UTM’s Department of Visual and Theatre Arts has recently started a fundraising project to rename the department’s Vanguard Little Theatre after the late former professor of theatre at UTM, Bill Snyder.
Alumni, faculty and students of the department have set a goal to raise $100,000 by the fall of 2019. The department’s plan is to have a dedication service in the Harriet Fulton Theatre where Snyder’s friends, family and colleagues can come together to celebrate the life and works of the former faculty member.
“The money raised will also go toward establishing several scholarships and endowments for future Bachelor of Fine Arts students,” said Doug Cook, the chair of the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts.
The project has been a work in progress for several years starting after Snyder’s death in 2008. Before his time as a professor at UTM, he made a name for himself as a successful actor, director, producer and playwright. One of his most successful shows is “The Days and Nights of BeeBee Fenstermaker”, which ran for 304 Off-Broadway performances and starred Robert Duvall.
“Bill Snyder was a mentor to a great many of us, including me,” Cook said.
Melanie Hollis, a lecturer of theatre for the department, shares the same feelings for Snyder as Cook when asked about the renaming of the theatre. “It is a very deserving renaming and it was a long time coming. He had an effect on so many people.”
The Vanguard Little Theatre is about the same size as an Off-Off-Broadway stage, allowing students to have a closer connection with the audience. Cook also said it is a great space for experimental productions like the upcoming spring production of Marjorie Prime. The upcoming fall production of The Crucible will be performed in the Little Theatre starting November 1-11.
Those wanting to donate to the goal can do so online at utmforever.com/snydertheatre or by contacting the UT Martin Division of University Advancement at 731-881-7620
