Helping heal the wounds of war...
Johnson exhanged talent for new perspectives and renewed passion
Campus Times
September 13, 1996
Senior Erik Johnson recently returned from Croatia. While there, he
performed as an actor in the Split International Theatre Festival with several
other La Verne alumni. He is also planning to direct a piece for Cabaret
Tuesdays.
While many University of La Verne students occupied themselves with part-time
jobs and classes this summer, senior theater major Erik Johnson spent two
and a half weeks in Split, Croatia at the national theater festival.
Johnson traveled to Croatia with ULV alumni Sean Dillon ('87), Isela Griffith
('96) and Eric Mulholland ('95). Half of the trip was funded by ULV, and
the participants paid the remainder of the cost. However, Johnson said that
once in Croatia, the national theater gave them a room and board stipend
and took care of any other needs they had.
"It was the greatest experience you can imagine," Johnson said.
This is the first year an official exchange of this type has been made with
Croatia. It was made possible because of the relationship the University
of La Verne has with Croatian theater director Georgij Paro, who has directed
productions for ULV's Theater Department, including "Medea" which
was produced in the spring of 1995.
Johnson said Paro wanted the exchange to take place because he saw the quality
of work being done at La Verne, and he wanted to bring the American theater
experience to Croatia. Eventually, Paro wants to bring Croatian actors to
ULV to complete the exchange.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience," Johnson said. "You
just don't pass it up."
Johnson, along with Dillon, Griffith and Mulholland, had the opportunity
to participate in and watch various productions during his stay, while also
discovering the lifestyle of the Croatians.
"The whole city is just transformed," said Johnson.
Plays were performed in a church, outdoors, in the underground catacombs,
and on the waterfront.
"Not only do they perform in palaces," said Johnson, "they
live in them."
The group from ULV presented a workshop to portray what American theater
is like. They also performed many one act American pieces, as well as "Lady
With a Little Dog" by Anton Chekov. They received national coverage,
as well as positive newspaper reviews. According to Johnson, they also received
an award, although he does not know what that award means.
"Split is known to be rugged," he said. "If they don't like
it, they will tell you."
Although it was difficult to absorb the Croatian theater history in two
and a half weeks, Johnson realized that the University of La Verne had only
given him one perspective of theater. He admired the actors he worked with
in Croatia. Everyone who contributed to the festival had a strong desire
to be an integral part of the experience.
"We had the deck stacked already," Johnson said. "People
wanted to be there. They wanted the opportunity."
He brought back with him a renewed passion and confidence in the theater
after working as a professional actor for the time he was in Croatia.
Because Johnson believes America has a tradition of powerful theater, that
is something he wants to be a part of.
"You do have skills learned in this (ULV's) department," said
Johnson, "and those skills have value in other places."
He said it is important that the experience happens again next year, and
that they receive support from La Verne.
"It's important to let people know what happened and how our education
was affected," said Johnson.
He hopes to return to Split next summer to participate in the theater festival
again.
"I'm interested in theater that asks questions with no easy answer,"
Johnson said. "I want to leave people thinking."