An Angels in the Wings
Alumna supports Theatre and Dance facilities
with Kent State’s largest capital gift
By Megan Harding, ’83 Roe Green knows that books and computers can’t teach students all they need to learn about developing poise, public speaking skills and a fertile imagination. Green, who earned her master’s degree in theatre from Kent State in 1980, believes every student should take at least one drama course while in college, even if they don’t plan on making a career onstage. In theatre and dance, she says, students learn to use very basic tools — their bodies, voices and powers of imagination — to transport themselves to a totally new environment, then to re-create that world for audiences. “The arts are what make us human,” Green says. According to two recent studies, learning through the arts, when integrated with other K-12 school reforms, helps students achieve high-level thinking, collaborate with peers and perform better on standardized tests. “When there are budget cuts in our schools, art is always the first to go and it’s very sad,” Green says, because she senses that the Nintendo and iPod generations are at risk of losing the ability to use their imaginations to solve problems. In January, Green expressed her lifelong love of art and theatre as she made a pledge of $6.5 million — the largest capital gift commitment in Kent State history — through The Roe Green Foundation. Her generosity will make it possible to significantly expand and upgrade facilities for the School of Theatre and Dance. “More than 300 students are involved in the theatre and dance programs, and I feel they deserve to have a wonderful building to work in,” she says. “Kent State will have all the performing arts under one roof.” Green, of Aurora, Ohio, made the decision after seeing the high quality of Kent State’s facilities for fashion, a newer program that has already received significant private support. She also knew that enrollment in theatre and dance had doubled since 1998, and had seen how well students responded to interaction with nationally known artists brought to campus as part of the Roe Green Visiting Director Series, which her foundation created in 2002. Last year, guest director Sue Ott Rowlands staged an award-winning production based on interviews with Laramie, Wyoming, residents and their reactions to the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student. “It was a wonderful experience to watch Sue in rehearsal with the students. She had them in the palm of her hand,” Green says. “Afterward, when the students come up to me and say, ‘Thank you so much for giving me a life-altering experience,’ [I know] that’s what giving is all about.” Dr. John R. Crawford, director of the School of Theatre and Dance, got to know Green several years ago when she began serving on the advisory board for the school and later for the Porthouse Theatre. Green, who describes herself as a “backstage person” rather than an actress, has professional experience in stage and business management at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, Cleveland Opera and the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She also was a competitive ballroom dancer for 12 years. “Roe is very student-oriented,” Crawford says. “She always sees her philanthropy from the vantage point of the students and what they need to reach their goals.” For example, the new facility will be equipped with sophisticated sound and lighting controls that offer students more hands-on time to build technical skills in high demand by the entertainment industry. Also, there will be space to store theatrical sets that can be recycled; currently, these materials must be discarded when a production closes. Next page: Room to encourage students to explore and present their own ideas...
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