College of Fine and Applied Arts

Incoming Students Make a Splash at App State

BOONE, N.C. - The first production on the Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance's 35th anniversary season is "CLIMATE OF CHANGE: A Promenade Performance" featuring first year and transfer students who are new to the department. The show allows cast members to express their artistic endeavors and individuality as they are guided to success by mentors and coordinators within the theatre and dance program. The performance venue, Durham Park, will allow theatregoers to meander from vignette to vignette as they develop a deeper understanding of the production's theme, "Climate of Change." Performances take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, September 26 and 27 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, September 29. Tickets are available online through the department website, as well by phone or in person at the Schaefer Center for the Arts box office.

Photo by: Lynn Willis, High South Creative

A much-anticipated annual event at the university, this production connects first-year and new transfer students with upper-level students and faculty/staff in theatre and dance. Throughout the process, students form a new artistic community. This inclusive, site-specific campus production incorporates anyone who is interested in majoring or minoring in any of the six-degree concentrations within the department. The theme enables students to investigate, create, collaborate, and devise original work as they begin their Appalachian State University experience.

Dr. Gina L. Grandi in theatre and Professor Marianne Adams in dance are serving as coordinators of the production and as mentors to guide students through the process. Upperclassmen assisting with the production include stage manager Abbie Jackowitz, assistant stage manager Whitney Dyer, and costume designer Abby Will.

 Dr. Gina Grandi

Grandi describes the theatre component of the production as devised pieces, which she defined as "theatre generated by the ensemble that does not begin with a script." Dr. Grandi has a specific interest in the utilization of physical elements in this production and notes, "creating through physical theatre is a valuable skill and offers an opportunity to explore a style they may not have experience with and to showcase their talent beyond monologues."  

There are five dance pieces, which are choreographed. In explaining the importance of starting the year with a performance, and the benefit to the participants, Adams said, "For students who know that they want to major or minor in T&D, the production offers a guaranteed opportunity to get involved and grounded in the milieu of the department in one's first semester. Other students come to App with experience and a passion for the arts but may (mistakenly) think they may have to choose other majors to make a viable career. This initial experience helps them to begin to see alternate ways to keep the arts alive in their lives."

Marianne Adams

Please note that the "promenade" begins promptly at the scheduled time, 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. on Sunday, when participants begin their guided walking tour from outside I.G. Greer Studio Theater. For directions and parking information, see Visitor Parking.

*Thursday, September 26 performance has been canceled; For Friday's evening performance and Sunday's matinee, in the event of inclement weather, please note that the performance will move inside I.G. Greer Studio Theatre.

Photo by Lynn Willis, High South Creative

This media release authored by THR 3445 students Sydney Bupp, Megan Gilmore, and Matisse Notte.

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About the Department of Theatre and Dance
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Theatre and Dance's mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative, and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community, and the region. www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,570 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

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• Theatre and Dance