Message from the Associate Dean: All Together Now!

I am so excited that SHU’s new School of Performing Arts (SoPA) is live! We know that the performing arts are vital to a flourishing culture. In the College of Arts & Sciences, the performing arts are how the liberal arts come to life. Theatre, dance, music and ritual help us not only to question what it means to be human, but also to experience the joy of human creativity in real time, together. That’s what makes the performing arts so special: each and every performance is a unique and shared moment in history. SoPA creates a new home and greater visibility for all the amazing talent at the University and highlights SHU’s passion for the performing arts.

While SoPA is new, the performing arts have a long history at SHU. SoPA simply builds on many of SHU’s longstanding strengths and previous accomplishments, including the gorgeous facilities in the John & Sabina Petillo Center for the Performing Arts. More than 1,000 students from across the University participate in SHU’s Performing Arts programs each year: from orchestras to dance ensembles, from choral music that enhances the beauty of the liturgy to live music that fuels a good party, from the pep band supporting our hockey team in the Martire Family Arena to performers presenting a fully staged original Theatrefest show in the Little Theatre, from jazz improvisations to improv comedy. I’m ecstatic that Jerry Goehring, SHU’s executive director of performing arts, will also be taking on the role of SoPA’s artistic director.

When we work together making music, asking big questions, telling stories and improvising choreography, we create lasting bonds of friendship that enrich the Pioneer Journey for our whole community. That’s why SoPA’s classes, activities and programming will always remain open to participation from everyone at SHU, regardless of major or program of study. Whether you audition for an ensemble or just want to boost your public speaking confidence by taking a basic acting class, SoPA will create more pathways for you to get involved and boost the profile for your creative potential.

The performing arts remind us that Pioneers go on the journey together. SoPA represents distinctive partnerships between professional artists, world-class scholars, students pursuing careers in the entertainment industry, students establishing a strong foundation in the liberal arts and human creativity, and students who crave an outlet for their passions in performance while completing a totally different degree program. No matter your journey, SoPA has a role for you to play!

SoPA brings together faculty and staff dedicated to the study and celebration of human creativity in and through the performing arts. That’s why I am delighted at the opportunity to work alongside Rachel Bauer, Ph.D., who will serve as the associate director of academic affairs for the School of Performing Arts. SoPA will succeed because we are building bridges between our excellent academic theatre arts and music programs as we expand a rigorous and innovative curriculum within a caring and creative community. I encourage you to check out our faculty and staff page to learn more about how SoPA brings together the wealth of faculty expertise, professional experience, compassionate connection and innovation in the performing arts already at SHU.

As we navigate toward an unknown and ever-changing future—what Hamlet calls “undiscovered country”—we need live performance and a renewed commitment to the value of collaborative and truly human creativity. I am energized by SHU’s investment in the performing arts as part SHU’s mission “rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts.” I hope you’ll come be a part of the show and see why it’s so exciting!

Charles A. Gillespie, Ph.D.
Founding Associate Dean of the School of Performing Arts
College of Arts & Sciences
Sacred Heart University