Page 31 - Let's Make Waves - October 2018

your majors can participate? SPTs. COM is one of only about 3 other
schools in the state of Texas to offer this
BROWN - We strive to create as many training and the ONLY one that offers it
unique production opportunities for our to it’s students for FREE! It’s just anoth-
students as possible, whether they are tech er marketable skill for young theatre artists
or performance oriented... that will make them stand out from the
crowd.
RADIO PLAYS: We give them the op- PAUL - Many opinions have been writ-
portunity to train at Voice Acting with our ten about why Theatre Education is im-
We strive to select a mix of contemporary
We strive to select a mix of contemporary live radio plays in which we mount old portant at all levels, beginning with ele-
and recognizable titles that will offer a
and recognizable titles that will offer a radio scripts in the old radio studio style mentary and middle schools. What is your
variety of comedy, drama and musical the- 'take' on its importance and benefit to
variety of comedy, drama and musical the- complete with actors playing multiple
atre each year with our season being com- characters and a live Foley table providing those on the college level, even if they
atre each year wiwiw th our season being com-
posed of one mid-season musical, one the sound effects before a live “studio” don't plan on perusing theatre as a career?
posed of one mid-season musical, one
summer musical and four plays (some just audience.
summer musical and four plays (some just
for laughs and some to make you
for laughs and some to make you BROWN - Theatre skills teach students
think). We also work to bring a nice bal- COM|Lab Theatre Series: Just this Creativity, Confidence, Problem Solving,
think). We also work to bring a nice bal-
ance of student and adult appropriate year, we have also added a new series Perseverance, Focus, Non-Verbal Com-
roles to the season, based on who our cur- which will consist of one, student-only munication, Collaboration, Dedication,
rent roster of Theatre Majors and making “bare bones” production each semester Accountability and how to receive Con-
certain they are provided with perfor- featuring a special guest director. The structive Feedback. They’ll be able to bet-
mance opportunities that will challenge COM|Lab Theatre series is for Theatre ter express their ideas confidently and to
them and encourage growth. Majors only, so they will have the oppor- use and express empathy in the world they
tunity to play a variety of age ranges and navigate in. Those skills will serve them in
PAUL - You also give your students and character types and features student de- any career: Business Entrepreneurs, Doc-
adult actors the opportunity to work with signer opportunities for stage manage- tors, Lawyers, Nurses, Communication
guest directors. Who are some of them? ment, set, costume, lights, etc. Specialists, Politicians, Teachers, etc. etc.
THEATRE (truly) IS LIFE!
BROWN - Each year in our 6 show sea- STAGE COMBAT: Each Spring, we
son, I direct three shows and we have lo- have free stage combat certification classes So, I challenge you to come to COM The-
cal and national guest directors for the for the Theatre Majors. I’m a Certified atre and see for yourself. You won't be
other three. This gives our actors / tech- Teacher with the Society of American disappointed…these patrons certainly
nicians the opportunity to learn from and Fight Directors and - as such - I am quali- aren't!
work with a wide variety of theatrical per- fied to teach certification classes in the 8
sonalities and styles and - once again - recognized weapon styles of the
serves to expand their professional net- SAFD. Each Spring we alternate between
work outside of COM. Past guest direc- a semester of “Swashbuckling” Single
tors have included Brian Hamlin, who is a Sword or a semester of a combined Un-
Theatre professor at San Jacinto College - armed / Knife certification. The students
Central Campus and, our most recently, train all semester and then choreograph
Ray Gabica, a professional actor/director/ fights and put them to dramatic scenes
costume designer from the Illinois/ from plays and perform them in SAFD
Chicago area. Skills Proficiency Test scenes which are
adjudicated by one of the worlds 16
PAUL - Besides performing and working SAFD Fight Masters. This past year,
backstage on your regular season's pro- Fight Master Michael G. Chin from New
ductions, what are some of the other per- York City came to campus to adjudicate
formance/production ventures in which the students in their Unarmed / Knife Cry Baby

Waves Magazine | October 2018 Issue | 31