Arts & Entertainment

Anyone who has seen an Ethington Theatre performance in the last 20 years has seen the artistry of Nola Yergen’s costumes, so it should come as no surprise that Yergen and her collaborator have been chosen as two of eight designers from the U.S. in the World of WearableArt international design competition. Yergen, Costume Designer and Assistant Professor in the College of Fine Arts and Production, certainly didn’t expect it, however. “It really was kind of a shock,” she said. Winners will be announced Sept. 27.

The College of Fine Arts and Production gives students many opportunities to connect with industry professionals. Students from multiple programs in the college have a chance to engage with guest dance artists and directors, scene designers and a professional drone cinematographer, to name a few. “I think it has to do with our push and our goal of helping our students succeed once they leave here,” said Claude Pensis, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production. “It’s a matter of really trying to use every tool that we could possibly get to help them make contacts, to help them get to know industry professionals in the Valley and hopefully to be interviewed by them and find jobs.”

Grand Canyon University Theatre Department’s first play of the 2019-2020 season looks to be one of the most comedic it has done in a while. Director Michael Kary compares the comedic styles to shows like “The Office” or “Parks and Recreation,” and the cast said audiences won’t want to miss the production. “It’s very funny, I will go as far as to say I’ve never been part of a show that is funnier than this one,” said Micah Larsen, who plays the role of Francis Henshall. “There’s a laugh at every turn, so if that’s not good enough reason to come out and laugh a little, I don’t know what is.”

GCU’s Esports Club isn’t just about competing in tournaments and being the No. 1 player in your league. It’s also about meeting new friends with the same hobbies. It’s that social aspect that the club is focusing on this academic year as its student leaders plan more social events and try to draw students to the Esports Arena, which was expanded over the summer and is being re-introduced during Welcome Week. “This is going to be the first year where we’re really focusing on making a community that isn’t just good at playing the games,” Esports Club President Conner Kleinsasser said. “We want this to be a place now where you can come in, even if you’ve never played a game before …”

The highlight of the GCU summer was Joseph Allen winning the Golden Buzzer on “America’s Got Talent.” But he also was a standout performer while on campus. Catch Allen on “AGT” as the second week of the live shows gear up.

Jazz preservation, That’s what Dance Director Susannah Keita and the rest of GCU’s Dance department hope to accomplish by putting such a strong emphasis on jazz dance within their program. Few Dance programs offer jazz dance to their students, making GCU’s dance program a unique and sought after program for students looking to study jazz dance. Recently Keita was even able to present at the National Dance Education Organization’s jazz conference this summer. “We want our dancers to be prepared for the commercial dance world and the concert dance world,” Keita said. “Jazz can be in either.”

College of Fine Arts and Production graduates Klay Wandelear and Brenna Warren both earned a master’s degree this summer from East 15, a branch of Essex University, and enjoyed the experience so much, they’re staying in England for the time being. They said their time at GCU prepared them well. “I think I would have had a really hard time if I hadn’t spent so much time in Ethington Theatre,” Warren said. “How it worked set me up to be a dedicated and respectful actor.”

There will be a lot of laughs in Ethington Theatre this season, and that’s by design. The schedule, which begins Aug. 23 with “One Man, Two Guvnors,” is filled with classic comedies. “Lighthearted,” said Claude Pensis, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production, “but still the plays have messages. It’s always a matter of what does the director want to do, and then how does it fit into the program?”

Students are the top priority at GCU, of course, but that ideal is shown in many ways. One of them is web shows featuring students talking about their time at the University, and the latest one is “Living as Lopes,” which aims to give current and prospective students insights into the many activities on campus. “I feel like it’s a really cool opportunity because it shows our genuine lives, but it also shows that we’re all so different and unique and we all love such different things that it just shows from different perspectives what you can do, what the options are,” said Hailey-James Hines, one of several “Living as Lopes” cast members.

Breaking into the professional world can be difficult, especially in the arts. But even with their graduation from GCU fresh on their minds, several dance alumni already are thriving in their first big jobs. “I hope that the world receives them and loves them as much as we have here,” Dance Director Susannah Keita said. “I’m a proud dance mom.”