Theater has always been a living, breathing art form, and nowhere is that more evident than in the evolution of a school’s theater department. Since the Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center’s opening in 2003, the Xavier theater department has only grown more impressive.
Theater department chair Teresa Corderman spoke about the 19 years of development that she has witnessed during her time at Xavier. Corderman emphasized the advancement of technology in theater saying, “From what it was when I first got here to now is crazy different.”
She went on to mention the latest addition to the Xavier theater, a laser cutter. This new tool is extremely beneficial to the technical theater division as it significantly expedites the process of making sets. Corderman specifically describes the laser cutter as “phenomenal.”
In addition to this advantageous resource, Corderman makes it clear that lighting has massively progressed during her time in theater. She states, “When I was in high school in the 1980s, you had to push up all the little levers and then the lights would turn on.”
In contrast, Corderman says, “Now, they can shift and move, so you can have a lot more versatility.” She continues, “It’s amazing, the intelligence of the boards that we have now. We are able to control everything.”
Theater director and Xavier alumna Sarah White ‘16 has also noticed significant differences in theater from her time as a student to now. She emphasizes the copious opportunities that she has as a director.
“You may not plan on using the elevator that much, okay, well how ‘can’ we use the elevator? What ‘can’ we do? We have all these amazing technical things that we can do, so let’s try to put them to use,” White says.
When remembering her time as a Xavier student, White recalls the changes in the casting process. Where the average number of auditionees for Xavier shows today is 65 to 70 students, White says, “It was hardcore when I was here. There were over 100 people auditioning for every show.” This, in turn, made casting an incredibly rigorous and selective process.
As a director, White wishes for her students to know that, “If you want to play a role, you should be able to audition for it. Even if it’s not something that you particularly think you look like.” She continues, “They can audition for anything they want and if they work hard, they can get it.”
While it seems unexpected, White believes that the most significant difference in theater is not, in fact, any technical advancements, but the impact of TikTok. She said, “A bunch of theater people went to TikTok to build a community and within that they started pointing out things in the community that were what could be considered ‘cringey.’”
The TikTok algorithm has consequently exposed the public to a fictitious concept of the social group commonly known as “theater kids.” White describes how the generalizations that TikTok creates are affecting the younger generation as these stereotypes attack “anything that takes a vulnerability to present yourself in front of a group of people.”
White describes the impact of these generalizations by saying, “When I went here, football players were auditioning for shows. There was this coexistence. There was a respect. I think TikTok has kind of dwindled that a bit.”
However, Xavier’s own “theater kids” believe it is White that who made the most significant change during their time in theater.
Macy Bonnett ‘25 has been involved in Xavier theater since her freshman year, making her debut as Liesl in “The Sound of Music.” Bonnett states, “Ms. White was definitely a big shift as far as my time in Xavier theater goes.”
Bonnett continues by saying, “We as actors feel so seen and understood, and the confidence she instills in us is very clearly portrayed on the stage. Simply put, we are proud of the shows we put on that stage and we have fun doing it too.”
In a constantly changing world, the theater shows both a positive and negative view of the impact that time has on a community. From the technology, the trends, and the teachers, Xavier theater has made a pivotal track during its time and certainly has an exciting future ahead.
