Southeast's Theatre and Dance Department to change its name

By Aug. 1, Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will be known officially as the Conservatory of Theatre and Dance.

The designation is meant to describe more accurately a program with high standards where students are trained for careers in theater, film, television and dance, chair and professor Kenn Stilson said.

“It’s an intensive program, and essentially, the students live here at the River Campus,” he said.

Once they graduate, many head to entertainment hubs such as New York and Los Angeles, where they are expected to compete with top talent from all over the world. No one gets into the program without auditioning first and being evaluated each year to ensure his or her progress is where it should be.

“It’s a very high standard we’re putting on our students,” Stilson said.

Because of that, the program attracts students not only from southern and eastern Missouri, but from all over the country.

“We are recruiting students coast to coast,” he said.