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One of the first times I entered the DVC Drama building as a student was right before callbacks for this year’s past production of Sweet Charity. I had gone into the PAC lobby in order to study, and I’m able to witness as the people around me are all practicing their sides, rehearsing their lines, trying to get the parts they want. I remember complimenting one of the girls who was rehearsing, and she responded with such kindness. That was one of my first times realizing just how great of an environment the whole drama space held. How kind and supportive everyone was, how everyone just wanted one another to do a great job. It felt so much warmer than other theatres I had worked with in the past, and I could say the same for the entire space. The warmth of the building, the kind energy it radiated. Something really special that I was desperate to be a part of.

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One of the first times I entered the DVC Drama building as a student was right before callbacks for this year’s past production of Sweet Charity. I had gone into the PAC lobby in order to study, and I’m able to witness as the people around me are all practicing their sides, rehearsing their lines, trying to get the parts they want. I remember complimenting one of the girls who was rehearsing, and she responded with such kindness. That was one of my first times realizing just how great of an environment the whole drama space held. How kind and supportive everyone was, how everyone just wanted one another to do a great job. It felt so much warmer than other theatres I had worked with in the past, and I could say the same for the entire space. The warmth of the building, the kind energy it radiated. Something really special that I couldn’t wait to be a part of.

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As my field work, I was able to work backstage for two DVC Drama productions, Sweet Charity and Passage. Both of these experiences were able to help me realize my initial question of seeing what impacts this program has on the students who worked on it, but for this project I’d like to specifically focus on that Mainstage. I’ve always known there’s something special that happens any time you work backstage for a show, but the same is even more true for working on shows at DVC. Everyone is so kind to one another, and everyone just wants to be there. One of the best examples of this is the stage management team for Sweet Charity. They recently just won a merit award, and no award was ever more deserved. Each person on that team worked effortlessly and led with kindness, and told each person backstage what to do at the exact right time. That communication also quickly turned into incredible friendships with the other crew members as well as the cast! Because everyone was working so hard on making this show be wonderful, everyone was able to get along. The air backstage always felt so light, and the student environment felt connected and energetic.

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The entire DVC Drama website is very helpful in providing answers for my critical question, sharing a lot about their mission, their history, and the people who work in the building. One of the most important things I was able to find was their mission statement. The statement reads "DVC Drama is dedicated to creating avenues for aspiring theatre professionals to explore and hone their skills and talents, while sharing their passion for live theatre through programs that entertain, engage, and inspire our community." I find this is something that they succeed at.

For my response, that mission statement is definitely the most important point. It really gives me the words to help answer my question, and it's something that's very true to the program. Some other really great findings are on their education outreach page. DVC drama offers drama education for not just their own students, but students from other schools in the form of student matinees. Not only does this help those students, but it brings me back to how excited the cast and crew were to answer student questions, both of their classmates and the students who may be a part of DVC Drama one day.

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Maybe a little silly, but you can't really go wrong with a 4 star Yelp rating. There's actually a lot of very helpful quotes on the Yelp page, quotes that are able to give more insight on how this program impacts the community.

I was able to look through these reviews and find some very helpful opinions and a lot of insight into the program as a whole, not only from a technician's perspective (my own), but also from actor perspectives, and from community perspectives.

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5 reviews and 3 photos of DVC DRAMA “DVC Drama is one of the best outlets for student actors. The faculty is always there to help you succeed whether you love just acting or musical theater. The program is fantastic and there are not many around like it to receive great training and connections.”

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Something very helpful, and also really interesting, was the article which was written about this year's production of Sweet Charity! It brings a lot of insight into what the actors have to say about their experience in the production, and both the students and the professor share a lot of really important information about the process of putting on a show.

One thing that I found most useful and interesting was a lot of what Lisa had to say. I've enjoyed working with Lisa every chance I've gotten, but it's also really interesting to hear her point of view as the director for this production. It definitely brings a lot of insight into a different aspect of this environment that DVC drama has.

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Make Way, Sweet Charity is Coming to Town!

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Put aside your cab fare, pick out your favorite pumps and prepare yourself for Diablo Valley College’s rendition of a classic Broadway musical. Sweet Charity, which runs from Friday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 3, follows the life of Charity Hope Valentine, an eternal optimist who makes a living being paid to dance with men…