ETSU’s division of theatre will open its 2001-2002 season on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bud Frank Theatre in Gilbreath Hall with the play Sand Mountain by Romulus Linney.
Sand Mountain runs through Oct. 21.
It is composed of two one-act plays about life on the Tennessee frontier.
The first act, Sand Mountain Matchmaking, concerns the courting of a widow.
The second act, Why the Lord Came to Sand Mountain, is a folktale relating a visit that the “Lord and Saint Peter” paid to a poor Appalachian couple.
“Sand Mountain by Romulus Linney is a very, very funny play about life here in the Appalachian Mountains during pioneer times,” said Bobby Funk, director of the division of theatre.
Funk said the play is composed of tall tales, and the humor, the Appalachian theme and the storytelling component made the play a natural choice to start the season.
He said there is an oral history tradition in the region that is being reinforced by ETSU’s storytelling program.
“It has certainly been fun for the people who are working on it,” he said. Funk said Linney is telling parables in a modern way.
Linney is currently a playwright-in-residence at New York University.
This is not the first time one of Linney’s works has been performed at ETSU.
Funk said that last year the division of theatre staged his version of A Christmas Carol.
This is a time of growth for the theatre division.
Funk said he has seen the program grow from 13 to 46 students.
“I think the students recognize in these faculty that they care about them and that these faculty are trained professionals,” he said. “And, I think it has made a big difference.”
Funk said there have been improvements in the technical training students are receiving that are guaranteeing graduates an education that will prove valuable when they begin their professional careers.
For example, students are now able to work with computerized, state-of-the-art, lighting systems that were not available for previous students.
In addition, students now work with computers to learn set, costume and lighting design.
“Now we can teach design and stuff on the computers. We didn’t have that before,” Funk said.
Funk said these important changes could not have occurred without faculty effort and the support of ETSU’s administration.
It is Funk’s goal to make this program one of the best in the nation.
He said thanks to the new faculty, students are receiving a great education.
“I think we proved it last year when we took a show to Kennedy Center. When you’re one of eight schools in the nation that gets invited to perform at the Kennedy Center, you are doing something right,” he said.
Part of the division of theatre’s efforts to provide a quality education to students involves restoration of the Veterans Affairs Memorial Theatre in Mountain Home and renovation of the Bud Frank Theatre.
Funk said when construction on both facilities is complete, students will have not only have more space to practice in but also will benefit from being able to perform in different types of theaters.
The VA Memorial Theatre will provide a seating arrangement where the audience is facing the front of the stage. Renovations to the Bud Frank Theatre are intended to turn it into an arena theater where the audience surrounds the actors.
Funk said renovations are progressing on the VA Memorial Theatre.
The sooner more money is available, the quicker those renovations can be completed.
He said for it to be a workable space, improvements have to be made.
Wiring is being replaced, air conditioning systems must be added, rooms must be made handicapped accessible, crumbling plaster must be replaced, and new lighting and sound systems must be installed.
The lack of climate control is causing the building to deteriorate.The future looks bright for theater majors.
Funk said most people who study theater want to be stars, but those who make a good living as professional actors and actresses are few.
However, he said there are a lot of jobs in areas such as voice-overs, industrial films, commercials and in technical areas such as stage management, lighting design and costume design. Because fewer people study technical areas of theater, individuals such as construction workers and artists are filling those jobs.
“Most people that go into theater want the applause,” he said.
To reserve a seat for Sand Mountain, call 439-7576.
If you would like more information about the VA Memorial Theatre restoration, call 439-5352.

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