Story 5: News Trend

As the WSU Theatre department enters its final weeks of existence this may only be the beginning of more department cuts on campus.
“This is more than just a department,” WSU student Katie Newgard said. “This is a family.”
Newgard was a theatre major, but since the university terminated the Theatre department, she has to transfer at the end of the semester to earn her degree elsewhere.
During spring 2009, WSU and the College of Liberal Arts decided to cut the Theatre and Dance department. Students seeking a theatre degree are given until spring 2011 to fulfill their requirements.
“My whole life is changing,” Newgard said. “I have to start over at a new school and hope my credits transfer.”
In a WSU press release dated May 1, 2009, President Floyd wrote the department was being cut. This came as no surprise to WSU student Jared Chastain.
Chastain, a political science major, has been involved with the Theatre department for three years.
“It was a long time coming,” Chastain said. “The writing was on the wall.”
Chastain said better show selections and a strong alumni backing may have helped prolong the department’s existence.
Terry Converse, a theatre professor, has been directing plays at WSU for 22 years.
“I don’t believe it was a budget cut situation,” Converse said. “We were a convenient choice given our (department) size.”
Converse said the department pleaded their case to save theatre many times to no avail.
Laurilyn Harris, a theatre professor and department chair, has worked within the department for 37 years. She feels WSU’s excuse of budgetary reasons was not accurate.
Harris said in 2001, when the idea of the department being cut first surfaced, faculty and staff caused too much bad publicity for the university.
“There was an attitude toward the arts from the upper level of administration,” Harris said via phone interview. “They don’t see theatre as important.”
In a WSU press release, Floyd wrote that by cutting the Theatre department, WSU would save $420,000 a year. Floyd also wrote the department is “historically underfunded.”
The university did not respond to a request for further comments prior to deadline.
Arwen Bloomsburg, program assistant for the Theatre department, tries to justify why WSU cut the department.
“I guess the college made the choice that seemed the best to them at the time,” Bloomsburg said. “I guess we needed to be more profitable and self supporting.”
Bloomsburg said she hopes some day the university will see the true value in having a Theatre department.
“The plays educate and enlighten the audience,” Bloomsburg said, “that’s part of being an educational department.”
Chastain thinks down the road theatre will return.
“It will be back within eight to nine years,” Chastain said. “I would like to see the university partner with the Stage group to advertise the university and bridge the gap.”
Newgard also believes the department will eventually come back.
“The Theatre department is always going to be a family and a sense of community,” Newgard said.
On Tuesday, the Washington Senate released the operating budget for 2011-13 bienniums. WSU is projected to face a $112 million budget cut in state allocation.
On Wednesday, Floyd met with other Washington university presidents on television station KCTS 9. Floyd said higher education in our state is in a steep fiscal crisis.
At the end of the spring semester, WSU will be the only research university without a Theatre department.
“This department, by nature, has created an intimacy to the point it seems like family,” Bloomsburg said. “This is like a second home and that’s hard to lose.”