Theatre

Marcus Laban, Bridget Leary, Amy VanBecelaere, and Justin Kulman rehearse a scene from A Scrap of Paper produced by the Department of Theatre. Photo by: Annissa Morgensen-Lindsay

Whether your interests are onstage or backstage, the AC theatre department will offer you a combination of academic preparation and practical experience that will prepare you for it. Just look at your professors-Professor Annissa Morgensen-Lindsay is a theatre historian and experienced actor, director, lighting designer, and stage technician. Professor Michael Allen has directed at the college, community, and professional levels, is involved in summer theatre, and is past president of the board of the Croswell Opera House in Adrian.

Much of your work in the theatre department will be outside of the classroom. You'll have opportunities to direct plays, write plays, act, design and build sets and lighting, and try your hand at the production and marketing of theatre performances. Many students take internships at the Croswell, or in other theatres in such places as Chicago, California, and London. Each year students attend the regional Kennedy Center's/American College Theatre Festival, where they compete for prizes and awards. Past students have been chosen as national finalists, named for the best new play, and honored for directing.

Whether you are casting your one-act play, or launching your own improvisational theatre troupe, your professors will be there to help you every step of the way. They help you capture and master the joy of theatre. As Professor Allen says, "We would rather supervise a student in a project than do it ourselves. Our satisfaction is in watching them and helping them learn by doing."

Recent productions include: The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan), The Good Doctor (Neil Simon), The First Part of King Henry the Fourth (Shakespeare), and Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act (Athol Fugard).