By Carolyn Fleder
This semester, the Horn Gallery will offer three $250 grants to fund student-produced theater. The money comes out of the Horns $24,000 Business and Finance Committee (BFC) Budget.
In the 2011 fall semester, the Horn Gallery hosted an independent play directed by Jamal Jordan 12. The play, 4:48 Psychosis by playwright Sarah Kane, was staged in the basement of the Horn, with the actors performing in the center and surrounded on all sides by the audience.
After the success of Jordans play, the Horn managers decided to pursue more theater programming by applying for a grant that would open up the Horn as a theater space.
If you talk to most drama majors, they will tell you that, unfortunately, Kenyon is a little strapped for space especially if youre doing an independent production, said Horn Gallery co-manager Charlie Collison 15.
This dearth of theater venues prompted the Horn Gallery last spring to begin offering two annual grants, worth $250 each, to fund independent student-directed plays that would be staged in the Horn. The Horn is always really interested in new programming, said Collison. The opportunity to expand the buildings uses to include theater was therefore a natural step.
Austin Butler 15, who is involved with the Horn, loves the idea of grants for theater and arts. The Horn is open to everyone. I think its a crime that Kenyon doesnt have a student union, said Butler. The Horn is the closest thing we have.
The first two Horn theater grants funded another independent play by Jordan, an original play called Dead White Men, and a musical improvisational show called Fruit: the Musical. Both were huge successes.
The application for this semesters grants is open until Feb. 11, and it is available through a Google form that was sent out via an all-student email. The last of the three grants will be awarded after spring break.
The application asks for details including the time frame of the production, the rehearsal schedule, and how the applicant(s) will make unique use of the Horn Gallery space. So far the Horn has only received one application, although Collison is hopeful that they will receive more.
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