Act II: Steps to a Program
When FTU was founded in 1969 there were only a total of 12 students in the theater club, and it was not even offer as a major. Two of the professors which are seeing as pioneers of the Theater program in FTU are David Mays and Harry Smith; they brought their knowledge and excitement to the project. They were pioneers creating something new, in a difficult technological environment. Harry Smith was portrayed by his students as a calm and steady presence who taught both filming and acting. He was an adjunct at the early days of the program. David Mays was the director of theatre; he has being expressed as a life changing professor who look to bring out the best from his students. Furthermore, who view theatre as provocative, he was a genius director who plan in depth his plays. Since there were not many students interested in Theatre, the university hired adjunct professors for one or two terms. For example, Sonia Moore and Sara Daspin were two adjuncts who taught acting.[1]
This theatre project started in 1969 in a tent in the outdoors. The first play was “Titus Andronicus” a play which they performed in a cold December, it was about thirty degress. In a technological University acting was not a priority. Many of the students who were part of this program were full time students and worked part time. Theatre was not their major, they just saw it as an extra skill which they could learn. Furthermore, their unexperience meant that they were learning as they went. It then started to evolve over time once it gain traction. Mary Monroe who graduated in the class of 76’s was an important alumni who went on to direct many other plays. What she learn from FTU help her for her whole life.
Theater Challenges
Theater at this time was still not a recognize program, it wasn’t until 1981 when UCF created the department of Arts and Science. Furthermore, in 1983 it became its own department with their own director. Before 1981 there were challenges which the theatre program faced. The first problem was the venue for the plays. After the tent the plays moved to the Science Auditorium, there are records of faculty from other departments speaking negatively of the Theatre program.[2] For example, Dean Micarelli states “These problems center around the impassability of the overhead projector screen, the turning off the electrical power to receptacles where the overhead projectors are plugged in, and the inaccessibility (because of a theatre set) of the floor well microphone jack required using the public address system. I have asked the members of the University Space committee to go to the Science Auditorium to study solution to these problems.”[3] This tells us that the Theatre department was not hold in high regard. Finally in 1983 they were given the old Science Auditorium as the main building for the Theatre department. Today the department is an important part of the campus. It holds many plays weekly. It even offers master degrees in acting and design. It is interesting to see how a program of only 12 students could grow to become an important part of the campus life. It is always important to support art and theatre since is the only way to show ones imagination and originality.
2. University of Cetnral Florida Theare Program Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.