By Jana Wiersema, Features Editor
Asbury University is never short on theatrical productions — this semester alone, the Greathouse Theatre will be host to “Play Ball,” “Waiting for Godot,” “Shrek,” a 10-minute play festival, and “Friday Night Live.”
While there have always been several opportunities for actors to audition and try their hands at new roles, it can be hard for non-theatre majors to practice and perform with other students outside of pressure-filled auditions or stressful productions.
That changes this semester with the foundation of Asbury University’s new unofficial drama club, “Standing Room Only.” Anyone, theatre major or not, is welcome to join the club. However, members are required to either audition for at least one play/musical or attend the Southeastern Theatre Conference convention.
According to freshman and founding member Kaelyn Payton, the club’s weekly meetings will be “a safe place for actors to go and learn and build relationships and be poured into.” She added that after a member performs, he or she will receive anonymous feedback from other members.
“There’ll be a section [on the form] that says, ‘What you did amazingly,’ and then there’ll be a section that is ‘What you can do to make it even better,’” Payton said. “Someone will look over them and make sure that none of them are really negative or really hurtful, and then we’ll give them to the person.” Payton also plans to bring in guest speakers on different subjects, such as audition do’s and don’ts and playwriting.
While the club will start meeting in February, it will not be presented to Asbury Student Congress for approval this semester. Payton stated that she hopes to gather a firm foundation of members before bringing it before ASC.
“If the club does well this semester and next semester,” she said, “at the end of next semester, I’ll make a motion to make it a club, and hopefully, it’ll go through.” She added that she hopes to have the club put on a performance in April 2020 to show its members’ progress and growth.
