Introduction
Albertus Magnus College student Shannon Visco ‘25 had always loved theater and had been involved in drama since elementary school. When she arrived at college, she was excited to continue pursuing her passion for theater and join the Drama Club. However, Shannon soon discovered that Albertus Magnus College’s Drama Club was no longer functional.
This was a big disappointment for Shannon, who had always been surrounded by a thriving theater community. Growing up, she did every show she possibly could, both in school and with community theater groups. Theater was more than just a hobby for Shannon – it was a way of expressing herself.
Feeling the absence of the vibrant theater community she had been accustomed to, Shannon was inspired to revive the Drama Club. She wanted to bring back the spotlight and create a space for students who shared her love of theater to come together and create something special.
For Shannon, the inspiration to revive the Drama Club was about more than just continuing her personal love for theater. She believed that theater was a vital form of expression that could bring people together and create positive change in the community. She was determined to bring that magic back to her college campus.
A Dysfunctional Drama Club
The Drama Club, which used to be a thriving community for theater enthusiasts, had unfortunately fallen into disuse over the years. The historic theater fell victim to its age, leaving the club without a rehearsal or performance space.
Moreover, the Club President, who was situated remotely, struggled to maintain the club off-campus. With few members and no productions to keep them afloat, the club suffered. The unfortunate reality was that there had not been a drama production in over five years.
However, Shannon did not accept the current state of affairs and decided to take action. With an abundance of enthusiasm and commitment, Shannon set out on a mission to bring the Drama Club back to its former glory. It was time to revive the passion and showcase the students’ theatrical talent.
The Rebuilding Process
Reviving a Drama Club that had been relatively inactive for years was not an easy task. Shannon received help in this process from fellow students Giana Cagna ‘24 and Kristian Lozada ‘25, in addition to English Professor Susan Cole. Together, the team shared an abundance of email chains and zoom meetings to discuss the feasibility of this effort and the next steps. With the Club still technically intact and a remote President, this was a unique and challenging task. Eventually, the Club President handed leadership over to Giana, with Shannon as the Vice President. By the beginning of Shannon’s sophomore year, the Club finally had a foundation, but there were still many obstacles to overcome.
Overcoming the Challenges
Despite all their efforts, there were still a few setbacks. Firstly, they needed to recruit students. The group spread the word and posted flyers around campus, but the response was not very promising. The students soon turned to their friends, and in doing so, they were eventually able to fill a cast and crew.
Now with a cast and crew, the next step was finding a play to perform. In an effort to keep costs down and continue to foster involvement, they came up with an idea for a student contest. They posted flyers around campus encouraging students to submit plays, and if chosen, the Drama Club would put on the play, with the student as the director. Bailey Mitchell-Warren won the contest with The Atomic Family from Outer Space, a submission about a family of aliens. Not only was that Bailey’s first go at writing and directing a play, but it would also be the Drama Club’s first production since the club’s revival.
With a cast and play, the next challenge was finding a space to perform. Without a theater, the club was severely limited in its options. At one point, they had even considered performing outside, but the unpredictable weather and lack of sound system made it difficult. Eventually, they decided that the Behan Community Room (BCR) was the most viable option. However, being the most popular room on campus, coordinating dates and times was an immense challenge. The club ended up having to rehearse on random days at inopportune times- sometimes late on Sunday nights.
Wardrobe was another challenge. Without a budget, it was difficult for the club to find props and costumes. However, the group pulled items from their closets and purchased items from thrift stores in order to build their own costumes.
This Year’s Performances
Despite these challenges, the Drama Club successfully performed The Atomic Family from Outer Space in fall of 2022- the club’s first performance in five years. The performance also received a Falcon Award for the best event on campus, voted on by fellow classmates.
In spring, they performed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical. Between the members’ unique skills, they were able to combine their talents of singing, directing, and dancing to have a successful performance.
When asked about the Falcon Awards and productions this year, Shannon exclaimed,“It was really exciting. We worked so hard on it- we had so little time for it, and it was something so new, but the turnout for both the productions we did this year was incredible. There was definitely a lot of support which was just fantastic, so I’m really proud of everyone.”
The Drama Club’s Future
It is safe to say we can expect big things from the Drama Club next year. They plan to run another student contest for their fall play and hope to perform a musical again in spring. While this year included a lot of learning curves for the club, their hard work and dedication overcame it all. We look forward to seeing them in the spotlight again next year.
Keep Up With the Drama Club
To keep up with the Drama Club, you can follow them on Instagram. If you’d like to learn more about Albertus Magnus College’s student clubs and organizations, click here.
Be sure to stay tuned for their student contests next year. If you want to step into the spotlight (or maybe help from behind the scenes) consider joining their cast and crew.