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Crowd members cheer at the May 2016 Theatre Banquet. University Theatre will hold their annual rally for incoming students on Sunday, Aug. 21.
Contributed Photo
University Theatre's annual rally provides students with a warm welcome and a chance to make friends
▶OMAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez
The University Theatre program will begin the fall season with its annual Theatre Rally on Sunday, Aug. 21, in Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall.
The rally, which will begin at 4 p.m., serves as a friendly introduction to the theatre department and its productions for both theatre majors and non-majors as well.
Nicole Hodges Persley chair of the theatre department, will work closely alongside Katherine Pryor managing director of University Theatre, to bring these two groups together and make them ready to get involved.
"We use the rally to create a safe and inclusive environment for our students that works to encourage and inspire them to achieve at their highest level at KU," Perslev said.
This sense of security built at the rally, Persley said, prepares new students to make friends they weren't expecting, an intimidating task for many who are still unfamiliar with the Lawrence community.
'Many new students
make friends at the rally, and that's a comforting thing for those first few weeks of learning to navigate KU's beautiful campus freshman year," Persley said.
At this year's rally, students should expect to see and listen to many different facets of the theatre program that they might be interested in. A chance, Persley said, to get the "inside scoop on how to be successful."
For instance, JIST, the Jayhawk Initiative of Student Theatre, a student-led theatre group that often directs, acts, and writes their own performances, will be speaking about how to be a part of the theatre family, along with the university improvisational group.
Directors will also be there to speak about upcoming productions. The first of the fall, William Inge's "Picnic," awaits new students willing to collaborate in different areas of the production.
Jack Wright, professor emeritus and former director of theatre, will be back to direct "Picnic." He will also attend the rally to bring students to audition for acting roles and make aware the opportunities behind the scenes.
"This is a show that really appeals to young people first and foremost," Wright said of "Picnic." "The thing with Kansas native Inge is that he really deals with Midwest values."
For those interested in going behind the curtain and delving into technical aspects of theatre, there will also be student designers and stage managers to talk about the many opportunities.
Right after the rally, there will be an audition
workshop that will help new students get ready for the open call auditions, which start Aug.22.
The open call auditions will be held the following day and into Tuesday, and are for the four productions this fall, including "Picnic," "Late: A Cowboy Song," "Pooter McGraw is Not Dead Party" and "R.U.R."
For more information on the rally and the fall productions, contact University Theatre at (785) 8643381 or visit its website at KUTheatre.com.
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