Drama Program Gets a Boost

When Carrollton’s independent Encore Theatre Company disbanded after a highly successful 10-year run, funds generated from ticket sales and donations left a positive bank balance. The group decided that establishing a scholarship fund at UWG was the best way to honor their benefactors’ intentions and the founders donated $40,000 to the university’s Theatre Arts Program.

Students arriving on campus will find theatre facilities that include a renovated Martha Munro Building that serves as the theatre program’s headquarters, a lab for computer-aided design, a lighting lab, a sound-recording studio and an acting studio. The labs offer computer assistance in theatrical sound, lighting, costume and scenic design.

An integral and growing part of the campus community, the theatre program is one of only five in the state with national accreditation. Also notable is the program’s emphasis on fostering a full range of theatrical talents, including acting, directing, designing, constructing and playwriting.

“We are grateful to the Encore Theatre Company, and it is our intention to continue their legacy by awarding these scholarships to deserving students,” said Shelly Elman, director of the West Georgia Theatre Company and associate professor of theatre arts.

Two incoming freshmen are the first to benefit from newly funded scholarships awarded in increments of $1,000. This fall semester, they will join about 60 students in the theatre program.
Typically, the West Georgia Theatre Company produces a four-show season, and Elman said comedies seem to be the community favorite.

“We choose plays that we hope the community will want to see, and that assist our students by giving them a diverse résumé of credits,” said Elman. “We try to mix it up with audience-appealing, known titles in the big space, and edgier, more contemporary pieces in the flexible Dangle Theatre. We also strive for a diverse selection in terms of comedies and more serious work.”

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