MUSIC at FRCC LARIMER

Conversation with Dana Fromby Theatre at Front Range Community College

My favorite type of theatre is new plays. Theatre can respond rapidly to our changing world because it is written and produced relatively quickly. New Plays can be local, regional, or national. Each play responds to our world in a unique way that addresses the world we live in today. This aspect is why I champion studentwritten work, so students can explore the narratives they are interested in telling.

I plan to develop our fall production into an annual new play event for Northern Colorado. We are in our second year of this plan. As the annual event continues, I see staged readings of one-act plays and full-length works written by our students. This vision would support student writers, designers, and actors collaborating on work throughout the year. It would be presented to the public for two weeks during the fall semester.

The Greek Renascence class looks at the development of theatre history through the advancement of communication technology. From this organizing principle, the course examines how theatre is ultimately linked to the deeply human need to tell stories. Looking at theatre history through a communication lens encourages students to analyze how ideas are shared through performance. Theatre is one of the oldest forms of communication; students get to investigate how theatre is still relevant and impacts newer forms of communication today.

Enticing more students to theatre is a great question. I think the answer lies in collaboration with other departments. As I mentioned earlier, the practice of doing theatre develops communication skills, creativity, and critical thinking. Our automotive technology, early childhood development, and nursing candidates could benefit from the theatre's critical thinking challenges. I have participated in a cross-discipline collaboration between a school of medicine and a school of theatrical arts. In 2018 I collaborated in developing a joint theatre and nursing course for Ohio University. The class invited nurses to write different outcomes or scenes of patient interactions with healthcare providers. This collaboration used theatre skills to help nurses become better communicators with their patients. I believe finding ways for theatre to share its communication skill-building potential would be great for many students at Front Range Community College.