In the News

Summer Theatre Camp to be offered in social distancing-appropriate format for 2020

With health and safety at the forefront of consideration, Hesston College made the decision to cancel its summer theatre camp event for area young aspiring actors and tech crew in the format it has known for several years.

As an alternative, a musical theatre learning program will be offered in a social distancing-appropriate one-on-one format for a limited number of participants.

Over the last several years, Hesston College’s Summer Theatre Camp has become a popular summer event for area actors and tech crew ages 11 to 18. In 2019, the camp drew its largest enrollment to date with more than 40 participants who staged the musical School House Rock Live! over a two-week period.

Even though stay at home orders around coronavirus are being relaxed in south central Kansas, the state’s social distancing guidelines continue to limit crowd gatherings that would pose a problem for the camp’s traditional format.

The 2020 alternative event will be held from June 22 through July 3. Participation will be limited to the first 16 registrants who will meet on campus in the Keim Center with Hesston College Theatre Director Rachel Jantzi and Director of Choral Activities Russell Adrian for six individualized 30-minute acting and voice sessions, as well as two masterclass sessions. Each student’s private lessons will occur between 12:30 and 4:30 p.m. during the two-week period. An individualized schedule will be communicated prior to the first class.

Participants will perform for their families in a final showcase outdoor picnic on July 3 at 5:30 p.m.

“This will be a much more intensive, but fun individualized experience,” said Jantzi. “It will not be the same theatre camp feel as past years, but we are still hoping it offers those who are excited about acting, singing and dancing a serious chance to work and shine as actors in musical theatre.”

Registration cost is $110 per person. Families registering more than one student will pay full price for the first student and $90 for each additional student from the same immediate family. If the event needs to be canceled for any reason, full refunds will be issued.

To register, contact Rachel Jantzi at rachelj@hesston.edu.

What I learned from Carla Lahey

Carla Lahey

Carla leaves Hesston College this spring after two years teaching theatre, establishing the college’s Touring Theatre Company including directing the company and taking them to perform at a host of local high schools. She also played a key role in Student Life, directing campus activities. Carla completed her Ph.D. in theatre last fall and is accepting an assistant professor of theatre position at Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.

Alex Miller, freshman biology major, Arlington, Kan.

Carla Lahey taught the first theatre class I ever attended. Unsure of what was in store for me, I began “Art of Theatre” my first semester of college. It was not long before I grew to greatly appreciate Carla and the education she had to offer us. Filling her role as both a professor and the director of the Campus Activity Board here at Hesston, Carla seemed to connect with a wide variety of students. In interactions with her, both in theatre and student life, Carla always struck me as amiable and compassionate. She embodied the type of care and affable interaction that stands out as truly meaningful.

Being in the final stages of earning her doctorate degree, Carla must have been under loads of stress, but it never impacted her teaching. Some days I’m sure held exponentially more cups of coffee but each one she met us well, both as a professional and as a friend. She held us to a high standard of academics but was understanding if a sick day was needed. She helped me navigate college and was the first to inquire about my health and wellbeing if something seemed off. I look back on this year and reflect on the qualities personified in Carla, the number one thing I will carry with me is a reminder to be compassionate.

When we students found out that Carla would not remain at Hesston next year, the cancellation of school and quarantine had already begun. We didn’t get our chance to finish the show she had just begun to direct or even to say goodbye. In lieu of wishing that farewell in person I want to send it, along with best regards, here.

So thank you Carla. For being a teacher, director, a mentor, and a friend. I wish you God’s abundant blessings as you go from Hesston and enjoy the next season of life.

Rachel Jantzi, theatre professor

Carla has been an appreciated addition to the performing arts program these past 2 years. There is something so invigorating in having a colleague who wants to create and watch a program grow, and who is willing to collaborate and question in order to try to make it the best version it can be, in that moment. Carla is good at…

• asking the questions no one has really thought about, which comes from truly focused listening.
• making sure all sides of a potential problem are addressed thoroughly and all perspectives are heard.
• letting students lead and encouraging them to be curious.
• the details. The most recent example, her twelve page document for the new hire with information about classes, recruitment, shows, conferences, etc. To have
• something so thorough and thoughtful, will be beneficial.

While Carla does all this wonderfully, the thing I will take away from her the most is the value of time.

Most have played the “I’m busier than you can possibly fathom” game. I’ve played it. You know, the one where someone sighs about the amount of work they have only to be met with an equally worn colleague who says the same thing? I like that Carla doesn’t play that game. She could have. In addition to teaching, she taught a class that toured and the scheduling of that was ridiculous. She was attending high school shows on weekends and also conferences for the purpose of recruitment, and her time with Campus Activities Board kept her evenings occupied. She also did a show here and there, and had her share of meetings, all while completing her dissertation. Carla was sometimes tired, but she would choose to appreciate the boundaries she was keeping, the nights she was able to focus on her dissertation work, the importance of keeping consistent with her church attendance and the value of her time alone. She seemed centered on this quiet time she was creating for herself, rather than the busyness. In doing this, she has unknowingly taught me that I can choose to refocus and shift my thinking. I have the pleasure and privilege of work and the responsibility to create a space for myself and family. Thank you, Carla for this and all the many things you’ve taught me and our students. Break-a-leg on your next adventure. And...Curtain.

In recent years, the Hesston College Horizon student publication has recognized departing faculty members by inviting students and employees to reflect on the impact these professors have made on their lives. With the COVID-19 campus dispersal in March and the impending departure of Horizon faculty advisor and communications prof Kendra Burkey, the college’s Marketing and Communications team has the privilege of recognizing this year’s departing faculty: Lahey; Kendra Burkey, communication prof; and Gary Oyer director of Media and Instructional Technology and archivist.

A theatre season of literature gears up for a fairytale musical

Hesston College Theatre Director Rachel Jantzi always sets her lineup of shows around a theme, which for the 2019-20 season is literature.

“All of this year’s shows are based off of books,” said Jantzi.

After a fall play that featured the drama The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Jantzi and her cast and crew are gearing up for a shift in tone with the musical Tuck Everlasting, which runs from March 4 to 8 in the Keim Center Black Box Theater.

Show times are at 7 p.m. every day from March 4 to 7, with a bonus 2 p.m. show on Saturday, March 7 as well as a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, March 8.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students. Seating is limited so advanced ticket purchase is encouraged. Purchase tickets online, in person at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall or by calling 620-327-8105.

Based on the book by Natalie Babbit, Tuck Everlasting is a fairytale that tells the story of young Winnie Foster and the extraordinary, life-changing adventure on which she embarks when she discovers the magical secret of the Tuck family.

“I’m really excited about this show for a lot of reasons,” said Jantzi. “I have amazing student actors who perform these rich characters so beautifully. Also, I went to high school with the show’s lyricist, Nathan Tysen, so it’s fun for me as an artist to get to do the work of my artist friends.”

Tuck Everlasting had a short run on Broadway in 2016, and Jantzi notes that bringing the glitz of Broadway it to the Hesston College stage has been an ambitious undertaking, but one that her cast and crew has responded to in big ways.

“This show has more dancing than we’ve ever done,” said Jantzi. “What’s really cool is I got to bring back a recent graduate as our choreographer.”

Choreographer Elizabeth Fulcher is a 2019 Hesston College graduate and a music theatre major at Friends University in Wichita.

“Getting to work with a former student now as a colleague is such a reward,” said Jantzi.

Tuck Everlasting is family-friendly and rated G, but because of its length, Jantzi recommends the show for ages 7 and up.

COMING SOON

Coming up later in the season of literature is a late-April presentation of the classic story Charlotte’s Web in a new Theatre for Young Audiences format.

For the last three years, Hesston College Theatre held a playwriting festival that featured local playwrights, but Jantzi has decided to put a pause on Pen to Paper to Performance for the year.

“Adding in a Theatre for Young Audiences show gives us a rotation on the kinds of shows we do,” said Jantzi. “I enjoy hearing from local playwrights, and we’ll continue to do Pen to Paper to Performance every few years, but performing for young audiences also helps actors build a different kind of skill set. They’re performing for an audience that may not always be paying attention or even sitting still, and that requires extra focus. It really is a marketable experience.”

Charlotte’s Web will be performed in an outdoor setting at neighboring Dyck Arboretum of the Plains April 23 to 26.

“I think there is a desire in the community to bring this kind of theatre to our kids and still have it be a show that adults will enjoy,” said Jantzi.

“Still, Small Voice” music and theatre performance to portray the gentle side of Christmas

Hesston College will celebrate the Christmas season with a performance combining music and theatre in “Still, Small Voice,” at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 at Hesston Mennonite Church. The performance is free and open to the public.

“‘Still, Small Voice’ is meant to remind us to stop and be intentional in enjoying the serenity and beauty of the birth of Christ,” said Rachel Jantzi, theatre professor. “The program will capture a gentler side of Christmas, reflecting that first night at the manger, and an alternative to the busy, noisy rush that often surrounds the holidays.”

Poetry, prose and other reflections performed by Hesston College theatre students will reflect the quiet and calm of the nativity and be echoed by music of the same sentiment. Hesston College choirs, under the direction of Russell Adrian, will perform the music.

“Yes, there was a heavenly host, travelers from afar and word spreading about a new King,” said Jantzi. “At the heart of it all, though, there were young parents and a newborn baby boy, tucked away from the clamor.”

The program’s repertoire will include a diverse selection of music and theatrical styles as well as well-loved traditional Christmas pieces and storytelling.

A Curious Incident more relatable than not

Hesston College Theatre will present five performances of the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Oct. 23 to 27.

“The show is very magical, but even in all its technical wonder, the story is simple – a boy who searches to find the answer to a neighborhood mystery also ends up searing for belonging and a feeling of worth,” said director Rachel Jantzi. “Who hasn’t searched for that at some point?”

Showtimes are at 7 p.m., Oct. 23 to 26, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. All performances will be in the Keim Center Black Box Theater. Tickets are $10 for adults and seniors and $5 for students, and are available for advance purchase at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall or online.

The drama, which was hailed by The New York Times as “a phenomenal combination of storytelling and spectacle,” tells the story of a boy who has an autism spectrum condition, as he discovers and investigates the death of his neighbor’s dog. Giving insight into the relationships he has with those around him, the audience is exposed to the struggles, compassion and rewards the boy experiences with himself, his parents and his school mentors.

“This show gives a voice to those who are neurodiverse, a demographic that isn’t often represented in theatre,” said director Rachel Jantzi. “The protagonist navigates a world which is very difficult for him, but he never gives up. There is also a focus on families who aren’t perfect and come up short, but they still try hard to connect and be better. It’s a very real and relatable show.”

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is written by Simon Stephens and based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon. At its 2012 premier run in London, the play won seven Olivier Awards, including Best New Play. During its run on Broadway from 2014 to 2016, it won five Tony Awards, including Best Play in 2015.

For the 10 student actors and 10-person production team, it’s a lesson in being stretched and challenged.

From a technical standpoint, precision and timing is key for both actors and crew as physical movements and timed projection help to enhance how life is different for the protagonist.

“Our production is very physical, with actors lifting each other and climbing walls of theatre with very precise, choreographed movements,” explained Jantzi. “Projects are shot onto the floor to help create a sense of space and the structure of the lead character’s brain – precise and grid-like.”

“From the personnel side, we’re also learning to be a cohesive team despite our differences,” said Jantzi. “Our cast and crew has several countries represented, as well as has neurodiverse students involved, and wildly different levels of theatrical experience, and yet we are all creating something together that is very unique and challenging and having a blast while doing it. All of our differences add to the layers of this show, and that is inspiring to watch and direct.”

TheatreFest to give high school thespians an opportunity to grow their skills

High school students with interest in any of the many areas of theatre and performing arts are invited to learn tips and tricks to fine tune their craft at Hesston College’s day-long TheatreFest on Saturday, Oct. 19 on the Hesston College campus.

Led by Hesston College performing arts faculty and students, throughout the day, both actors and tech crew members will attend workshops, participate in improv acting exercises and have opportunities to audition for a theatre scholarship.

The cost to attend is $10, and includes breakfast and lunch. Participants who register by Sept. 27 will receive a free T-shirt.

Contact Carla Lahey with questions at carla.lahey@hesston.edu or 620-327-8263.

Students with theatre interest – both as majors or extracurricular interest – are given a variety of ways to get involved at Hesston College as actors and crew. Each academic year, the theatre department performs five mainstage productions, including a play during the fall semester and a musical during the spring semester and collaboration with the music department on a performing arts production incorporating both music and theatre. or the first time in 2019-20, a children’s theatre production will be held on an outdoor stage, and the year wraps with a theatre showcase, featuring students performing scenes, monologues and musical theatre numbers.

Theatre students can also participate in the Traveling Theatre Company, which travels to area high schools performing short shows and holding improv workshops with theatre classes.

Plays by seven local playwrights to be featured at annual playwriting festival

For the third year, Hesston College’s Pen to Paper to Performance playwriting festival will showcase the work of seven local playwrights at 7 p.m., April 26 and 27, in the Keim Center Black Box Theater on the Hesston College campus.

“An ensemble of 14 actors are working on these six very different shows,” said Rachel Jantzi, Hesston College Theatre professor and director. “All are cast at least twice, with some appearing in three different plays. That can be challenging, but the actors are so strong, it makes the work really enjoyable.

Ranging from comedic to dramatic with subjects varying from faith to dating apps, the featured plays in the showcase are:

• “Citizen’s Meeting” by Lois Thieszen Preheim
• “Current Events” by Patricia Middleton
• “Graveyard Shift” by Caitlin Waits
• “Swipe Right” by Travis Duerkson and Mitch Stutzman
• “The Girl Who Could Fly But Then Didn’t” by Andre Swartley
• “Towering Toward Heaven With Hazel” by Loretta Baumgartner

In addition to student actors, two Hesston College professors are also part of the cast – Michele Hershberger, Bible and ministry professor, and Ken Rodgers, music professor.

“It’s been fun working with my colleagues on this,” said Jantzi. “It’s always a treat for both me and the students when faculty and staff perform alongside our student actors.”

Each play runs about 10 minutes in length, and the event is rated PG for mild language. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $4 for students. Tickets will be sold at the door only starting at 6:15 p.m. each night. Seating is limited, so early arrival is encouraged. Each playwright will receive a portion of the box office earnings.

Each night’s performance will include a 30-minute pre-show by the student-led On A Lark improv comedy troupe beginning at 6:30 p.m.

During intermission, ice cream will be served by The Salted Creamery, whose owner and creator is Hesston College communications professor Kendra Burkey.

The musical of mythical proportions to take the Keim Center stage

Recounting the tender, dynamic and familiar story of the parent-child relationship, Hesston College Theatre will present five performances of the musical Big Fish, Feb. 27 to March 3, in the Hesston College Keim Center Black Box Theatre.

Showtimes are at 7 p.m., Feb. 27 to March 2, and 2 p.m., on Sunday, March 3. Tickets are $10 for adults and seniors and $5 for students. Purchasing tickets in advance is recommended as seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased online at hesston.edu/big-fish-tix or at the Hesston College Bookstore in Erb Hall during regular business hours or by calling 620-327-8105. Big Fish is a family-friendly musical for all ages.

Big Fish tells the story of Edward Bloom, a man in failing health, and his son, Will, who doesn’t believe the larger-than-life stories his father recounts of his extraordinary life. As Edward continues to decline, Will tries to find the truth behind the tall tales, putting a strain on their relationship. Will must decide to accept his father’s stories or risk losing him completely.

“This show is so relatable and so touching,” said director Rachel Jantzi. “In showing a father’s desire to reach his son, it weaves fantasy with the storytelling parents create to build relationship with their children.”

Written by John August with music by Andrew Lippa, Big Fish is adapted from the 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, and the 2003 movie adaptation of the same name.

Jantzi notes that with its traditional style, Big Fish carries a different feel than many of her past Hesston College productions, and also creates more spectacle.

“Big Fish is a classical-feeling musical,” said Jantzi. “It’s a bright, fun show. There are werewolves, seven-foot giants, a mermaid, witches, dancing and more, but in the end, it also shows us that fantasy and reality may not be that far apart.”

The lead character, Edward, played by sophomore Therin Smith (Key West, Fla.) moves seamlessly between past and present time periods. The role of Will as a grown man who is anticipating the birth of his first child, is played by freshman Tanner DeGrado (Newton, Kan.), and sophomore Leah Huyard (Harrisonburg, Va.) plays Edward’s steadfast wife, Sandra. Making his theatre debut in the role of Will as a child is 10-year-old community student, Alex Gale.

“Never has a show hit me so hard emotionally and intimidated me in wanting to bring it to life in the way it deserves,” said Jantzi. “I have had so much fun with it and I’m really excited at what this group of students is doing with it. The cast is one of the most positive and hard-working groups I have had. They love the show and the characters, too, but they’re also recognizing the parent-child relationship and having realizations of what their parents have handed down to them.”

Submissions being accepted for third Hesston College play writing festival

It’s time again for south central Kansas playwrights – both amateur and experienced – to exercise their creativity and storytelling abilities with submissions to Hesston College Theatre’s “Pen to Paper to Performance” play writing festival.

Submissions for the 10-minute play festival will be accepted through March 11. Eight winning submissions will be notified March 18 and will be produced in the final showcase event April 26 and 27. Playwrights of winning submissions will receive a percentage of the box office earnings.

Now in its third year, the “Pen to Paper to Performance” play writing festival, which was launched by Hesston College Theatre Director Rachel Jantzi, has become a sought after experience both for local playwrights and audience members who get to see the stories come to life on stage. With the plays performed by Hesston College Theatre students, the event allows voices and talent from the community and across the region to be heard and shared.

The 2018 event featured nonfiction accounts based on historical events both recent and further in the past, fictional works as commentary on important societal issues, and lighthearted humor.

10-Minute Play Festival submission criteria

Scripts accepted until March 11. Eight selected submissions will be produced in the final showcase event, “Pen to Paper to Performance,” April 26 and 27 in the Keim Center Black Box Theatre on the Hesston College campus. Winning submissions will be notified March 18, and will receive a percentage of the box office earnings. Auditions and rehearsals for the chosen shows will begin the following week.

Submission rules:

• We will accept no more than two (2) plays per playwright.
• Scripts should fall between 8 and 12 pages and run roughly 10 minutes.
• Suggested number of characters is three to five.
• Characters in plays should be able to be portrayed by college students.
• Location/setting expectations should be kept minimal for the sake of logistics.
• No musicals.
• Original work only; no previously produced work will be accepted.
• We will acknowledge submissions via email, but we will not offer critiques.
• Please staple hard copy of scripts. Please no binders, covers or folders.
• We reserve the right to edit of the sake of time or logistics in collaboration with the playwright.

How to submit:
Please submit both a hard copy and an emailed copy. Hard copies will not be returned. Plays should include a cover page with the following information:

• Play title
• Playwright’s name
• Playwright’s phone number
• Playwright’s email address

Deliver submissions to Rachel Jantzi in Hesston College’s Keim Center

OR

Mail a hard copy to:
Hesston College
c/o Rachel Jantzi
PO Box 3000
Hesston, KS 67062

Email an identical copy to rachelj@hesston.edu with “10-minute play” in the subject line.