"So why not jump right in?" -Elliot Colahan (he/him), Rowan Lab Theatre President
Do you have an interest in student-directed work? How about joining a dance team? Would you participate in a theatrical workshop? Rowan University offers an abundance of organizations with opportunities for you!
Our Student Government Association supports a variety of ways for you to learn and meet new people. Listed below are only a few of the clubs within the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance. Want to hear more about getting involved? Keep on reading!
Dance Extensions
Speaking with Heather DeSanto (she/her), Vice President
"Dance Extensions is the contemporary dance company of Rowan University. We work closely with the Department of Theatre and Dance in our mission to promote dance as art. You will usually see our members in the department mainstage productions and also in our own produced dance shows. Our company meets weekly and we also have open classes on Fridays from 2-3:15. Open class means that anyone can come out and dance along side the company."
How has your organization's business as usual had to adjust due to COVID-19?
"We’ve completely gone virtual do to COVID-19. We haven’t met in person once this year and have held everything over Zoom. We would all love to be dancing together in the same space but everyone’s safety comes first. However, we’ve had great things come out of being virtual and it's always exciting to make a hard situation turn for the better."
What has your organization been up to this school year?
"This school year we’ve actually discovered we actually have a lot of opportunities to do new and exciting things. For our Friday Open Classes instead of our advisor, Paule Turner, teaching we’ve had some DExt and RUTD alums teach virtually over Zoom. It was a great experience as our members not only took a dance class but got to chat with the alums about life after college. We’ve also updated our logo and it is now refreshing and encourages inclusiveness! It resembles DExt’s roots but also encourages us to move forward and grow. We also participated with the other RUTD clubs in Homecoming where we placed in a couple competitions. DExt still completed service hours by donating a lot of cans for The Shop on campus. Lastly, we helped produce the Fall dance mainstage, Small Gifts!"
What can we look forward to seeing your organization accomplish in the upcoming semester?
"This semester we look forward to continuing our Open Class every Friday. We are currently trying to utilize our Dance/Movement Faculty on campus to teach these classes. We’ve luckily got a few lined up so far! Also, big things are happening for our company members this semester as we’re holding our own masterclasses series on the weekends with outside professionals in the dance industry! We’ve also been collaborating with the department’s Colloquium class in presenting a nutrition panel to help our students. Another thing we plan on doing is performing our very own piece in the Choreography Showcase which we also help produce!"
How can students get involved with your organization?
"Come to Open Class every Friday! Anyone is more than welcome to attend Open Class. It happens every Friday from 2-3:15pm. We also have auditions at the beginning of the fall semester if people are interested in being a Company member where you have the chance to take more classes besides open class and have performance opportunities!"
Rowan Lab Theatre
Speaking with Elliot Colahan (he/him), President
"Rowan Lab Theatre is at its core a practical learning environment for students to explore all aspects of theatre production. Our theatre company acts as a facilitator for theatrical development, allowing students to explore any of the following areas (and more): costume design, lighting design, stage management, performance, directing, and devising. Our productions are entirely developed by the student community, allowing everyone involved to learn and grow as individual artists. Productions are designed, rehearsed, and performed for the betterment of not only those involved, but for the student body and Rowan community as a whole."
How has your organization's business as usual had to adjust due to COVID-19?
"It can be difficult to figure out how you can create theatre when you don’t actually have a
physical theatre to be in. We’ve essentially been forced to replace our traditional rehearsal and
performance spaces with a computer screen. But that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking outside
the Zoom boxes! Honestly, our directors get most of the credit when it comes to changing up
how things are usually done to keep everyone safe during these wacky times. Things might be a
far ways away from “normal,” but that’s not stopping us from making theatre happen."
What has your organization been up to this school year?
"Last semester, we helped organize and produce Delaney Molnar’s production of No Exit, by
Jean-Paule Sartre. This was a big project, and it took up the majority of our last semester, as we
had to not only produce the show, but figure out how we were going to make it happen. Outside
of this performance, we’ve already been getting ready for our next season, as well as working to
help workshop and improve Lab as an organization. It might not be the most exciting thing, but I
think taking the time to look and see where a club might need some fixing up is invaluable!"
What can we look forward to seeing your organization accomplish in the upcoming semester?
"This semester, we’re gearing up to produce Julia Rivenburg’s production of 'The Love Song of J.
Robert Oppenheimer!' It tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb in 1945, and what
happened to the people who created it. The show is currently still in the very beginnings of its
rehearsal process, but I think it’s going to be one of the best shows Lab has had the honor of
producing. We’re not entirely sure what else this semester will have in store for us, but we’re all
excited to find out what’s next!"
How can students get involved with your organization?
"There are several ways anyone can get involved, and it really comes down to what you
personally want to do with Lab! Do you want to be in a show, or help design it, or possibly even
direct it? You can audition or submit to be one of our tech designers! Do you want to be back
behind the table, helping produce and manage the productions behind the scenes? Apply to be on
the E-Board! Do you just want to sit down for an hour or two and watch some fantastic theatre?
Come to one of our performances! And the best part: you can do it all! There’s really no limit to
how involved you can be when it comes to Rowan Lab Theatre. So why not jump right in?"
Campus Players
Speaking with Kayla Bowe (she/her), President
"Campus Players is committed to being a representative for the Rowan Department of Theatre & Dance. We are actively trying to provide opportunities for our students to learn and make connections as well as gain perspective on the theatre industry. Each year Campus Players discovers more ideas and possibilities for our students’ experiences!"
How has your organization's business as usual had to adjust due to COVID-19?
A majority of our workshops/events in the past have taken place all in person. So, given the circumstances of COVID-19, we quickly adjusted to continue to provide opportunities for the department. For example, throughout the summer we held virtual cabarets called “Quarantine Corner” where students and faculty, and even alumni could have an outlet to perform or showcase their work throughout quarantine.
What has your organization been up to this school year?
Campus Players is continuously working to manage workshops virtually for our students and provide a broad variety of topics that allow students from all concentrations to relate. We have spent a lot of our time dedicated to bringing workshops in during Colloquium and having conversations and panel discussions that relate to the current times of theatre.
What can we look forward to seeing your organization accomplish in the upcoming semester?
For our Spring semester, we have already begun our preparation for our annual Senior Showcase which is always very exciting. We also are collaborating with Rowan’s Lab Theatre to bring in a workshop with the Theatrical Intimacy Education for students and faculty to come together and learn the contemporary language and methods of staging intimacy.
How can students get involved with your organization?
Campus Players is an organization based through Rowan’s Department of Theatre & Dance. However, we welcome anyone within the Rowan community to attend our Workshops as anyone interested or considers themselves theatre artists or advocates of the arts will take something away from these conversations.
There are so many organizations and opportunities here at Rowan! Check out Proflink for contact information, events, and even more clubs:
https://rowan.campuslabs.com/engage/
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See you next week!
Erica Gerold
Theatre Arts & Public Relations '23
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