A History of Theater at The University of Detroit 1880 - 1995 / 1997 -- Striving for Excellence

Abstract

Any three people ' watching a car crash into a tree will provide three slightly different descriptions of what happened. All will get the car into that tree but will vary slightly as to form and content. That's just the way we humans are and that difference is manifest in everything we do. The car crash we are investigating in this book is, of course, theater at the University of Detroit. Being a creative enterprise, theater, more than most beasts and car wrecks, takes on the personality of those in charge, the person calling the cues. And excellence to be achieved must be pushed and demanded every moment. If the Director takes time off, the beast that is theater will begin looking for another master to follow, another direction to take. Again, this is the nature of the creative impulse. As we journey through the history of theater at the University of Detroit (U-D), one should be able to perceive the persona of the person in charge by the plays chosen for performance, and the methods and people chosen to execute that performance. Thus , more than most periods of history, the periods of theater can be summarized under the banner of the Artistic Director. And this is not in any way to be seen as a cult of personality . A heading of "the Burgwin," "the Rodgers," or "the Regal" years carries real significance beyond mere political or geographic distinction. It shows the creative drives, the artistic demands, and literary vitality of that Director. Thus, in this book we will endeavor to zero in on those Directors ... "the Chairmen." Throughout this book we will also, wherever possible, use the actual words of the people involved in their entirety. This will give the reader views that may be different from this writer. It will also allow the reader to draw the flavor of the times and sample the essence of the people themselves. Finally, I will not attempt to account for each year and every play presented in U-D's long history. That will be amply covered in Part II. Instead I will try to note the larger movements both in theater at , the University and the world of theater at large. We will also note some of the occurrences that we all remember or can identify with. It was amazing to read through the papers and notes from years ago and see the students of those days facing so many of the same problems as we faced. It hasn't changed all that much! So, with those "understandings" well in hand, off we go!