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President's Message |
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This December will mark the end of an era in the University Public Events department: UPE director Patrick Kopp will step down after more than thirty-six years at California State University, Chico.
It was in 1964 that Kopp, who studied theatre at San Francisco State University during a time he called a “golden age,” came to CSU, Chico. When he steps down in December, he and his wife, Jerrill, a well-known Chico artist, plan on staying in the area; in fact, Kopp hopes to continue to be involved in the local theatre community. University Publications talked with Kopp this spring. How did you come to CSU, Chico? How did
you become UPE director?
I came up here on September 13, 1964, and interviewed with Eddie and the coordinator of the theatre, Larry Wismer, and the chair of the theatre department, Allen Forbes. I started to work here in that position on October 1, 1964. I was in the theatre department for eleven years and also taught classes in technical theatre and acting. In 1975, I became the coordinator of instructionally related activities. Four years later, I took over coordination of the auditoria. In about 1981 or 1982, right after the upgrade of Laxson Auditorium was finished, the then-president of the university, Robin Wilson, asked if we couldn’t do some presenting or have artists perform there as part of the university program. I said, “We can try.” And that’s how the whole presenting side of it came along.
Were you involved in creating Court Theatre?
It started out as a teacher training program, where the students could do everything—act, design, build costumes, build sets, usher people to seats. We literally built a theatre outside and did that for three years. I coordinated all the technical aspects of it during the first year, and the second year I directed a show. We moved it inside in the fourth year. For the first fifteen years or so of Court Theatre, Dr. Wismer and I worked very closely together. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of accomplishing here.
In your time here, how have you seen the
student body change regarding the arts?
Which of the productions that you’ve
been involved with were most memorable? There are a number of productions in Court Theatre that we did, like You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The sets and everything came together and worked very well. So much of what I’ve done has been musicals, and Five Finger Exercise was probably the furthest thing from a musical. But it was something that, again, I was very proud of. There have been any number of shows, over the years, that I’ve been very excited about, such as Ring Around the Moon and Guys and Dolls. I could go on and on. There are two shows that I acted in that I’m very proud of, and the first one of those is The Odd Couple. I was probably too young to play the part of Oscar, but I thought it worked well. The other one was The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. What do you like best about your job?
What do you like least about it? I think one of the joys of working at this institution over the years is the people. Who I work with today in the arts is probably the best aspect of the job. What are the worst aspects of the job? I’d say the hours, but if I didn’t want to spend the hours, I wouldn’t. I’ve had thirty-six wonderful years here. There aren’t many drawbacks. Have there been days when I say, “Gee, I wish that hadn’t happened?” Yes. But life has its ups and its downs. I think there have been many more ups than there have been downs.
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opp
has been a moving force behind many of the programs the university has
become known for, including Court Theatre, now in its thirty-fourth year,
and the Field Trip series, which introduces young people to the arts.
