By Katherine Haines ’21, ’22

Arcadia University Theater has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Best of Glenside Award in the Performing Arts Theatre category. Arcadia University Theatre has adapted to the COVID pandemic by producing virtual performances and other mediums of innovative storytelling.

“It’s wonderful to have our work recognized by the community,” said Dr. Jonathan Shandell, associate professor of Theater Arts. “We strive to produce engaging, thought-provoking, entertaining performances that appeal beyond our campus, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences back to campus for the Arcadia Theatre 2021-22 season.”

Arcadia University Theater completed two productions during the 2021 semester, both formatted to an online platform. The first, Click, used live Zoom and breakout rooms to tell a story about a hacktivist on a collision course with the man who stole her life. The final performance of the academic year was a rendition of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well. The play was originally set to be performed in-person, but the Arcadia University Media and Communications and Theater departments partnered to make a recorded movie-like version available instead. Throughout the year, the department also continued to host virtual workshops through online voice recitals and senior capstone presentations over Zoom.

The Glenside Award Program recognizes the achievements and contributions of local businesses and organizations in the Glenside area to their customers and community.