Narrative History of the Radford University Theatre Department

Radford University Theatre Department History

August 2023

Original by Charles L. Hayes

Edited by Kathleen Harvey Harshberger ’80, Carl Lefko, and Rich Dunham

The Early Years

The Radford University Theatre Department is generally acknowledged to have started in the academic year of 1966-67, when Radford College approved a major in Speech and Dramatic Arts. However, on March 16, 2011, for Radford University’s Women’s History Month, First Ladies of the Stage, Radford Theatre 1913-1923, was

From the Radnor, 1915

presented by theatre professor Jennifer Juul (with contributions from students in Theatre History 376) illustrates that the genesis of the Theatre Department was as early as 1914. (Link to First Ladies of the Stage: Radford Theatre 1913-1923)

Ms. Juul writes “This study draws heavily from the RU archives, including two known histories of Radford’s early years. One is by M’Ledge Moffett …the first Dean of women; the other is by Lenora Lewis-Smith. These sources show that many early students were involved in some type of dramatic performances. These students experienced theatre’s empowerment beyond the opportunity for an advanced

degree and teacher certification.” Juul further states “I have also selected evidence of one performance piece, Tennyson’s The Princess, for more in-depth interrogation. Performed in 1916 and directed by Ms. Moffett herself, the evidence shows that theatrical performance was used frequently as a teaching tool and confidence builder.”

http://theotherpages.org/poems/tenny07.html

(It is also interesting to note that in 1922 the venerable M’Ledge Moffett helped cowrite the Ingles Society dramatization of the Mary Draper Ingles Story.)

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Archival photo of Professor M’Ledge Moffett

The Princess graphic from an edition featuring text from the 3rd London Edition (1850) and illustrations from the 1884 American Edition.

Ingles Society Rehearsing (from the RU archives)

Juul elaborates: “Given the questionable position of theatre and of actresses at the time, its suitability as a field of study for women was suspicious. One may therefore expect little evidence of theatrical performance at Radford.” In actuality, if one looks closely enough it becomes apparent that theatre, drama, and performance permeated the lives of the “first ladies” educated at Radford…From coursework to extracurricular activities to the social life of the institution, Radford was immersed in the performing arts during its first ten years.”

The Launch of a New Department

When Radford College approved a major in Speech and Dramatic Arts for the academic year 1966-67, it also approved the addition of a Speech course to the General Education requirements. (The requirements were: Speech 114: Public Speaking, Speech 116: Oral Interpretation of Literature; or Speech 326: Speech for the Classroom Teacher. Speech 326 was required for all Education majors, and there was great demand for this class.

The name of the new academic unit was: “The Department of Dramatic Arts and Speech.” The production budget for the 1967-68 season was $100.00. It is interesting to note that even when accounting for inflation over the 53 subsequent years, $100 only amounts to $781 in 2020 buying power!

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Dr. William (Bill) Morehouse was the only full-time faculty member, and he taught all the Speech courses, and the few courses in Dramatic Arts. Based on the addition of Speech to General Education, two additional faculty members were hired. During the summer of 1967, Mr. John C. Irvine, who was finishing his M.A. at UNC-Chapel Hill and Mr. Charles L. Hayes (Chuck), who was finishing his M.A. at Indiana University, joined the faculty.

Dr. Morehouse established a regular niche for an annual children’s play It is significant that the department is still strongly committed to doing a quality show for children each year.

After the spring semester of 1968, Founders Hall was demolished to make way for Muse Hall. The academic year 1967-68 was the last year that old Founders Hall, which stood where Muse Hall now stands, was in use. In Founders, the auditorium, with all wooden seats, also served as the theatre. The stage was very shallow, and the draperies were so old and rotten that they were falling apart. The scene shop occupied part of what, in earlier times, had been an indoor pool. There were two large closets that served as storage for costumes and paint supplies. At that time, Radford College was all female, and the assumption was that girls could not construct scenery. As a result, the maintenance department built flats and anything else that was needed. The flats were lovely, built with finished lumber and like on Broadway, were held together with counter-sunk brass screws. Even though the entire production budget for that year was one hundred dollars, the new faculty immediately instituted the change that required all construction and painting to be done by the students.

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Founder’s Hall, dressed up for its dedication ceremony, 1913

In addition to the class work projects, most of the ongoing work of the department was done by two organizations: Alpha Psi Omega (APO) and the Curtain Club. Once the classes began to fully take over the construction work, the Curtain Club fell by the wayside, and APO became much more just an honorary society.

At that time, APO had only one initiation per year, in the spring, and this ended with a steak cookout at the house of Jean Einstein, who was a faculty member in the Music department and an APO member

One of the first tasks that Dr. Morehouse asked of Hayes and Irvine was the construction of a curriculum for the theatre section of the major. Additionally, Hayes was given the task of building the library holdings in theatre.

One of the new courses offered was The Development of Film. It was taught on a regular basis until the quarter system was converted to the current semester system. This conversion required the reduction of the number of courses by roughly one third. The theatre education series was eliminated at the same time. The first major in Dramatic Arts and Speech, Lynda Jean (Lynnie) Raybuck, graduated in the spring of 1968

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Mr. Charles (Chuck) Hayes wrote this original narrative history of the theatre department and provides some fascinating glimpses into the early days. “After being moved out of Founders Hall in 1968-69, the department did not have a performance space. At first, it was given the basement of Lucas Hall (located on the site of CHUBS). This looked to be a good location until the first rehearsal there and it was discovered, very quickly, that the noise from the railroad drowned out most of the efforts.”

“

Any Wednesday was performed in the old band room to the west side of Preston stage and on Preston stage. The band room had a tile floor, and we were cautioned not to get paint on it.” “When we performed Three Sisters on the Preston stage, we were told that we could not drive nails into the floor (it was kept waxed) and, again, to make sure we did not get paint on the floor.” “We also toured one show, Ex-Miss Copper Queen on a Set of Pills, to the rec rooms of various dorms.”

Next, they were assigned to McGuffy Hall, and used the auditorium there as the theatre. The stage area was shared with Home Economics and this arrangement was difficult. Eventually the department was given exclusive use of McGuffy and that is where all performances took place until Porterfield was occupied. It was a small and under-equipped space, but, according to Hayes “we were just happy to have a place to call home and to have complete control over its use.”

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Mr. Charles (Chuck) Hayes

In those early years, Hayes and Irvine would alternate responsibilities between directing and technical director. The person not directing served as the technical director, and vice versa. For most shows, both men also acted. Aside from these two, some (college) faculty did play male roles, and they had two dependable high school students who did a lot of performing for them.

During the 1968-69 year, Betsy Hayes, Chuck Hayes’ wife, worked as a speech therapist for Project Helping Hand, a federally funded initiative that put support specialists in the area schools. This was also the last year of its funding. When the funding ran out, they needed to disperse their equipment. It was suggested that Radford College would be the place for the Hearing Suite, a rather sophisticated and specialized piece of equipment. Once Radford took possession of the Suite, they had to hire someone who knew what to do with it. Bonnie Vaden, a speech therapist living in Blacksburg was hired. Within two years there were four speech therapists on faculty, and it was just a matter of time until they split off to form their own department.

1967/1970 the department was called the Dramatic Arts and Speech Dept. In 1973 it changed to Theatre, Speech and Communication Disorders. It became the Department of Theatre when CVPA was formed. Then the School of Dance and Theatre and then Theatre and Cinema. The academic year 1969-70 brought significant changes. Dr. Morehouse took a position at another college, and Dr. Mary Bridget Gallagher was brought in as chair. Her area of expertise was in Speech, but she was extremely supportive of the theatre program and classes.

Finally – a New Home – Porterfield Hall

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During the ’67-’68 academic year, the state of Virginia passed an 81-million-dollar bond issue. Part of Radford College’s share of that money was to construct a building that would house a theatre. This building would become Porterfield Hall. It wouldn’t be until the 1971-72 academic year that the Theatre Department would be able to fully occupy it.

There was great interest in what the new building would be named. It seemed natural to name it for Bob Porterfield, the founder of Barter Theatre in Abington, but there was opposition in the General Assembly. Apparently, Bob rubbed some people the wrong way. After some research, two names were submitted by Chuck Hayes: Amélie Louise Rives Troubetzkoy (1863–1945), a princess (by marriage to a Russian prince), a playwright and novelist from Richmond, and Bob Porterfield. Faced with a Troubetzkoy Hall, they chose Porterfield.

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Performances began in the new building during the 1971-72 year, but the formal dedication did not occur until the 1972-73 school year. Several people came from the Barter Theatre for the formal opening, including Bob Porterfield’s widow and Owen Phillips, the resident director.

When Porterfield Hall first was occupied, there were curtains, a few lights, but no other equipment. The first piece of power equipment purchased was a jigsaw. Students who had tools would bring them into the shop for classes to use. One young lady asked for Sear’s biggest tool set for Christmas, and proudly brought it back for use for the next quarter. The building was mainly a shell for several years. There was no lighting for make-up in the dressing rooms. However, the department did have exclusive use of the main stage, although they shared the use of the Studio Theatre with the Art department. A real boon for the department was when Radford became coeducational and began to admit males in the summer of 1972. This made show selection and casting much more flexible. From 1973-74, the name of the department was Theatre, Speech and Communication Disorders.

Although there were only two faculty in the Department Theatre and resources were limited, the shows were well attended. It was not unusual to have a full house (even a couple of ‘sell-outs’) for musicals.

A New Chair - A New Era – Dr. James W. Hawes

In the fall of 1975, Dr. James W. (Jim) Hawes became Chairman. He replaced Mr. John Irvine, who left for a position at another institution.

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Dr. Hawes brought immediate and positive changes to the department. In addition to being an outstanding director, he instituted the Guest Artist Program, whereby well-known actors, mainly from television, were invited to act with the students. He also started the popular First Nighters’ dinners. Kathleen Harshberger ’80, and GeorgAnne Voland ’79, were student assistants who helped Dr. Hawes in setting up and coordinating the First Nighters’ dinners.

First Nighters’ were a group from the larger community who paid to come to campus for cocktails and dinner and attended the opening night of the current show. A bridge to the community, this proved to be a very popular and well-attended function which helped raise interest and money for the theatre program. First Nighters’ were well supported not only by the City of Radford but by all of the surrounding communities. (This became the inspiration for Curtain Up! which was revived in 2012, by Kathleen Harshberger ‘80 when she was Development Director for the College of Visual and Performing Arts.)

The first Guest Artist was Marion Ross who appeared in Cactus Flower in 1976. Ms. Ross had just finished the first season on the television hit show “Happy Days ”

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Dr. James W. (Jim) Hawes

She had expressed concern about the level of acting experience among the students, but Dr. Hawes assured her that there was a faculty member on staff who would act opposite her. Thus, it was established that Chuck Hayes would play opposite a large number of our guest artists.

The guest artist program was strongly supported by then President Dedmon. He funded it through a “Special Projects” fund that he established by using money from the drink machines on campus.

Technical Theatre Strengthened

Dr. Hawes had a very strong design background and recognized the department’s need for technical support, starting with the addition of a technical director/designer. Up until this point, faculty and/or students served as technical “directors”, designers and costumers. This need was underscored when, in 1976, the entire cast and crew of Cactus Flower stayed on campus over spring break in order to finish the set on time.

George E. Sampedro (a talented scene painter) joined the faculty as Technical Director in 1976, and Eugene C. Seyffer (who created excellent renderings of his designs) replaced him in 1978. By 1978, Theatre was a separate department, but there were only two on the faculty for a year. Still, it was a stand-alone department.

Marion Ross

In the fall of 1979, Mr. Carl H. Lefko, a young MFA from UNC-Greensboro, joined the faculty in the TD/Design area. Carl added much needed stability in that position. A gifted designer, he would spend his entire career at Radford University. When the curtain went up on opening nights, his sets received prolonged standing ovations.

There were a number of students who constructed some amazing costumes An example: the costumes for The King and I in 1978 were a collaboration between the theatre department students and the design department students. Sometimes, when there was a musical, and if they were available, costumes were rented for the whole show.

Ms. Laura Wedin served as costumer in a full-time temporary position in 1986/87. In the fall of 1987 Ms. Monica Weinzapfel left the University of Virginia to join Radford’s faculty as its first full-time faculty member in costuming. Again, much needed stability was added to the department. Monica, an exceptionally talented costume designer, teacher and mentor, retired in 2019.

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The King and I (1978)

Mr. Jerry McGlown also arrived in the fall of 1987. He was Commonwealth Visiting Professor and went on to serve as a member of the faculty through 1999.

In 1994 Dr. Hawes retired after serving as Chair of the department for 20 years, and Dr. Robert Pomo joined the faculty as Chair of the department, leaving in 1999.

• In 1997, the department achieved, on the first attempt, a significant milestone by receiving full accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

• In the Spring of 2003, the department received reaccredited by NAST

• In the Spring of 2013, the department was reaccredited by NAST

Organizational and Curricular changes

• 1978/79 The Department became The Department of Theatre

• In 1998 the department added the inter-disciplinary minor in Cinematic Art with Mr. Ted McKosky as the director of the program:

• Mr. David Wheeler was hired in the new Technical Director position, and then, in the Fall of 1998, when a new Administrative Professional position for Theatre was added

• For the 1999/2000 academic year, Mr. Charles L. Hayes served as Interim Chair for the Department.

• Mr. Lee Van Dyke (00-03) was named Chair in Fall, 2000.

• In the Fall of 2000 Mr. Wesley A. Young was appointed as a member of the performance faculty. For the past 20 years, Wesley, an extraordinarily gifted actor and director, talented playwright, and dedicated teacher, has brought a high degree of professionalism to the department.

• 2006 after adding the Cinema as a minor a decade early became The Department of Theatre and Cinema

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• 2018 The School of Dance and Theatre was dissolved retuning to The Department of Theatre and Cinema

The Lefko Era

In the spring of 2003, Carl Lefko was named Interim Chair of the department. The following year he became the Chair of the Department, and continued as Chair for 16 years, retiring in 2019 after a successful forty-year career at Radford University. During his 16-year-long Chairmanship, his calm leadership, and steadying hand brought many changes, innovations and evolutions to the department.

• In 2005 Ms. Jennifer Juul joined the department of Theatre

• In 2006 Mr. Charles L. Hayes retired from the department after 40 successful years of teaching, directing, acting and mentoring.

• In the Fall of 2007 Mr. Anthony Guest (2007 – 20012) joined the faculty

• In 2009 Mr. Ted McKosky, director of the Cinematic Arts program, Sound Designer and CVPA Instructional Designer/Web support (1983 -2009) officially retired.

• In 2009 the Department of Theatre and Cinema and the Department of Dance were merged to become the School of Dance and Theatre, with Carl Lefko as the Director of the School.

• In the Fall 2012 Mr. Tommy Iafrate joined the theatre faculty

• In the Fall of 2013, the department added its first new T&R faculty line since Mr. Jerry McGlown’s position was added in the Mid 80’s. Mr. Jimmy Ray Ward was hired as full- time temporary faculty.

• In 2014 Ms. Robyn Berg joined the performance faculty

• 2016 Ms. Molly Hood joined the performance faculty.

Fundraising Efforts Help Shape the Future

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One of the reasons why Radford’s Theater Department has continued to maintain high performance standards and its highly recognized professionalism is because of its ability to attract top students through its robust fundraising for scholarships and naming opportunities.

As of this writing, the Department has eleven endowed scholarships for theatre majors. In addition: Dr. George Gray named the Costume Studio in honor of his wife Ann Gardner Gray in 2011. Also, in 2011, Lilli and Leslie Hawes established the Lilli and James W. Hawes Scholarship, and the Department named the Studio Theatre the Lilli and James Hawes Studio Theatre in recognition of the legacy of former Chair of the Department Dr. James W. Hawes.

In 2013 Mark and Jackie Curran initiated a fundraising campaign to name the Porterfield Stage the Charles L. Hayes stage. The Charles L. Hayes Guest Artist Fund was established: Funds earned from the endowment are used to support the Theatre Visiting Artist initiative which brings guest actors, directors, designers, playwrights and other artists to campus to work closely with students. Whether through masterclasses, workshops, or production work, these professionals provide invaluable educational opportunities along with exposure to the professional entertainment industry.

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Chuck Hayes at Hayes Stage Naming Event

Curtain Up! (Continuing in the footsteps of the First Nighters’ Club) was established as a fundraising dinner to engage the community and to raise money for guest artists, began in 2012.

The year 2016 saw the establishment of the Kathleen Harshberger Scholarship This scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman Theatre major with an emphasis in performance. The scholarship may be renewed for a maximum of three years based on the student’s academic standing and progress in the performance program.

That same year, 2016, the Lefko/Weinzapfel Scholarship was established This scholarship is awarded to one or more students each year for traveling to regional and national professional conferences. The scholarship supports student participation in auditions, design competitions, and searches for internships and/or employment.

Around 2020, two additional scholarships were created through the generous donation of alumni (James Memorial Scholarship –to support design/tech students and Humphrey Scholarship to help defray student lab fees for theatre courses).

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The Mary Draper Ingles Story

Considering the fact that two campus buildings – Ingles Hall and Draper Hall –honor this Southwest Virginia frontier heroine, it only seemed appropriate that the story would be dramatized by the Radford Theatre Community.

In 1922 M’Ledge Moffett helped co-write the Ingles Society dramatization of the Mary Draper Ingles Story. Ninety-three years later, the 2015 Playwriting class developed a script for the Mary Draper Ingles story as a series of vignettes. Then, two years later, in 2017, the Theatre Department partnered with The Long Way Home, Inc. to write and produce a new outdoor production of the Mary Draper Ingles Story. Three Radford University Theatre faculty members, Chair Carl Lefko, Professor Wesley Young, and Assistant Professor Molly Hood were integrally involved in the re-launch of an outdoor theatrical presentation of Mary’s story.

Chair Carl Lefko was Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors comprised of community leaders and university personnel, which brought the story of the frontier heroine's famous journey back to Radford. A report to the University’s Board of Visitors stated:

“Lefko served as technical advisor to the production. Assistant Professor Molly Hood is a member of the Board and served as director for the production. Professor Wesley Young

co-wrote the script in collaboration with alumna and former Director of Advancement for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Kathleen Harshberger.”

The cast and production team involved eight current/former Radford University Theatre students as designers, stage managers and actors, and one adjunct faculty member in the cast. Both Young and Harshberger, as well as two RU students performing in the piece, appeared on WSLS Channel 10 to promote the project. The play, entitled Walk to Freedom: The Mary Draper Ingles Story, opened in June in the sunken garden at Nesselrod Bed and Breakfast and ran the final Sunday of each month through September at Nesselrod Bed and Breakfast to sell-out crowds. “

In 2018, the second season of Walk to Freedom: The Mary Draper Ingles Story was again produced and performed at Nesselrod Wesley Young directed the production; Carl Lefko again lent his invaluable expertise as Technical Advisor. Faculty members Robyn

Berg and Molly Hood played the two female leads, and added their professional and acting talents to the roles. The cast was fleshed out with six RU students, including Megan Ward, Brandon Duncan, Ben Taylor, David Ratliff and Jacob McNulty.

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The Nesselrod venue was very beautiful, but it became increasingly problematic to continue producing the drama there. In 2019, the play was staged at Radford University, and fittingly, at a location on the banks of the New River, the very river that brought Mary home.

The City of Radford and Radford University continued serious discussions about building an amphitheater. At the end of the 2019 season, the producers decided to take a hiatus, in order to regroup. The decision was driven by the wish to wait until the City/University amphitheater plans took shape. This was a fortunate decision, given that the Covid 19 Pandemic was just around the corner in 2020, and would bring a halt to all theatrical production throughout the nation.

2017 marked 50 years of offering Children’s shows, and 2018 marked the Golden Anniversary (50 years) as a theatre department. In that same year, following three consecutive years of 25 plus new majors entering the program, the Department reached 90 majors for the first time.

In 2019 Professors Carl Lefko and Monica Weinzapfel retired. That summer, a celebration of their combined service of over 73 years was held at Kyle Hall. Alumni from across the decades traveled from all over the country to attend and to thank them, and to celebrate the dedicated tenure of these two well-loved professors.

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Carl and Monica’s Retirement Event

In 2019, the Administration, with the approval of the Board of Visitors agreed to allow the School of Dance and Theatre to separate and return to their original organizational structure as the Department of Dance and the Department of Theatre and Cinema. In the fall of 2019 Mr. Richard Dunham began his tenure as the new Chair of the Theatre Department. Ms. Jennie Rhuland was hired as the new Costume Designer.

The Dunham Era

Richard Dunham became chair of the Theatre and Cinema Department in the fall of 2019 after serving for nineteen years as the Head of Design and Director of Production for the University of Georgia. The transition in leadership has been smooth despite the unprecedented challenges that occurred within the second half of the 2019-2020 academic year and beyond. In the spring of 2020, the global COVID pandemic struck …just as the department was set to go into techs for Urinetown –The Musical. We went into spring break set for tech rehearsals on our return from break, only to have the rest of the semester shift to being online with remote teaching and no activities occurring on campus. The next year was marked by creating a variety of COVID protocols, (both from the university and more importantly for the special needs of our rehearsals/performances and studios/shops), mask and distancing requirements and a continued emphasis on classroom safety precautions. Most significantly, the department invested in a lot of new equipment that allowed for the production of a full season of streamed performances for our patrons. A new general undergraduate education system (REAL) was also created during this time for the entire campus (the program was launched during the Fall 2021 semester). By Fall of 2021 the department returned to live performances (though still using masks and COVID protocols) with the exception of our children’s show which continued to be streamed due to COVID restrictions that were still in place for the public schools. By the time we produced the final production of the spring (the musical, The Drowsy Chaperone), the

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department was finally able to do performances without masks (masks were optional for students who wanted them). In 2022 Camilla Morrison joined the department as our faculty costume designer.

The second most significant event in this era to this time has been the demolition of both Porterfield Hall and McGuffy Hall to make room for our new home, the Artis Center for Adaptability and Innovation and Creativity (ACAIC).

This ultra-modern facility will house the entire CVPA College along with elements of the nursing/physical therapy programs. During this time theatre was housed in a number of buildings across campus in what is known as SWING space but continued

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producing the majority of productions in Preston Hall’s Bondurant Auditorium. This even included producing studio shows in a variety of seating configurations on the actual Bondurant stage. As of this writing the new building is well along in its construction, and it appears that if things remain on schedule, we will be in our new home for the Fall 2024 semester. Other than being in temporary facilities, the department is now back to running pretty much normally …even with bringing all of the elementary schools back to campus to see our Fall 2022 young audience’s production of The Rainbow Fish and sending the Porterfield Ensemble back out to perform at a variety of locations throughout the western part of the state. The next significant event for the department will be the move into the new building and learning all of the aspects of using the new studios and producing shows in the new spaces.

For over one hundred years theatre has been alive at Radford University in one form or another. From the earnest student efforts of 1913 to the students of 2020 working to bring production to life in a very different “virtual” manner during the COVID 19 Pandemic and the variations in production and classes in the years since, students and professors have strived to bring artistic expression to the Radford stages and community. Who knows what the next 100 years will bring?

Acknowledgements:

Many thanks to Professor Emeritus Charles L. Hayes for providing the substance and background for this history and to former Professor Jennifer Juul for her valuable history and insights drawn in her paper, First Ladies of the Stage, Radford Theatre, 1913-1923.

New Plays Produced

The Theatre Department at RU has a long-standing and on-going commitment to supporting living playwrights, new plays and plays depicting Appalachia.

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In 1976-77 Suckers by Werner Liepolt was produced as a second-step’ production with the Eugene O’Neal National Playwriting conference.

In 1991-92, Milton Granger’s Up From Slime and Queen Bee in 1995 were produced "Jackie-Jean and Her Sisters" by Charles L. Hayes was presented as a part of the 1997-98 main stage season.

1997-1998 the department produced David Burns (student) play Saints The department has produced three plays by Jack Neary: Aladdin in 1998, Frankenstein in 2000 and Trust: One Story of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith in 2007.

In 1998 Tom Behm’s play Tarheel Tales was produced

In 2001-2002 three plays by students from the playwriting class were produced in the Studio Theatre: Good Night by Alicia Pinckney, Keep the Change by Aaron Jarrells, and Ockham’s Razor by Jason Welch.

We have also produced several plays by Rex Stephenson: The Jungle Book in 2000 and Grandmother Tales in 2003.

In 2013 the School of Dance and Theatre produced the gala production of Timeless: Honoring the Past and Celebrating the Future.

2013 produced the play based on C.S. Lewis story The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe adapted by faculty member Wesley Young

2015 Premier Keep This For Me: Memories of the Last World War written, directed and choreographed by Tommy Iafrate and Amy VanKirk

2015 Premier The Way it Has to Be by Jeremiah Munsey

Porterfield Ensemble was created to produce theatrical presentations that tour high schools, middle schools, and community arts venues across the region. The class meets to rehearse and prepare for the first half of the semester and tours the second half. Several original and some adapted/devised works have resulted from this effort. Some of these include: Spoon River Anthology adapted by Wesley Young from Edgar Lee Masters (2001); Poe: Dark Genius, Troubled Life by Wesley Young (2016); Spoon River 2017 adapted by Wesley Young and the Porterfield Ensemble from Edgar Lee Masters (2017); Walk to Freedom: the Mary Draper Ingles Story by Kathleen Harvey Harshberger and Wesley Young (2018); We are From Her: Fierce Girls, Wise Women, and Strong Sisters devised by Wesley Young and the Porterfield Ensemble (2019); Powder, Pies, and a Place Called Home by Wesley Young and the Porterfield Ensemble (2020); and, You’ve Got a Friend devised by Wesley Young and the Porterfield Ensemble (2022).

Miscellaneous Bits And Pieces

Porterfield Theatre dedicated during run of Little Mary Sunshine: 1972

Emmy award winner Monte Haught (91) returns for Guest Artist Master Class in Wigs

2018 - Obie award winner Fay Armon Troncoso Alum (95) returns to conduct a master class on Properties

2019 production of Macbeth included guest artist Raphael Untalan in the role of Duncan and Rob Hunter Alum (91) as the guest fight choreographer.

Planning money is approved for a new building, Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, CAIC, to replace Porterfield and bring all of the CVPA departments under one roof. Scheduled to begin Spring 2021. Summer of 2021 Porterfield Hall was demolished ( link to video – David has ) to make way for the new Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity.

Guest Artists:

1976 Cactus Flower

1977 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Marian Ross as Stephanie

Julie Adams as Jean Brodie

1978 Saturday, Sunday, Monday Dan Frazer as Peppino

1978 The King and I Local Guest Artist Dick Harshberger as The King

1979 Forty Carats

Katherine Houghton as Ann Stanley

1980 Separate Tables Ed Nelson as Mr. Martin/Major Pollock

1981 The Oldest Living Graduate Charles L. Hayes as Colonel J. C. Kinkaid

1981 The Emperor Jones

John Amos as Brutus Jones

1982 Another Part of the Forest Kim Hunter as Regina Giddens

1983 H.M.S. Pinafore Bill Dally as Sir Joseph Porter

1984 You Can’t Take It With You RU faculty Noel Lawson Martin Vanderhof and Harold Mann Mr. De Pinna

1984 The Solid Gold Cadillac

Eileen Heckart as Laura Partridge

1985 Death of a Salesman Vic Tayback as Willie Lowman and local guest Joyce Buck as Linda Lowman

1995 Queen Bee

1986 The Seven Year Itch

Milton Granger playwright/director

William Christopher as Tom Ewell

1986 Life with Father Local Guest Artist Dick and Kathleen Harshberger as Clarence and Vinnie Day

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1987 Everybody Loves Opal Martha Ray as Opal Kronkie

1988 Summer and Smoke Tom Fitzsimmons as John Buchanan, Jr.

1989 Busybody Jane Kean as Mrs. Piper

1990 Picnic Lee Meriwether as Rosemary Sydney

1991 Harvey William Windom as Elwood P. Dowd

1992 The Cherry Orchard Karen Grassle as Mdme. Lyubov Ranevskaya

1993 Night Must Fall Tammy Grimes as Mrs. Bramson

1995 Galileo Ted Lange as Galileo

1995 The Oldest Living Graduate RU faculty Charles L. Hayes as Colonel J. C. Kinkaid

1996 A Streetcar Named Desire Bridget Hanley as Blanche DuBois

1997 Good Robert Pine as John Halder

1998 The Mousetrap Michael L. Greenwald director; Local Guest Artist Dick Harshberger as Sergeant Trotter

1998 Noises Off Bridget Handley as Dotty Utley and Mrs. Clackett

1998 Scapino Jere Hodgen - director

1998 Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. Jack Neary – playwright

1999 Macbeth JD Roberto as Macbeth; RU faculty Charles L. Hayes as King Duncan

1999 Frankenstein Jack Neary – playwright

2000 Arcadia Matthew Ashford as Bernard Nightingale

2001 Love Letters Local Guest Artists Dick and Kathleen Harshberger

2001 The Perpetual Patient Kyle Heffner as Argan

2002 A Touch of the Poet John Ottavino as Con Melody

2003 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Matthew Radford as Theseus/Oberon

2003 The Dark at the Top of the Stairs RU faculty Wesley Young as Rubin Flood

2004 The Best Little Whore House in Texas Susanne Fletcher as Miss Mona Strangley; Local Guest: Reverend Kris Kramer as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd

2004 A Doll’s House Brenda Sparks director

2006 Diversions and Delights RU faculty Wesley Young

2007 All My Sons John Schuck as Joe Keller

2010 Baby RU Faculty Jennifer Juul as Arlene

2011 W;t RU Faculty Jennifer Juul as Vivian Bearing and Wesley Young: as Dr. Harvey Kelekian and Local Guest Artist: Kathleen Harshberger as Dr. Evelyn “E.M.” Ashford

2012 A Voice of the Prairie RU Faculty Wesley Young as Poppy

2012 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Guest Artist Mark Beall Musical Director; Local Guest Artist: Steve Brown

2013 Timeless RU Faculty Wesley Young as Charley

2013 Major Barbara RU Faculty Wesley Young as Andrew Undershaft

2014 Cabaret Local Guest Artist Steve Brown Herr Schultz

2015 The Way It Has to Be Jeremiah Munsey playwright, RU Faculty Jennifer Juul as Tabitha

2015 Twelfth Night Matt Davies director

2016 Anything Goes Emily Blankenship-Tucker: musical director; Local Guest Artist Dick Harshberger as Elisha Whitney and Kathleen Harshberger as Evangeline Harcourt

2016 Dancing on Checkers’ Grave. RU Alum Stephen Baltz: director

2017 The Importance of Being Earnest Local Guest Artist Kathleen Harshberger as Lady Bracknell; Alicia Sable as Gwendolyn Fairfax

2018 Oklahoma Emily Blankenship-Tucker: musical director, local Guest Artist Robyn Brooke as Aunt Eller

2019 Macbeth Raphael Untalan as Duncan and Rob Hunter

Alum (91) as guest fight choreographer.

Notable Achievements in theatre by Alumni:

Lois Weaver (72) is the director of Split Britches, an Obie winner, she performs internationally and teaches at Queen Mary University in London

Regan Burns (90) Dog with a Blog and Oblivious

Jama Mays (2000) Emma Pillsbury in Glee and starring roles in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and The Smurfs along with the NBC sci fi series Heroes and sitcom Trial & Error

Raphael Reagan (14) Assistant to the Broadway Costume Designers, Linda Cho, Asa Benally and Fabian Aguilar. He has designed costumes for Off Broadway Theatre companies the Flux Theatre Ensemble, Stella Adler Studio of Acting and LaMicro Theatre.

Kathleen Harvey Harshberger – October 2020