Jordanne Semper-Scott
Contributing Writer
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the department of theatre and dance celebrated the 50th anniversary of Freelander Theatre with a backstage tour that featured a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of theatre production. Naoko Skala, scene designer and chair of the department of theatre and dance, showed guests around some of the building’s most frequented areas. Visitors were led from the set shop to the costume shop, with its arrays of fabric and sewing machines, to the department’s library, with its rows of scripts, plays and academic texts explaining the pedagogy of theatrical performance.
Following the tour, the department of theatre and dance held a formal celebration ceremony inside Shoolroy Theatre, including a brief presentation on the history of Freedlander Theatre. Guest speakers included Skala, Emily Baird ’16, choreographer and assistant professor of theatre and dance and Kathie Clyde ’75. Skala gave her opening remarks, thanking the faculty of the department of theatre and dance for hosting the event and Wooster alumni for speaking.
Baird provided a brief history of Freelander Theatre, including information on the man after whom the theatre is named. Herman Freedlander –– originally spelled “Friedlander”–– was the eldest of seven children and a native of Wooster, Ohio. At age 18, he became the owner of Freedlander’s, a department store founded by his father and located in downtown Wooster. Freedlander funded numerous community projects including parks, playgrounds and The College of Wooster’s Speech and Hearing Clinic.
Before his death in August 1971, his younger brother A.L. Freedlander requested that the College name their theatre after his brother in recognition of his contributions to the Wooster community. On March 6, 1975, Freelander Theatre and Shoolroy Arena Theatre were officially opened and dedicated to the College. Since its debut, Freedlander Theatre has hosted more than 400 productions including department plays, dance concerts and Ohio Light Opera performances.
During her freshman and sophomore years, Clyde watched as Freelander Theatre was being constructed and had the opportunity to work onstage and backstage in the original Scot auditorium in Taylor Hall. When Freelander Theatre opened, Clyde was selected to play the eponymous role of the theatre’s inaugural production: “Saint Joan” by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Winford B. Logan in 1975. Her study of the heroine patron saint of France punctuated her time at Wooster in the theatre department and left a lasting impact on her 50 years later. Clyde concluded her speech by expressing gratitude to the College for connecting her to the titular character and for her time at Wooster.
“I think back to the performance that I gave as an unwitting 20-year-old, and I am so grateful for the opportunity Dr. Logan gave me and for the curiosity that playing the part of Saint Joan inspired me,” Clyde said. “I marvel at how theatre at Wooster connected me to Joan of Arc.”
After the ceremony came the premiere of the fall theatre production of “Boeing Boeing,” a comedic farce written by Marc Comletti and directed by Shirley Hudson-Findley, professor of theatre and dance and South Asian studies. The cast of “Boeing Boeing” described the end of their fall performance as “bittersweet.” When asked about the significance of performing on the 50th Anniversary of Freelander Theatre, Ellie Wright ’28 said, “I’m so honored that I was chosen for such… a [monumental] anniversary. [I] truly feel so honored to be able to perform.”