Troupe involves audience
Published Sept. 11, 2007
It wasn't just the MU Interactive Theatre Troupe that took to the stage Monday. Audience members also demonstrated their acting skills during the interactive theater symposium.
The symposium, held Monday in Memorial Union, was all about using theatre as a way of increasing social change in the classroom and on campus. MU played host to guests from across the country, including California and Virginia.
The troupe's assistant director, Cece McFarland, said the symposium was the first hosted by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
The Interactive Theatre Troupe, which is headed by ATHE Interactive Theatre Task Force Co-Chairwoman Suzanne Burgoyne, was able to perform, interact and demonstrate the purpose of interactive theatre, as well as offer suggestions for setting up a new chapter of the organization on other college campuses, McFarland said.
Interactive theatre is a way of promoting social change both in and outside the classroom, she said.
"It has not only changed my teaching style, it's changed me," actor Phil Groeschel said.
The MU troupe is made up of students and professors who perform interactive skits that examine and work through difficult situations that can arise in the classroom.
It performs, examines and tries to diffuse situations including heterosexism, conflict in the classroom, religious intolerance and inhumanities.
McFarland said the skits also help the actors hone their skills.
"It's a great opportunity for dialect," McFarland said.
The performances put professors and graduate students in situations and let them work through ways of better handling difficult circumstances.
Groeschel said he participates in performances dealing mostly with religious intolerance. He said he wasn't aware that he had any prejudices until he got on stage.
"People respond to what they see," he said. "And, in turn, you learn about your own faults."
Andrea Onstad, who wrote one of the scripts used by MU's troupe, said the productions provide insight to those involved as well as to the audience.
"You learn about your own shortcomings," she said.
MU's troupe started in 2002. Since then, it has focused on performing situations portraying the relationship between professor and graduate students, McFarland said.
"We've had great feedback," she said.
The troop is already doing three or more performances every week, Groeschel said.
It has also performed around the state and outside Missouri. The troupe recently traveled to Michigan to perform, McFarland said.
The program will be adding on an additional troupe made up of adult actors from outside the campus. This troupe will be dealing with the issue of women as professors.
As part of the symposium, some members of MU's troupe took to the stage and performed a short skit in which members of the audience were free to make comments on the behavior of the teachers or question the actors in character.
At one point, members of the audience were asked to take the stage and continue the scene based on how they would handle the situation.
Hands shot up as audience members thought of questions and ideas. Several viewers were outgoing enough to hop on stage, and they received a round of applause for their efforts.
Groeschel said interactive theater is growing in support and use, becoming a nationwide practice.