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Meet Ken Yeater, a Theater Major, History Minor from Galesburg, IL.  Ken is a junior transfer from Carl Sandburg College just fifteen minutes away.  There he was “bitten with the theater bug” and hasn’t looked back since.  He was seen in the 2008 production of The Shape of Things in the role of Phil, and was also heavily involved in the scene shop constructing the set for the same production.

When asked why he chose to continue his education at Monmouth College, Ken explained, “I love the environment here and I love the people I work with. In just the short time I've been here I've been able to work on so much and grow as a theatre person….so far I haven’t had [a project] I haven’t liked.  Monmouth has been rather welcoming. I've gotten a lot of opportunity to work on whatever I want to inside the theatre and enjoying every class that I have because of interesting subject matter and wonderful professors.”

Today, Ken could probably be found in the scene shop or preparing to attend the American College Theatre Festival as an acting partner in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition.  He’s already looking toward gradate school and, “becoming a director and professor at a college.”

2008 Junior, Jason Magafas

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Meet Jason Magafas, a Junior Theater major from Orland Park, Il.   Jason has spent quite a bit of time back stage here at Monmouth College.  He was last seen as a spot light operator for our Spring 2008 musical Urinetown.  Just a few months earlier Jason served as the stage manager for the production of Woyzeck.  He’s also kept himself busy with Student Senate, as a Resident Assistant, a member of ScotSpeak and the Anime Club. 

 Just last summer Jason was serving as an intern Light Designer for the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington, IL.   Here he had the opportunity to turn his classroom knowledge into practical experience designing lights for six youth camp performances. 

 When asked why he chose to become a part of Monmouth College Theater, he explained, “I began working in the theater during my junior year of High School.  I had so much fun with it and loved it so much that I decided to make it my career.  Monmouth had always been the college I wanted to go to and I immediately began to throw myself into everything I could.  Monmouth was so welcoming and because I showed the initiative I was able to do things here as a freshman that I wouldn't be able to do at larger universities unless I was a junior or even a senior.”

 Jason noted that his favorite projects often happen in design class.  “It was really fun to work with Vectorworks and make a 3D model of a set and be able to light it and ultimately make an entire theater in just one program.”

 After Monmouth, Jason looks forward to working in the business as a light designer.

2008 Sophomore, Heather Hall

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Meet Heather Hall, a sophomore Theatre and English Education Major from Bettendorf, IA.  Heather has stepped into leadership positions in the theatre program very quickly.  Active in Crimson Masque, our student thespian organization, Heather has been actively involved in many committees and lead many projects.  She was also the Stage Manager for the Fall 2008 production of The Shape of Things.  One of her favorite roles was as Millennium in the Spring 2008 musical, Urinetown. 

 Heather is heavily active in Alpha Psi Omega, a National Theatre Honor Society, representing her hall, participating in Big Brothers Big Sisters and even as a Freshmen Orientation Leader.

 When asked why she chose to become a part of Monmouth College Theater, she explained, “because theater is a passion of mine that requires skill, patience, practice, focus, dedication and a variety of other things.  Being a part of the theater program here allows not only for me to further all of my skills but also to provide a worthwhile experience for those in both the college community and those in the community of Monmouth.  Through theater I hope to help other people learn things about themselves and their community, while keeping them entertained in one way or another.

 Of the many courses Heather is required to complete for her major, she explains that she, “enjoys Creative Dramatics.  This course allows me to look at theater in a different way.  I am given, through teaching experiences at the Buchannan Center for the Arts, many different opportunities to utilize [drama based] skills and see the effect that using creative dramatics in the classroom can have on the learning and education of students”

 After college, Heather looks forward to “teaching English and theater in a city such as Chicago.  Outside of teaching I would love to work with a theater company of some sort, maybe even work with Children’s Theater.