There is a special treat for both theatre alumni and current student performers scheduled for Thursday, March 10.
Moorpark College Theatre Arts Alumni Night will feature a panel discussion led by Theatre Alumni for current students to discuss transferring and working in the industry at 4 p.m., followed by a meet and greet at 6 p.m. in PA 100. To end the night will be a performance of “Hairspray” at 8 p.m. in the PAC.
The meet and greet will provide an atmosphere for students and alumni to share a meal, network and discuss everything from transferring to finding the best roommates to the pros and cons of living on campus, said John Loprieno, interim dean of performing arts.
Mariah Martin, 22-year-old theatre major, was eager to ask the alumni questions regarding the night’s performance of “Hairspray” and Moorpark College in general.
“Well, first I’m going to ask them how the show went,” said Martin. “I would probably ask them how Moorpark helped them in their careers now and what advice would they have for me as a theatre major.”
The meet and greet will also allow graduates that may not know each other to begin to form a contact base for theatre arts alumni and like-minded professionals from similar backgrounds, said Loprieno.
“This is an event for our current theater arts students to talk to recent graduates of our program to discuss the pitfalls in transferring to a four-year institution and transitioning into the workforce directly from Moorpark for our CTE students,” said Loprieno.
The first theatre arts alumni event was held last semester for “Almost Maine” and 10 alumni attended along with their guests. This semester, Lorpieno hopes to have 10 to 15 alumni attend the panel discussion, meet and greet and the evening’s performance of “Hairspray.”
“Setting these events on a night when we have a main stage performance in production seems like a great way to keep them connected to each other and aware of the progress and talents of the current students in our program,” said Loprieno.
Joshua Stapel, 26-year-old studio art major at California State University Channel Islands, feels that with the alumni watching the performance it will allow students to connect with the distinguished guests.
“Having the alumni in the audience will be a delight because I think many of them will have a connection to what we’re doing and we’ll be able to share that experience with them,” said Stapel. “Not just with somebody who doesn’t know how much work we put in, but with someone who really appreciates it.”
Loprieno thinks this event will be the beginning of creating a network between Moorpark College and the industry.
“Our hope is that this event can be a bridge for recent grads of MC theatre arts to establish a network within the theatre, TV and film industries as they each pursue careers in both the technical and performance ends of the industry,” said Loprieno.
To RSVP, email the Moorpark College Box Office at [email protected] or call (805) 378-1485.
