Creative Oasis Despite its desert surroundings, there is nothing arid in the theater department at the College of Santa Fe. By Catherine Coggan Issue: June/July 2001 Supernatural hijinks envelop the school’s September 2000 production of Blithe Spirit. There might be more razzle-dazzle cities where you could study the performing arts, but they couldn’t be more unique than Santa Fe. Snow-tipped mountains backlight the city. Pinon trees and junipers highlight the romantic desert setting and adobe cottages nestle nearby like fat cats snoozing in the noonday sun. If Santa Fe isn’t the perfect backdrop for playing out a college degree in the theater arts, then it’s pretty close. The College of Santa Fe has one of the most esteemed performing arts programs in the country. Located at the Greer Garson Theater, which was built with the financial and spiritual support of the Hollywood actress, the performing arts department has 100 students completely immersed in the real-politick of the theater. The department’s brochure assures prospective students that even as freshmen, they can audition for mainstage productions. In case you think that’s handbill hype, Megan Riffe, a junior, confirms the claim. “I’m on my 12th show here,” she says. “It’s a small school. That’s what makes it possible for everyone to do what he or she wants. It’s expected.” In fact, from the minute you walk through the glass doors of the Greer Garson, it’s clear that this college’s performing arts department is a hands-on environment for students. They are running the box office. They’re in and out of the mainstage theater with paint buckets and hammers. They’re in the professors’ offices planning a set or sewing a dress or designing and lighting plot. The whole place is humming. John Weckesser, a quiet, affable man and chair of the department, explains why the theater is so accessible to students early in their careers: “One of the advantages we have is that no one is competing with graduate students for work.” But the possibilities don’t stop at the mainstage door. The college also gives kids the chance to run the show themselves in the studio theater. “All shows are student directed,” Weckesser points out. “They can pick their own material.” The department’s course plan is loaded with technical classes, too: Drafting for the Theater, Principles of Theater Design, Management Principles, Draping and Pattern-Making. It’s a virtual candy box of goodies for the new college student to sample. However, a student could dabble in a dozen courses and still not have a sense of direction. Where the CSF performing arts department truly shines is introducing the value of a variety of careers in theater, beyond acting and directing. “There are far more jobs backstage than onstage,” Weckesser says. High spirits enliven the April 1998 staging of Once Upon A Mattress at the College of Santa Fe. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the department puts its degrees where its philosophy is, offering BFAs in design/technical theater and in music theater. Plus, there are BAs in theater management. Weckesser cautions, however, that he doesn’t accept BFAs through the door. A student must audition in the sophomore year before being accepted into the BFA program. “Most come in as stars from their high school, where they are revered,” says Weckesser. “They come here and then realize that theater really is work. We give them a year to sort out if they really want to do this.” For those who stay in the program, there is a colorful staff ready and waiting to support them. Cheryl Odom teaches a class on costume design, but she feels the better education comes from actually working on a production. “My feeling is they should be doing it,” she says. A. Clark Duncan, professor of stage management and set design, has a combined office and studio, and says students are never far from the drawing board, set up right at the door to his office. “I don’t categorize students as freshman, sophomore, etc., but rather, ‘Will they or won’t they?’” he reveals. As the department goes about its work of preparing students for the realities of theater, it’s also trying to encourage a larger worldview. To that end, the college recently added Claire Davidson to the faculty. Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Davidson brings extensive career experience in British and European theater to the department. “The European theater operates from a deeply technical base,” says Davidson. “In America, the emphasis is the emotional qualities.” Davidson sees her role as the catalyst that helps students link the two traditions. A playful moment stirs up things in You Can’t Take It With You. To flesh out this plan, Davidson directed two of the college’s mainstage productions for the 2000-01 season. First, she did Nöel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, then directed a knockout version of Cabaret, which closed the season. In addition to these two classics, the department also mounted an original piece, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), written by Ann-Marie McDonald and directed by part-time faculty member Wendy Chapin. Equally challenging for the students was William Saroyan’s The Time Of Your Life, directed by Steven Schwartz. In a set that beautifully captured the ambience of a dingy bar in 1930s San Francisco, the entire department worked together to create a high-spirited, intense production that showcased the discipline and quality of the school’s performing arts program. What will you need to apply to CSF’s Performing Arts Department? According to Weckesser and the faculty, a portfolio is a big asset, collecting all your previous work in high school and your community, from set design to lighting to makeup. Duncan advises those interested in set design to include other artwork, beyond photographs of sets, in order to reveal all sides of your abilities. An interview and audition are part of the application to the department. Weckesser looks for a certain feel in a candidate. “Attitude counts a lot,” he says. “That they’re team players and interested in being self-starters. And that they have a genuine love of theater as an artform.” For junior Megan Riffe, the CSF performing arts department was the right decision. “There’s stress,” she warns. “We raise ourselves to the standard of a school that has more size and a bigger faculty. But it’s a playground for us.” A scene from the College of Santa Fe’s October 1999 production of Our Country’s Good A year’s tuition at CSF is $16,850, plus $6,794 for room and board and about $780 for books and other fees. The school’s rolling admissions policy means students are accepted until the program is filled, and there is not a specific deadline. However, since theater classes fill very fast, the school’s admissions office recommends a March 15 application deadline. Schoolwide, about $3 million in financial aid is available, and approximately 80 percent of students rely on it. The performing arts department awards $2,500 scholarships to students after the audition. For more information on the College of Santa Fe, or to apply, write to: Admissions Office, College of Santa Fe, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505; telephone: 505-473-6133; e-mail: admissions@csf.edu; website: www.csf.edu. sd Catherine Coggan is a freelance writer who specializes in the arts and culture of the Southwest.