In early April, approximately 90 alums who studied theatre under legendary director Ron Schulz met to raise money for a scholarship fund in his name, kickstarted by a Friend of the Theatre who donated 25,000 dollars.  But that was not the only reason for these past graduates to visit TTU; those attending badly missed one another and the days they worked together to create theatre and dance events. Many of them reached out, excited that our School planned to host the first reunion in a decade. The alums in question mostly studied at Tech during the Schulz years, 1952-82, and boy, did they love sharing the transformative experiences they had working for Mr. Schulz, almost all unanimously echoing the refrain, “I never wanted to disappoint Mr. Schulz.”

Whether on stage or even creating original music for shows, over the course of the 4-day reunion, those who were directed and/or taught by Mr. Schulz described specifically how the skillset they learned from him bettered their lives and guided most of their careers. It was inspiring.

[I mean, think of it: it’s extraordinary that most of our graduates from that era have made a living in performance or related activities, and many attribute that to what they learned here in the School of Theatre & Dance, so it’s no wonder they wanted to see each other!]

As someone fortunate enough to be a member of the event planning committee and to have attended all reunion events, I have to admit, this long weekend shifted my perception of reunions forever.  

Bold claim, I know. Allow me to explain.

What did I expect?

• the laughter: performance people, after all, have voices that carry (even and especially those who work backstage!);
• the provocative stories: people who translate narrative to visual components for the stage can almost always spin a good yarn;
• and, yeah, even the tears: mostly from joy but also honoring the memories of those who are no longer with us.

What didn’t I expect?  

• that my favorite two hours of the reunion were those spent listening to our alumni share stories with our current students, both about their professional careers and, also, about life in general. [Ok, to be honest, I have many favorite memories especially touring alums through our new “digs” and hearing stories about Mr. Schulz.]

At the end of the discussion, even though admittedly university education is very different in 2025 than the years Mr. Schulz was with us, the alumni strongly advocated that the principles that Mr. Schulz instilled—especially those of drive and discipline—are more significant now than ever.

Most of our students agreed. And, I imagine, that’s because those of us in the arts have work ethics still driven by something mysterious and insatiable: our affection for all elements of performance and our willingness to dedicate copious hours to perfecting the art.

In fact, many of our alums remarked how much the reunion itself resembled a production. One alumnus on Facebook wistfully and poetically described the reunion as having a structure reminiscent of a traditional theatre rehearsal:

…as I drive back home across the flat lands of Texas, I am revisited by an old familiar feeling: you know, the one you get after you close a show. You know what I am referring to. It’s a melancholy happiness. You are together a certain amount of time and then it’s done. It’s like we were all directed in a show one last time. The last curtain dropped, we took our curtain call, we shook hands and shared hugs, struck the set and now we say our goodbyes…We will always keep in touch, but some of the people you may never see again. But we will always have this weekend, like we can always say, “I was directed in this show by Mr. Schulz."

I’ll never forget Thursday night, the official opening kickstarting the reunion. It was the first time many of these graduates had seen each other for years. I wish you could have heard all of the screaming and greetings and stories and hugs…it was inspiring and heartwarming to witness.

Now that the reunion is behind us and I’ve time to reflect, I honestly think the joy of the event, the bond that holds this exceptional group together decades later, is directly related to the work they created on stage. Think of it. These performance practitioners came to TTU to increase their toolbox of skills related to theatre and dance, and in the act of perfecting their craft, but they also found a community of like-minded individuals with whom they loved to work. Mr. Schulz obviously knew how to inspire trust and recognize talent, especially because he took risks, encouraging them to expect nothing less than excellence. And this made it ok to run a show again at 1:00 am if the earlier rehearsal did not meet Mr. Schultz’s exacting standards. In other words, to disappoint Mr. Schulz was to disappoint themselves. 

Those of us celebrating Mr. Schulz discussed over the course of the long weekend that many of the younger generations are less interested in reunions, that maybe social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram now fill that need. Sure. It’s true that social media increases our ability to keep up with friends, especially sharing pictures, reporting daily activities, and sharing political opinions. But, in spite of the fact that social media and technology such as Zoom and Teams allow us to stay in touch face to face (well, on a computer screen), it was apparent at the reunion that nothing beats actually revisiting the spaces where friendships take root and talking to past friends in person in that space.

As we complete another excellent year in the School of Theatre & Dance, one where we featured a one person show by Jo Harvey Allen and a world premiere by Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, we will always be grateful to the alumni who worked diligently to create the School of Theatre & Dance that is now our home. And it goes without saying that we continue to be thankful for our current colleagues and students whose massive achievements further our reputation as one of the best universities in the country in which to study performance.

It may seem shmaltzy, but, as Mr. Schultz’s son Christopher was able to witness firsthand at the reunion, as long as his father’s mentees share stories and memories of their experiences with this extraordinary director, Mr. Schulz will always live on.

Oh, and for those of you who asked for a reunion in a few years to celebrate George Sorenson, another remarkable educator who helped to build our program, count on it! And be on the lookout for a newsletter that shares information about the public performances during WildWind in late June.

Have a great summer, and thanks for supporting TTU Theatre & Dance.