Performing on stage has been a long tradition at UNI. As the University marks 150 years, the theatre department still stands after over 145 years of showing students what they can be on stage.
On Saturday, the spotlight shone on TheatreUNI’s first Open House event, showcasing the history of the department and the current impact of Strayer Wood Theatre. Alumni, students, and staff gathered for this community event, connecting with stories of past and present memories.
“The event really helps with community outreach,” explained Eric Chen, a double major in Theatre: Youth and Communities and Design and Production. “It gets current students and alumni connected, which can lead to several great opportunities.
Three main student organizations are directly involved with the theatre: UNI Student Theatre Association (UNISTA), the all-around student theatre program. UNI Theatre Technicians (UNITT), an organization for technical theatre students, and Alpha Psi Omega (APO), a Greek life group organized for theatre students in honors. They all attended the event to advertise what they do and how other people can get involved in their programs.
“We can get a lot of reach with this event,” said UNITT President Hannah Tibbs, “It really helps out with finding new and old students who are interested in our work.”
The Bertha Martin Theatre (BMT), the smaller black-box theatre inside Strayer Wood, hosted a large exhibit displaying the history of the department. Visitors were invited to walk the space and witness how TheatreUNI’s program has evolved and expanded throughout the years.
“It’s exciting to celebrate all the uniqueness of the department,” said Mary Black, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences. “I really enjoyed seeing how the shows themselves have evolved over the years as well.”
In addition to Youth Shows, the history highlights the many classes that are offered throughout time, which have a very positive impact on students.
Tours of the Strayer-Wood Theatre building were also offered to anyone unfamiliar with the area, and a place for food and drink was set up for alumni and students to relax and chat about what they discovered about TheatreUNI.
“The 150th anniversary is a great time to be looking back, and also to look at what is next for all programs, not just TheatreUNI,” said Black.
