Abstract:
Any three people ' watching a car crash into a tree will provide
three slightly different descriptions of what happened. All will
get the car into that tree but will vary slightly as to form and
content. That's just the way we humans are and that difference is
manifest in everything we do. The car crash we are investigating
in this book is, of course, theater at the University of Detroit.
Being a creative enterprise, theater, more than most beasts
and car wrecks, takes on the personality of those in charge, the
person calling the cues. And excellence to be achieved must be
pushed and demanded every moment. If the Director takes time off,
the beast that is theater will begin looking for another master to
follow, another direction to take. Again, this is the nature of
the creative impulse.
As we journey through the history of theater at the University
of Detroit (U-D), one should be able to perceive the persona of the
person in charge by the plays chosen for performance, and the
methods and people chosen to execute that performance. Thus , more
than most periods of history, the periods of theater can be
summarized under the banner of the Artistic Director. And this is
not in any way to be seen as a cult of personality . A heading of
"the Burgwin," "the Rodgers," or "the Regal" years carries real
significance beyond mere political or geographic distinction. It
shows the creative drives, the artistic demands, and literary
vitality of that Director. Thus, in this book we will endeavor to
zero in on those Directors ... "the Chairmen."
Throughout this book we will also, wherever possible, use the
actual words of the people involved in their entirety. This will
give the reader views that may be different from this writer. It
will also allow the reader to draw the flavor of the times and
sample the essence of the people themselves.
Finally, I will not attempt to account for each year and every
play presented in U-D's long history. That will be amply covered
in Part II. Instead I will try to note the larger movements both
in theater at , the University and the world of theater at large. We
will also note some of the occurrences that we all remember or can
identify with. It was amazing to read through the papers and notes
from years ago and see the students of those days facing so many of
the same problems as we faced. It hasn't changed all that much!
So, with those "understandings" well in hand, off we go!
