Union theatre presents final main stage production
JACKSON, Tenn. — After decades of producing plays for students, staff, and the community, Union University’s Theatre program took its final bow.
Tuesday, Union’s theatre department presented its final main stage production after it was announced the program will end after the current semester.
“There are definitely a lot of emotions involved with the show ending. I do want to stress that this is not the last show that will ever happen at Union. It’s just the last main stage production along with the program,” said Crista Wilhite, the production manager.
Wilhite says students have rallied together to create a student-run drama club in place of the canceled theatre program.
“Current students of Alpha Psi Omega, which is the Theatre Honor Society. They are looking at molding themselves into a student organization so that they can continue doing theatre together,” Wilhite said.
Wilhite says the program ending does change a lot for students, but most have already developed a plan for the future.
“The older students are going to be taught out. It’s a teach out. There will still be classes offered. The director of this show, Kristin Klonowski. She will still be teaching. They will finish out the degree that they were promised. Some of the freshmen are looking at transferring, but that’s something that happens most times that a program shuts down at a school,” Wilhite said.
Wilhite says she couldn’t be more proud of the theatre students’ talent this year, and the audience was definitely in for a dramatic final ending to an era.
“I have not seen students act at this level. Saying that as someone who’s directed here before, and I’m always impressed with the level of work that the students here bring. This could’ve been a time where they could’ve fallen apart with this news, but instead, I think they really dug in and just did everything they could to make this the very best that they could do,” Wilhite said.
Parents who chose not to speak on camera say that say their child is now regretting their decision to pursue theatre at Union.
They say they are trying to figure out what is next for them for their future thespian careers.
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