From college to Broadway: how William Peace University's theatre program stands out

Matt Hodge grew up loving music.

While he originally majored in music for his undergraduate degree, he also found himself pulled to the theatre and English departments.

"I was fascinated with how we use arts and our culture to tell stories," said Hodge. "English, literature, music, theatre — it's all sort of one big umbrella of how people use artistic expression. Whether it's books, film, theater, dancing or music, I'm fascinated with how people express themselves and share their stories."

Since undergrad, Hodge has racked up an impressive amount of degrees studying arts and stories, with a Bachelor of Arts in theory and composition, a Master's in music (musical theatre capstone) and a Master of Fine Arts in composition with a media scoring emphasis. He's worked with Emmy, Grammy and Tony award winners and has authored numerous books and essays, garnering several music and writing awards himself.

Now, he brings all of that experience to his role as an associate professor of musical theatre and theatre at Raleigh's William Peace University.

"I had never been to WPU before, but when I visited, I very quickly fell in love with the environment. I was impressed with how the school created an intimate campus while being at the center of this bustling city — I thought it was a fantastic combination of both worlds," said Hodge. "Raleigh is a very artistic city and a fantastic area to support, educate and grow the arts in, and the university itself is able to build on that."

For Hodge, the small class sizes were a major draw of WPU, in addition to the school's location. As a graduate of small schools himself, he knows the unique opportunities for connection and growth that more intimate classes provide. While it may be smaller than other schools, WPU has impressive theatre facilities, including the 260-seat Kenan Auditorium, the 90-seat Leggett Theater, a dance studio, a keyboard lab, private rehearsal rooms and an off-campus set construction warehouse.

For theatre students, the size and available resources make for plenty of opportunities to get involved in more aspects of production.

"If I have a small class, I get to know who you are: where you're from, who your family is, what your dreams are, what your strengths are, your weaknesses — I really get to be a part of your life. That continues even after graduation," said Hodge. "Whether you're hoping to get into grad school, move to cities for auditions, make network connections — we want to be a part of our students' lives in very tangible ways."

Melvin Gray, an alumnus of WPU's theatre program, was drawn to the school because of its small size and that potential for connections.

While Gray came into the school with a biology major, he switched programs after participating in a show during his freshman year.

"One of the musical theatre majors who was in the William Peace Singers, which was the glee club on campus, told me that I should give theatre a try. I had never done theatre in my entire life, so it was something that was completely new to me. I ended up auditioning for the fall show, which was 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' and got cast," said Gray. "I truly found my passion."

During his time at WPU, Gray participated in nine plays and musicals. After graduating, Gray secured the leading role of J.D. in "Heathers: The Musical," and made it to final audition rounds for multiple Broadway shows and national tours. He has since done several productions in the Triangle area and is currently performing on a cruise ship.

He credits his time at WPU as helping him make connections and better learn how to network. Every student, no matter their major, has to complete an internship before graduation. In the theatre department, the diverse backgrounds of faculty help students get better connected with relevant opportunities.

"We have a whole team of full-time professors and part-time professors that theatre students study under, so you get a lot of perspectives, different opinions and different ways of doing things. But we all work together as one big family that's helping to train and educate," said Hodge. "All of us are professionals. All of us have careers, whether it was in New York on Broadway or film, television, education, regional work or books. Even for a small department, we have an impressive number of different people you work with. My passionate colleagues are an absolute joy to work alongside.”

In addition to classwork, multiple main stage productions a year (musicals and plays), WPU theatre students also participate in national and international trips, workshops, masterclasses, concerts and student-led peer productions. Oftentimes, guest speakers and alumni are invited to these events. Even during COVID-19, the department stayed active, hosting virtual performances, small on-stage performances and solo artistic projects — a challenge that Hodge hopes showed students that "you can create something beautiful and important whether it's with other people or just by yourself."

For Gray, the WPU theatre program was just the beginning — and he recommends it to others, as well.

"If future students want a career in theatre and appreciate being a part of a family I would suggest William Peace. There are people from my program that are most certainly lifelong friends, and I wouldn't have had that had I not attended the university and stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something different," said Gray. "Theatre is a beautiful thing, and to be able to make magic with those around you in a safe, judge-free, and learning environment is why I think students should consider the program."