Silver linings can be found among the upheaval created by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them is the connections made during prescribed social distancing.
The world of in-person arts and entertainment dried like a flower petal in a scorching wind when the pandemic hit. Suddenly those making their incomes onstage, behind the stage or promoting the stage were at home without a job. Students looking for careers in those positions were in the same situation as classes throughout the country were halted and switched to an online format.
That was the topic of conversation when 2015 theater alum Jessica Simons was chatting with Billy Wilburn, associate professor of theater.
Simons had been working as the wardrobe supervisor for the off-Broadway production of “Rock of Ages†in New York City when she got her furlough. Wilburn knew others were in the same situation, however, those alumni generally weren’t in contact with one another and they certainly were not in contact with current students.
Wilburn decided to use his connections to create connections between costume shop alumni and current students via a Zoom meeting.
Thanks to active Facebook alumni groups for both State University Theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre, SDSU’s school year and summer productions, Wilburn was able to invite 85 alumni to the Zoom chat as well as the 40-plus theater majors. A group of 25 (five students and 20 alumni) spent 1½ hours learning about one another.
The alumni graduated between 2008 and 2019, lived in metropolitan areas like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles as well as in South Dakota, and were working in theater, event management, film and education.
“I hope it leads to more connection with our alumni and our students. So many of our alumni are working in the field, but they don’t know each other. In our field, jobs are gained by having connections. I’m hoping the connections we are now making will lead to stronger alumni ties and we don’t lose contact with each other,†Wilburn said.
