On Saturday December 3, 2022 a critical mass of people including myself, Provost Thomas Poon, EVP Lynn Scarboro, VP Trevor Wiseman, a smattering of proud faculty/staff from Theatre Arts and Dance, a host of current undergraduate students, along with a host of Theatre Arts and Dance alumni from across generations gathered in the Strub Theatre for what was an historic moment.
The occasion of the decommissioning of Strub in anticipation of its renovation was a phenomenal event that was worthy of the august history of the place, and the honored practice of art making in the space. Professors Leon Wiebers, chair of Theatre Arts, and Rosalynde LeBlanc Loo, chair of Dance, were masterful in their framing and facilitation of the occasion. They spoke about varying historical features of the facility including the architecture of Edward Durrell Stone and the unique Millard Sheets tapestry commissioned for the lobby – along with theatre and dance practice in the place; they spoke about the technologies of knowing the body, acting, and choreography in the space; and they spoke about the historicity of being and knowing the self in and through performance practice, with location being and becoming collaborative partner in artistic practice.
I spoke about the importance of commemorating this transitional moment and what this renovation will further offer in the education, training, and professional development of our students and staff. Then Damon Rago, former chair of Dance, and Kevin Wetmore, former chair of Theatre Arts, blew us all away with words of remembrance including the invocation of Judy Scalin and Virginia Barnelle along with the historical importance of theatre in general and theatre/dance pedagogy at LMU – giving honor to the foremothers and forefathers of LMU theatre/dance – in that order. Kevin reframed the theatre as a sacred space, if not a spiritual space – and thus reconstructed the notion of a decommissioning to a deconsecration; but not the act of removing a religious blessing from something that had been previously consecrated by a minister or priest of that religion; but recognizing that such a sacred space will go through a temporary un-use as the physical features are refashioned for a reconstituted worship. Kevin spoke to the historicity of the theatre ghost light, that will be temporarily dimmed and relight to both protect and greet the return.
The words of celebration and memorialization were then followed by a powerful media presentation; snippets from filmed dance concerts and a slide show of images from play productions over an expansive history of theatre and dance at LMU. During the presentation the cross and intergenerational audience of students, current and alums, along with faculty/staff and very familiar friends of LMU theatre and dance (including a proud dean and senior administrators) shouted, hooted, and hollered with both the familiar and at the sheer range of work. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Chuck Erven, longtime professor of Theatre Arts, as I cajoled and congratulated him on the many recognizable sets that he produced over the years as they appeared in the photos.
It was all very impressive and moving, and worthy of such a history to which you have all contributed at different measure – as we all anticipate the next part of the illustrious history of the Strub and LMU Theatre Arts and Dance in that location (and beyond). All of this was magnified with a roll call – as Leon and Roz asked all those present to identify each to the other – inviting the array of current students to stand (as they did with zeal and energy); asking the alums to stand and announce their years of attendance – which they did with pride and reverence to what the department(s) have accomplished and what is to come with the renovation. And the faculty and staff who were present from both theatre and dance were asked to identify themselves and their areas of teaching/expertise. I was taken by the level of acknowledgement from both current students and alums for the current faculty and staff. Their voices and energies filled the room along with the histories of memories and productions that had been stirred in the space – a recognition of past, present, and future.
At the end of the presentation separate from an invite to a lovely reception, Leon and Roz made available drawing chalk and invited (nay gave permission) to all in attendance to “leave their mark” on the space – by engaging in what could reductively be called “graffiti” – but not defacement or vandalism. Instead as an invitation to write love letters and messages to the space (the theatre itself); to the memories; to the ghosts. It was a gestural act, a performative act that made manifest the emotionality of the event and the separation – in a tensive relationality of both saying good-bye and anticipating saying hello to what will come in the Fall 2023.
The images of the event will archive a history of our engagement, along with further opportunities for people to contribute both to the renovation project and student scholarships. Between now and the point in which the renovations begin, the current multi-colored graffitied walls of the Strub Theatre should stand, not as evidence of vandalism, but as messages written in the present to the past beckoning the future. The enactment was with joy and anticipation. Much appreciation to all who were able to be a part of that special historical moment.
