The University of North Alabama’s Cinematic Arts and Theater Program has been busy since its establishment last year. Since early 2021, its chair, Associate Professor Mike Johnson, has worked towards integrating film and theater students in a way that fully equips them for the jobs they are set to work in the future.
In addition to Johnson, the CAT program at UNA is led by Visiting Assistant Professor Abigail Dillard, as well as assistant professors Bryan McHenry and Ariel Lauryn.
The dramatic arts constitute a work field that changes constantly. By continually employing new techniques and consistently doing everything in his power to let students hone their leadership skills, Johnson and his fellow professors stay ahead of the rapidly evolving industry.
Undergraduates studying under UNA’s CAT program have the option of graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. A BFA of this nature can center around Acting, Production Design and Tech or Film Production.
A BFA in the dramatic or cinematic arts is obtained from UNA not just through coursework, but through experiential learning, too. Activities taken up by UNA CAT see participants operate at the helm of their development. Now, several such projects are in the works.
On the cinematic arts front, Johnson and his advisees are in the process of putting out a short film, likely to be featured at the 26th annual George Lindsey Film Festival in 2023.
Furthermore, as far as onstage endeavors go, students have productions planned this fall, one of which is a devised exhibition titled The Folklore Project, to be performed Oct. 6-8.
The Folklore Project, overseen by theater professor Dillard, is unique in that it was conceived through a collaboration between Dillard and its performers. The unconventional play tells a number of stories, all of which are familiar and relevant to natives of the Shoals area. It will be available for viewing in the George S. Lindsey black box theater. The goal of Dillard’s undertaking was to conceive with her mentees an authentic fable, based on genuine folklore gathered from their surroundings.
“The premise [for The Folklore Project] was that we were going to work together to create an original folk tale for the world we live in today,” said Dillard. “We kicked off the project with a week of research and exploration, then we did a week of character work, and we really dived into the material we had laid out.”
With a newfound knowledge of local legend under their belt, Dillard and the actors involved in The Folklore Project are currently delving into unprecedented script work. Their collective approach to writing is an altogether enthusiastic one. Once they have organized their community-based research into a series of scenes, their rehearsals will take on a more traditional structure. In seeing to it that the abstraction of her piece is made a reality through largely student-led efforts, Dillard fosters creativity in her pupils to the utmost of her abilities.
“Approaching the oncoming year with a devised theater project, my colleagues and I get to come at it with an angle that empowers students to take their own strengths and backgrounds into account as it unwinds,” Dillard said in regard to The Folklore Project. “We are not using a script that was prepared by somebody else, so we do not have to withstand the pressure of living up to anyone’s expectations, at least not right off the bat. I like that we get to set our own expectations as we go; using this strategy, we share a common goal of bettering ourselves.
CAT professors aim to cultivate a learning environment wherein students, free of intimidation, can explore their dramatic or film making prospects. In order to do so, they make it so that dramatic auditions at UNA are open to all of its attendees. To further alleviate any stress students may suffer leading up to tryouts, administrators created a more approachable casting procedure. “Our department implemented an in-person audition workshop. We set up games open to everyone, designed to push potential cast members to explore their ranges. Afterwards, we go from there, determining what we can do for interested actors that best suits their inspirations.”
This autumn, beyond The Folklore Project, UNA’s theater department will put on a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Directed by adjunct professor Amanda Perry, public performances of the play are going to be held in the black box theater, with the exception of one show in Norton Auditorium, to which Perry plans to invite Shoals area school children to view for the holidays. UNA’s version of “A Christmas Carol” is set apart from other tellings of the familiar story by its incorporation of puppetry. Assistant professor Ariel Lauryn, with a notable background in the art of puppetry, is crafting several puppets, which will serve as the classic ghosts that visit Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ classic tale. The family-friendly show is set to premiere Nov. 17 and run through Thanksgiving break.