Theatre Arts raises curtain on showstopping space in Starcher Hall
Community and connection remain key focal points as UND Department of Theatre Arts melds degree programs under one roof
Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Learning core value calls on the University to “enhance physical and virtual learning spaces to ensure faculty and students have the tools and resources necessary for productive and enriching educational experiences.” This story reports on the Department of Theatre Arts’ recent consolidation of programs under one roof in Starcher Hall, enhancing community and connectivity.
This story was originally published in UND Today on Feb. 18.
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With a bright smile, Emily Cherry Oliver waves a guest into her eclectic new office space on the main floor of Starcher Hall.
“Come on in,” she says. “Have a seat. We’re so excited you’re here.”
As heads pop in and out, it’s clear the jovial chair of UND’s Department of Theatre Arts likes to keep an open door — an act she says is a whole lot easier now that most of the department’s doors are back under the same roof.
The department had become somewhat nomadic, she explained, ever since its longtime home in Chandler Hall — the University’s oldest building — was lost to demolition in 2018.
“Before the move to Starcher, I think we were spread across campus in five different buildings,” Oliver said. “We had offices in Gamble (Hall). We had dance space in Hyslop (Sports Center). We had classes and productions in Burtness (Theatre). And we had storage in Dining Services and Streibel Hall.”
Setting the scene for fluid learning
Besides the inefficiencies created by distance, Oliver said regular face-to-face feedback between faculty and students was more difficult — not to mention the after-hours challenge of fetching a replacement coffee table for the rehearsal set when it was anyone’s guess where it could be squirreled away behind locked doors.
“Now we have this beautiful cohesive space for learning. Our faculty and students can gather, and we can have those organic conversations that lead to creativity,” she said. “The move already has been an absolute game-changer for us, and the renovation work isn’t even finished yet.”
Student Jace Toutenhoofd, a junior seeking his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, enthusiastically echoed that sentiment.
“I joined the program in 2022, and I remember walking from one end of campus to the other. My classes seemed like they were all over the place, and it felt very disconnected,” Toutenhoofd said.
Shining a spotlight on strong community
The pair are quick to point out, however, that this semester’s transition has meant far more than just improved convenience for students and faculty. The most important change, they say, has been a renewed sense of community.
“In the theater world, we already feel very much like a family unit, so it’s nice to have that common, unified space,” Toutenhoofd said. “I can go to class. I can hang out with friends. I can talk to Emily whenever I want. I even can take a little power nap in our new student lounge if I finish class at four and don’t want to go home for an hour just to turn around and come right back for rehearsals at six.”
And that same community focus extends beyond the boundaries of campus, Oliver added, calling theater one of UND’s “unique gems.”
“We like to think of ourselves — or our theater productions — as a front door to the University,” she explained. “When someone comes to a show, that experience also could be their very first interaction with UND. So, the fact that we’ll now have a space that’s both welcoming and centrally located is a huge factor when we’re trying to recruit students.”
Further, the high-level support from the dean on up has led faculty to feel “invigorated.”
“We have great faculty doing amazing new things,” Oliver said. “One of our department goals is to connect more with the greater community. We want more people to see our students’ work because we think it’s truly exceptional.”
Making growth an easy act to follow
Counting both majors and minors, UND currently enrolls about 60 students in its theater degree programs. And Oliver says the department’s five-year goal is to more than double that enrollment by increasing the total to 100 majors and 50 minors.
The trajectory? So far, so good.
The first phase of the Starcher Hall renovation is nearly complete with faculty and staff now settled into their new offices. A large traditional classroom, which inherited seating from the former Memorial Union, is open for business. And students already are enjoying their comfortable digs in the new student lounge — complete with comfy couches and tables, a coffee bar, library nook, plus a projector for movie nights and a full-size piano (just for fun or for extra practice for those who need it).
“We wanted to create a special space our students could call home,” Oliver said. “And my hope is that it becomes the heart of our department.”
Another showcase feature is the department’s large-scale movement lab on the second floor. It includes a shock-absorbing “sprung” floor while also incorporating high-tech, motion-capture cameras and sound equipment to help students fine-tune their performance techniques.
“I think the system has more capabilities, but because it’s so new, we’re still exploring how it can be used in classes and for different research projects,” Oliver said.
The crown jewels coming up
The second phase of the project is set to begin later this spring. It will include a costume shop and makeup area that’s three times larger than the one housed in the Burtness Theatre.
And last, but not least, will be a brand-new black box theater on the main level. Oliver said the flexible space in the large area will allow for much larger productions than are possible in the current black box theater in the basement of the Burtness Theatre.
And unlike the original, she said the new black box theater will be built to theater specs — with better sound, better lights and better sight lines. Set designers also will be able to use screws to secure large pieces to a level floor — something that was impossible with the rough concrete in the Burtness.
But perhaps the biggest bonus will be its size. The current black box theater is very small, limiting shows to an average of four actors and up to 90 spectators. Depending on how it’s configured, Oliver says she expects the new black box theater to accommodate shows with up to 20 actors and 150 to 200 spectators.
For the sake of comparison, the crowd capacity for Grand Forks’ Fire Hall Theatre is close to 75.
The show must go on
“It’s just going to allow us to give more students more experience while also making room for more of the community to see our shows,” Oliver said.
Toutenhoofd said he’s already noticed more students from all fields auditioning for shows or otherwise expressing an interest in theater.
“I think everyone should try it or come to one of our shows,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun, and I know they won’t regret it for an instant.”
Added Oliver: “I think it’s important for any department, but especially in theater, for students to have a place where they can go and create that community. This will not only be a space where they can hang out and sometimes take a nap (chuckling), but it will be a space where they can learn, where they can ask questions, where they can connect every day with faculty. They can experience their classwork and then go down the hall to the new lab space and put it into practice immediately. Here, they can open that door to the whole community.”
The main Burtness Theatre will continue to stage shows, Oliver said, but once Phase Two is finished at Starcher, the set building and prop storage will find a permanent home in the Burtness basement.
But not to worry, she said. People won’t have to wait that long for their next theater fix. Four shows are just around the corner.
>> Get your tickets. The next UND Theatre production will be “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” by Ken Ludwig at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 through March 1 and 2 p.m. March 2. Unrehearsed Shakespeare shows for “Taming of the Shrew,” “Macbeth” and “Twelfth Night” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. April 24, 25 and 26, respectively. All performances take place in UND’s Burtness Theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at burtness.und.edu.
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