Claude Pensis

There was no shortage of diversity Monday at the Fall Learning Community and Research Symposium. Students from the College of Fine Arts and Production, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology came together to present five research projects to an audience made up of GCU faculty, staff and executives. “It was such a great opportunity to be able and come here and speak,” said Jaelynn Maestas, from the “Epidemiological Model of Violent Behavior” group. “It’s so cool to be able to present to other people. … It was amazing. I have no other words.”

Ethington Theatre’s second production of the season, “Radium Girls,” will transport audiences to the 1920s, before medical research fully understood the side effects of radium. The story follows Grace Fryer, a young watch painter, as she fights for her day in court. “Getting the chance to tell this story is really unique,” said Gretchen Carpenter, who plays Grace Fryer. “I think there’s a level of catharsis that’s going to be happening in the audience because it’s a really emotional show and I think that it’s going to capture a lot of hearts.”

When asked whether he would give up the church or give up Hollywood, Dr. Craig Detweiler replied with his 25-year career of combining the two. Now, the longtime educator is bringing his knowledge and skills into his new role as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production. “I’m excited about GCU’s deep and abiding faith combined with the artistry and creativity of both the professors and students,” he said. “We can both enlighten and entertain at the same time.”

It’s a season of celebration as College of Fine Arts and Production performances make their grand return to Ethington Theatre. Audiences will be welcomed back with an array of musicals, comedies and dramas as well as the return of indoor dance concerts. “I think it’s going to be just a really enjoyable season,” COFAP Assistant Dean of Theatre and Dance William Symington said. “I can’t wait to get back in the theatre and feel that energy between the cast and the audience.”

It’s a tale of truth, hypocrisy and humor. It’s Molière’s “The Misanthrope.” As Ethington Theatre wraps up another memorable season, audiences are afforded one last opportunity for the 2020-21 academic year to experience COFAP’s “Theatre under the Stars” with a modernized rendition of the classic comedy. “It doesn’t take long to fall in love with the story and figure out how all of these crazy characters are going to get out of the messes that they’ve made,” said Assistant Director Tyler Sorrels. “I think this really encapsulates the end of our season.”

It is set to be an experience like no other this week as the College of Fine Arts and Production brings Arthur Kopit’s “Wings” to the new outdoor stage. The performance showcases the effects a stroke can have on individuals and the people around them during rehabilitation. “It’s a play that touches us all because almost each and every one of us has a friend, has a relative, has somebody that they know who has suffered a traumatic brain injury,” COFAP Dean and “Wings” Director Claude Pensis said.

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.”

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.

GCU’s effort to produce cloth face masks has been joined by College of Fine Arts and Production costume designer Nola Yergen, who has recruited several GCU Hotel employees to add pleating. It makes the coverings fit more like traditional hospital masks, but it’s important for an even bigger reason. “This is about teamwork,” Yergen said.