Jailyn Santiago
North Bureau Chief
The lights begin to dim, wrapping the audience into an eager silence. As the darkness begins to swallow the room, the curtain starts to rise. Inch by inch, a world they have never seen is unveiled before their eyes. For the next few hours, the audience will journey through this new world together with laughter and tears and leave with a newfound admiration for the power of theater. Fourth Wall, the theater club at Broward College, has put on amazing shows that never fail to captivate the entire crowd. “Our theater program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theater. That’s a pretty big deal. I think only about seven or eight community college theater programs in the country have this distinction,” said Mariah Reed, theater professor and director. She highlights how the college’s program is able to separate itself from others with a passion and understanding of professional standards.“Our theater professors are all working professionals in the business of theater and film.”The program sets the students up for success and helps them get ready for the workforce by the time they graduate. They offer classes that allow students to work both on and off stage, including makeup, acting, and voice.“When students leave our program, we hope that they’ve learned the value of working in collaboration with others on a team, the value of discipline, and an appreciation for the art of producing live theater.”Under the leadership of Reed and fellow director Jenna Wyatt, they have produced outstanding shows that have drawn large audiences to their work. They both ensure that their actors, tech, and audiences feel welcome in every setting. The Fourth Wall also offers a variety of workshops on different topics and skills that can be applied when the students graduate BC. Those who attend are able to take what was done and apply it to their everyday life. Victoria Wolf, a freshman and member of Fourth Wall, speaks on how she applies what she has learned in theater to her everyday life. “Whether I’m on or off stage, I constantly want to be improving. Humans can never achieve perfection, but there is always room to grow. Broward College and Fourth Wall provide professors who inspire me to make new choices and embrace vulnerability.”Behind every rehearsal and performance, there is a team of individuals who help create this magic off stage. The tech crew has a multitude of jobs, working quietly in the dark during the entire performance. Zi Haurie emphasizes how working tech is not as easy as it seems. “The technical crew is extremely important when bringing a production to life. [The technical crew] has the ability to immerse its audience within each scene and moment in a show. Without tech, you have no lights, set, or sound.” Starting in tech is a fantastic way to find out your passion for theater. Some other jobs commonly found in technical theater include the stage management team, costume and wardrobe, and props. A lighting designer can make the same set go from eerie and sinister to joyous and warm with just one cue. In today’s world, we search for something to distract us from the problems going on in the world. Yet, we seem to get caught in a loop between needing a distraction and then getting caught in a web of distractions. Within the calls of the college’s Performing Cultural Arts Theater (PCAT), the actors take the time to warm up, put on their artist clothes, and work together to put on meaningful performances. More modern shows have found inventive ways to discuss hard topics through dialogue and song. The fall mainstage, The Foreigner by Larry Shue, covers topics of racism and xenophobia. The cast and director made a video presentation to inform audiences on the current issues and how we can all learn from one another regardless of where we are from. “Theater is a form of art where we tell stories of the past, present, and future. We are the ones that get to remind our society of current issues and how we can face these struggles”, said Tommaso Randis, Vice president of Fourth Wall. “It’s important to have that community and allow the space to ask these questions that do make you uncomfortable because that’s when great things can come to life.”As the actors take their bow and the curtain begins to come down, we see how theater chooses to memorialize humanity in our forever growing society. The Fourth Wall theater club voices these changes and current events with their performances. Take the time to support your local theater and explore the magic that theater creates.
caption: The Foreigner play.
Photo courtesy of Broward College.