Baton Rouge Community College welcomes veteran theatre director and educator Dr. Sarah Klocke as the new manager of the college’s Magnolia Theater. Klocke will also serve as Professor of Theatre, working alongside colleagues in BRCC’s performing arts areas.
Klocke will work to expand the reach and visibility of BRCC’s Magnolia Theater, bringing outside productions to the college, while also cultivating student-led, in-house performances. She also plans to expand the number of theatre courses offered, and since theatre is more than just acting – there is also stage building, lighting, and sound – Klocke is looking into options for creating workforce development certificates for some of the programs and courses.
Klocke hopes to get more BRCC students involved in theatre and is encouraging anyone interested in theatre, lighting and sound to enroll for this spring. BRCC has multiple “semesters” with rolling starts, so it’s not too late to sign up for these courses with start dates in January or February.
The courses currently being offered in theatre are part of BRCC’s fine arts transfer degree program and will also provide students with the skills they need to work in the theatre, film, audio, and music industries right away.
Klocke encourages those who are interested to sign up for a class, whether they are interested in the transfer program, want to learn some quick job skills or are just curious about theatre and the arts.
Courses available for registration for the spring semester are:
Introduction to Theatre
Acting 1
Stage Voice
Stage Craft
BRCC provides an affordable educational experience, and students can utilize the TOPS scholarship and still be able to transfer later and have TOPS funds available. BRCC theatre class sizes have a small teacher-to-student ratio, allowing students to gain more personal attention and a greater likelihood of being cast in a leading role in performances. This experience makes our students more appealing to four-year institutions.
Klocke also hopes to get the local community involved in BRCC theatre. “BRCC’s Magnolia Theater is a beautiful space and will lend itself not only to BRCC theatre productions, but also to community groups who need a space for performances, meetings, and events,” Klocke said. “We could also use the theater for appearances by authors, comedians, high school theatre productions, and more. BRCC is an integral part of the capital region community, and our theater can be a space where that community comes together.”
Klocke said she hopes to have more to share on bringing in community events later this spring.
BRCC also offers related courses in areas like film and audio recording and engineering, led by other highly successful and well-established performing arts faculty. This includes Dr. Tony Medlin, Professor of Theatre; Shea Stephens, Instructor of Film; Scott Nelson, Instructor of Music and Recording Technology; and Eric Baskin, Professor of Music.
“The performing arts offered at BRCC truly gives students an opportunity to experience so many areas of the field and to leave here fully capable to excel at another higher education institution or in the workforce,” Klocke said.
Klocke previously served as Professor and Program Director of Communication and Theatre at the College of Saint Mary, where she oversaw curriculum, faculty, and program development and co-directed the Walk Tall Honors Program. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the College of Saint Mary, an MFA in Film, Theatre, and Communication Arts from the University of New Orleans, and a BA in Speech with an emphasis in Communication and Theatre from Arkansas Tech University.
Her professional experience has included directing, scenic and costume design, and technical production. She has also served in faculty, chair, and administrative roles at institutions including Eastern Oklahoma State College and Truckee Meadows Community College. Dr. Klocke is the recipient of multiple Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival awards recognizing excellence in teaching, design, and production.
Dr. Sarah Klocke