Equipping Theater Artists to Shine in the Darkness

In the Fall 23 and Spring 24 semesters, we performed two high-quality main-stage productions: It’s a Wonderful Life and The Sound of Music. These plays relayed messages of the value of one's life and standing up for one's faith. These two productions had the opportunity to reach many people. I have had the opportunity to speak with Jacqueline Cabrera, Academic director and coordinator of the Theatre program here at SAGU. She has given me insight into her vision and purpose for the high-quality productions here at SAGU. Here are her thoughts: 

What is your vision for the future of the SAGU Theater Department?

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"I believe that the SAGU theatre department is called to do excellent theater because we represent the Lord. Colossians 3:23 instructs believers to work "with all your heart" because we know that He is who we are working for. Because of this, it is vital that we create quality productions where we do excellent theatre because it will represent Him. I believe people will see the quality of these productions, and it will grow the program, recruiting Christian students with a passion for theatre.  I believe theatre can be used by God in so many ways, so I want as many theatre students with a passion for theatre to come to our campus to be empowered to use their craft to reach others. The mission statement I selected for SAGU Theatre is "equipping theatre artists to shine in the darkness," which is based on Matthew 5:16. I want this program to be a light that shines brightly on our campus, the college community, as well as a light in Ellis County."

What do the mainstage shows provide that Blackbox shows don't? What makes them important to you? What challenges do they come with?

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"The Mainstage shows are a different type of theatre. In a Blackbox show, it is up close and intimate with the actors with a smaller audience, which makes it a great venue for certain plays. These shows are also a great opportunity for student directors. A Mainstage show is in the auditorium and can seat far more people. Because of this, these shows that are picked are shows that will attract larger groups of people since this is a huge opportunity to reach many people on our campus and in our community.  The technical aspects of Mainstage shows are more detailed with lighting, microphones, set design, and sound. Because it is a bigger space, we spend more time filling the stage and creating smooth transitions. For musicals, the auditorium is able to open our orchestra pit for live orchestra musicians, which can bring another amazing live music dimension to a Mainstage production. Financially, a Mainstage production is a bigger investment than a Blackbox production as it involves more aspects. A Mainstage show will also typically require more cast, crew, and production staff than a Blackbox show. For example, our current musical has a cast and crew of around 30, an orchestra of around 24, a conductor, a music director, a technical director, a choreographer, and a director. That's almost 60 people!  Overall, it is a bigger undertaking than a Blackbox show because of the larger scale of everything involved."

What is your favorite memory from both shows?

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"I really enjoyed our last performance of It's A Wonderful Life. They had worked so hard to put on a beautiful show that the audience truly enjoyed. Looking at our cast and crew during bows, I felt incredibly proud to be their director and blessed to be part of our university that meant so much to me as a student. When the actors called me up and said a few words about me being their new director and that they were glad I was there, that meant everything to me. That specific cast and crew from the first show I directed here at will always be special to me.

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Right now, my favorite memory from The Sound of Music has been getting to watch the interactions between our child cast and our over 18 cast. They have really bonded and become a family. I love doing warmups and theatre games at the beginning of rehearsal, because they always involve laughter, creativity, and fun. I am very proud of the college students for how welcoming, supportive and kind they are to our child cast."