Stage, Screen, and Study: The New Performing Arts Degree

Overture

Performing arts have been a part of Graceland’s history since the early days of the institution. The Dramatic Club was established in 1909, but it was two years earlier in 1907 that the first play was staged on campus, a production of Esmerelda directed by Alice McGrath. Through the years, theatre, music, and drama ebbed and flowed in their presence on the Lamoni campus, championed by celebrated Graceland professors like Win Inslee, Celia Schall, and Oliver Houston, the first chair of the Division of Fine Arts.

While the music department dates back to 1895, students could not major in music until 1972 and in theatre (as “speech and drama”) until 1973. The lack of major never stopped Gracelanders from performing, and groups such as the Graceland Players (earlier called the “College Players”) promoted interest in dramatic art over the years.

Setting the Stage

Graceland is fortunate to have one of the most advanced and beautiful performing arts facilities for a school its size. Since it opened in 1982 and was renovated in 2012, the Shaw Center for Performing Arts continues to be a hub for activity, both for Graceland musicians and performers, but also for student activities. Over the years, the Shaw Center has hosted incredible events from both visiting artists and student performers.

Its versatility as a performance location gives students an advantage, especially with this new major. Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Kimberly Manuel ’01 said, “The Shaw Center is the perfect facility for our Performing Arts students because we have a recital hall, auditorium stage, and black box theatre all in one place. Each space gives our students the opportunity to perform and work in very different environments, which gives them a competitive edge to other programs.”

A Modern Approach to the Arts

The University’s central location positions it in place to serve as a community outlet for the arts, and the industry is changing rapidly. Manuel said, “The future of performing arts was not being represented in the most recent iterations of our majors being offered, so we had an opportunity to be a leader in implementing the change needed in the entertainment industry.”

“The world of performing arts is changing radically with the spread of social media and new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). This program takes traditional performing arts roles and melds them with new technologies, while also giving students a chance to discover their own artistic vision and skills.”

PARKER WORDEN
Director of Bands

Areas of Concentration

The new program offers three concentrations that represent the three areas essential in the entertainment industry:

DRAMATIC MEDIA is a hybrid of theatre, film, and new media that will focus training in areas of design, directing, and technology.

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP is designed for students who want to be music producers, agents, artistic directors, executive directors, and leaders in the entertainment industry.

PERFORMANCE STUDIES is designed to train students in both music and theatre performance.

The design of the new program was a collaboration across the department and Manuel believes there is no other performing arts program like it in the country. “Believe me, I’ve tried to find one like what we’ve designed. Most theatre and music programs are cookie cutter representations of how theatre and music has been and will continue to be taught, but with the changes to the industry, the way we train and educate our next generation of artists needs to change. This new program embraces that change.”

“Most theatre and music programs are cookie cutter representations of how theatre and music has been and will continue to be taught, but with the changes to the industry, the way we train and educate our next generation of artists needs to change. This new program embraces that change.”

KIMBERLY MANUEL, MFA, ’01
Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Design

Students have the freedom to select courses within each concentration. Whichever concentration they choose requires the foundational elements of the Performing Arts major, including a course in career planning and professional development.

Worden is excited, saying, “In other programs, students tend to focus on one traditional aspect of performance study. This program gives students an opportunity to study music and theatre in ways that bridge traditional performance study with modern outlets and opportunities.”

Despite its innovativeness, alumni should feel confident that the traditions they’ve grown to love about Graceland performances will not be abandoned. “The legacy of the music and theatre programs will continue to be a cornerstone of this new program,” said Manuel, whose own experience at Graceland brought her back to now leading the department. “We will never forget who we were, what the Graceland experience was like for us, and as we move forward with the new Performing Arts program, we will remain true to the brilliant faculty who carved the path for us.”

THE END.

Know a student who might be interested? Learn more and get in contact with our Admissions team here.