Theatre Connect PRA 2024
Transferred from facebook.com/collegeruled
Hello all,
It’s been a while since I last posted. I want to share something close to my heart: Theatre Connect¹.
Back in elementary school, I attended a performing arts school, and it was a place where I flourished. I could express myself freely, no matter who I was at the time. After finishing fifth grade, I didn’t have theatre as an extracurricular anymore, and I lost the space where I could truly be myself. When I was in middle and high school, I struggled to make friends, and I often looked for places where I could extend myself in a creative way.
In 2017, I discovered a theatre troupe through UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine. I loved it from the start, and it quickly became more than just a day camp. Theatre Connect evolved into two-hour meetings filled with improv games that got us moving, made us express ourselves in unique ways, and created a brave space to be whoever we wanted—whether that meant playing a character or just being us.
Here’s a snippet from Camilo RM, Theatre Connect 's Executive Director and Program Coordinator:
“In theatre, we are all pretending, but we’re doing it on purpose.”
“In high school, I was part of an after-school improv group, and eventually joined the drama program. It became a place where, because we were all pretending, I could pretend to be my actual self. A lot of kids, especially queer kids, gravitate toward theatre for that reason.”
— Camilo Reina Muñoz, MA (he/him), Executive Director
I’ve been an active member of Theatre Connect since I joined. I showed up to every meeting and got excited for each new season. Theatre Connect became my "third place²"—a space outside of home and work where I could thrive. When I turned 18, the staff invited me to become a Peer Mentor.
As a Peer Mentor, I volunteered by helping lead activities, knowing all the games by heart so the facilitators could play off me during lessons. Later, I transitioned into a more professional role. We held staff meetings after every session to reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and how we could improve. I wasn't just playing improv games anymore—I had real responsibilities, including being a mandated reporter and supporting over 15 participants.
Today, I proudly serve as Peer Mentor Coordinator and Graphic Designer for Theatre Connect, and I look forward to stepping into the role of Program Coordinator soon. I currently mentor two incredible Peer Mentors, Shealyn and Ace, and I’m on the lookout for an emerging leader to join our team. My responsibilities include collaborating with staff to ensure a safe, productive environment, creating meeting agendas, designing merch³, running social media, and publishing our monthly newsletter, the Peer Mentor Pulse. When you see a Theatre Connect design, you’re probably looking at something I’ve poured hours of care and creativity into.
In the past two years, Theatre Connect has fundraised over $2,500, allowing us to keep the program going and stage three incredible shows. We have also received $1k from Satchel's Pizza, and $1.4k from the City of Gainesville. Thank you to all who have donated to Theatre Connect.
This past spring, our participants directed and performed The Boy and His Monsters on May 21, 2024, at the Hippodrome Theatre's basement. It was a sold-out success!
This summer, we collaborated with Flow Space to produce Performance Alchemy, an immersive performance art experience directed by Ileigh Reynolds. It creatively brought our participants’ coming-out stories to life.
Up next, we’re hosting our Cosplay Café⁴, where participants will perform as the characters they’ve developed throughout the fall season. Join us on November 19, 2024, from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at the Hippodrome Theatre!
I truly feel like everything in my life—every experience, every person, every challenge—aligned perfectly to bring me to this spot in my life. I am so grateful and honored to be in this position. I want to thank Camilo, Jeff, and so many other mentors who pointed me in the right direction and gave me something I could put my energy and pride into, something that makes me happy every time I show up. Theatre Connect gives me purpose and life. I am so glad to be a part of Theatre Connect.
If you'd like to support our work, consider donating to our latest production.
The little number things:
² "Third Place": A term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe social spaces beyond home and work (Oldenburg 25).
⁴ Cosplay Café — November 19, 2024, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
More Info at https://givebutter.com/c/CosplayCafe24
- Cai Husband October 2024
