College Ambassadors

The Horace J. Bond Ambassador Program
Scholar, playwright, director and activist, Horace J. Bond was an early company member who helped shape Penumbra’s aesthetic by grounding it within an informed cultural ethos that was geared toward social change. A faculty member in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Minnesota, Professor Bond acted as a mentor to founder and artistic director Lou Bellamy, forging a link between the University and Penumbra Theatre that has lasted over 30 years. Today Penumbra offers a wide range of uniquely tailored programs that rely heavily on mentorship and communal responsibility to inform, educate and empower.

Professor Bond considered it imperative that the educational opportunities to which students were exposed replenish the community through civic action and social responsibility. Penumbra strives to create a safe environment for students to explore their creative ideas and political ingenuity. The Ambassador program extends the reach of student course work by using theatre as a platform to stimulate dialogue and action. Students learn to be agents of social change as they practice the skills of the craft and deepen their understanding of cultural awareness. Ambassadors work with a faculty advisor and Penumbra’s educational staff to create practical tasks and share useable tools that facilitate responsible choices and action around the issues raised by the Penumbra’s plays. Ambassadors witness the impact of their efforts in building and sustaining community. By working with younger students, Ambassadors see that mentorship is valuable and vital to the creation of a robust, humanitarian society.

Ambassadors serve one semester long term for up to three terms.
Maximum participants: 1 Ambassador per university per term.
Candidates must be nominated by faculty at a partner university or college.
Open to third and fourth year undergraduate students.
For more information, email Sarah Bellamy.