By Christian Welker
Prior to the recent production of Little Women, the cast and crew of Houghton University’s Lyric Theater were busy making last-minute preparations for the event. At this time, people might have expected a mounting sense of pressure and anxiety from the participants of the class as final preparations were made. However, according to the cast and faculty members involved with Lyric Theater, that was not the case.
Houghton’s Lyric Theater provides a sense of positivity and a outlet for student talent to both the participants and the surrounding community.
One of the most critical figures in this production is Professor Amanda Cox. She has served as the director of Lyric Theater for the past five years, and plays a crucial role in every step of the production from casting to character interactions. A graduate of both Houghton College and the University of Miami, Professor Cox has been working in the Houghton Community as a faculty member for the past twenty years. During her time as director, she has run nine shows in nine semesters, only briefly stopping due to COVID-19. When asked what Lyric Theater brings to Houghton, she says, “It’s a way for us to explore what it is to be Human in different circumstances and communicate that to people.” She believes theater productions should speak to people, both in the cast and the audience. She wants to “create a community where we can all…support one another” while working with the cast and crew of the show, and show that community to the audience. When asked about one of her favorite parts of Lyric Theater, Professor Cox responded, “you don’t have to be in the department. This is for everybody.” To her, theater is supposed to show the audience a reflection of life in a way that helps everyone grow. “Theater is such a big part of our lives,” she says, “Everyone wants to have some way to create and show people what they can do.”
The importance of having a place to be supported and see a production that reflects life is not lost on the other members of the cast and crew. Professor Andrew Reith, who has been working with Lyric Theater in some capacity since the Fall of 2019, states that he appreciates Lyric Theater as a positive experience that allows students to use art to escape from everyday life. He sees the atmosphere of Lyric Theater as an incredibly positive experience for those involved: “it has been such an underlying goal to have a class where students can be free to experiment, free to be artists, free to be wrong, free to be right.” Professor Reith believes that that atmosphere of positivity leaks out to the rest of the Houghton Community, both in terms of performances and in terms of students’ experiences. “It’s a chance for the people in the show to share their gifts with the Houghton Community, and hopefully, that sharing goes both ways.” This sense of positivity is felt by both the faculty of the class and the students. Senior Linette Taylor, who serves as the choreographer of Little Women and plays the role of Marmee, says that her favorite part of Lyric Theater is working with both music and non-music students. There’s no limitations on who can join in terms of either majors or years. Taylor has been working with Lyric Theater since her first year at college and loves working with people that she would not have been able to work with otherwise. The cast works together to build the show, and allows each individual’s talent to shine through. The positive atmosphere of the Houghton College Lyric Theater was apparent to all interviewees. It is a core part of their production work for everyone involved. ★