Department chairman Mark Charney said community outreach played a role in its selection.
Texas Tech University's Department of Theatre and Dance is the first university to be featured on DramaNotes, an online news and information service for college students and educators in dramatic arts that went live today (Jan 14). The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation created the website, which connects people online and through Twitter (@drama_notes).
Mark Charney, chairman of the Department of Theatre and Dance, said Texas Tech was chosen as the first university to be featured in The Actors Hall of Fame because of the department's unique and groundbreaking work with community organizations and outreach, which mirrors the work The Actors Hall of Fame does on a national scale.
He anticipates this spotlight will benefit Texas Tech in recruiting students attracting performers to the university, especially for WildWind Performance Lab, one of the department's signature training programs.
“When a national organization that concentrates on honoring folks like Meryl Streep and Olivia de Havilland profiles a university, it will reflect well upon our training and our interest in outreach,” Charney said. “We will feature this honor when we recruit to show our national prominence in theatre and dance arts.”
DramaNotes taps into the vast community of college students and educators to connect and share the latest news about dramatic arts, from local school productions to major Hollywood movies, Broadway plays and all forms of short-form content. It features interviews, breaking news, local productions and in-depth profiles of dramatic arts and theatre programs from around the world.
“This is a core part of our mission – to support dramatic arts education,” Rusty Citron, president of The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation, said. “DramaNotes provides an exciting new platform for students and educators to connect and be inspired.”
Emerson College, Santa Monica College, Yale School of Drama and Lynchburg College will be featured on the site in the future.
About The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation
The Actors Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and supporting dramatic arts education in schools. For more information, please visit our website at www.actorshalloffame.org.