Michaela Lumpert, Campus Carrier Staff Writer

There have been quite a few changes in Berry faculty and staff this year, and this change is carrying itself over into the theatre department. At the end of this year, Hannah Hammond, visiting assistant professor of theatre, and Seamus Borne, clinical assistant director of theatre, will be leaving Berry. The theatre department has already begun the search for their replacements. 

The theatre department is comprised of four faculty members: two professors that work in technical theatre and two professors that work on directing and producing the shows. Right now, of the two positions available, one is in technical theatre and one is in directing. 

Anna Filippo, director of theatre, describes the hiring process for the theatre as different from the normal hiring process on campus. Candidates nationwide have sent in applications, and are being reviewed and considered for the positions that are open. After all of the applications have been received, a committee will meet to discuss the skills and experience of each applicant to determine if they are right for the job. Once these choices have been made, the final three candidates will teach a workshop to the theatre students. 

Unlike other hiring processes on campus, the theatre department’s process allows students to be directly involved. After candidates teach their workshop to the students, the students are able to give direct feedback on how they feel about the potential professor, and if they feel comfortable with them. Unlike students in other departments, theatre students must be able to feel that they can be vulnerable with their professors in order to be able to reach new levels of emotion in their scenes. 

“We want (the process) that way, because then the students can have some ownership because they will be here next year,” Filippo said. 

Even though the committee will interview the candidates and make sure that they have what it takes to be a theatre professor at Berry, ultimately the students are the ones who will be spending the next four years with them. Letting them have a say in the entire process ensures a smooth transition when the decision is made and the new professors start. 

In the midst of all this change, a sense of gloominess hangs over the department as the faculty and students get ready to say goodbye to some beloved professors. 

“[The students] are doing ok. We have been very transparent through everything since the first BCTC meeting,” Filippo said. 

Making sure the students were kept up-to-date about the hiring process has been a priority. As hard as the process may be for students, keeping them updated throughout has made the upcoming changes a little bit easier to handle, according to Filippo. 

It may seem like a lot is happening in the theatre department, but Filippo is excited to meet the new professors. The three candidates will start teaching workshops for the students in March. A final decision should be made by the end of the school year. 

Though the process may be scary, the department is hopeful that with every new professor, a whole different set of skills is brought to the table. 

“Every new person brings in something that you didn’t have before,” Filippo said. 

According to Filippo, the department looks forward to working with the new professors, but will miss the ones leaving this year.