“The classic advice in the field of theatre is to tell students never to go into this profession if there is anything else they can do with their lives that will make them happy,” said Steven Reynolds, professor of theatre and dance.

“Fortunately, for those who can find happiness elsewhere, theatre and dance do offer a great foundation for so many careers,” he said. Reynolds should know.

A professor at Wittenberg since 1981 and department chair since 1995, Reynolds has met with numerous theatre majors and minors who have found the field to be the perfect foundation for careers in law, theology and business, as well as the performing arts.

“You need so many skills to do theatre and communication well, including a critical eye for literature, music and art; a solid understanding of math, physics and architecture; a deep understanding of the human sciences of psychology and sociology; an awareness of politics and political institutions; an acute sensitivity to language and speech; and an understanding of faith, spirituality and your own heart,” he said.

In addition, Reynolds has found that theatres and graduate schools are looking for people who have a solid liberal arts background. “Our students get a great liberal arts education and the basics of theatre from us,” he said.

Behind the scenes, however, Reynolds and the entire theatre and dance department realize the amount of time and effort needed to provide that foundation.

That is why the department insists on broad-based courses and hands-on experiences in its curriculum. “I believe we are unique among the colleges our size in both our contemporary emphasis and breadth of offerings,” Reynolds said.

Theatre majors are required to perform, work on a crew and design their own practical project in their area of interest. In addition, the department requires its students to take courses in stagecraft, European theatre history, directing, contemporary American theatre and improvisation, among others.

The department, which also offers minors in theatre performance, communication, dance and technical theatre, constantly revises its individual courses while making sure it returns to the methods and materials that have proved effective.

“By being exposed to our varied courses, each of the majors develops an understanding of how the specialties fit together in the collaboration process that creates theatre, dance or effective communication,” Reynolds said.

“When this is combined with our many production opportunities, all theatre and dance students have the opportunity to grow artistically as they practice what they learn in the classroom.”

Expert faculty members also give the department an edge over the competition. Corwin Georges, professor of theatre and dance, was recently elected to the seven-member National Governance Committee of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, and Shih-Ming Li Chang, associate professor of theatre and dance, founded The Wittenberg Dance Company and brought Chinese folk dance to the department.

The dance program has been also enhanced by the addition of former professional ballerina and current dance history scholar Ligia Pinheiro from San Paulo, Brazil, while Reynolds himself has added playwriting to the mix of courses.

“The program has evolved based on the expertise of the faculty we bring in and the various interests of the students,” Reynolds said.

For example, Jimmy Humphries, associate professor of theatre and dance, helped a student find a career in lighting design because of their work together with the new lighting design software.

The faculty also spends considerable time choosing the productions. Each show must inspire the department’s artistic sensibilities, stretch the students and provide audiences with a new perspective, according to Reynolds.

“We challenge students by asking them to work with the best dramatic literature, the most enriching music and choreography, and the most interesting ideas in our culture.”

Reynolds hopes that by providing both the background and hands-on experience, students will discover the wonder of their expression and the potential for the art form to transcend the commonplace and mundane.

In addition, the department tries to educate its students both in the classroom and through two alumni newsletters (one in theatre and one in dance) about careers in the fields of theatre, dance and communication.

The newsletters have led to some career networking opportunities, according to Reynolds. For example, Edie Nehls, ’93, who works at Lincoln Center, met Tiffany Marshall, ’89, last year and helped her find work on a children’s theatre project for Lincoln Center.

But the department also faces some challenges, including increasing its communication expertise and effectively incorporating advances in communication technology into the curriculum. “This will be a challenge that we continue to face,” Reynolds said.

“Our future will demand more communication expertise from all of us not only in our interpersonal skills and in the use of technological advances, but also in the way we learn to perceive intelligently what we are exposed to in the mass media.”

Another challenge facing the department involves the facilities. “For theatre and dance, we must provide the most creative production environment possible,” Reynolds said, adding that prospective students and current students expect it.

At present, Chakeres Memorial Theatre, home to the department for nearly 20 years, remains mostly the same. Orange paint still covers the walls downstairs, and Reynolds said students can still get lost in the couch in the lounge area.

“It’s well-used and very comfortable, but it is showing signs of age,” he said.

“Our students need to be tested by a facility that possesses the best production environment, and the rest of the university needs a space that reflects Wittenberg’s true commitment to its academic mission, which “encourages an understanding and appreciation of the fine and performing arts...to enrich life’s aesthetic experience.”

Toward that end, Reynolds said the university needs a new performance art center in order to grow and compete not just as a department but also as a university.“I see only positive outcomes as long as we continue to grow,” he said.