Passionate community meeting about future of LTCC Theatre Arts program

A passionate crowd of about 90 people attended the first of at least two public meetings on the future of the Theatre Arts program at Lake Tahoe Community College Tuesday evening.

The one thing everyone could agree on is the importance of having live theatre in South Lake Tahoe, but how that theatre and the program supporting it will look in the future is uncertain. Will it be a community based theatre, or will it continue to be a college run program?

Dr. Michelle Risdan, LTCC VP of Instruction, presented staff's "Program Vitality Assessment" of the Theatre Arts program to the gathered crowd, something started in 2014 when the college looked at programs with low enrollment numbers and few degrees awarded. They evaluated sustainability and whether a program is vibrant and the role it plays in the school's success.

"We can't always be everything to everyone," said Dr. Risdan when speaking of the role the college plays in the community. "We are devoted to the cultural needs of the community."

One area of concern about the sustainability of the Theatre Arts program is the high class cancellation rate. While the average at LTCC is 24.3 percent, the theater classes need to cancel 42.9 percent of the time due to lack of registered students.

The program has also faced a declining enrollment. In the 2013/2013 school year there were 29.08 full time equivalent students (FTE), last year there were 14.16.

Over the last seven school years, seven students have graduated with an AA degree in Visual and Performing Arts with a Theatre focus. The college would like to look at moving funds to departments that are seeing growth.

But staff needs to look at how students in other departments become more successful because of the theatre classes they take according to many of the speakers Tuesday.

"Charts and figures don't match the passion shown at this meeting," said SLT resident John Friedrich.

Mark Williams asked for everyone to take a holistic look at the program, and look at it as a body, and if you take out theatre other parts may fail. He also suggested that the college start marketing and promoting the Theatre Arts program and show how vital it is to the community, and to reach out to the local schools for future theatre students.

Initial proposals about the program change were adjusted once it was made public that lTCC was looking at the possibility of eliminating the program which produces three plays a year. Public and student comments to the LTCC Board of Trustees, the Student Senate and the Vitality Assessment team of Risdan and Michelle Sowers were all taken into consideration and recommendations were changed.

It is possible that after more public discussion they could change again. A task force is being formed from interested parties to look at all avenues and possible solutions to the situation.

Nobody was questioning that theatre is important to LTCC and the community, but is the current theatre model working?

Not all feel a community based theatre program is a bad idea, and something that can take what the college started and build upon it. Classes could still be taught, plays performed and an ability to rent out the Duke Theatre to other groups who'd like to use the facility.

Dr. Jamie Orr, co-owner of Tahoe Mountain Lab and an employee of the California Community College system, said that it is important to take challenges and make them opportunities.

"We won't have a rise in the new economy and tech jobs if the community doesn't have a vibrant arts scene," said Orr.

Rae Matthews, a local woman who ran a non-profit community theater in Southern California, said theater is very important to a community and a community theater system can work.

Originally slated for a December decision, the assessment of the theatre program will continue until Spring Quarter, 2017 per recommendation of the Student Senate. Staff and the Board will continue to meet with the public and come up with an outcome that works in the best interest of the community, students and the college.

Even with the continuation of open discussion over the next several months, Theatre Director Susan Boulanger may still receive a notice of pending change in employment status in March, a requirement LTCC must follow. It can always be rescinded, but if recommendations were for the Theatre Arts program to be eliminated, advanced notice is required. Boulanger could be moved into another staffing position as well.

"Change is the only thing you can count on," said founding LTCC Board Trustee Roberta Mason.