2008 Woodie Awards
Theatre Department receives award
Award aims at programs that change community through art
Tracey Brown, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/21/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
The Whitworth Theatre Department was recently named the 2006 City of Spokane Bold Strokes Award recipient for achievement in changing the community of Spokane through art.
"It is extremely gratifying for the department to be recognized. We put a lot of energy and effort into making opportunities for service available, but it is the students that are really the ones doing the work," said Rick Hornor, professor and chair of the Theatre Department and the faculty director of service learning.
The award, which was presented by the Spokane Arts Commission in October, recognizes the department's numerous independent and collaborative projects within the Spokane community.
Senior Alicia Doyl has taken part in several of these projects, including performing in "Mirror, Mirror: The Body Image Show" and working in an after-school program at the West Central Community Center.
She is currently a member of Whitworth's improvisational class, which conducts a service learning project at the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center.
"I grew up on the South Hill of Spokane, which is predominately middle to upper class whites," Doyl said. "This has really opened my eyes to a very different area of Spokane."
Once a week, Hornor and the class go to the center to play improvisational games with the students and to engage in conversation and relationship-building with them.
Hornor said those juveniles live in an extremely restricted environment. In addition to being in complete lockdown, there are no windows, they all wear the same clothing and they must walk on certain lines on the floor with their hands clasped behind their backs.
"If nothing else, our visit gives them something to look forward to in an otherwise very bleak existence," Hornor said, "When the improvisational group comes, they are able to be free to dance, laugh and express themselves."
Another way in which the Theatre Department interacts with Spokane's youth is through the department's program "Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations against Bigotry for Kids, Parents and Teachers."
"It is extremely gratifying for the department to be recognized. We put a lot of energy and effort into making opportunities for service available, but it is the students that are really the ones doing the work," said Rick Hornor, professor and chair of the Theatre Department and the faculty director of service learning.
The award, which was presented by the Spokane Arts Commission in October, recognizes the department's numerous independent and collaborative projects within the Spokane community.
Senior Alicia Doyl has taken part in several of these projects, including performing in "Mirror, Mirror: The Body Image Show" and working in an after-school program at the West Central Community Center.
She is currently a member of Whitworth's improvisational class, which conducts a service learning project at the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center.
"I grew up on the South Hill of Spokane, which is predominately middle to upper class whites," Doyl said. "This has really opened my eyes to a very different area of Spokane."
Once a week, Hornor and the class go to the center to play improvisational games with the students and to engage in conversation and relationship-building with them.
Hornor said those juveniles live in an extremely restricted environment. In addition to being in complete lockdown, there are no windows, they all wear the same clothing and they must walk on certain lines on the floor with their hands clasped behind their backs.
"If nothing else, our visit gives them something to look forward to in an otherwise very bleak existence," Hornor said, "When the improvisational group comes, they are able to be free to dance, laugh and express themselves."
Another way in which the Theatre Department interacts with Spokane's youth is through the department's program "Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations against Bigotry for Kids, Parents and Teachers."
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