I always like to start by disclosing that I am a staff member with UMW Theatre entrusted, as part of my employment, with the recruitment of students to our program at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. We do not offer a major in MT, but we offer a major in theatre and a minor in MT with extensive training and outside training opportunities through workshops, summer programs, etc.
One of Mary Washington’s hallmarks is its honor system and our community values, and the university community takes bullying very seriously. That said, in addition, our students constantly remark on the kindness, support, and comfort that they feel as a part of our department. We take inclusion very seriously, and work diligently to find a place i for every one of our students throughout their four years in the program (and beyond).
Many students over the years have remarked that they feel safe and accepted in the UMW community, and that specifically in the theatre department, they feel they are given the proper guidance to better themselves as performers, technicians, directors, singers, etc. We take creating a safe environment for vulnerability, self expression, and performance very seriously.
As a 2007 graduate of the program, I can attest to the sense of community our students feel not just between themselves, but with the faculty, staff, guest artists, and our audiences. I was immediately (and I’ll admit surprisingly) invited to dinner at the student dining hall with upperclassmen my first day of class, mentored by my advisor on the appropriate course of action to get involved early on, and people I met on my first day are still some of my best friends to this day.
There is no limit to the stories that I have heard from alumni, and current students that are very similar, and these are values that we continue to encourage our majors to exhibit today (though they rarely need the push to do the right thing). =)
