May 01, 2012 | ST. BONVENTURE, N.Y. - Ten St. Bonaventure University students, including theater majors, theater minors, and two theater faculty, saw four productions in two days in Manhattan, N.Y., in March 2012. 

The trip was funded by Dean of Arts and Sciences Wolfgang Natter’s “Good Ideas” program. 

The students saw three short plays, including “Glory Day,” a contemporary musical by Michael John LaChiusa; “The Long Goodbye,” an early Tennessee Williams piece; and Maeterlinck’s classic expressionist play “The Blind,” as part of Barnard College’s Senior Thesis Play Festival. 

The plays were associate entries in the Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival (KC/ACTF). Dr. Ed. Simone, SBU professor of theater, was the KC/ACTF responder for the plays and thought it would be great to bring SBU students to see other students’ work. 

“These plays were designed, directed, teched and acted by students," Simone said. “This was also Barnard’s first KC/ACTF entry, so it was an honor to be part of that and respond to the productions.” 

The following day, the group from SBU saw the Off-Broadway musical “Avenue Q” at New World Stages. Associate professor of Theater Rebecca Misenheimer said the show, although somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon, had artistic merit and value for students. 

“‘Avenue Q’ makes extensive use of puppetry, which we had just done in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” said Misenheimer, “and we wanted our students to see a small-cast musical with a contemporary score because we’re doing one at SBU in spring of 2013.” 

“Avenue Q” won the Tony award for Best Musical in 2007, had a successful run on Broadway and now continues to pack houses in its Off-Broadway venue. 

Students accompanying Misenheimer and Simone included theater minor Makeda Loney, theater majors Tori Lanzillo, Ledonna Peters and Freddy Alvarez, as well as Samantha Berkhead, Josh Wingerter, Mary Harner, Bob Misenheimer, Heather Raffan and Rochelle Rinehart, all of whom have worked in SBU Theater productions. 

Dean Natter’s “Good Ideas” money also partially funded theater major Emily West’s trip to the national conference for USITT (United States Institute for Theater Technology) in Los Angeles in March. West attended seminars and workshops, and discussed her SBU Theater design work with professionals in theatrical design. West, a senior in 2012-13, plans to attend graduate school for theater design. 

“Our theater students definitely benefited from Dean Natter’s support,” said Simone. “They saw a range of theater, shared ideas and reactions, and gained new artistic perspectives as a result of the NYC trip and the conference in L.A.” 

The SBU Theater program regularly schedules trips for interested students to the Shaw Festival and to theaters in Buffalo, N.Y. The 2012-2013 academic year will mark the 10th anniversary of SBU Theater, and will be celebrated with an exhibit in the Quick Center for the Arts showcasing photos, costumes and props from SBU Theater’s first 10 years. In addition, SBU Theater will present three faculty-directed/designed productions, including a new play by Kathryn M. Coughlin, and adaptation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and a musical.