Theatre AUM celebrates 50 years of stage excellence
Theatre AUM’s first production, The Contrast by playwright Royall Tyler, debuted in 1975 in Goodwyn Hall 109, launching five decades of theatrical excellence at Auburn University at Montgomery.
Half a century after that first performance lit the stage in Goodwyn Hall, Theatre AUM celebrated its golden year last week with a “50th Anniversary Showcase” filled with scenes, music, memories and returning cast members. The Contrast was among several past productions revisited with an encore performance.
AUM alumna Susan Woody (’77), a member of the original cast of The Contrast, returned to serve as the showcase’s emcee. She joined theatre alumni, retirees — including retired AUM photographer Frank Williams, who captured the program’s award-winning productions for more than 30 years — as well as current and former faculty, staff and students in commemorating the program’s golden year.
“Theatre AUM’s first play, The Contrast, was held in Goodwyn Hall because the Taylor Center had not been built yet,” said Val Winkelman, Distinguished Research Professor of Theatre in AUM’s Department of Communication and Theatre. “It shows how far the theatre program has come.”
From Nov. 13–16, a 30-member ensemble of past and present Theatre AUM performers, along with university faculty and staff, reunited to bring back a series of scenes, songs and monologues spanning the program’s 50-year history. Supporters and fans joined them in celebrating the milestone in the university’s theatre, now located in the Taylor Center.
“It was such a joy to connect with our alumni again and celebrate Theatre AUM’s collaborative achievements over the past 50 years,” said Winkelman, who recalled working on her first Theatre AUM production in 1991. “It was not only rewarding but reflective to mark this anniversary with our alumni, retirees, current students, faculty and staff who returned to campus for their own sentimental reasons.”
View the full Theatre AUM “50th Anniversary Showcase” photo gallery.
