California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

    CLU’s Theatre Department Lacks Accessibility

    It seems that everyone from students to staff are bursting open their doors and calling you to join something during freshman year at California Lutheran University.

    Heard about Math Club? Come to this RA Event! You can be a double major! Be involved! Be involved! Be involved!

    But one part of campus was surprisingly quiet, the Theatre Arts Department.

    โ€œI was lucky and got involved right away,โ€ said Amanda Souza, a non-theatre major or minor.โ€œBut even after that, it was hard to know what was going on.โ€

    A college-level theatre department has the right to be selective, of course. But the issue is not that the Theatre Department doesnโ€™t cast other majors in shows. The issue is that other majors arenโ€™t given a chance to audition. All Cal Lutheran students should have the opportunity to audition for shows, no matter their major.

    As someone who has been involved in theatre most of my life, the quietness from the department didnโ€™t stop me. I signed up for theatre club, watched its Facebook page and looked at the Hub events regularly to make sure I didnโ€™t miss anything.

    Cricket, cricket.

    Unless youโ€™re a theatre major or minor, you wouldnโ€™t know that the only place it posts information about auditions is a bulletin board inside of the Black Box theatre. Otherwise, youโ€™d have to go to the theatre arts community class to hear updates.

    So, once you figure out that itโ€™s posted inside the theatre you walk in and check every couple of days? Sounds easy enough. But think about it. Theatres arenโ€™t typically somewhere you just waltz into (unless youโ€™re in a show). Without windows, you donโ€™t know if youโ€™d be disrupting a rehearsal, or even a performance. There are multiple unnamed doors to choose from as well, which makes it even more uncomfortable to look. Iโ€™ve practically lived in theatres, and even I felt this hesitation.

    Last year, out of sheer luck I found out about auditions for the musical the day before they started. A piece of paper on the back door of the Black Box theatre about a dance rehearsal before auditions was the only announcement to the public. Tomorrow? OK, letโ€™s do it.

    Trying to audition for the musical as a non-theatre major was like running a marathon in high-heels. As unprepared as I was, I had to drop everything and run.

    But I found the odds were even more stacked against non-theatre majors than I thought.

    I scoured the internet for the audition materials and hit gold. I clicked on the โ€˜Current Studentsโ€™ tab of the Cal Lutheran Theatre website and then was prompted with a box asking for a password.

    I had to know a password to audition?

    I called the Theatre Department and explained my case. They never got back to me.

    Cal Lutheranโ€™s mission is for students to pursue their purpose inside and outside of the classroom. By making it next to impossible for non-theatre majors and minors to audition, the theatre department contradicts the mission statement of the university.

    Theatre, and the arts as a whole, are so important for everyone to experience. The National Endowment of the Arts found that youth in a low socioeconomic status who participate in the arts have, on average, a higher academic achievement, higher career goals and are more civically engaged. Although the students of Cal Lutheran may not fit the study, it speaks to the power of the arts.

    Itโ€™s not only about the benefits for the non-theatre major students, either. The Cal Lutheran Theatre Department would benefit from other majors being a part of the cast.

    โ€œI think we come in with a different perspective on the script. We arenโ€™t living and breathing acting, and so sometimes itโ€™s easier to be more truthful and real with our lines,โ€ Souza said.

    Big change isnโ€™t necessary. Moving the bulletin board with audition postings outside the theatre so that anyone could walk by and see the opportunities would be a huge improvement.

    The Theatre Arts Department at Cal Lutheran has great programs and it has every right to be selective with who they cast. You donโ€™t need to put us in, Coach. We just need a chance to try out for the team.

    Laura Willits
    Featured Writer