Amanda Friar

Editor-in-Chief

 

After a 10-year run at Mesa State, Richard Cowden, the leading male of the theatre department, has decided to close the curtain on this chapter of his life. He and his wife, Jessica, music and theatre department public coordinator and box office manager, will move to Los Angeles at the end of the semester. They say this is the perfect time to write the next act of their life.

“It was a question of if not now, when?” Richard said. “Neither of us are trained to be college professors. We both love it here but we need to get in a purely creative environment.”

According to both Jessica and Richard, now is a good time for them to move on partially because they have two small children who have not yet started school, but it will be hard to leave the best part of their current job, the students.

“They’re the reason I get up in the morning, the thing that motivates me,” Richard said. “I learn as much from them as they do from me. They’re the thing that make this place special.” 

The Cowdens will join some friends in the L.A. area to do, as Richard puts it, “anything at any given time.”

“A big part of what we want to do is write,” Richard said. “We’re going to work for ourselves for a while (working on) projects completely surrounded by creative stuff.”

“We have an interesting opportunity to pursue other paths,” Jessica said. “It’s a good time and a good fit.”

Having been here as students and later as employees for the school, both have made quite a home here. Richard has worked at Mesa State for 10 years, four of them as department head. Jessica has worked at the school for seven years. 

They will miss many people, but according to Jessica, the theatre program will still remain strong.

“This is just one big enormous family,” Jessica said. “But (they) have a good enough support system with or without us that this family will be really strong.”

Jessica said that when Richard had to have surgery last year, the whole community supported them. 

Richard remembers being a student here and getting letters from people who saw him in plays and saying that they would follow him in his career. He continues to get letters from the same people expressing their sorrow at his departure.

“It’s great how supportive people always are here,” he said. “Especially the community. Everything we do we’re able to do because of the support given to the college.” 

He hopes that their legacy will remain with the students. He hopes that they continue to believe that they can get work done while still having fun and not let obstacles get in their way.

“I believe in the power of yes over the power of no and I hope they believe that’s true,” Richard said. “I try to set an example and cultivate an environment where people can say yes and just have fun.”

The department has a search committee in place looking for a replacement. Applications are due by Friday and they will begin making a decision in April.

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afriar@mesastate.edu