Leonardo Lopez – Staff Writer
The 4th Wall club is open to both theatre majors and other students interested in becoming a member of Broward College’s Theatre department. The club plans to transition their online Zoom meetings to the South Campus later this year.
The 4th Wall club specializes in supporting the activities of the Theatre Department. All BC students are welcome to join. Members are encouraged to get involved in the department’s four annual productions. Additionally, guest speakers, acting workshops, as well as updates on the department are frequently presented.
Katherine Valli, an assistant Professor of Theatre who has worked at BC for nine years, is the 4th Wall Theatre Club’s Faculty Advisor. She said that her favorite aspect of what she does is building a sense of community within the club as well as the department that becomes a family.
“Students can gain a better understanding of the art of theatre and create a sense of family within the club and department, where their creativity and goals are supported and nourished through club activities and departmental performances,” Valli said.
“Even if you are not a performing arts major, I encourage every ‘performer at heart’ to join the club. Theatre can be beneficial for many different careers and interests, encouraging one to be creative and go outside their ‘comfort zone’ to grow exponentially,” Valli added.
Carly Mrha, sophomore student at BC, had been boxing during her high school years. She won the Golden Gloves award and fought in the Olympic qualifiers. However, after she developed a brain injury, she retired from the sport.
With the dream of performing on stage, Mrha found that BC was offering a degree in theatre. Since then, she dedicated herself to what she had always loved; performing in four stage productions.
Wanting to get involved outside the classroom, she discovered the 4th Wall Club where she went on to become a representative, the vice president and, as of April 1, the president.
“I honestly was a bit shy at first because I knew I had passion for acting but I didn’t know where to start. However, after my first meeting I connected with a lot of people who shared the same interests as me, and I started feeling more comfortable opening up,” Mrha said. “I came into BC with an athlete mentality- I associated vulnerability with weakness. However, the theatre program taught me the opposite, that vulnerability isn’t weakness, it highlights the inner strength and beauty of the human spirit in all of us. This school and this club have impacted me in the best way possible and I would love to share that with as many of my fellow students as I can with my remaining time at BC. ”
Valli adds, “The club supports our nationally accredited theatre department, where we have classes in acting, technical theatre, and four performances per year where anyone is welcome and encouraged to be a part of the process. Dip a toe into this art in our club, and you’ll find yourself immersed in the joy of theatre.”
To adjust to the Covid-19 pandemic the club’s meetings are currently held online through Zoom. However, Valli believes that they will be returning to in-person meetings in the fall. At that point, the meetings will be held at the South Campus. Additionally, Meetings are held once a month, usually the second or third Thursday of the month from 3-4pm.
If you are interested in joining the 4th Wall club, contact the club secretary, Paola Gutierrez, at her email: gutip7@mail.broward.edu.