The Denison Independent Theatre Association has never had one stage. They’ve never stuck to one way of performing, never landed on a single artistic direction. The club operates differently each year.
Yet many current and former students attribute the club’s structure, which revolves around autonomously driven acting, writing, producing, and directing, to its lasting success. Its student-driven nature has brought members together and kept the club going.
“Having that opportunity, that trust, and the resources to take the lead ourselves, gave us a sense of artistic confidence and enthusiasm that we were then able to bring to the other parts of our work,” said Nick Radmer ’18, a former president of DITA.
Radmer is one student who found community in DITA’s independence, one that motivated him to make DITA a major part of his Denison experience.
Others who found a similar sense of community will return to campus to celebrate DITA’s 20th anniversary over Big Red Weekend. The reunion is not exclusive to members; anyone interested or previously involved with DITA can join in the festivities.
The weekend events have been in the works since March, and DITA students and alumni have met monthly since then to orchestrate the activities, which will include a social gathering and a series of one-act productions and performances.
Since planning began, Kylee Johnston, Denison’s associate director of affinity engagement, said interest in the events have snowballed. Members of DITA have “completely shaped what the weekend will look like,” she said, in keeping with the independent aspect of the club.
Serving as the primary coordinator, Johnston has watched the reunion come together and said she has enjoyed working with DITA students and alumni.
“I think it’s especially cool when alums can come back to campus and do the thing that brought them those relationships and ties in the first place,” Johnston said. “So this is really cool that alums– that formed all these bonds through writing, producing, acting and plays– can come back and do this together and with current students.”
DITA’s theatre focus often brings together students from different backgrounds because of their shared interest in the arts. Johnston described the club as a “good reflection of how Denison supports and celebrates the arts” through these ties.
“A lot of these alums weren’t all theatre majors, but they all appreciated theatre,” Johnston said. “This was their outlet so they could be actors, writers, performers, while still being something like a biology or psychology major.”
The one-act performances, which will be a part of the Big Red Weekend celebrations, are one way alumni have said DITA brings students together.
“The thing that I fondly remember about them is that we would have dozens and dozens of people participate, including folks who didn’t really do theatre in other parts of their life at Denison,” said Radmer, the previous club president. “We had a really big cross section of not just the performing arts community at Denison, but people outside of that world as well.”
Radmer recalls these one-acts, during his tenure, to typically be comedic, though sometimes someone would “swing for the fences,” and try something more postmodern. He remembers there being more than 60 students participating in more than 10 productions at one point.
While the late-night casting sessions that Radmer fondly remembers will be hard to create in one weekend, he’s hoping to relive some of the fun.
In recent years DITA hasn’t focused on one-acts, but rather shadowcasting, where actors act alongside a movie. Students embrace the fluidity of the organization by diversifying what DITA gives attention to on a yearly basis, so while one-acts are less common now, they could always see a revival.
“DITA is in this really special position where we get to do a lot of different things,” said Faye Dessaro ’27, the current DITA president. “We can do full-scale productions, but we can also do table-reads, stage readings, and smaller stuff, and (showcase) people’s work that wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to be put on.”
She also hopes that in the future, DITA also focuses on student-written work, even if the shadowcasts are now popular.
Dessaro has been involved in the planning process for the upcoming anniversary events. The one-acts, which will be put together over a day during the weekend, seem fitting, she said.
“I think it’ll be a really great experience for people to get to be in a show and get to do all of the fun performing — all in 18 hours,” Dessaro said.
That rush to produce a show in a short time is a key part of the club. Dessaro described their process of production as “making it work as you go.”
“A lot of the props are a little scrappy and homemade, but the elements of the shows are very personal and very much like passion projects,” Dessaro said.
Other members are excited for the event to re-emphasize DITA’s ability to provide a creative outlet to performers.
“There’s more freedom to DITA,” than some other theatre options, said Caro Elliot ’22, another past DITA president. “I want to compare it to fringe festivals in a way, where you’re able to explore topics and themes that the student body really cares about and wants to talk about, and you’re able to do that through art and facilitate these interesting conversations.”
Elliot was one of the students to navigate DITA through the Covid pandemic. Much of her time was spent “trying to focus on how we could build things up.” She said she is proud of how the organization’s momentum has continued and where DITA is today.
She and Radmer are both looking forward to the reunion events.
“I get hit every single time I’m back on campus, it’s sort of hard to put into words,” Radmer said. “Having this event to look forward to on top of that is the cherry on top.”
Weekend itinerary:
Friday, Nov. 6
Welcome Mixer | 6-8 p.m. | Reese-Shackelford Common
Enjoy appetizers and drinks while gathering with current students and alumni at designated DITA tables to celebrate independent theatre at Denison.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Casting Gathering | 10:15 a.m. | Hylbert Family Studio Theatre
Alumni and students interested in participating will form casts for Saturday’s staged readings of DITA one-acts.
One-Act Staged Readings | 3-4:30 p.m. | Hylbert Family Studio Theatre
Staged readings of original one-act plays written by Denisonians in the Black Box Theatre.
Closing Social | 7:30 p.m. | Monomoy
A closing mixer and celebration.
