By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Young people with an interest in theatre in the Zeeland community now have a new outlet to pursue that interest.
Three former Zeeland Public Schools teachers – Nancy Clyde, Robert Torgerson and David Miller – have founded the West Michigan Theatre Company. They will hold a two-week intensive program for middle school and high school students this summer, covering every aspect of theatre. The three have 90 years of teaching experience together.
“We see a need for community theatre opportunities and theatre education in our community,” Clyde said. “Right now, people have to travel outside of Zeeland to perform in the summer. In the middle schools, we no longer have theatre curriculum during the school day and at the (high schools) it is sometimes hard for kids interested to fit in and prioritize a drama, dance or technical theatre class. Hopefully this will inspire students to do that.”
Clyde, who founded ZPS’ dance program and led it for 29 years before retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year, said that now that she, Torgerson and Miller are retired from the grind of teaching full-time, they can devote their energies to something they are most passionate about.
“Between the three of us we have a lot of alumni in the immediate and surrounding community who are nostalgic for their theatre/dance days and who hopefully trust us with this vision. People need an outlet right now - a third space and a place to build community and art,” Clyde said.
Torgerson founded the Zeeland High Players in 1988 and directed the high school theatre group for 28 years before retiring in 2016. But even in retirement, Torgerson has continued to stay active with the Zeeland High Players, directing at least one play a year, teaching a playwriting class and working on Be Nice presentations with troupe members.
“Now that both Miller and Clyde have also retired, we felt it was time to make our dreams a reality,” he said.
Torgerson will teach acting theory and application during the two-week summer intensive, and will help to organize and direct a Broadway Concert Revue that will be the new company’s first show June 20 at Cityside Middle School’s Lokers Auditorium.
“Miller will direct with me as well as serving as our technical director, and Clyde is our choreographer for movement/dance numbers,” Torgerson said. “Both Nancy and David have also been instrumental in organizing social media materials. We are thrilled to have Rachel Andrews from Black River (Public School) join us as well as the vocal director of both the intensive class portion and the adult community show.”
While the theatre company will operate under the auspices of Zeeland Recreation and be based in Zeeland, the intent of the company is to have it be open to people from throughout the region.
“Our desire is to give students and adults from all over the West Michigan area a performance outlet and to have them feel invited and welcomed, hence the name West Michigan Theater Company,” Torgerson said.
Miller started the Cityside and Creekside Players in 1996. After four years, he went back to college to get a master’s degree in lighting from Wayne State University’s Hilberry Theatre, then became auditorium director at Coopersville High School. Miller stayed in touch with both Clyde and Torgerson all along.
“During my time (at Coopersville) I started teaching their theatre classes and ran the theatre program,” Miller said. “Torg and I were great friends and colleagues and would bring our students to each other’s productions and would yearly do a combined trip to the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare festival.
“Nancy, whose dance program was second to none, was kind enough to bring her dance ensemble to Coopersville to perform for us. I continued to be in awe of those two and what they were able to bring out of their students. Their programs were the goal posts,” Miller added.
The West Michigan Theatre Company will hold its summer intensive June 8-19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at Cityside. The program is open to students in grades 6-12.
“At the middle school level, the intensive is for any student interested in theatre and all are welcome. But our hope is to have a lot of students who are involved in the various middle school extracurricular theatre programs - musicals and plays both here in Zeeland and in other districts,” Clyde said.
The intent of the summer intensive is not to replace students’ involvement in school program or other theatre programs, but to support and enhance their growth as performers and technicians, Clyde said.
“At the high school level, we hope for similar students and especially hope to have students who are already involved in theatre or one of the art forms who want to deepen their experience and become more well-rounded. In high school, it is often hard to fit in every class you want to take - if you take choir, there may not be room for dance, if you take drama there may not be room for choir, if you take dance privately, you may not be able to be in extra-curricular theatre. Now you can,” Clyde said.
The intensive will include instruction in acting, song performance, scene preparation, harmonies, vocal/dialect work, stage combat, acting techniques, dance for actor-singers, theatrical movement, vocal health, audition prep, scenic painting, digital lighting, theatre sound, and overall theatrical design.
The cost for the summer intensive is $300 for residents and $315 for non-residents. The deadline to register is April 17.
The Broadway Concert Revue show is open to individuals from 16 years old to adults. The deadline to register for auditions for the show is May 8, with auditions to be held May 12-13 at Cityside.
To learn more about the West Michigan Theatre Company, to register for the summer intensive or for auditioning for the Broadway Concert Revue, visit zps.org/z-recreation/adult/west-michigan-theater-co-online.
Zeeland Record
Young people with an interest in theatre in the Zeeland community now have a new outlet to pursue that interest.
Three former Zeeland Public Schools teachers – Nancy Clyde, Robert Torgerson and David Miller – have founded the West Michigan Theatre Company. They will hold a two-week intensive program for middle school and high school students this summer, covering every aspect of theatre. The three have 90 years of teaching experience together.
“We see a need for community theatre opportunities and theatre education in our community,” Clyde said. “Right now, people have to travel outside of Zeeland to perform in the summer. In the middle schools, we no longer have theatre curriculum during the school day and at the (high schools) it is sometimes hard for kids interested to fit in and prioritize a drama, dance or technical theatre class. Hopefully this will inspire students to do that.”
Clyde, who founded ZPS’ dance program and led it for 29 years before retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year, said that now that she, Torgerson and Miller are retired from the grind of teaching full-time, they can devote their energies to something they are most passionate about.
“Between the three of us we have a lot of alumni in the immediate and surrounding community who are nostalgic for their theatre/dance days and who hopefully trust us with this vision. People need an outlet right now - a third space and a place to build community and art,” Clyde said.
Torgerson founded the Zeeland High Players in 1988 and directed the high school theatre group for 28 years before retiring in 2016. But even in retirement, Torgerson has continued to stay active with the Zeeland High Players, directing at least one play a year, teaching a playwriting class and working on Be Nice presentations with troupe members.
“Now that both Miller and Clyde have also retired, we felt it was time to make our dreams a reality,” he said.
Torgerson will teach acting theory and application during the two-week summer intensive, and will help to organize and direct a Broadway Concert Revue that will be the new company’s first show June 20 at Cityside Middle School’s Lokers Auditorium.
“Miller will direct with me as well as serving as our technical director, and Clyde is our choreographer for movement/dance numbers,” Torgerson said. “Both Nancy and David have also been instrumental in organizing social media materials. We are thrilled to have Rachel Andrews from Black River (Public School) join us as well as the vocal director of both the intensive class portion and the adult community show.”
While the theatre company will operate under the auspices of Zeeland Recreation and be based in Zeeland, the intent of the company is to have it be open to people from throughout the region.
“Our desire is to give students and adults from all over the West Michigan area a performance outlet and to have them feel invited and welcomed, hence the name West Michigan Theater Company,” Torgerson said.
Miller started the Cityside and Creekside Players in 1996. After four years, he went back to college to get a master’s degree in lighting from Wayne State University’s Hilberry Theatre, then became auditorium director at Coopersville High School. Miller stayed in touch with both Clyde and Torgerson all along.
“During my time (at Coopersville) I started teaching their theatre classes and ran the theatre program,” Miller said. “Torg and I were great friends and colleagues and would bring our students to each other’s productions and would yearly do a combined trip to the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare festival.
“Nancy, whose dance program was second to none, was kind enough to bring her dance ensemble to Coopersville to perform for us. I continued to be in awe of those two and what they were able to bring out of their students. Their programs were the goal posts,” Miller added.
The West Michigan Theatre Company will hold its summer intensive June 8-19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at Cityside. The program is open to students in grades 6-12.
“At the middle school level, the intensive is for any student interested in theatre and all are welcome. But our hope is to have a lot of students who are involved in the various middle school extracurricular theatre programs - musicals and plays both here in Zeeland and in other districts,” Clyde said.
The intent of the summer intensive is not to replace students’ involvement in school program or other theatre programs, but to support and enhance their growth as performers and technicians, Clyde said.
“At the high school level, we hope for similar students and especially hope to have students who are already involved in theatre or one of the art forms who want to deepen their experience and become more well-rounded. In high school, it is often hard to fit in every class you want to take - if you take choir, there may not be room for dance, if you take drama there may not be room for choir, if you take dance privately, you may not be able to be in extra-curricular theatre. Now you can,” Clyde said.
The intensive will include instruction in acting, song performance, scene preparation, harmonies, vocal/dialect work, stage combat, acting techniques, dance for actor-singers, theatrical movement, vocal health, audition prep, scenic painting, digital lighting, theatre sound, and overall theatrical design.
The cost for the summer intensive is $300 for residents and $315 for non-residents. The deadline to register is April 17.
The Broadway Concert Revue show is open to individuals from 16 years old to adults. The deadline to register for auditions for the show is May 8, with auditions to be held May 12-13 at Cityside.
To learn more about the West Michigan Theatre Company, to register for the summer intensive or for auditioning for the Broadway Concert Revue, visit zps.org/z-recreation/adult/west-michigan-theater-co-online.
