The department of theatre and dance had its genesis in the study of speech, rhetoric and debate, all popular subjects at Gustavus at the turn of the last century. For many years, the primary instructors in the then Speech Department were the legendary couple, Evan and Evelyn Anderson. Upon the arrival of Robert Gardner in the fall of 1971 to join “Mrs. A.”, the Speech and Theatre Department consisted of two faculty members teaching in speech and two faculty members in theatre. A third faculty member, Kelly W. Forde, joined Anderson and Gardner in 1972 as faculty designer/technical director. The ensuing years saw the continued expansion of the department and its subsequent separation from the Speech Department in the late 1970’s. Formal dance classes were added to the curriculum in the mid-1970’s with the first fulltime dance instructor joining the department in 1979. Dance was added to the formal title of the department in the early 1990’s to recognize the department’s commitment to the dance.
The theatre and dance department has been housed in several temporary locations on campus, the last of which was destroyed by the tornado that hit the campus in 1998. Anderson Theatre opened in the fall of 1971 and the “Little Theatre”, located behind the current Jackson Campus Center, was torn down in the late 1970’s. The building has undergone few changes with exception of the destruction of the large, panels which closed-off the proscenium arch in Anderson and the addition of the Kresge Studio in the early 1980’s. The Kresge Studio was created by enclosing an exterior walkway with funds from the Kresge Foundation. The building escaped major damage by the 1998 tornado, although all electrical and sound equipment needed to be replaced.
Academic Assistant(s) serve as the liaison to all theatre and dance students. The faculty select the AA(s) during spring semester to serve the following fall semester, and their position may be renewed by the faculty for an additional semester. Students are not required to be majors to apply.
