Support

The Department of Theatre strives to provide a rich learning environment which offers opportunities for students to develop as well-rounded theatre artists. Our mission is to engage students, audiences, community members, teachers and guest artists in diverse, innovative and captivating theatre that illuminates the human condition.

Our goal is to prepare students for a life in the theatre and to help them create a place for theatre in their lives.

Your assistance will enhance our efforts in providing the best training ground for budding theatre artists. It will also recognize the contribution that theatre makes to the academic and cultural life of the UNI community.

See below for ways to give.

If you would like to discuss alternate means of supporting our program, please contact department head Will Hickman.

Ways to GIVE

Edelnant Theatre Enhancement Fund

Help honor Jay Edelnant's UNI Career!

Jay retired from UNI in May of 2017 - after 45 years! We are currently working to endow a scholarship in Jay's name: The Edelnant Theatre Enhancement Fund. Once endowed, this fund will generate at least a $1,000 scholarship for a deserving theatre student, and will also be used to support students pursuing professional internships by helping to defray their housing costs.

Please help us get this worthy fund endowed!

Long-term Scholarship Support

Contribute to the Theta Alpha Phi Scholarship Account. This endowed scholarship is reserved for those excellent students in our department whose achievements and contributions represent the highest quality. The fund was originally started by a group of alum in the 1930s to help build a new theatre. As the fund grew, the interest generated went to scholarships, making it the oldest existing theatre scholarship fund. When the Strayer-Wood Theatre was built in 1978, alum ensured the tradition of sponsoring a scholarship for future TAP members by raising $40,000 and permanently endowing this scholarship fund. Typically the awarding of this scholarship provides substantial tuition support for two or three students every year.

Friends of TheatreUNI

Become a member of Friends of Theatre UNI! (Formerly STAGE Inc.) Friends is a nonprofit group from which the Department of Theatre at UNI profits enormously. Friends of Theatre UNI works to increase community awareness of the UNI theatre program while raising funds to provide special extras that patrons and student appreciate.

Contributions by Friends have included coat racks in the Strayer-Wood Theatre lobby, a listening system for the hearing-impaired, and providing tickets for underserved audiences. With an emphasis on student support, over 80% of the funds raised by Friends of Theatre UNI goes directly to students to help pay tuition. Early ticket sales (7/15) and ticket discounts (from 15% up to 40%) for the Theatre UNI season are available to Friends members. Just join at the sponsor level ($75) or above, and then call UNItix once you have your receipt from the UNI Foundation. Donation levels include $20 (Believer/Student), $35 (Friend), $75 (Sponsor), $150 (Enthusiast), and $325 (Angel).

Ongoing Program Assistance

Contribute to the Strayer-Wood Theatre account. This unrestricted account allows us to do many things, including supporting the residencies of guest artists. We believe our students’ education is enhanced when they are exposed to techniques and experiences from artists representing the broader world of theatre. Past guest artist residencies have provided experiences in Acting for the Camera, Shakespearean texts and performance, professional scenic painting technique and collaborations with professional costume, sound and scenic designers.

This fund is also used to provide support to students traveling to see professional theatre productions or attending conferences in their area of specialty.

Charlotte Eilers Outreach & Scholarship Fund

The fund was established in fall, 1999 in honor of the years of dedicated teaching and service. Professor Eilers contributed to the University of Northern Iowa and Cedar Valley in promoting and insuring quality educational theatre experiences for classroom teachers and young people.

The purpose of the fund is to insure that monies are available to establish and maintain drama programs in every school throughout the Cedar Valley, and bring theatre to the lives of all students. Funding will provide individual student scholarships so that any student, regardless of economic circumstances, has access to any of the fee bearing programs and classes of the Sturgis Youth Theatre (SYT).

Funding will also provide matching grants to schools, parent-teacher organizations and the like to help sponsor and support:

residencies by members of the SYT staff in area schools,
bus transportation to UNI school time drama labs,
bus transportation from area schools to SYT productions,
sponsor SYT touring productions in area schools,
underwrite ticket costs incurred by students to attend SYT productions.

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