Talk to Wooster
Summer 2007
Preeminent Performance
Profiles of Wooster Alumni and Faculty in the Performing Arts
Email
StoryThe stunning success of a Wooster theatre production this spring gives us the perfect opportunity to pass on a few stories of alumni and faculty who are professionals in the dramatic arts. There are many stories we could have told. The College began its theatre major in 1982, when theatre split from the speech department, reflecting a national trend. Soon after, dance changed its affiliation from physical education to theatre, and last year the department changed its name from the Department of Theatre to the Department of Theatre and Dance.
When a department is relatively small, its faculty members must wear many hats, and students benefit from their multi-talented professors. Wooster’s 180 theatre alumni are likely to be adaptable, flexible, and skilled, says Professor Dale Seeds, who has been with the department since 1984.
This spring, a Wooster theatre production beat out Ivy League schools, schools that offer Master of Fine Arts degrees, and schools with huge departments and plush budgets. Why did Wooster rise to the top? Senior Patrick Midgley said it best: “It was like we had a story we more desperately wanted to tell.”
» Masankho Banda ’91: Dancing for Peace
» Dale Seeds: Playwright | The Day That Cries Forever
» Patrick Midgley ’07: Actor | Playing Nocturne
» James Beaudry ’01: Choreographer | “Total Immersion”
