College Partners With American Theater to Assist Students

The cast of Thomas Nelson Performing Arts' production of "Cabaret"

When the roof over the Dr. Mary T. Christian Auditorium collapsed in April 2021, Thomas Nelson's Performing Arts department was left homeless.

The acting courses were moved to the Espada Room. Introduction to Theater and other classes were conducted via Zoom. A class called Theater/Musical Workshop, where students receive hands-on instruction, was on hold.

"It was this one piece, the experience in the theater, that they really needed," said Sandra Calderon-Doherty, an assistant professor and chair of Liberal Arts. "Image graduating from a program in theater in which you never had been in a theater. This doesn't make sense."

The College received an unlikely assist from English professor Jacque Blackwell, who suggested the College contact the American Theater in Hampton. Calderon-Doherty did just that, explaining the situation.

Richard Parison, the artistic director at the American Theater, thought it would be a great idea, too.

"A large part of our mission at Hampton Arts is to engage students of all ages, across all disciplines," he said. "So, we looked toward figuring out a way to make it happen."

After numerous discussions between Calderon-Doherty and Parison, it came to fruition. There now is an eight-week course, under the direction of Thomas Nelson theater manager Jim Worthey, where students will learn all aspects of putting together a show. The American Theater is making available its tech people, and offering shadowing opportunities with professional theater performances that come to town.

"Our students are getting more of a firsthand experience, which is what they're supposed to be getting," Calderon-Doherty said. "That course is aimed specifically at getting students to have theater experiences. So, we were able to satisfy that learning objective by making this connection with the American Theater."

It answered a big question for Calderon-Doherty and others in the department: How do we get these students to graduate on time with the right type of education?

Cece Wheeler, an art professor and department chair, said it is important not only for those students who are seeking a degree, but those hoping to transfer.

"Students do take these classes and transfer successfully to a theater program," Wheeler said, noting a number of students have gone on to VCU's highly regarded arts programs. "If they don't have that class, then they're not going to have those credits transfer, and they're not going to have the experiences required by the degree."

Calderon-Doherty said substituting a course would be the easy thing to do, but it wouldn't be the right thing.

"If it's not the right skill set, they're not going to be able to transfer that course," she said. "They would have wasted time, they would have wasted money with us. … We're immensely grateful to the American Theater."

Wheeler also said this partnership shows how important community involvement is in the success of the visual and performing arts at the College.

"It strengthens the program," Wheeler said. "It strengthens the education and the opportunities for the students."

It also benefits the American Theater.

"This allows us to reach a new age range for performing and visual arts education," Parison said. "Education is part of our mission, and enrichment and audience development go hand-in-hand with that. We're not only hoping to participate in developing the next creative workforce, but we understand the performing arts engage in a quality-of-life scenario for residents in the region. And that's a huge part of our mission."

Even after the College's theater is rebuilt, this collaboration could continue.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to have these internships in addition to their regular courses?" Calderon-Doherty asked. "We are most used to seeing internships in the workforce area, and we're less used to see that in the humanities, but those opportunities are out there. We need to establish more connections."

According to Wheeler, this partnership could help with that also.

"I think it benefits the College, but it also benefits the community to know about these programs, and to know about this cooperation because if somebody reads this information, then they will think, 'I can pitch in,'" she said, adding it was tragic for the College community when the roof collapsed.

"I was in tears when I saw what happened," she said, but this shows the programs are strong and viable, "but we may need help from the community."