Construction at USU elicits opposing views on student education

The Morgan Theater at Utah State University is scheduled to begin renovations this summer. The department head for theater arts said it won’t impact the student’s education, but not everyone is convinced.
Kenneth Risch, the department head, is confident that the renovations will not interrupt the theater program.
“The students come here to learn,” Risch said. “And they know that their education will not be affected by the project in a major way.”
He later said that it will influence the type of shows selected for production.
“The only thing it affects is the choice of musicals,” Risch said. “We will not be doing anything on the scale of ‘Tarzan’ until we can get back into the Morgan.”
Matthew Stowe, the technical director for the department, is of a different mind.
“Saying it won’t, I think, is ignorant,” Stowe said. “I think in the end it will be better for us but certainly for a year, year and a half, they won’t have the same education.”
While supportive of the renovations and the department’s decisions, Stowe said that the lighting and scenery students will miss out on training unique to the Morgan Theater.
“It will affect our lighting and scenery students,” Stowe said. “Lighting, sound, scenery, all of that is different in this kind of space so most certainly the project will affect it.”
According to Risch, the students will work in the Caine Lyric Theater, which is off campus in downtown Logan.
“It’s a beautiful little theater that we hope the USU students will want to give a try,” Risch said.
The theater is equally equipped in comparison to the Morgan but, according to Stowe, the lighting and scenery students will not be able to learn the challenges unique to larger venues.
“Small scenery has its own issues,” Stowe said. “And large scenery has its own issues. If you’re not able to design on a large stage then you don’t necessarily gain that perspective.”
Both Risch and Stowe agree that the renovations in the Morgan Theater are overdue and that the safety of its students is the priority.