By Hannah Bower; Photo Credits to Elliot Muller
On Saturday Sept. 26, Susquehanna University Theatre students, faculty, and alumni gathered in the Degenstein Gallery for snacks, mingling, and a celebration of the hard work they’ve put in for the growth of the department. The reception provided a great opportunity for current and past students to connect, and many upperclassmen took advantage of the potential career advice being offered.
SU Theatre wasn’t always the big name it is today; in fact, for a while, it didn’t even have a name. Professor Erik Viker, Department Head, shared that “the Department of Theatre was part of Communications, until 20 years ago.” At that point, according to Viker, a professor was hired specifically for theatre. Then, their design professional was all they needed to have their own department, so they went to the President and requested to be their own branch. “It’s better to market the department to prospective students to be able to say we’re Theatre, not Theatre and something else.”
SU Theatre has made significant strides from the moment it was officially born. “We’ve only grown since then,” Viker revealed, “from eight or nine majors to 45. This is our 20th anniversary as our own department.” These statistics don’t even include the plethora of theatre minors and non-theatre students that choose to assist with the productions.
The highlight for many students was undoubtedly the networking opportunities provided by alumni. As a fellow Theatre Performance BA, I made some connections of my own. I spoke to Annabelle Lucas, whonow works in the film industry in Scranton, as well as Ashlynn Loskutov, who is a realtor and self-defense instructor. Both are former Theatre majors and 2021 graduates, and their versatility in the job market illustrates the plethora of options available to theatre graduates.
“Start doing it as soon as you graduate,” Loskutov encouraged current students. “Move to the city you want to move to and do the thing.”
Lucas provided insight into what she loves most about her career path. “It’s the opportunity to do something different with every audition that’s thrown my way, regardless of what kind of media it’s for. I get to be myself and do little tweaks every single time.” That spark of creativity is often just what hiring agencies are looking for.
One Alumni who gave me impactful advice is Tomas Torres, 2021 graduate and former Theatre Studies major. Torres works as a technical specialist in the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank and advisedagainst moving to New York. “Try not to be a small fish in a big pond,” he said. Torres recommended Philadelphia, claiming that there will be more jobs available, and it provides easy transportation to wherever the audition may take you.
Torres also addressed the concern of having a survival job that many artists are questioned about. “You’ll have to be an intern that gets thrown from specific shops and departments. Then you’ll find a field for what you can do as a profession. That’s how you get your foot in the door when it comes to talking to artistic departments.” This provided me with some comfort, knowing that I can still work in the field I lovewhile I’m trying to get on my feet.
After 20 years of stunning shows, the SU Theatre Department is looking forward to a fantastic season ahead. Beginning with Come From Away, running October 8-11, students are eager to be in front of an audience once more. Many audience members are just as excited, including First Lady Lynn Buck. “You all just do such a great job!” Buck complimented us. “We go to all the shows. In the 9 years we’ve been here, things just seem to get better and better all the time.”