By: Quincy Fuehne

Students gathered in the MacHugh Theatre on Sunday, October 7 putting together bylaws and electing an inaugural president, vice president(s), treasurer and secretary.

Once these steps are finalized, the university will add another club to campus – the drama club.

The university already has over 30 clubs and organizations, including the Black Student Union, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Chemistry Club.

Director of Choirs and Instructor of Vocal Music Amy Stollberg will be the club moderator. Stollberg said she wanted to form the group after President Phil Conover expressed that he wanted to make use of the MacHugh Theatre as a theatrical venue again.

“It’s used for meetings, I think there was a movie in here last Thursday, but it’s a theater. It should be used for plays and musicals, so this is the first step,” Stollberg said.

The group’s first big production will be a spring play.

In order to do the play, renovations and updates will need to be made in  MacHugh Theatre such as technology and lighting updates.

Valerie Hernandez, a 2006 alumna, will also be helping out the drama club as the director for the play. Hernandez is active in the Quincy Community Theatre. She is known for the costumes she creates.

While Hernandez and Stollberg are still deciding which show the group will do, they are set on doing a full length comedy.

They will need people on stage as well as back stage help for things such as lighting, sound, props and stage managers.

Auditions for the play will be on November 26, the Monday students return from Thanksgiving break. Stollberg and Hernandez said students can schedule an appointment to audition if they are unavailable on the 26th.

Scripts will be in Stollberg’s office when they are made available.

All students are encouraged to see what the club is about. Leaders say there is something for everyone.

“It’s something that helps people really get out of their shell and helps them to grow as individuals. Theater has always been something that’s really big in my life and it’s allowed for us to grow into a giant community and truly become a family,” Casey Pigg, senior, expressed.

Current member experience ranged from no experience to being in 27 productions.

The last time the university used the theater for a theatrical production was in the spring of 2016. That production was “The Diary of Anne Frank”. Students are relieved and excited to have a club revolving around fine arts again. With the last show being in 2016, many have not been able to experience theater at QU.

“The community in a theater is amazing. For students to be able to experience that here after it’s been gone for so long is even more amazing,” Suzanne Schmitz, sophomore, said.

Stollberg’s big vision is to spark student interest in the theater and bring back the theater minor and drama courses the university offered in the past.

Some shows the department put on in the past include “Chicago”, “Cabaret”, “Oliver” and “Fiddler on the Roof”.

Bringing back musicals would also help music majors as they would get experience playing in the pit for the shows.

“It’s really important for music education majors to have a little bit of experience of what it’s like to put on a musical,” Stollberg said.

The group will meet on Sunday’s at 7:00 p.m. in MacHugh Theatre.