Nearly 200 SDSU alumni commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Prairie Repertory Theatre in a two-day celebration on June 10 and 11.
2000 alum Tarek Sayed, center, connects with two of his former professors, Ray Peterson, left, and James Johnson.
Bringing together five generations of program members, the celebration opened with a Friday afternoon performance of “The Play That Goes Wrong,” a comedy hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes.
The next day, a meet and greet with past PRT directors, followed by tours of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center and campus allowed alums to see the updated campus facilities.
Tarek Sayed ’00 traveled from his home in Chicago to attend the reunion. He hasn’t been back to campus for several years and was impressed by what he saw.
“I’m jealous I didn’t have those (facilities); they are a major upgrade,” he said. “Today’s students are so fortunate. Plus having the music and theatre departments next to each other has to be such a benefit because those two departments really go hand in hand.”
Sayed said a highlight of the event was seeing old PRT friends and visiting with former professors.
“The folks we did PRT with basically become family. A lot of blood, sweat and tears go into making these productions, so you have a lot of shared emotion with them all. It was great seeing the people I was in PRT with and getting to meet the younger generation currently doing PRT.”
Nearly 200 PRT alums gathered for the 50th anniversary. Some are clearly still prone to theatrics.
Billy Wilburn, the PRT artistic director, agreed. “It was great to see so many people reconnect, share memories of their years with PRT and make new connections with other alumni,” he said.
The evening brought a PRT Alumni Banquet featuring a three-course meal in the Dr. Scotty & Margaret Roberts Lobby.
“It was a full day of events, but the highlight was having everyone in the new Oscar Larson Theatre for the ‘Miscast Cabaret,’” said retired theatre professor J.D. Ackman ’78.
After a video audition, alums were cast in roles they would not otherwise play, singing songs from popular musicals throughout the performance.
“The audience absolutely loved the event,” Ackman said. “The room was full of many of the people I love most in the world. Lots of memories and laughs.”
PRT alums gather in the Dr. Scotty and Margaret Roberts Lobby for a three-course banquet June 11.
An after-hours social then followed on the patio at Skinners Pub, allowing alumni to continue connecting and sharing memories.
“Hearing how and where life has taken them [alumni] and how PRT has impacted their life is wonderful,” Wilburn said. “It makes me step back, reflect and understand the importance of what we do at PRT.”
Colette Gannon
