Photo by Daniel Dubois Campus PLayeRS Club proniotes theater education Campus Players is a student-led service club whose purpose is to promote and strengthen theater education at Harding. The club is a non-major-specific club for both men and women and provides those who are interested in theater a chance to be involved. To become part of this theater honor society, a student must earn 20 points by completing certain tasks, including technical work at plays, auditioning or attending seminars. Senior Jeff Spruill, president of Campus Players for the fall semester, said he intended to organize community service projects. "Being a part of Campus Players is beneficial to us because we get involved with theater and have experiences that are very practical and not class related," Spruill said. He was pleased with the projects that Campus Players was able to organize, such as providing funding for student-directed one-act plays. Theater majors were required to direct a play, and Campus Players loaned the student the money to complete the task. This year, Campus Players hosted several guest speakers. Lana Hallmark, of Arch Street Dinner Theater in Searcy, discussed how she single-handedly started her community theater. Hallmark's theater is semi-professional; all of the actors are paid, but it is not a full-time job for them. Campus Players was also planning to have a member of the Arkansas Repertory Club, a theater in Little Rock, speak about his or her experiences and describe the workings of a professional theater. Senior Cristina Boothe, vice president for the fall semester, planned trips to university theaters and the Arkansas College Theater Festival. These trips gave the members more experience in a real theater setting. On campus and in bi-weekly meetings, Campus Players conducted play viewings where members watched and critiqued videotaped plays. The organization also had play readings and planned for an improvisation night. It was open to the public and had a format similar to the television show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Campus Players gave theater majors an opportunity to discuss professional and artistic topics. "It's a good actors' group because actors need a core group to discuss their profession," senior Jonathan Root said. "Actors need other actors because acting is a unique profession." "Campus Players is a place where I have developed some of my strongest friendships and become involved with people who share my love of the arts and theater," Boothe said. -Cheryl Brand Junior Sam Jones and senior Jeff Spruill perform an improvisational skit during a Campus Players meeting. While many of the organization's members were theater majors, others who wanted to get involved in drama were also invited to be part of the group. theater 195
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