“The Umble Masterclass brings experts in communication and theater to Goshen College every year,” said Duane Stoltzfus, co-chair of the GC communication department, when he introduced the first Umble Masterclass lecture of the year on Tuesday night. The guest speakers of the night were Dan Charles and Brigid McCarthy, who both worked for National Public Radio. Their masterclass covered both Charles and McCarthy’s 40-year journey through the journalism and media landscape. Their talk consisted of four chapters: “Bare Bones Broadcasting,” “Public Radio Grows Up,” “The Internet Arrives” and “An Uncertain Ending.” They also walked the audience through their careers in...

By Liam Shaw • October 23, 2025 • News

Carson Kreitzer, an award-winning playwright, hosted Goshen College’s Umble Master Class in Speech and Theater on Tuesday evening, drawing a crowd of students, staff and community members alike. Kreitzer talked about the craft of playwriting and the complexities of historical storytelling. Kreitzer earned a bachelor’s in theater and literature from Yale University and a master of fine arts from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. A playwright for over 20 years, her plays have garnered recognition and been produced  internationally. One of Kreitzer’s newest works, “Lempicka,” is a musical she co-wrote and lyricized alongside...

By Ray Tait • February 6, 2025 • News

‘New’ has been the recurring word when talking about the upcoming musical scenes, “Resistance, Revolution, Reconciliation! A Cabaret.” With the last cabaret being performed four years ago, Amy Budd, professor of theater and director of the show, decided to change things up, allowing the student cast more control over the music, writing and directing.  According to some of the cast, a change in this production was a new focus on student direction, with some original work by Fatima Zahara, a junior music and theater double major and cast member. “It’s different … from a regular musical, because normally with a...

By Charlie Aldrich • March 21, 2024 • Arts

Laura Smith, host of Michiana’s Morning News on 95.3 MNC and “The Way Home with Laura Smith,” will present at the Roy H. Umble Master Class at Goshen College on Tuesday. The Master Class in Communication and Theater was created through donations from Goshen College graduates who benefited from the instruction of Roy H. Umble, a longtime professor of speech and theater at GC. Umble passed away in 1996. Duane Stoltzfus, the director of adult and graduate programs and the communication department chair, experienced Umble’s impact as a GC student in the 1970s.  “He was someone who really devoted himself...

By Mariela Esparza • September 8, 2022 • News