Backstage Pass

July 26th, 2012 in Departments – Fall 2012, Fall 2012 0 comments

The actors at BU’s oldest student theater group are many things, but there’s one thing they’re all not: acting majors.

By Jon Erik Christianson (CAS’14, COM’14)
Photo of Stage Troupe rehearsal by Vernon Doucette

“This is going to be the death of me,” I said as I typed “how to build a coffin” into Google. A few instructional websites came up, but none fit the requirements. We needed to build four identical coffins that were light enough to be carried, but also sturdy enough to be jumped on. To make matters worse, our most experienced coffin builder was not picking up his phone.

On the bright side, I had just found out that locating fake guns and explosives was going to be much easier than I had thought.

This is just one window into my life with Stage Troupe, Boston University’s largest and oldest student-run theater group. The coffins were for columbinus, a play based on the Columbine High School massacre, and one of 12 productions I have worked on since joining the group in the fall of 2010. Established in 1950, Stage Troupe is an acting group with a difference: the actors are not professionals. One of its 300 members, I’m a student at the Colleges of Communication and Arts & Sciences by day and a member of the tech crew—or “techie”—by night. In an average year, we put on at least eight “mainstage” shows and host a myriad of special projects, such as biannual one-act festivals and a “Tech Show” (where the techies act, the actors tech, and the audience stays the same). The mainstage shows include a Parents Weekend musical in the fall—our 2012 production will be Little Shop of Horrors; scroll down for ticket details—and a charity show in the spring.

Unprofessionals Acting Professionally

The actors of Stage Troupe might not be professionals, but that’s not to say they aren’t professional—they’re just not theater majors in the College of Fine Arts. Instead, Stage Troupe seeks to give future engineers, teachers, and businesspeople a stab at the spotlight.

“It’s something that’s fun for me; I’d never want to make it a job,” says Allie Romano (CAS’13), a psychology major and current Stage Troupe treasurer.

Despite not wanting to make acting her job, Romano has certainly worked hard at Stage Troupe. In a little over two years, she has acted in eight productions, worked in eight technical positions, directed a one-act play, and spent a year as treasurer.

Her dedication stems from her very first experience with Stage Troupe, when she was cast as the supportive grandmother Nat in the family drama Rabbit Hole.

“When I think of Rabbit Hole, I think of sunshine and butterflies and beautiful fall afternoons and having hope again in life,” says Romano, who admits she found the transition to college life a difficult one. “It gave me everything. Troupe has given me a family; it’s given me something to do outside of classes.”

Beyond Stage Troupe

While Stage Troupe may have given Romano a family, it inspired BU alum Josh Friedensohn (ENG’10) to shift career paths.

“Doing theater in college, which was never something I thought I was going to do, has oriented my career goals so much,” says Friedensohn.

In his four years with Stage Troupe, he held technical positions in more than 30 productions and served as technical advisor during his senior year. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, he became a production and operations assistant at BU’s Tsai Performance Center. He’s also expanded his skills with the Vagabond Theatre Group, an arts organization based in Boston and founded by Stage Troupe members past and present.

“I’m pretty sure in about a year I’ll be going to grad school for theater,” continues Friedensohn. “Stage Troupe really ignited my passion for theater and creativity and how I can apply my college degree to that creative field.”

Romano, on the other hand, says that although acting won’t become a career, Stage Troupe has nevertheless shaped her future plans. Hoping to become a school psychologist, she “would like to run a theater program at [my future] school.”

Before she gets that far, however, she’ll have to navigate her upcoming job that’s not a job—directing Stage Troupe’s fall 2012 Parents Weekend musical, Little Shop of Horrors.

“I love Little Shop!” she exclaims. “It’s so much fun; it’s dark and it’s creepy and it’s exciting and it has all this energy.”

Why I Cared about Coffins

Through Stage Troupe, Romano found a family, Friedensohn found a different future, and I found a cause worth fighting for. Finding a solution to my coffin dilemma wasn’t just about ensuring the show could go on. columbinus was Stage Troupe’s spring 2012 charity show. Every dollar raised would be donated to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), one of the largest antibullying organizations in the country.

People in Stage Troupe, many of whom had been bullied in high school, came together to work on the show. To give the most money possible to GLSEN, we worked without a budget. In four weeks, we put up a show, coffin assembly included, with a strong antibullying message and raised over $2,000 for a worthwhile cause.

For me, Stage Troupe is special not because it supports a large membership. Stage Troupe is special because its large membership supports people, both inside and outside of the club.

Little Shop of Horrors will be performed October 19–21, 2012. Tickets will be available at the door at the Tsai Performance Center; students may purchase tickets in advance from Activities Information, located on the second floor of the George Sherman Union.

Tagged Acting, Parents Weekend, Stage Troupe, Student Activities, Theater, Theater Group

A year in the life of BU’s popular Dean of Students.

August 9th, 2011 in Fall 2011, Fall 2011 Features 5 comments

By Corinne Steinbrenner (COM’06)
Photo by Kalman Zabarsky

Who’s the guy with the infectious enthusiasm and the purple bow tie? Any student on campus can tell you, that’s Dean Elmore.

As Dean of Students, Kenneth Elmore aims to ensure that Boston University is more than an institution of higher education—that it’s also a supportive and vibrant community. It’s a responsibility Elmore takes seriously and fulfills with his own beboppin’ brand of gusto. While overseeing offices such as Orientation, Residence Life, Disability Services, Student Activities, and Judicial Affairs (yes, discipline is sometimes necessary), Elmore makes time to get out among BU students, hear their concerns, and share their energy. Here, he walks us through a typical academic year in his very busy campus life.

SEPTEMBER Kicking off the year at the head of the Matriculation parade Photo by Vernon Doucette “Matriculation is this wonderful time of the year when we officially welcome new students into the Boston University community. I get the honor of starting at one end of campus—Danielsen Hall—and walking up to Agganis Arena where the Matriculation ceremony takes place, with students meeting me along the way.” “The first week of class, I’m giving a lot of ‘welcome back’ speeches. I try to pop in at hordes of events. There are lots of meetings, and the campus really comes alive during that first week.”

OCTOBER Hosting academic discussions—and Parents Weekend brunch Photo by Kalman Zabarsky Elmore moderated an October 2010 forum—“Are Americans God’s Chosen People?”—featuring two prominent BU professors, military expert Andrew Bacevich and religion scholar Stephen Prothero. The event drew a large audience and was streamed live on the Web. “I asked to host that. I love conversation. To attract the best and the brightest here, BU has to be a vibrant place that challenges and excites them. And it starts with conversation. Any chance I get to facilitate a conversation with people, I’m in.” October is also the month of Parents Weekend and Elmore’s traditional Jazz Brunch, one of the many music-themed events he hosts throughout the year. “We’ve all got a heartbeat; we’ve all got a rhythm. Music is the kind of thing that brings groups of people together.”

NOVEMBER Tweeting from the stands While rooting on the Terriers, Elmore often sends updates from his smart phone via the social media site Twitter. “Athletics are important, and I’ll tell you why they’re important. They provide venues for the community to come together and sustain itself and reenergize itself. If we get a win, all the better.” “Social media is important, too. I’ve found that it has increased my ability to connect with students face-to-face. Students feel as though they’ve had contact with me, and I think that makes it less intimidating to walk up and ask me a question.”

DECEMBER Hosting “Coffee and Conversation” every Friday, 3 to 5 p.m. Photo by Vernon Doucette “My favorite time of the week is always Friday afternoon. It’s wonderful to have a bunch of students talking at these high levels about concepts and ideas. We’ll get anywhere from 100 to 170 people depending on the issue we throw out on our blog each week. In December we have extra desserts and it’s almost an end-of-the-year party.”

JANUARY Emceeing the University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Day celebration Photo by Kalman Zabarsky “Big day for us," Elmore says of the remembrance ceremonies that include a sermon at Marsh Chapel, gospel performances, and guest speakers at the George Sherman Union. "Last year we did something really cool. We decided that instead of getting a big-name speaker, we would let the people talk. We had students and faculty. People were just on the edge of their seats at this thing. We caught lightning last year, and I look forward to what we might do thematically this year.”

FEBRUARY Sitting on the selection committee for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Photo by Vernon Doucette “I’ve had the pleasure to read those applications and to think about how we shape the future here at the University. The MLK scholars are people who not only engage in meaningful service in their communities but have thought seriously about their role in changing the world. It’s a real honor to help choose those students who will come here in the name of Dr. King. I think it might be one of the more important things I do.”

MARCH Pitching in during Alternative Spring Break Photo by Vernon Doucette “Spring break is usually the time when my professional organization gets together in conference, but I always leave those conferences early because we’ve got Alternative Spring Break (ASB) going on all around the country. I try to get to an ASB site near my conference site and do a little service with the students, and then we all go out to dinner. Then I head off to my parents’ house in South Carolina. For the last several years my parents have been hosting the ASB trip in Greenville. They have the students over, and I help my mom and dad and my aunts and uncles—the whole family comes out—to do a fish fry and a barbeque and make incredible Southern fare for the students.”

APRIL Judging campus competitions Photo by Vernon Doucette, video by Tom Segale. “I am often called upon to be a judge [for campus competitions]. There are dance competitions. There’s Mister and Miss BU. And last year I got a chance to judge the grand Iron Chef championship, where students come up with recipes. The food was incredible.”

MAY Sending the seniors off with a splash Video by Nicolae Ciorogan “Senior breakfast is always the day after the last day of class. We bring all the seniors into this building, the George Sherman Union. They hear about the fun-filled week that’s coming up for them after exams. The President tells them who is going to get an honorary degree [and] who is going to be the speaker for Commencement. I get to be the emcee for all of that.” “Last year I made a bet that if we got 2,011 members of the Class of 2011 to donate to the Class Gift campaign, then I would put on a tuxedo and jump into the Charles River. I knew that a challenge would get people out.” The students met their fundraising goal during Senior Breakfast, “so I had to make good.”  ■

Tagged Alternative Spring Break, Andrew Bacevich, athletics, Class Gift, Corinne Steinbrenner, Dean Elmore, Disability Services, Fall 2011, Feature Story 2011, Iron Chef, Jazz Brunch, Jr., Judicial Affairs, Kenn Elmore, Martin Luther King, Matriculation parade, Orientation, Parents Weekend, Residence Life, Stephen Prothero, Student Activities