Overlooked arts community
I read your article detailing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Performing Arts Center and its implications for the new Program in Performing Arts and the University community overall with a great sense of anticipation (“Arts center construction begins,” News, Oct. 2). Too often, the campus media overlooks the small, yet lively arts community that does exist at Georgetown. I was hoping to read an article that would bring attention to this community and the diverse groups it supports. To my dismay, I was to be disappointed yet again.
The article assures that “up to this point, students have acquired most knowledge of technical and stage management skills through one-day workshops.” This statement confused me, as the vast majority of my not inextensive stage managerial and technical expertise has come from outside these workshops. The thousands of students who have worked in student theater on this campus over the last 151 years would share my confusion. The sheer weight of numbers speaks more eloquently than any description I could give of all the learning experiences Georgetown student theater has to offer.
I understand that the statement was made simply to highlight the lack of a well-funded and recognized theater department on campus. Nonetheless, it shows a gross disregard for the unflagging work and effort put forth by members of the four student theater groups every single day. Collectively, this year-as we do every year-we will put up nine mainstage shows in the campus’s three black box theaters. We will also support coffeehouse performances, staged readings, improv, midnight theater, outdoor theater, musical reviews, speakers, writing contests, and traveling childrens’ shows, as well as the aforementioned workshops. Conservatively, at least three hundred students will be involved as directors, producers, writers, actors, designers, and technical support. I will not even guess at the size of the combined audience we will have this year. The experience gained from this effort is without a doubt more profound than that from any one-day workshop.
Tomasina Lucia, SFS ‘04
Executive Producer, Mask & Bauble Dramatic Society
