Our Theatre Department Shall NOT BE MOVED!!!!

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." -Oscar Wilde. Theatre is more than an art form and certainly more than just an experience to be had.  An immediate issue that I have been helping to fight as we speak would be saving Albany State University's Theatre Program. As an Alumni of this program it would be absolutely remiss of me to not be an advocate  and voice for how this program has made a huge impact on my life. Through this program I found myself as an artist and was able to tap into talents that I had no idea I possessed! I could literally rant about the benefits this program has bestowed upon my life, which is why this subject is very important, personal, and dear to me!

There have been several justifications to why cutting this program would be in the best interest for Albany State University. Some reasons include lack of theatre faculty members, lack of needed theatre space, and supposedly stagnant results from graduates. When I first arrived at Albany State we only had two theatre faculty members and 15 theatre majors. Although we only had two faculty members, they were able to equip us with all the tools we needed to be successful theatre practitioners. Upon leaving Albany State we had 5 theatre faculty members and over 39 theatre majors. I would have to agree that the lack of theatre space is a huge issue. There's a theatre space located in our auditorium, but unfortunately that space is available to whomever wants it. This shared space causes the theatre program to not have its own dedicated rehearsal space and performance venue. We also had to cram all props and costumes in a small closet located in a totally different building across campus. I’ve list these issues not to validate the choice to cut the theatre program, but rather to encourage a resolution to them. The thought that this theatre program produces graduates who aren’t successful after graduating is absolutely ridiculous. This program produced some of the most talented actors, singers, and dancers in the southwestern region of Georgia. Their work spoke volumes for them during undergrad and continues to speak for them today.

Our protest would first occur through a direct-action rally. I would invite current theatre majors, alumni who graduated from the program, prospective theatre majors, the entire student body, the Albany community, Faculty and Staff, representatives from the University System of Georgia (Southwestern Region), and definitely the media. We would reach out to all news stations, local and regional newspapers, and several popular radio stations. The rally would start off by addressing the proposal of cutting the program. We would thoroughly outline all reasons for this proposal. It would be easy to throw other programs under the bus, but instead we will focus on what makes our program so fantastic. We would do this by transitioning to the second part of the rally, which would be showcasing the talent that this program fosters. It would be encompassed of monologues, scene work, musical performances, technical design examples (lights, sound, sets), and dance from current theatre majors. We would then allow alumni graduates to share their undergraduate experiences since we are products of the program. Current/past grad school students, current professional actors, singers, dancers, directors, and technical designers would deliver these testimonials. Hopefully through the artistic showcase and testimonials, the audience and powers that be will be moved and aware of why they should keep the program. We’d end the rally by proposing enhancements that could move the program to the next level. The Ray Charles Foundation donated 3 million dollars to Albany State University over a decade ago. These funds were to be used to progress the fine arts specifically the music and theatre program. Instead these funds were used to build dorms, enhance the honors program and give presidential scholarships. This misuse of funds has not only caused Albany State University a huge lawsuit, but it’s a key reason for why the proposal to cut the theatre program is on the table now.

Hopefully this rally would cause a reversal in the proposal, but if not we would go the passive aggressive route by showing up to the University System of Georgia Headquarters and stage a nonviolent sit-in throughout the executive offices. We would once again invite the media. We would know that both forms of protest are over when we are promised that the proposal to cut the theatre program will be re-evaluated. Not only would it have to be re-evaluated, but we’d also have to be updated on the progression to possibly reversing it!