As a senior who has spent four years with the Moravian College Theatre Company, I have had many incredible experiences with the company. Here are some reasons you should definitely get involved, too.

The company is run by students, which means you get a say in the season.

When Christopher Shorr, the current director of theatre, arrived at Moravian in 2008, he was committed to getting students involved in all parts of the theatrical process. Not only can students act, work on crew, or be stage managers, they can be directors and writers.

The majority of the shows that the company does each year are decided by the students during a proposal process. Students who are official members of the company can submit proposals for shows they’d like to direct or even shows that they’ve written. If you don’t want to direct, but still have a show you’d like the company to do, you can find a director and attach their name to your proposal. And if you’re not a company member, you can always offer suggestions to people who are.

You get new experiences and skills.

MCTC puts on various different kinds of productions, from Shakespeare to student-written shows. Because there is such a variety of shows, the theatre is always looking for people with a variety of skills. You could learn how to sword fight or you could learn how to do accents, from German to Italian, or you could learn how to dance in slow-motion (it’s a long story).

One of the less obvious skills you develop is the ability to adapt and improvise. Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes someone misses their cue, and sometimes the gun doesn’t go off when it’s supposed to. But you deal with it. You’d be surprised at how easily you can resolve a situation when you have a limited amount of time to do so and an entire audience is watching you. Some of the best lines and moments from performances are the ones that happen when something doesn’t go right.

You get to work with professionals from Touchstone Theatre.

The company has a partnership with Touchstone Theatre, a professional theatre located on Bethlehem’s Southside, meaning that we often collaborate with this group. The members of Touchstone all have extensive backgrounds in theatre and their own individual specialities, ranging from puppetry to sound design.

They are also more than willing to teach students about many aspects of theatre, like lighting design or how to stage manage effectively. They have contributed to many MCTC shows, whether it was designing sets, observing rehearsals, or providing directors with feedback. Not only are Touchstone actors talented, they are approachable and always willing to lend a hand.

The company is open to everyone.

Moravian doesn’t have a theatre major, so the people in the company come from many different backgrounds. Biology majors have done theatre, and so have math and political science majors. Students aren’t the only people who do theatre at Moravian. Professors, faculty members, and Bethlehem residents have all participated in shows with the MCTC.

No experience? No problem! If you’ve never done theatre before (which is the situation I was in when I first arrived), that won’t stop you from being able to get involved. There are plenty of ways to contribute to the MCTC if you’re not ready to get right into the spotlight. Try coming to a few set-building sessions or ushering for a performance. And if you do want to get right into the spotlight, go for it!

You become part of a family.

I don’t want to get too cliché, but it’s true. When you spend extended amounts of time with people all working towards a common goal, you form close friendships. You become one big family. And that theater becomes a home.

Because the MCTC is so inclusive, all sorts of people come together in a supportive environment. I’ve made so many amazing friends through theatre, a lot of them people I might not have met otherwise. And I am very grateful for that experience.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and join the Moravian College Theatre Company!