College of Fine Arts and Production

It just gets better and better for College of Fine Arts and Productions when it comes to the annual ariZoni Awards. This year, the college won eight awards, seven for last year’s production of a “A Year with Frog and Toad.” “I feel like I can believe that it’s just going to get better and better in terms of what we do and our reputation across the country,” said COFAP Assistant Dean William Symington.

The outdoor stage for the production of “The Comedy of Errors” was a major success. Counting the livestream viewers, the five performances averaged more people than the 311-person capacity of Ethington Theatre and were well-received by the in-person audiences. “A lot of audience members commented on how fun it was,” said William Symington, Assistant Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production.

Dr. Rachel Velarde, Professor in the College of Fine Arts and Production, believes that anyone can sing. “The act of singing is a fundamental right,” she writes. Find out what she believes about being a member of an organization, what she values most in teaching and what she likes to do in her spare time.

A new season of Ethington Theatre plays begins Wednesday night with Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors.” In addition to debuting on the new outdoor stage, the production will showcase some original musical pieces adapted written by instructor Michael Kary and composed by theatre student Ryan Ardelt.

Funny how being unable to attend classes in person for six months makes them that much more appealing. Whether they were returning to GCU or fresh out of high school, students were eager to resume the classroom experience this week. “It’s completely different being here as a student,” said one freshman. “It’s a big, amazing school, and there’s a completely different atmosphere than most colleges.”

The new outdoor stage for Ethington Theatre productions has been constructed in time for the first play of the season, “The Comedy of Errors,” which begins Wednesday night. It turned into an educational project for College of Fine Arts and Production staff and students. “I think we’re uniquely suited for this,” COFAP Assistant Dean William Symington said. “It’s been a challenge, but we create a problem-solving way of thinking of how to do something in a different way and how to make a positive out of it.”

Deborah Haralson, IT and IT/cyber faculty lead, wore virtual pink hair and asked students to fill out an online poll about the RAM on their computers. Mechanical Engineering Technology instructor Dina Higgins hit play on her first “Safety Minute” segment. College of Education Assistant Professor Dr. Brandon Juarez started class with a prayer and said he would help students look into how they can become great classroom teachers. Professors and students navigated the first day of class online in the COVID-19 world while looking forward to Sept. 28, when they’ll see each other in person for the first day of on-campus instruction. “While not under the best circumstances, it was a great first day overall,” said technology student Alex Schaeffer.

The College of Fine Arts and Production is meeting the effects of the pandemic head-on. Its innovations include outdoor performances, master classes with industry professionals, livestreaming and a little of Disney’s “The Mandalorian” thrown in for good measure. COFAP Dean Claude Pensis calls it a “fun challenge.”

It took GCU’s talented and dedicated staff and faculty one week to make the transition to an online platform when the pandemic struck last semester. For the upcoming academic school year GCU is building on that success to offer an effective and smooth option for students to continue their studies.

The plan for the fall semester was all set, but then the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly worsened in Arizona. Undaunted, the GCU task force that had been working so diligently since February pivoted with one simple goal: They want the University to be part of the pandemic solution.