TCU theatre students will have the opportunity to perform in front of friends and family next month after initially being prohibited.

The department had their first in-person production in over a year last weekend when they performed Children of Eden, but the crowd was limited to just 75 TCU students.

Those from outside of campus, including family members, were not allowed to attend because of COVID-19 guidelines.

The decision to restrict guests was met with disappointment and a call to action. Brett Rawlings, a senior musical theatre major, started a petition to try to get the university to change its decision on guests.

The petition received over 1,300 signatures.

“The arts at TCU are criminally underrated and under appreciated, and we are tired of being treated as second-hand students,” Rawlings wrote.

The petition also mentioned how TCU allowed thousands of guests at football games and a limited capacity at indoor basketball games, something echoed by sophomore theater studies major Taylor Bockrath.

"It’s frustrating when we aren’t allowed to have things such as shows in front of a live audience or in-person rehearsals that contribute to our education when the university is totally fine with there being thousands of visitors packed into a football stadium,” she said.

Bockrath added that she felt that the theatre department has a double standard with the university.

“TCU is so quick to flaunt how successful the Musical Theatre program is, yet our program is always first to be swept under the rug,” she said.

In 2019, the department was ranked sixth in the country by On Stage, a popular online theatre publication.

Making a compromise

Ultimately, non-TCU guests were not allowed to attend Children of Eden last weekend.

They will be allowed next month, after the theatre department decided to host a second in-person show in response to student frustration.

"You can't have theatre without an audience," said Dr. Harry Parker, chair of the Department of Theatre. "A live performance with a live audience is part of what makes the art form happen."

He compared the student's situation to a football team being able to practice, but never to actually play.

Parker said he understood student's frustration with not being able to have family at the show last weekend, but also recognizes TCU's position.

“We’re near the finish line and we shouldn’t endanger the commencement by risking having a large audience and allowing off-campus visitors that could potentially bring the virus back to campus and start another spike in the number of cases," he said.

Instead, the department will wait until after graduation and then hold a show open to up to 100 guests.

Each cast member will be given 2 tickets and the show is set for May 10.

Faculty and staff, who will be off contract come May 10th, agreed to provide this opportunity for the students who have worked so hard to put this show together.

“Faculty and facilities are sacrificing a lot to make this second show happen,” Parker said.

TCU Housing also assisted the department by allowing some students to stay in their dorms until May 11th.

The show will also be live streamed this weekend. Read more on the production here.