again have the opportunity to experience live theatre online and right here, in our Assisi courtyard. All students involved, as well as those attending events, must adhere to the mandatory CDC guidelines in place by Viterbo University.
A total of four projects, in the works by Viterbo students, are planned to debut this semester. These include “Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,” musical selections from “Spring Awakening,” and two original works: “In Limbo” by Fifi Rodriguez and “The World Hereafter” by Grant Barclay.
For students interested in the performing arts, times could never be more exciting on campus. For sophomores Payton Harper and Logan Jancsurak, point-persons for Julius Caesar, it’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
“When I heard Viterbo wasn’t going to be putting on any main stage productions this semester, I was super bummed…” stated Harper, “I wanted to find a way to be working on something… starting a project would give me the ability to get out of the apartment and work on my craft.”
“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given as an actor,” added Jancsurak, “don’t wait to let the work find you, make the work for yourself.” For Jancsurak and Harper, this was Julius Caeser, a show Jancsurak described as the “perfect story to perform the weekend before the 2020 presidential election.”
The two were not alone in this call to action. “Spring Awakening” director, Katie Wall, sophomore, stated she’s been waiting to direct her show for “quite some time.” Wall’s production, in collaboration with her creative team, aims to present selections from the hit musical with a more inclusive point of view.
“I was planning on submitting a student work proposal this semester, long before COVID hit,” explained Wall, “STI was a great opening for that, I don’t think things would have moved along quite as fast without it.”
Exciting as it is to see students tackling this material; some students decided to instead create their own. New playwright, Fifi Rodriguez told the Lumen that “it feels amazing” seeing her play come to life.
“The play doesn’t feel like mine anymore,” Rodriguez said, “I’m seeing the director, actors, and designers articulate their own interpretations… sometimes they touch on a concept or a motif that I hadn’t realized was there. Times like that are when I know I’ve done my job as a playwright.”
Rodriguez then explained that she has to “wear quite a few hats in this production.” These responsibilities include designing posters, designing costumes, building costumes, producing, communication, and digital editing.
Grant Barclay, junior, creator of “The World Hereafter,” an animated fantasy web-series, reiterates this thought. Barclay, along with teams of Viterbo students, has been in charge of creating large concept ideas, writing a script, organizing a storyboard, capturing audio, filming actor movement, and animation.
Barclay stated his plan is to create one season of 10 episodes, lasting 20 minutes each, that will be released sometime in late 2021. As far away as that is, Barclay reminds us to “keep in mind that there isn’t an army of underpaid animators, like many professional animation studios, instead there’s just one unpaid animator with a lot of commitment to this project.”
These projects are a lot of work for students to take on. Students are not fully on their own, however, as a faculty advisor has been assigned to each project. Their role is not to direct, but be present for advice and guidance as the performance dates roll closer.
Mallory Topel, senior, is stage manager and producer for three of these projects. She said, “As supportive as our faculty have been and continue to be, they are really encouraging us students to figure out what goes into all of the producing aspects of theatre/art.”
COVID-19 has and will continue to take more and more from all of us. However, let the Student Theatre Initiative program be an example of students finally taking something back. The project leaders, who have put so much work into their productions, encourage you to do the same. So, come on out, socially distance, and support your fellow V-Hawks.
