Students Examine Social Issues in New Theater Outreach Group
By Hayden Rensner
Concordia’s Theater Outreach Program is a new group on campus. The program is intended to get people talking about relevant social issues and encourage the surrounding community to come together and open up about serious problems that the world faces today.
The program is headed by sophomore Hannah Watt under the direction and advice of Associate Professor of Communication and Theater Bryan Moore and campus counselor Cara Kroeker.
Watt said that she got the idea to start the program when she took Theater as Outreach as a class last semester. The program members are currently meeting to plan ahead for next semester, when they hope that the program will take off.
“We are meeting this semester to plan, and then next year is when we’ll be doing shows,” Watt said.
The shows will be similar to shows that are put on by Concordia’s IMPROVables. The shows will consist of various scripted scenes and skits that will be centered around specific topics such as mental health, communication and social problems.
The troupe currently consists of nine students who are volunteering their time to prepare skits and shows for the Concordia community.
Watt said she hopes that the program will affect the surrounding community in a positive way and provide people with the opportunity to discuss serious social issues.
“I think it will bring people closer together, and it will make them think about issues in a new way,” Watt said.
The current program members are Watt, Amelia Schlichting, Linnea Buchholz, Bethany Schilling, Eric James, Kailey Bales, Frederick Herman, Broderick Schofield and Haleigh Fitzsimmons. Questions can be directed to Watt, who is serving as the program’s leader.
