New director, new plans announced for Interactive Theatre Ensemble

The Department of Theatre, Film and Dance recently announced plans for the Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble (CITE).

CITE officially was formed in January 1992 as a unique educational resource. The ensemble designs workshops utilizing the medium of interactive theater to explore how people might work together effectively and appropriately in the workplace. Under the co-leadership of the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance and the Office of Human Relations, the CITE Program has offered diversity training to campus, community and corporate clients throughout the United States and Canada.

Due to the growing demand for CITE's work with corporate clients, it has become increasingly difficult, from both financial and logistical standpoints, for the program to support campus and community programming needs effectively and successfully. As a result, the department, in consultation with the university administration, determined that CITE would turn its focus to corporate programming beginning with the 1998-99 academic calendar. It is hoped in the long term that a second troupe can be brought on board to serve Cornell, the Ithaca community and other academic institutions and non-profit organizations.

To accomplish this change in focus, the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance has brought on board a new administrative director of CITE, Terral Lewis. Lewis is the former department chair of theater and dance at Amarillo College in Texas.

Three associate director positions have been established to oversee the corporate program function and the educational mission of the program. Martha Dewey, the associate director of education and curriculum, is charged with research, creating and implementing the educational material that is the core of the program, along with acting in each of the corporate programs. Dane Cruz, the associate director of corporate programming, is charged with cultivating, maintaining and overseeing the booking of corporate clients for the CITE program, along with acting in each of the programs. Sandra Carrington, the associate director of facilitation, is charged with facilitating all corporate program events. Carrington also serves as human resource specialist for the unit.

For more information about CITE and its programs, contact the office at 254-2759.