Each year, thousands of incoming freshman go through New
Student Orientation, a program where they have fun, learn
about campus and meet new people. For the past 10 years,
one of the highlights of orientation has been the CloseUP
Theatre Troupe's performance.
EMU's CloseUP Theatre Troupe celebrates its 10-year anniversary
with a performance Nov. 10, 10 p.m., in the EMU Student
Center. The show, entitled "Evolution," consists of 10
scenes — some new pieces and some old favorites updated.
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READY FOR YOUR CLOSEUP?: Eastern Michigan
University's
CloseUP Theatre Troupe celebrates its
10th anniversary
with a performance Friday, Nov.
10, 10 a.m., in
the EMU Student Center. The group,
made up of
EMU students, performs socially-relevant
theatre
at many University events, including new
student
orientation.
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"It's about bringing back the past and moving into the
future," said Jessica "Decky" Alexander, co-director of
CloseUP. "We're bringing back alumni and updating some
of our best work to make it more relevant today."
CloseUP is a collaboration between University Health Services,
the department of communication and theatre arts, and McKenny
Union and Campus Life. It is a peer-to-peer troupe: created
by students and performed for students. The aim of the
group is to inform students about relevant social, health
and wellness issues by making them laugh, think, question
and feel.
"CloseUP is a third-party catalyst for dialogue," said
Mary Jo Desperez, co-director of CloseUP. "Instead
of lecturing at students, saying 'don't drink, it's bad
for you,' we put together a realistic scene that is open-ended.
Just getting people to talk about the issues is half the
battle and CloseUP creates a safe place for people to do
so."
All of CloseUP's material is original, written by the
members, directors and alumni. Subject matter comes from
students' own experiences, and includes topics such as
diversity, race relations, depression, fitting in, drugs
and alcohol, sex and relationships, and LGBT issues. The
cast represents a diverse student body, comprised of members
of different races, ages, backgrounds and experiences.
Cast members are chosen at open auditions during the fall
and spring. The directors try to find a group of students
who have different energies and experiences to bring to
the stage. Though all members have acting capability, none
of the current cast are theatre students.
"It is important that the troupe reflects campus," said
Desprez. "Most of the members are not trained in theatre,
which lets us be a little more relatable. It allows the
audience to see something like themselves, not just acting."
Unlike many other campus theatre productions, CloseUP
only rehearses twice a week during the school year. For
students with jobs, families or other time-consuming commitments,
CloseUP provides an opportunity to be a part of something
they may not have previously considered.
"I took a chance, and they took a chance on me," said
Megan Mitchell, a CloseUP alumna who now teaches in the
Willow Run School District. "I had watched them in awe
during New Student Orientation, and watched, slack-jawed
the following semesters. I had improvisation (class) with
Decky, and it was the only time in my life where it never
felt like work. I wanted to be a part of anything that
could be that exhilarating."
The troupe consists of approximately 10 members, with
each staying, on average, two years with the group. More
than 60 students have been part of the CloseUP family since
its inception.
"It is really hard to be a part of CloseUP and not have
any close friends within the group," said Jaz Wright, one
of CloseUP's primary writers. "You meet people from all
walks of life an,d the more open-minded you are, the more
rewarding your interactions with the folks you meet will
be."
The history of health education theatre at EMU began with
a group called "Lifelines," of which Alexander was a member
as a graduate student. The group, which dealt solely with
issues related to HIV, only lasted for a year, but helped
to create a link between University Health Services and
theatre.
Alexander went on to direct a similar group at the University
of Michigan. Since there was no equivalent at EMU, she
invited some EMU students to join that group. At the time,
a troupe from Chicago was brought in for the orientation
show. Desiring a homegrown troupe to perform at orientation,
Alexander approached University Health Services, and CloseUP
was born.
In addition to the orientation show, CloseUP performs
a fall show, a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day show, and at
various other events and conferences. The group members
work all summer writing material and preparing for the
shows.
"It's always humbling to watch something you helped write
and stage be performed in front of an audience," said Wright. "It's
so rewarding to see something you helped develop have an
impact on people."
The orientation show is CloseUP's largest, hosting, on
average, audiences of 6,000-8,000 students. Though much
of the subject matter stays the same, the scenes change
every year.
"The orientation show has become a tradition on campus," said
Alexander. "Some people come back to watch it every year,
to see how it's been revised."
Another CloseUP tradition is a scene called "Drive-Byes," performed
annually at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day show. The scene
addresses race issues, involving kids driving through various
neighborhoods. The Evolution show will include a "Drive-Bye" scene
with a twist, said Alexander.
"Everyone who has been a member of CloseUP has made an
impact in some way. It's always interesting to watch the
dynamics of the troupe shift with new members that come
in," said Mary Larkin, a CloseUP alumna who now directs
a troupe at the University of Michigan. "Just as the members
change, so do the issues that students deal with...like
Facebook. Back in my day, we actually had to approach students
to get to know them. It's a whole new social ballgame for
students now. CloseUP gets to explore those shifts."
