Theater Dept. brings guest actor to speak

Tomi Brunton Associate Editor

A journalist-turned-professional actor told students on April 20 to “be open minded” about art.

Ron Canada performed in theater productions of “Fences” and “Othello” and on television in “House of Cards.”

“Don’t try to impose the sensibilities of 2023 on all of the past,” Canada said. “That is dangerous, intellectually, and dangerous for people’s intellectual growth.”

Canada said actors must have “an obsessive desire” to perform.

Theatre AACC invited Canada, who also appeared in three different Star Trek series, as part of the Guest Artist Speaker Series.

Canada began his career as a television news reporter in 1971, but switched to acting in 1978.

“It’s been a good career,” Canada said. “I’ve gotten … to work with some of the best practitioners of this craft that there are on this planet. I know a great number of them and I have one degree of separation from just about all of the others.”

In an interview with Campus Current before the event, Canada called acting “a handed-down craft. So that’s what I’m doing. I want to give back to the profession and