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For some Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Theater and Dance students, they can study, broaden and perfect their performing arts skills while seeing the world. The Friends of Theater and Dance (FOTAD) would like to increase the number of students doing so. 

To that end, FOTAD will host a trivia night at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 28 at The American Legion, 190 S. Main St. in Glen Carbon. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. 

The cost for trivia night is $10 per person, with up to eight people per table. There will be a 50/50 raffle, cash awards, silent auction, snacks and more. Participants may bring outside food to the event. 

To reserve a table, call (618) 650-2774 by Thursday, April 26. 

“Our students gain invaluable experiences by studying and performing abroad,” said C. Otis Sweezey, FOTAD president, and Theater and Dance emeritus professor. “Funds raised at this year’s event will be used for theater and dance student travel. Each year, students go to the Humana Festival of New American Plays, the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Conference and the American College Dance Association Conference.” 

“Humana is an experience that you will carry with you long after you leave the Actors Theatre,” said Luis Castro, a senior performance major who has attended the Humana Festival for several years. 

FOTAD student travel funds also assisted students who visited London in 2015 as part of a summer class taught by Johanna Schmitz, PhD, professor in the Department of Theater and Dance. With the help of FOTAD, students traveledl from London to Stratford-on-Avon to see a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company. 

FOTAD is an SIUE Foundation support organization that raises funds for students majoring in theater and dance. In the past, FOTAD has raised money for scholarships, merit awards and student travel.

Photo: SIUE Theater and Dance students in Stratford-on-Avon, England.