By Randy Fiedler

This summer, Baylor theatre arts majors are taking part in a groundbreaking cultural exchange, sharing their talents and Christian faith in India.

As part of the inaugural university-sponsored field trip that’s being called “Baylor Theatre in India,” students and faculty have traveled to Christ University in Bangalore, India, to take the first steps in building a relationship between the two schools.

“That’s our main goal,” said Dr. Stan Denman, chair and professor of theatre arts, who is leading the trip. “While Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing has done much great work in India in the field of healthcare, neither the College of Arts & Sciences nor any other academic unit from the main campus has had a formal relationship with an academic institution in India. I think that it is important that we have a presence in the largest democracy in the world, especially since this growing country of more than 1.3 billion people only has a 2 percent Christian representation.”

Denman said Christ University was chosen as a partner because the school — a private university with Catholic ties that is ranked among the top private universities in India — has an outlook much like Baylor’s.

“They are very missions-minded, and are very involved in their community and the slums in Bangalore,” Denman said. “Their Center for Social Action is a model of faith in practice.”

A highlight of the trip was when 18 Baylor theatre arts majors performed with their Indian peers from Christ University in a series of scenes from American plays and musicals. The two-hour performance garnered spirited applause from a packed house of more than 600 theatergoers in Bangalore. The performance was directed by Denman and two other Baylor faculty members — John-Michael Marrs, assistant professor of acting, and Guilherme Almeida, lecturer in musical theatre.

After the show, Dr. Anil Pinto, the registrar of Christ University, described it as “the first event of its kind in the history of Christ University Bangalore and Baylor where Indian theatre students and American theatre students have come together to create a transcultural performance.”

Dr. Jeffrey S. Hamilton, Baylor’s vice provost for global engagement and The Jo Murphy Chair in International Education, is traveling with the Baylor group on its historic visit to India. He said the friendships made during the trip between Baylor students and faculty and their peers in Bangalore will have long-term ramifications.

“The opportunity to establish institutional relationships with partners such as Christ University provides our students and faculty with the means to build personal and professional relationships across cultures that will help to shape their lives and careers,” Hamilton said.