The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Agnes Scott students learn leadership, expand talents
Some students at Agnes Scott College spent part of the spring term acting dramatically — all in a good way. Thanks to a grant from Atlanta-based The Kelin Foundation, the Decatur institution teamed up with Synchronicity Theatre for a program designed to expand students’ thespian talents and introduce them to a range of skills needed to operate an artistic business.
The two-year pilot program includes an introduc- tion to contemporary, female playwrights as well as dramatic criticism, leadership skills and paid internships with the Midtown-based the- ater company.
“We are always looking for community partners, and we specifically wanted to have a theater company where you can see active leadership, where on any one day, you can be talking with a donor in the morning, putting on a paint smock in the afternoon and rewiring a set in the evening,” said David Thompson, who has been a professor of theater at the college for 22 years.
“Synchronicity gets to the heart of being detailed and task-oriented, as well as inspiring others. It speaks to the kind of leadership we’d like to instill inourstudents,” he added.
For Synchronicity’s Producing Artistic Director program. Our hope is that, after a successful launch, this pilot program will become a permanent way to develop capable, empowered leaders throughout the theater sector.”
The partnership kicked off just before the school shut down for sheltering-in-place directives. Eight students worked with May for a week and explored the intricacies of running a professional theRachel May, the partner- ater through workshops on ship extends the mission development, fundraising, of the organization that was marketing and social media launched by four women outreach. in 1997. They also learned about
“We have always had a the theater design process focus on ways to uplift the and arts journalism. In addivoices of women and girls,” tion, o ther experiences she said. “And we see the- invited students to explore ater as a way to create comwomen writers of the 20th munity.” century and to attend “Play
The nonprofit theater making for Girls,” a two-day produces five shows a year, workshop of writing and re a ches roughly 15,000 stage reading short works. patrons and has a variety “In a year-round project, of educational and outreach we’ll have more workshops, programs. Among them are and we hope to establish a summer camps, after-school funded fellowship for Agnes programs, classes for middle Scott graduates so they can and high school girls living have two years to learn arts in group homes or refugee administration,” said May communities, and a robust plan to continue with internship program. In its our partnership in the fall 22-year history, the theater and look forward to workhas run a variety of projects ing with them to continue for Agnes Scott. developing deeper ways for
“We’ve always had in us to partner together and the back of our minds that grow this program.” a women-focused college and a women-focused the- ater program would be a good relationship,” said May.
re thinking of ourselves as an adjunct of their theater
Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.