Arts at AU have taken off astronomically this year. The quality of on-campus theater and number of shows, provided by the Department of Performing Arts, Rude Mechanicals and AU Players, have increased noticeably. The DPA's production of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is so good that it will travel to Russia in December.
Theater groups no doubt benefit in part from the added rehearsal and performance space provided by the opening of Katzen last year. Performers also benefit from outstanding contacts in the D.C. theater community; AU alumni work in many of the District's theaters.
Art and music students also benefit from the additional space in Katzen. It seems like a new art exhibit opens at the Katzen museum every week. Orchestral offerings have also expanded; there is an aria/concerto competition next weekend.
It's not just thanks to Katzen, though, that arts are taking off. The Kay Basement has become known District-wide as a great venue. Student theater groups are taking advantage of this space as well as having smaller shows in the Tavern.
All groups are benefiting from more planning. Any group, but particularly student theater, just seems more professional when they have pre-planned seasons.
These increased arts offerings add a whole new dimension to life at AU. The school is moving beyond its reputation as only a political science and international relations school and gaining a reputation as a school welcoming of students of all academic disciplines.
The increased student participation in the arts also gives validity to the fine arts section of the General Education curriculum. Theater and art gen-eds are just more interesting knowing that the student next to you could not only have the starring role in the DPA play, but they're probably going to be good at it, too.
The increased participation also opens the door for more interdisciplinary classes. Economics students can learn about the hardships people in southeast D.C. encounter by seeing theater written by the people who experience those hardships every day; international relations students can learn more about different cultures by seeing dance productions from those countries.
In order to ensure that the arts continue to flourish at AU, administration and faculty should begin using their connections in the city to bring in more performances, speakers and specialists to the campus. Just as living in D.C. gives students a whole city to learn about journalism, political science and international relations, it also provides outstanding arts opportunities.
