Damon Klassen takes reins as Director of Theater
Damon Klassen takes reins as Director of Theater
The Bethel alumnus and his students spoke on the promotion.
On July 13, Vice President of Academic Affairs Robert Milliman announced the promotion of Damon Klassen to the director of theater position.
This hiring comes a few months after Karen Robu stepped down — first from the spring production then from her role at Bethel altogether — to allow time for increased responsibilities at Plymouth Congregational Church.
However, the Bethel scene is nothing new for Klassen. He attended Bethel College from 1996 to 1998 before transferring to the University of Kansas to obtain a bachelor's degree in theater. With experience of being a Bethel student, Klassen understands what it’s like being “Bethel busy.”
“He knows our concerns; he knows that we are stressed and do 20 million other activities and knows how to communicate with us,” said senior Hayden Honomichl from Great Bend.
Additionally, for the past six years Klassen has filled the role of technical director of theater. He also served as Bethel’s audio and visual director since 2019 and managed the student radio station, KBCU-FM.
“Damon is incredibly easy to work with, a great co-worker, and phenomenal boss,” said fifth-year senior and Oxford, Iowa native Rachel Geyer. “He cares about his students. He’s not just there to teach about theater or AV but to care about them.”
While the title of director of theater might be new to Klassen, this isn’t his first directing rodeo. In the past, he’s directed plays such as Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, and This Random World: The Myth of Serendipity by Steven Dietz.
Klassen describes his new position as a “dream role.”
“I love Bethel College,” he said. “I love the students, the academic climate, the emphasis on peace and social justice, the faculty and staff. … Theater is my strongest passion.”
One of Klassen’s goals is to diversify the Bethel theater program. This diversity includes not only race and ethnicity, but also drawing from different groups of students like athletics and nursing.
“The more groups that have involvement in theater, the better off we will be,” added Klassen. “It gives us a deeper understanding of the human existence and plight, which is what theater’s all about.”
In October, Klassen will have a chance to showcase his directing talent at Bethel’s annual Fall Fest with the musical, The Addams Family.