BCC Theatre Program Gets at Boost With Grant
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC), thanks to a federal Carl D. Perkins Grant, will install new equipment and hire a full-time faculty member this fall.
The grant covers expenses for a new LED lightboard, which complements a recently upgraded mixing board. In addition, a new full-time Assistant Professor of Theatre, Jack Golden, will join BCC in the fall semester.
"We are so pleased to have been awarded Perkins Grant funding for a new state-of-the-art LED lightboard, which will allow us to train students on the most up-to-date technology used in the field," said Matthew Muller, Dean of Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences. "We are also thrilled to welcome Jack Golden, our new Assistant Professor of Theatre, to campus. Jack will be leading the program and bringing a wealth of technical theatre experience to share with students."
Technical Director Alzie Mercado said newer technology better prepares BCC students for the work they will do in the local theatres.
"The theatre companies in our area — such as Berkshire Theatre Group, Barrington Stage, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and Berkshire Production Resources, to name a few — all want to hire our students as soon as possible," Mercado said. "It's a mutually beneficial partnership. Theatres get a readily available pool of local technicians to hire from, rather than relying on hiring out-of-state personnel. Students have the opportunity to get technical theatre jobs during their college years at BCC, or right after they graduate."
Applications are now being accepted to BCC for both an associate degree program in Fine Arts (theatre concentration) and a certificate program in Technical Theatre. Both programs prepare BCC students for careers in the rich and varied theatre arts institutions in the Berkshires. A certificate can be earned in as little as one year and an associate degree can take two years, and both can be completely free, thanks to the Commonwealth's MassEducate and MassReconnect programs.
The associate degree program involves students in the study of acting, directing, design, lighting and stagecraft. In addition to a comprehensive academic program, students are involved in every aspect of theatrical production, from lighting and costuming to acting and design. Three main-stage, full-scale productions are mounted each year, augmented by student-directed plays.
The certificate program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of careers in educational, community and resident theatre venues, as well as in the film industry. With an immersive, hands-on learning approach, the program introduces students to the fundamentals of technical theatre and helps build an understanding of theatre history, design and practical uses of current industry standards.
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