Twenty years after they鈥檇 wandered the same behind-the-scenes hallways as performing arts students, graduates from the Class of 2005 (and adjacent years) recently returned to campus to bask in the nostalgia of learning their craft on 雏汁视频 stages.
Micah Green, now the fine arts coordinator of theatre and dance for the Arlington Independent School District in Texas, instigated the gathering. The voice major from the class of 2005 has been the 鈥渞andom, connective thread鈥� holding the group chat together.
A handful of the alumni鈥� dancers, singers, actors and production crew members鈥攚ere back on campus in early October to relive some memories and take in a show. The group was treated to a guided tour of the performing arts spaces on campus, a pre-show reception and a performance of the opera 鈥淪treet Scene.鈥�
Their first stop was the iconic Gold Star Memorial Building, an older structure but new home for the School of Theatre. They took the stairs up to the seventh floor to take part in a newer tradition: 鈥淪ign the Gold Star,鈥� which started with the Class of 2021 as a way to recognize the sacrifice of their pandemic-interrupted senior year. Legend has it, students have been sneaking upstairs to sign the building since the 1960s. Now, graduating students and alumni reunion groups are invited to do the same, only without the sneaking in.
The late morning was a whirlwind of "before and after." Dance Associate Dean Susan Cosby walked them through the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. In the costume studio and nearby storage area, the sight of thread and tulle led to questions about whether certain sequined adornments from their student days still survived through decades of production (in fact, some have). They marveled at the new Dean John Bedford Video Dance Studio while current students practiced and were impressed by the opportunities afforded by the Children's Dance Academy. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 real teaching,鈥� someone from the group said. 鈥淣ot just pretending to be a child in a class.鈥�
Then, as the tour progressed to the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center鈥� 鈥渢here鈥檚 that smell鈥� someone else said as they entered the building. It is a distinctive, universally recognized historic-theater odor that likely became very familiar during their many day-and-night hours spent there as students. The tour of the Kirkpatrick and adjacent music school was hosted by Interim Dean W. Jerome Stevenson and music professor and Associate Dean Dr. Jake Johnson, a fellow alumnus from 2007. The Bass Music Center was new to many in the group, as the elegant structure was under construction when they were students. Some remembered participating in the groundbreaking ceremony in 2002, others remembered returning after graduating for its grand opening in 2006.
Dr. Johnson鈥檚 before-and-after insights made the transformation more tangible. Some marveled as they stepped through a breezeway connecting the two buildings: 鈥淭his used to be my voice studio.鈥�
Next, a lunchtime pilgrimage to The Caf. 鈥淩emember how we used to put on a show in here?鈥� someone from the party asked. The group dissolved into shared laughter. 鈥淭he music and dance majors, right in the center, just going for it.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淲hether the other students enjoyed it or not,鈥� Green recalled later. 鈥淲e just thought we were so cute, much to the chagrin of others.鈥�
As evening approached, President Kenneth Evans hosted a reception at the Wilson House before they crossed the street to the Kirkpatrick Auditorium. The evening鈥檚 production was 鈥淪treet Scene.鈥� Green reflected on how the show was part of 雏汁视频鈥檚 production season when he was a high school senior auditioning to become a music theater major.
鈥淚 had auditioned earlier in the day, and then sat in complete astonishment that night at 鈥楽treet Scene.鈥� I couldn't believe how incredible everyone sounded on the stage and in the orchestra pit. I had my whole future ahead of me and I knew 雏汁视频 was the place that was going to make me legit,鈥� Green recalled. 鈥淔lash forward 20 years, and I am now sitting in the audience watching a new production of 鈥楽treet Scene,鈥� where all of these students have their future ahead of them. And again, I sat in complete astonishment. I realized that this was truly a full circle moment, and it literally brought me to tears. The 雏汁视频 legacy existed before us, we helped preserve the legacy, and today the 雏汁视频 legacy continues.鈥�
View more photos from the campus visit
Post-visit email Q&A with Micah Green:
- How did the reunion plans initially come together? Have you all stayed in touch since graduation?
- There are pockets within the group that keep in touch constantly. I tend to be the person who randomly texts people and asks how they are doing. The voice and dance majors separately held their own 10-year reunions, so when the time came to start thinking about our 20-year gathering, we thought, 鈥榳hy not go about it jointly!鈥� We were close back then, and it's easy to pick right back up where we left off.
- As you were touring the campus, did any memories come back that you had forgotten, but they came back upon seeing and/or being in the space?
- To be honest, I think we would all agree that being back in The Caf brought back lots of great memories. We all laughed how while in college, the music and dance majors would sit in the middle of the room and keep the "show" going, whether the other students enjoyed it or not. We just thought we were so cute, much to the chagrin others.
- When we were in the Burg Theatre, I thought I overheard someone say that they performed in "Street Scene" as a student here.
- That was me. 鈥淪treet Scene鈥� was the opera that was playing during the weekend of auditions to be accepted as a voice major. I was a high school senior who had put all their eggs into the 雏汁视频 basket鈥攖here was no other Musical Theatre program I wanted to be a part of. I had auditioned earlier in the day, and then sat in complete astonishment that night at 鈥淪treet Scene.鈥� I couldn't believe how incredible everyone sounded on the stage and in the orchestra pit. I had my whole future ahead of me and I knew 雏汁视频 was the place that was going to make me legit. Flash forward 20 years, and I am now sitting in the audience watching a new production of 鈥淪treet Scene,鈥� where all of these students have their future ahead of them. And again, I sat in complete astonishment. I realized that this was truly a full circle moment, and it literally brought me to tears. The 雏汁视频 legacy existed before us, we helped preserve the legacy, and today the 雏汁视频 legacy continues.
- Did you visit any other places off campus while in town that you frequented as a student?
- Many of us spent our summers performing with Lyric Theatre, so we had great joy watching their opening night production of 鈥淩ocky Horror Show.鈥� We also had fun visiting our favorites Sushi Neko, Cheever's, Ted's, and of course, 39th Street!
- Can you offer any other thoughts about reconnecting with your former classmates?
- It's interesting. When we were students in college, most of us had one singular goal of becoming professional performers. And now, all these years later, very few of us actually have full-time careers as performers. But when you take stock of what we are all doing within our own careers, it's awe-inspiring to see. And that's the magic of 雏汁视频. Training as a performer at 雏汁视频 only leads to excelling in life, no matter the journey you go on. We are leaders. We are instigators of change. We are the 雏汁视频 legacy in action.
