by The Cowl Editor on October 26, 2017
Features
By Darren Squillace ’19
News Staff
For those who are not musically inclined, or do not keep up with the latest plays and theatrical performances, there has been a lot going on you may not know about in the Smith Center for the Arts.
A group of music majors, along with some students who are involved in the department of Theatre, Dance, and Film, decided that the gap between themselves and their activities was too wide and that a more tightly knit union would be beneficial to both sides. Because of this, both groups decided to formulate what is now known as the Musical Theatre Alliance.
The group is composed of Teddy Kiristy ’19, Aisling Sheahan ’19, Deirdre Lahiff ’20, and Ariana Tomasi ’19. Kiristy, a theatre major with a musical theatre concentration, summarized the series of events that led to the alliance being formed. “So four of us, two theatre and two music majors, were hanging out one day and realized that as theatre and music majors we share a beautiful building, the Smith Center for the Arts, yet we never have any crossover or collaborative events. We also barely talk to one another and we see most people from the other department daily! So we decided we should create a group where we could meet once a month, mingle, and get to know one another. It has been very successful,” said Kiristy.
Shehan, also a theatre major with a musical theatre concentration, agreed that the purpose for creating this group was to bridge the gap between the music and theatre departments. They hope that the alliance will help to create a space where members of both departments can work together and potentially collaborate on future projects.
As far as what the alliance members hope to achieve in the long run, Sheahan stated that “Our goals are definitely to have everyone get acquainted with one another so that in the future the two departments could do something amazing together!” In addition, the members are also hopeful that the alliance will promote interest on campus for both music and theatre and that eventually, the alliance will grow bigger and stronger. The Musical Theatre Alliance represents what being a “Friar Family” is all about by welcoming all those who are interested, not just music or TDF majors, to be a part of the community that they are cultivating in Smith. While they may be a small group now, the alliance is an example of yet another opportunity created by Providence College students themselves in the effort to foster diversity and inclusion to all of those who wish to demonstrate their talents and abilities.