Rent performs at IUP
Sybile Cherenfant
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: News
The Robert Morris University Colonial Theatre cast of "Rent" gave a successful performance at the American College Theater Festival on Saturday Jan. 16.
The university's theater crew was selected to participate in the American College Festival, held from Jan. 12 to Jan. 16 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).
The cast performed the musical "Rent" on the last day of the festival. They were the only school from all the selected schools to perform it.
According to Ken Gargaro, the director of the play, the students gave their best performance yet.
"They gave their strongest performance to date," he stated. "And handled themselves with professionalism and courtesy."
On Thursday Jan. 14, the theater students performed "Rent" at Massey Theater to raise money for their trip to IUP for the festival. It turned out well, and the cast received a lot of support from the students, faculty, Student Life, and Dean Levine.
Gargaro also added that the crowd at IUP, which was close to 1000 students and professors, enjoyed the show.
Assistant Director of Student Life, John Locke, who is also the production manager, drove to IUP to support them. Locke claimed that the audience was enthusiastic.
"It was the perfect audience for that show specifically," he stated.
He additionally shared his feelings regarding how he felt about the festival.
"It was a rewarding experience to see our students perform at that level," he stated.
Although they had a strong performance, Robert Morris University's theater crew was not selected to go to Washington D.C. According to Gargaro, the school that is most likely to go to the Kennedy Center at Washington D.C. is Temple University. This school performed the play "Shot."
"It is a worthy, original oral-history piece, celebrating the 'Beirut' area of Philly where Temple is located," he said.
He believed that this made the play suitable for Washington D.C. Meanwhile, he believes that RMU theatre had a good impact on the festival.
"Although we were not selected, be assured that everyone in our Region now knows that Robert Morris University students are a force in the performing arts," claimed Gargaro.
The university's theater crew was selected to participate in the American College Festival, held from Jan. 12 to Jan. 16 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).
The cast performed the musical "Rent" on the last day of the festival. They were the only school from all the selected schools to perform it.
According to Ken Gargaro, the director of the play, the students gave their best performance yet.
"They gave their strongest performance to date," he stated. "And handled themselves with professionalism and courtesy."
On Thursday Jan. 14, the theater students performed "Rent" at Massey Theater to raise money for their trip to IUP for the festival. It turned out well, and the cast received a lot of support from the students, faculty, Student Life, and Dean Levine.
Gargaro also added that the crowd at IUP, which was close to 1000 students and professors, enjoyed the show.
Assistant Director of Student Life, John Locke, who is also the production manager, drove to IUP to support them. Locke claimed that the audience was enthusiastic.
"It was the perfect audience for that show specifically," he stated.
He additionally shared his feelings regarding how he felt about the festival.
"It was a rewarding experience to see our students perform at that level," he stated.
Although they had a strong performance, Robert Morris University's theater crew was not selected to go to Washington D.C. According to Gargaro, the school that is most likely to go to the Kennedy Center at Washington D.C. is Temple University. This school performed the play "Shot."
"It is a worthy, original oral-history piece, celebrating the 'Beirut' area of Philly where Temple is located," he said.
He believed that this made the play suitable for Washington D.C. Meanwhile, he believes that RMU theatre had a good impact on the festival.
"Although we were not selected, be assured that everyone in our Region now knows that Robert Morris University students are a force in the performing arts," claimed Gargaro.
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