Going into the spring semester, the musical theatre department is rallying to get all of the moving pieces aligned for challenges ahead.
After former musical theatre director, Jeremy Franklin, said goodbye to Grand Junction in spring 2025, CMU began the hunt for a new department head to take his place. While the university started the search with promise, it became clear that the position would not be filled in time for the 2025-2026 school year.
“Jeremy Franklin did everything he could for our department,” sophomore musical theatre major Abigail Smith said. “Jeremy also shaped each student he knew into a better version of themselves.”
During his tenure at CMU, Franklin fulfilled many roles in the theatre department, from directing music in department-led musicals to organizing high school festivals on campus for local theatre students. In his absence, and with no one hired to occupy his position, the department needed to adapt and problem solve to bridge the gaps left behind.
“We have had a lot of people filling a lot of hats that they haven’t filled before,” senior acting/directing and theatre design/technology major Riley Chang said. “We have definitely missed Jeremy’s presence.”
However, theatre at CMU has not been left without experienced hands. In the meantime, the department has been led by Mo LaMee, whose current title is the Head of the Department of Theatre Arts & Associate Professor of Theatre.
Instructor of Theatre Arts Mike Legate typically takes on technical director duties for CMU productions and has years of experience in the field, but was unavailable during the fall 2025 semester. A new addition during his absence was Visiting Instructor of Musical Theatre Cristin Tillinghast, who has taken up the musical theatre classes for the department.
“While losing Jeremy was hard, learning from Cristin has been a transformative experience. She is a brilliant instructor and individual,” Smith said. “I am not entirely sure if Cristin will stay to take over the MT department; however, my hope is that if she sees how much she has improved the MT program and touched all of her students, she will be more inclined towards staying. Cristin has been an amazing educator and role model for me personally, that I am very grateful for the time that I have been given with her and hope that it will continue.”
Both LaMee and Legate were due for a sabbatical during the 2025-2026 academic year. Legate took his sabbatical in the fall semester, and LaMee will be taking one this upcoming spring.
“All of [Mike’s] behind the scenes managerial work has had to be split between the remaining professors. It’s been a big group effort all around,” Chang said.
The combined efforts from CMU’s Department of Theatre Arts community have kept operations running in the department, between Legate’s absence and the lack of a formal department head.
“I believe that the community in our department keeps us afloat and that has really shown over the last year,” Smith said.
Alongside faculty, students also took on more responsibilities in a variety of ways to meet the department’s needs during the fall semester. A technical team came together that consisted of the department shop heads, LaMee, Asteria Theatre production manager Alex Cottam and Visiting Professor of Lighting and Scenic Design Loren Wilder in place of Legate for shows that took place during the fall.
“Mo is amazing and I have no idea how he does what he does. He does so many things to keep our department running, and while he has a lot of help, I have no idea how we are going to replace him this semester,” Chang said.
The department is now preparing for the absence of LaMee as he takes his sabbatical this spring.
Without LaMee, this semester has its own set of challenges theatre students and staff will have to face. All of the tasks that he accomplishes for the department leave a lot of roles to be filled, just as Franklin before him.
“Again, it’s a lot of people stepping into roles they haven’t had to fill prior. But everyone is giving each other a ton of grace because we all know that everyone is in the same boat,” Chang said.
Legate is set to return to his departmental duties this semester. In LaMee’s absence, he will help lead the department, and resume his technical directing duties for CMU’s shows.
Students are happy to see Legate return to the department this semester as well.
“We all feel so much less stressed with him around, and he does a really good job of keeping spirits up, which is something we always need,” Chang said.
Teamwork and a positive attitude play a large role in the department’s successes. Both Chang and Smith will be a part of the upcoming production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” running from Feb. 26 to Mar. 7.
“I hope that everyone stays positive and remembers to have fun because, in my opinion, that’s really the whole point, and I think sometimes we forget that,” Chang said when asked about his hopes for the upcoming semester and into next year.
