Nomadic Theatre
Encyclopedia
Nomadic Theatre is one of the Co-Curricular, student-led theatre groups at Georgetown University
. It has dedicated itself to producing new works that have an aspect of social awareness.
, was about a man who befriends an imaginary
giant rabbit.
as a way to add a third show to their season. In 1999, plans were drawn up for the creation of a new building on campus dedicated solely to the performing arts. The proposed "Ryan Arts Center" would also "justify the eviction of many performing arts groups from other facilities on campus, clearing up space for new projects." Questions were raised on whether or not fledgling groups like Nomadic would be able to survive the transition.
, otherwise known as DPAC. Nomadic and other theatre groups on campus were able to use the advanced scene shop and costume shop for working on their shows but many were dismayed by the restrictictions they encountered in trying to access other parts of the building. Professor Maya Roth, director of the theatre program and artistic director of the performing arts program, stated "[DPAC is] an academic building, so it’s to support the growth of the academic programs." The building's theatre spaces were to be reserved mainly for faculty directed shows, which many in the theatre community found very disappointing. However, with Dr. Korczak and The Children, directed by Nomadic's Artistic Advisor Karen Berman, Nomadic became the first student group to gain access by putting on the first show ever to be held in the Devine Black Box Theatre. In 2007, Nomadic became the first group to have a full-scale, student-run show in the Devine when undergraduate Jojo Ruf directed Translations. Since then Nomadic has regularly performed in DPAC, most recently in the Spring of 2010 when they performed The Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris
.
The Executive Producer is responsible for developing long-range plans for the club, planning board meeting agendas, and coordinating club activities. The EP functions as a contact with Program in Performing Arts, the Department of Performing Arts, the Theatre Program Board, and the Georgetown Theatre Alumni.
The Associate Producer must be able to step in for the Executive Producer if necessary. In addition, the AP is in charge of maintaining the membership list, the alumni list, and the organizational archives and history of the club.
The Technical Director is in charge of keeping inventory of and maintaining the equipment the club, serving as a technical consultant to all shows, and acting as the TD for shows in the event that another show TD isn't hired.
The Business Manager develops the budget with the EP and AP and ensures that the club stays within its limits. The BM also manages the box office for each show and arranges ticket sales.
The Publicity Director is in charge of the publicity for the club and assists in the publicity of each show. the PD also prepares the show programs, arranges for ushers, solicits ads for the program, keeps a list of advertisers and solicits alumni support.
Nomadic Theatre is advised by a Technical Advisor and Artistic Advisor who act as liaisons with Georgetown University's administration. They oversee club operations and meetings but do not have a vote in Board decisions.
Honorary Memberships can be given by the Nomadic Board to anyone who has helped the organization in a special way. Honorary Members cannot vote in general meetings but can attend all Nomadic productions for free.
performance space) in the Davis Performing Arts Center in the center of Georgetown's campus. Mainstages are directed, produced, acted, designed largely by students. Often students in large roles such as Director, Producer
, or Designer, generally have an assistant who they train to be able to perform that role on a future show.
that occurred at Georgetown throughout the Fall and Spring. Nomadic board members believed that "The biggest way to stop violence is if you know the people around you...And that’s only going to happen if we get these groups together. Otherwise we’re going to have pockets of people who aren’t intermingling.”
Nomadic Theatre has twice collaborated with M&B, meaning that the two boards come together to agree on a director, producer, and play. The last Nomadic-M&B Collaboration was the Spring 2010 production of The Real Thing
by Tom Stoppard
.
In March 2006, Nomadic Theatre teamed up with the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown to produce Dr. Korczak and the Children. It was the first production staged in the Devine Theatre of the Davis Performing Arts Center, making Nomadic the first student group to perform in DPAC. It was directed by Karen Berman, a member of the Faculty and Artistic Advisor to Nomadic, and was chosen in response to the vandalism of a menorah in Red Square the previous year. The production received assistance from many other groups on campus, including STAND, UNICEF Georgetown, the Polish Club, the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, the Program for Jewish Civilization, the BMW Center for German and European Studies and Campus Ministry with the Jewish Studies and Culture program.
In February 2009, Nomadic produced a Square Pegs in collaboration with GU Pride called Still Me. Still Me was compiled from interviews and stories from Georgetown students celebrating the ups and downs of coming out and self-discovery.
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. It has dedicated itself to producing new works that have an aspect of social awareness.
Birth of Nomadic Theatre
Nomadic was created in 1982 by a group of members from the Mask & Bauble Dramatic Society (M&B) who were tired of the Shakespeare and traditional theatre that M&B was known for. They were "angry theatre kids who wanted to perform something new." Their first show, HarveyHarvey (play)
Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...
, was about a man who befriends an imaginary
Púca
The Púca is a creature of Celtic folklore, notably in Ireland, the West of Scotland, and Wales. It is one of the myriad fairy folk, and, like many fairy folk, is both respected and feared by those who believe in it....
giant rabbit.
Origin of Name
They are called nomadictheatre because they have no permanent theatre to work in, unlike M&B which has a home in Poulton Hall's Black Box Theater.The 90's
In the Mid-90's, Nomadic forayed into Dinner theaterDinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
as a way to add a third show to their season. In 1999, plans were drawn up for the creation of a new building on campus dedicated solely to the performing arts. The proposed "Ryan Arts Center" would also "justify the eviction of many performing arts groups from other facilities on campus, clearing up space for new projects." Questions were raised on whether or not fledgling groups like Nomadic would be able to survive the transition.
The Rise of the Department of Performing Arts
In 2005 the proposed arts building became a reality in the form of the Davis Performing Arts Center, named after Royden B. Davis, S.J.Royden B. Davis
Royden B. Davis, S.J. served as Dean of Georgetown College at Georgetown University from 1966 to 1989.Born in Ventnor City, New Jersey, Davis served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945 as a gunner in an anti-aircraft battery. He earned a bachelor of science degree in economics in 1947 and a law...
, otherwise known as DPAC. Nomadic and other theatre groups on campus were able to use the advanced scene shop and costume shop for working on their shows but many were dismayed by the restrictictions they encountered in trying to access other parts of the building. Professor Maya Roth, director of the theatre program and artistic director of the performing arts program, stated "[DPAC is] an academic building, so it’s to support the growth of the academic programs." The building's theatre spaces were to be reserved mainly for faculty directed shows, which many in the theatre community found very disappointing. However, with Dr. Korczak and The Children, directed by Nomadic's Artistic Advisor Karen Berman, Nomadic became the first student group to gain access by putting on the first show ever to be held in the Devine Black Box Theatre. In 2007, Nomadic became the first group to have a full-scale, student-run show in the Devine when undergraduate Jojo Ruf directed Translations. Since then Nomadic has regularly performed in DPAC, most recently in the Spring of 2010 when they performed The Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris
Bruce Norris (playwright)
Bruce Norris is an American actor and playwright associated with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago. On April 18, 2011 Norris was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Clybourne Park...
.
Mission
As stated in the Nomadic Theatre Charter, "Nomadic Theatre is a student-run theatre group oriented towards providing a recreational community theatre environment for the undergraduate students of Georgetown University. We provide the opportunity for students to get involved in theatre, both on and off stage, in a creative, fun and educational setting. Our goal is to use the theatre process to allow students to learn about the many aspects of theatre through doing theatre."Board Positions
Officers of Nomadic Theatre are responsible for enforcing the rules set forth in the charter. Officers must attend all strikes, move-ins, and Nomadic events. They are ultimately responsible for the success of each show and for the overall health of those involved.- Executive Producer (EP)
The Executive Producer is responsible for developing long-range plans for the club, planning board meeting agendas, and coordinating club activities. The EP functions as a contact with Program in Performing Arts, the Department of Performing Arts, the Theatre Program Board, and the Georgetown Theatre Alumni.
- Associate Producer (AP)
The Associate Producer must be able to step in for the Executive Producer if necessary. In addition, the AP is in charge of maintaining the membership list, the alumni list, and the organizational archives and history of the club.
- Technical Director (TD)
The Technical Director is in charge of keeping inventory of and maintaining the equipment the club, serving as a technical consultant to all shows, and acting as the TD for shows in the event that another show TD isn't hired.
- Business Manager (BM)
The Business Manager develops the budget with the EP and AP and ensures that the club stays within its limits. The BM also manages the box office for each show and arranges ticket sales.
- Publicity Director (PD)
The Publicity Director is in charge of the publicity for the club and assists in the publicity of each show. the PD also prepares the show programs, arranges for ushers, solicits ads for the program, keeps a list of advertisers and solicits alumni support.
- Faculty Advisors
Nomadic Theatre is advised by a Technical Advisor and Artistic Advisor who act as liaisons with Georgetown University's administration. They oversee club operations and meetings but do not have a vote in Board decisions.
Membership Requirements
Any Undergraduate or graduate student of Georgetown University is considered a member of Nomadic if they have fulfilled a position on a production staff of a Nomadic show either in a technical or performance capacity, or if they work for at least 4 hours on a Nomadic Theatre Production. Active members have one vote in all general membership meetings and are eligible to run for a position on the Nomadic Theatre board. Membership must be renewed annually.Honorary Memberships can be given by the Nomadic Board to anyone who has helped the organization in a special way. Honorary Members cannot vote in general meetings but can attend all Nomadic productions for free.
Mainstages
Nomadic Theatre produces three main-stage shows a year, usually performed in either the Walsh Black Box at the corner of 37th and Prospect Street or the Devine Theatre (a black boxBlack box theater
The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
performance space) in the Davis Performing Arts Center in the center of Georgetown's campus. Mainstages are directed, produced, acted, designed largely by students. Often students in large roles such as Director, Producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
, or Designer, generally have an assistant who they train to be able to perform that role on a future show.
Square Pegs
Square Pegs are opportunities for students to get involved in theatre without a large time commitment. They have a much shorter rehearsal process and have minimal technical elements. Often they are performed in the open air amphitheatre in Red Square or in Bulldog Alley in the Leavey Center.Other Initiatives
In the Spring of 2010 members of Nomadic Theatre were instrumental in the organization of Hate-Free Georgetown, a weeklong celebration to "promote unity and respect on campus.". The week was in response to a number of bias related incidentsHate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
that occurred at Georgetown throughout the Fall and Spring. Nomadic board members believed that "The biggest way to stop violence is if you know the people around you...And that’s only going to happen if we get these groups together. Otherwise we’re going to have pockets of people who aren’t intermingling.”
Past Collaborations and Community Outreach
- Mask & Bauble Dramatic Society
Nomadic Theatre has twice collaborated with M&B, meaning that the two boards come together to agree on a director, producer, and play. The last Nomadic-M&B Collaboration was the Spring 2010 production of The Real Thing
The Real Thing (play)
The Real Thing is a play by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. It examines the nature of honesty, and its use of a play within a play is one of many levels on which the author teases the audience with the difference between semblance and reality....
by Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
.
- Georgetown Department of Performing Arts
In March 2006, Nomadic Theatre teamed up with the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown to produce Dr. Korczak and the Children. It was the first production staged in the Devine Theatre of the Davis Performing Arts Center, making Nomadic the first student group to perform in DPAC. It was directed by Karen Berman, a member of the Faculty and Artistic Advisor to Nomadic, and was chosen in response to the vandalism of a menorah in Red Square the previous year. The production received assistance from many other groups on campus, including STAND, UNICEF Georgetown, the Polish Club, the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, the Program for Jewish Civilization, the BMW Center for German and European Studies and Campus Ministry with the Jewish Studies and Culture program.
- GU Pride
In February 2009, Nomadic produced a Square Pegs in collaboration with GU Pride called Still Me. Still Me was compiled from interviews and stories from Georgetown students celebrating the ups and downs of coming out and self-discovery.