PROFESSOR SHARES ‘WHAT HE LOVES’ AND STUDENTS WIN
Missouri Valley College students have no idea of the incredible and unique experience they will encounter when they sign up for a course crossing the disciplines of theatre, history, communications, business, English, and non-profit management. The class is called Voices of Arrow Rock Production, and it is taught by Dr. Michael Kateman. It is built around a readers’ theatre series called The Voices of Arrow Rock. Two students last year, Tru Naumovitz and Finn Geiger, would become associate producers of “The Consummate Showman,” a historical fiction production on a man named Doc Brown, an entertainer and local celebrity in Kansas City known for “cakewalking,” a kind of dance. The production was on May 4, 2024 at Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock, Mo. “He wanted to share what he loves – Arrow Rock,” Naumovitz said. “He wanted to share it with us and help enrich us.” Naumovitz, now a sophomore at Missouri Valley who just won a national championship in speech and debate, said he handled much of the communications on the production, doing research on marriages, deaths, births, etc. and coordinating press coverage. He also successfully wrote a grant.
“There are always a lot of theoretical classes,” Naumovitz said, “but this was so practical and hands- on and real-world,” he said. “Michael was looking over our shoulders a bit, but he placed a lot of trust in us.’ Kateman is an adjunct professor at Missouri Valley College, and spent 35 years in higher education advancement and communications, having worked at both the University of Missouri and Columbia College. “It’s so meaningful to know that you’ve had a positive influence on students’ lives,” Kateman said. This spring’s class is no different. Noel Nunn-Faron, a sophomore from O’Fallon, Mo., was the stage manager for The Great Protector. Nunn-Faron and her classmates, wrote a successful grant through the Buckner Foundation to put on the production in early April. She worked alongside classmates Steven Teteh, Ethan Quarchioni, and Patrick Hauschildt. “It was an incredible experience,” said Nunn-Faron, who plans on taking the class again. “I’ll be the director next time”
12 Viking Views | 2025
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