The theater department at the University of Idaho is well known amongst students, however, there is another group that seeks to attract both theater and non-theater majors. The Cornerstone Theater Company proves an opportunity for actors and actresses to act and participate in more student-led productions.
The Cornerstone is a student-run club that seeks to attract theater majors, non-theater majors and anyone interested in theater. President Tanya Thompson says that the club is run by students and is for students.
“We were started with that idea that we wanted to support what our theater department on campus was already doing,” Thompson said. “But also give students an additional opportunity to create theater.”
The name of the club comes from the word cornerstone itself. Thompson said that a cornerstone is a foundational element in a building.
“We wanted to be a cornerstone for our department,” Thompson said. “A piece of the architecture, a foundational element that everybody was welcome to participate in.”
Thompson has been with the club for about two years, last year when she was Treasurer. Now she is the President this year for the club. Membership is small for the club, but that doesn’t stop them from putting on some productions.
The difference between the Cornerstone and UI Theater Department is that the Cornerstone is student-run and students decide what plays they want to do. Thompson said that UI makes decisions to run plays based on faculty input, with some student input. They also can put on more plays each semester. The Cornerstone can’t put on as many as the Theater Department because they are not directly funded, they have to rely on donations and fundraising. However, the students have more input on what plays they should put on.
That does not mean that they are rivals, in fact, both groups have a good relationship with each other. While they do not get any financial support from the Theater Department, they do give them opportunities to help the club make money. According to Hannah Verdi, the social media coordinator for the club, the department has them sell concessions at some of the plays the department puts on. When they were doing a fundraiser selling buttons, the department matched donations with them as well. Also, the Theater Department lets them use the stages in Shoup Hall and the Hartung.
They have managed to put on some productions. Thompson said that last year they had a student write an original musical that Cornerstone put on. This year, due to COVID-19, they have shifted their format to play readings over Zoom.
Play readings are different than full-fledged productions of plays. Thompson said that during a play reading, the actors are not off book, there are some costumes and there is no set design either. The actors and actresses are still acting and performing for audiences, and a significant difference is that they are free for the public to watch. Vice President of Cornerstone, Carly McMinn said that readings are also cheaper than full-on productions.
Due to the pandemic and current political climates, the play readings focus on social issues and were written by Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC).
“We did a reading series that was strictly BIPOC playwrights to expose the department to more playwrights and expand their database of plays and writers,” McMinn said.
The readings garnered a warm reception from audiences, and McMinn said that the playwright, Imani Alyse Redman, who wrote “#IfTheyGunnedMeDown” attended one of their readings via Zoom in October.
They hope to do more in the Spring and are making plans, though currently, they are working on building up the organization to give it some foundation.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected]