#GiveCentral offers opportunity to unlock additional $20,000 for CWU Theatre and Film

A gift from Central Washington University Foundation Board member and alumna Noreen (Petersen) Reis and her husband, Phil Barrett, is helping bring a bold new future to Central’s Department of Theatre and Film — and during #GiveCentral, the impact of their donation could double.

Reis (’87) and Barrett recently made a $40,000 commitment in support of the department. Half of that funding is already being put to work, and the other $20,000 will be unlocked if additional donors support the department during CWU’s annual day of giving on Thursday, April 24.

“I made this gift to give the theatre department opportunities to do different kinds of productions or programs and get a wider breadth of experience for students,” Reis says. “I hope this will inspire others to support the great work of this department, which will have a positive impact on more students.”

To unlock the additional $20,000 and further support the next generation of CWU Theatre and Film students, the #GiveCentral project Support Theatre’s Fall Show needs at least 25 donors to make contributions on April 24 before the 24-hour day of giving is over.

As a business graduate who’s always loved the arts, Reis has a clear vision for what this kind of support can deliver for students.

“We need opportunities for students who have all different interests, and be able to assist them in pursuing their acting or filmmaking careers,” Reis says. “There are also so many first-generation students that come to Central, and it would be great to have these opportunities open to them.”

The CWU Department of Theatre and Film relies on ticket sales to make its productions possible. That means student opportunities are often shaped by what will appeal to a general audience, leaving less room for technical or boundary-pushing work that expands the academic experience.

With this funding, the department will be able to make different kinds of creative choices — the kind that push students to take risks, explore more complex material, and develop their skills in new directions.

“This support is such a liberating thing that allows us to pursue titles that will allow students to practice skills that they may not be able to practice anywhere else and explore themes that are crucially important,” Theatre and Film Department Chair Christina Barrigan says. “This also allows us to focus on the teaching that goes into the rehearsals and shows that we recreate.”

The gift is also a reminder that the theatre arts discipline is more than just entertainment; it’s a meaningful way to grow both personally and professionally.

“A theatre degree gives you the ability to connect with people and that works well for you even outside of entertainment,” Reis says. “You can use those skills in a lot of different ways.”

And if you haven’t made it to a production at McConnell Auditorium lately, Reis encourages members of the CWU community to check out an upcoming performance. The spring performance is a musical titled Once Upon a Mattress, which you can learn more about and purchase tickets to on the Theatre and Film department’s website.

“A lot of alumni like to come back to Central for various things, and I encourage them to attend a performance during one of their next visits,” Reis says.

Whether it’s the spring musical or a future theatrical performance, it’s important to remember that everything you see on stage has been touched by at least three students — two students who created it and at least one student who uses those elements in their storytelling.

“It’s a handmade enterprise; theatre is like that,” Barrigan says. “Even with the automation and computer construction techniques we have available to us in the 21st century, it all starts with a human being. It’s assembled and customized by human beings, and it’s a custom-built, handmade experience, which is part of the magic.”

If you would like to support the work of CWU Theatre and Film and learn more about how to unlock the additional funding from Reis, visit give.cwu.edu/givecentral-2025.