THE UAH HONORARY THEATRE FRATERNITY
PRESIDENT: James Desta
VICE-PRES: Megan Tompkins
SECRETARY: Eric McCowan
TREASURER: Melissa Jones
HISTORIAN: Dominick Desta

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APO READER’S
THEATRE

Did in the Fall 2011 . . . .

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Wednesday, October 5 at 7:30 PM
Wilson Theatre

Cast:
Reggie Allen, Chad Burkhardt, Marylyn Coffey, Joshua Darner,
James Desta, Shereaka Garrett, Mandy Hughes, Melissa Jones, Casey
Kalber, Andy Lai, Richard McDaniel, Sara McMahan, Noelle Morin, Jodie
Pearson, Adam Perry, Spencer Portis, Charlie Rogers, Rachel Sanders,
Marilyn West, Nick Wilbourn, Jasmine Young

Synopsis:
“A study in the hysteria which led to the 1692 Salem witch trials, The Crucible concentrates on the fate of the key figures caught up in the persecution. The play was written in 1953 as a parable for the events of the communist fearing McCarthy era in the USA, when anyone suspected of left wing views was arraigned for ‘un-American’ activities.”

Killer Joe by Tracy Letts

Wednesday, September 21 at 7:30 PM
Wilson Theatre

Cast:
Chad Burkhardt, Scarlett Chandler, Jennifer Dunivant, Zachary Ivey, Richard McDaniel

Synopsis:
“Killer Joe is hired by the greedy Smith family, a dim witted clan wanting to do away with mother to get her insurance money. Killer Joe decides to bed the Smith daughter as a retainer against his final payoff. Before it’s over, nearly everyone is bloodied.”

get ready for . . . .

IMPROV NIGHT 2012 and much more!!

APO is happy to announce the return of Improv Night to UAHuntsville! We will need performers and volunteers to help host this event. Additional details will be provided as they become available. Stay tuned!

History of the National Organization

In the early twentieth century, interest in the dramatic arts grew tremendously on college and university campuses. By 1920, most colleges had a dramatic organization staging plays annually for the campus and the community at large. Also around this time, little theatre productions and dramatic workshops began taking place. This furthered the interest in theatre on campuses everywhere, especially in the western part of the country. At this time, several honorary groups were formed to recognize and reward exemplary student participation in those productions.
In 1921, at Fairmont State College in Fairmont, West Virginia, college theater took root. A faculty director was hired in 1923, and the Masquers were formed. The Masquers were charged with presenting a season of 4 to 5 major productions per year for students and the general public. In 1924, the Masquers began searching for a national honorary organization to join. As there was no truly national organization, Elinor B. Watson, Robert Sloan, and Fairmont faculty director Paul F. Opp researched forming such a national organization. As a result of their research and work, a proposed national constitution was drawn up, and, on August 12, 1925, the first cast of Alpha Psi Omega members, drawn from the Masquers, was initiated. It was then decided that each chapter was to be called a, "cast," and Fairmont College became the Alpha Cast. Soon after, Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia, expressed interest in chartering a cast of Alpha Psi Omega; they founded the Beta Cast. A member from Huntington suggested the name "Playbill" for the national magazine, which was thereafter adopted. Over the course of the following year, eighteen more casts were founded. When the first national convention was held on December 27-28, 1926, at the Palmer House in Chicago, twenty casts had been chartered. These national conventions, also known as Grand Rehearsals, are now held once every 5 years. Throughout the country, Alpha Psi Omega has sponsored the formation of theatre honor societies in high schools and junior colleges, with the aim of encouraging dramatic production at every step in a person's academic career. In 1929, after significant interest on the junior college level, Delta Psi Omega was formed. In 1936, at the Alpha Psi Omega Grand Rehearsal, Delta Psi Omega was officially recognized as the junior college division of Alpha Psi Omega. Today, there are over 350 Delta Psi Omega casts. Alpha Psi Omega has enjoyed continuous national growth and, with over 550 casts, is the largest national honor society in America. Colleges and universities of recognized standing, having an established theatre program or theatre club for the purpose of producing plays, will be eligible for membership. The business of Alpha and Delta Psi Omega is supervised by National Officers. Such names as Paul Opp, Yetta Mitchell, Donald Garner, and Jerry Henderson are familiar to long-time cast members as officers in earlier years. Current officers are Teresa Choate as President, Frankie Day as Vice President, and James Fisher as Business Manager and Editor of "Playbill".

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