Speer. The performances were held in Hayes Auditorium, with 3,403 audience members in attendance. The average summer audience has grown to 7,000 people over the years. Under Dr. Speer’s visionary leadership focused on creating a performing arts program that prepares artists to be better mankind, the theatre program grew; the curriculum strengthened to become inclusive of all aspects of theatre, and performance opportunities were wide-spread from the college campus to public schools, from churches to community events. Fiscal, staffing, facility and material resources were enhanced by a supportive administration and a committed group of friends of the theatre, allowing the newly formed Division of Performing Arts to flourish as a flagship program in 1990. For the next ten years, five academic programs were offered within the Division of Performing Arts including Arts Ministry, Dance, Musical Theatre, Theatre Arts and Theatre Arts Education.
A New Era for Performing Arts The year 2000 marked a turning point when the Division of Performing Arts chose to consolidate its majors into two specific majors: Performing Arts Studies and Theatre Arts Education. This decision was made to better prepare our students for an ever-changing job market in the arts and to capitalize on the value of being a generalist, a model that fosters creativity, adaptability and flexibility in society. The Performing Arts Studies program is a competency-based program that is unique in concept, structure, practice and outcomes. Students are prepared to work successfully as creative artists, directors, performers, educators, technicians, arts managers and leaders. Our Theatre Arts Education program has a 100% job placement and continues to provide students with the knowledge and skills to teach theatre in public schools, grades K-12. To capitalize on the uniqueness of the Performing Arts Studies program with a desire to bring back a musical theatre focus, Lees-McRae College and the performing arts faculty sought NAST accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Additionally, there was a renewed interest to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre. In March 2007, Lees-McRae College was awarded associate membership making its Musical Theatre, Performing Arts Studies and Theatre Arts Education programs NAST accredited. This is a tremendous milestone for a small liberal arts college. In 2009, the B.F.A. program was fully implemented, and Lees-McRae Summer Theatre celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Through administrative
changes, the Performing Arts Department is currently placed within the Division of Creative and Fine Arts and joins faculty from the Art & Design and Communication Arts programs to create a new collective voice for the arts at Lees-McRae College. The arts are a significant part of the educational and cultural environments on campus and within the local and regional communities. Regardless of the major students choose, studying a broad-based interdisciplinary performing arts curriculum rooted in a liberal arts foundation is valuable to develop skills not only to position students in the workforce but to also become productive members of society. Our graduates are able to engage successfully in the community in which they live and work, while having opportunities to embark on creative and artistic projects. You will find Lees-McRae performing arts graduates working in states known for the arts and in cities including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Since the first class of eight students, Lees-McRae College has graduated over 200 aspiring artists who have obtained employment in some of the most recognized theatre companies across the nation. Graduates have worked in community theatres, dance companies, public schools, arts agencies and other businesses where their arts knowledge and skills have given then a competitive edge in the job market. As we move through the next decade of performing arts at Lees-McRae College, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to the educational mission of the college in preparing young men and women to create and pursue a life of meaning and purpose, focusing on how their craft can serve humanity. The performing arts and Summer Theatre at Lees-McRae College will continue to serve as a catalyst for education, tourism, activism, and community building. Exploring ways to network with other programs on campus and in Banner Elk and Avery County communities remains high on our priority list. And in keeping with the foundation on which the performing arts were built at Lees-McRae College, we are committed to teaching our students to become more socially conscious of how the creative and performing arts are a vehicle for addressing the array of social issues that continue to shape our world. Photos clockwise from top: The cast of Summer Theatre’s peformance of Damn Yankees on stage in summer 2007. This shot is from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a Summer Theatre performance in the 1980s. Lees-McRae students are pictured in an undated photo of an early performance.
The Pinnacles Spring 2010 | 11