Members of the School of Theater created a series of podcasts that showcase the creativity and originality of its students.
Gregory DeCandia, head of the re-imagined Bachelor of Arts in theater and performance program, started the podcasts, bringing the first one, Thank You 10, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he started it.
“The name comes from when the stage manager of a show gives the actors a 10-minute warning, and the actors respond, ‘thank you, 10,’” DeCandia said.
Courtney Beyer, Alyssa Pearson and Haileigh Tomlinson, acting seniors, continued with additional podcasts focusing on issues about diversity.
The 10-minute podcasts chronicle performance art on and off campus. The first episode will cover Clybourne Park, the first production of the semester.
Other podcasts include Brennan Book Blog, run by Kate Brennan, head of voice. Brennan Book Blog is released every holiday and covers book recommendations based on that holiday.
“The first one came out on Halloween and covered thrillers,” Brennan said. “The next one will be Valentine’s Day, and I think it will be about sad, lonely hearts books.”
Another podcast, Devising, is about creating new works in conjunction with the goal of the new BA program—to focus on new, original works rather than written text.
“This is a podcast on how things begin and what people are doing in the world to create,” Brennan said.
Haley Fortune, acting senior, said she likes the idea of a BA theater project that includes other students and faculty.
“I had heard about the podcasts a little bit,” Fortune said. “They are an offshoot of work from the head of the new BA program. I think it’s a good idea.”
The podcasts are recorded in the basement of the Gold Star Memorial Building in a newly-created sound studio.
Proposals for a fifth student-run podcast will be considered this semester, and the opportunity is not limited to theater majors. Podcasters will accept proposals in February. More information will be available via fliers on campus and on the podcast website, wocu.online, which also is where the podcasts can be heard.
“I think podcasts could be the new frontier,” Brennan said. “They are not only good for the community, but they can also build our presence nationally and internationally. This can give the world a window into what we do here. We have a really neat opportunity on this end to check and see who is listening, and sometimes it’s like ‘oh wow, someone in Belgium.’”
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