Publication Date
7-1-2023
Abstract
After a successful career working in professional theater companies across the country, Karen Brewster returned to her alma mater in 2000 to share her love of theater with students.
Now the chair of the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance, Brewster teaches courses in theater history and theatrical design.
One of the highlights of her almost 25-year teaching career has been the opening of the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts, which also houses the Bert C. Bach Theatre, a black box studio theater. During the 2022-23 season, the Department of Theatre and Dance sold out every performance of every show in the Bert C. Bach Theatre.
The new space has provided ETSU students with hands-on opportunities to hone their skills in a state-of-the-art theatrical environment. As a faculty member, Brewster had a seat at the table during the design phase of the Martin Center, and offered input on the placement of the scene shop and other technical aspects to ensure the space was functional for learning and performance.
“It is impossible to overstate this; it is a magnificent space,” Brewster said. “They are working in a state-of-the-art facility, so they will be ready to go out and work in any place they will be working.”
Students getting hands-on learning opportunities is at the core of ETSU’s approach to education.
After the success of last year’s sold-out season, Brewster is thinking about new opportunities and goals for the department.
“With time, when we’re ready to do this, we would love to do a large musical in the (Martin Center) Grand Hall,” Brewster said. “That’s going to take some time, working with the Department of Music and others.”
In the meantime, Brewster and the Theatre and Dance faculty are preparing for another busy year in the Bert C. Bach Theatre.
“I appreciate the ways ETSU and the community support the arts,” she said. “The arts provide a way for us to make sense of the world.”
Document Type
News Article
