Visual & Performing Arts

At UW–La Crosse’s School of Visual & Performing Arts, the work doesn’t stop when the curtain falls on campus. In fact, a second avenue for creative work opens when faculty, staff, students, and alumni step beyond university walls and into the broader La Crosse community.

One clear example of that connection is Theatre & Dance faculty member Greg Parmeter.

Parmeter, professor of acting, voice, movement, and stage combat, came to UWL after serving nine years as Artistic Director at La Crosse Community Theatre (LCT), where he directed more than 40 productions and helped shape the region’s theatrical landscape. When he joined UWL, he didn’t leave that community behind — he helped strengthen the bonds between the two institutions.

“UWL is a major player in the theatrical life of this community,” Parmeter explains. “Between UWL and Viterbo, so much of the artistic life here flows through our universities — through professors, alumni, and students.”

That interconnectedness is currently on full display in La Crosse Community Theatre’s upcoming production of Come From Away, which Parmeter is directing at the Weber Center for the Performing Arts.

What began as a last-minute call — when a director stepped away from the project — quickly became a vivid example of how deeply UWL’s faculty and alumni shape the region’s arts and culture ecosystem.

Parmeter’s involvement required coordination across the department, as rehearsals overlap with Theatre and Dance’s own spring musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Colleagues rallied behind the opportunity, recognizing the importance of community engagement. Theatre & Dance Chair Laurie Kincman joined the production as dramaturg bringing her expertise on all things 9/11 to the table, and recent grad Taylor Rammer signed on as assistant director to help lead the production.

These ties between UWL and LCT are part of an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship. Faculty in Mathematics and Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies were already on board in various roles on the production, and three additional UWL alums are on staff at the theatre, working as the scenic designer, technical director, and stage manager for the show. The orchestra features several UWL students and alums, and nearly half of the cast has an association with campus—alumni, current and former staff members, and La Crosse actors who have appeared in Theatre & Dance productions.

“All of these UWL people—professors, staff, former students, giving their time because they believe in the arts, because they believe in these institutions, and because they believe in this community.”

This kind of collaboration often goes unnoticed by the broader public. Yet it represents a powerful extension of the university’s mission: faculty not only teaching artistry in the classroom but modeling civic engagement through it.

And the story they are bringing to life feels especially resonant.

Come From Away tells the true story of what happened on September 11, 2001, when U.S. airspace closed and 38 international flights were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. Nearly 7,000 stranded passengers suddenly doubled the town’s population. Over five days, local residents opened their homes, schools, and community spaces to complete strangers — offering food, shelter, and comfort in the wake of tragedy.

“It’s essentially about people opening their arms and their hearts to strangers,” Parmeter reflects. “Without expectation of reward. It’s a beautiful story to come out of a horrible historical event — people simply doing for one another.”

Told through a fast-moving, 90-minute musical filled with driving folk-inspired music and ensemble storytelling, the production highlights the power of collective action — a theme that mirrors how this very staging has come together in La Crosse.

In many ways, the production exemplifies what the School of Visual & Performing Arts strives to cultivate: artists who are not only skilled practitioners, but active contributors to cultural life beyond campus.

“I take great pride in the fact that UWL is at the forefront of that collaboration,” Parmeter says. “It’s a testament to this arts community and to the people who work and live here. And this particular team, coming from all walks of life, represent the very best of who we are in the La Crosse region.”

La Crosse Community Theatre’s Come From Away opens March 13 at the Weber Center for the Performing Arts and runs for three weekends. For ticket information, visit lacrossecommunitytheatre.org.

As audiences gather downtown this spring, they may see a community theatre production. But behind the scenes — and onstage — they’ll also be witnessing the far-reaching impact of UWL faculty, staff, and alumni shaping the cultural heartbeat of La Crosse.