Twenty-one Buffalo State theater majors participated in a department-hosted trip to the 41st annual Curtain Up! celebration in downtown Buffalo, marking the opening of Western New York's theater season. Their attendance was featured on WKBW-TV 7 on September 13.

The video segment, titled "'There's Nothing Like Live Theater': Curtain Up! Brings Hundreds to Buffalo's Theatre District," interviewed two Buffalo State students about the importance of theater and theater education.

"Theater is a gateway into a different world that many students and many children need to go into," said Gianna Cotto, a senior theater major. "Sometimes kids don't know how to deal with their emotions, and theater gives them that platform."

"I want to inspire other people the same way educators have inspired me throughout my life," added Manuel Mejia, a junior theater major. "I just want to pass the torch on."

"If anyone wants to come down to Buffalo State, maybe shadow us one day," Cotto added, "I'm more than willing to do that."

Curtain Up! is presented in three acts:

Act I: A cocktail party at Shea's Performing Arts Center or dinner at a local restaurant

Act II: Eleven live performances at theaters across Western New York

Act III: A street party on Main Street in Buffalo's theater district, featuring food and beverages, entertainment, and activity

Buffalo State students, accompanied by Carol Beckley, department chair and associate professor, and Kimberly Taylor, administrative assistant, attended the Irish Classical Theatre Company's performance of Dracula: Comedy of Terrors, starring Jorge Luna-Rosario, lecturer in the Theater Department. Luna-Rosario also served as sound designer and production photographer. The production's dialect coach, Buffalo State associate professor of theater Jennifer Toohey, was also in attendance.

Anthony Chase, assistant dean in the School of Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the Buffalo Theater District's Plaza of Stars during the Curtain Up! kickoff celebration on September 9. The plaza honors Buffalo's most influential individuals in theater.

Beckley started "Theatre Night Out" when she became chair three years ago because, she said, it's important for theater students to be actively engaged audience members.

"Our students get the chance to take part in the productions on campus, but they need to see local theater to understand the breadth of work produced right here," she said. "Curtain Up! is a wonderful way to share with the entire community of theater leaders, artists, and technicians all in one place. The students get a tour of the theater district, introductions to theater personnel, and the chance to see just how strong the arts are in Buffalo. It has been an amazing way to support their academic, personal, and professional growth."

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