[Rear View]

Purdue University student Luke Poole wants to be a veterinarian. But the sophomore animal sciences major had no idea that his road to veterinary school would involve a cricket costume. Former Purdue Agriculture student Paul Gilbert, a biochemistry graduate who is entering medical school, never guessed he’d transform into a butterfly before he had a chance to transform into Dr. Gilbert.

But that’s precisely what happened earlier this year when Poole and Gilbert, both members of the Purdue honors program, signed up for the HONR 299 "Theater and Science" course. The course, taught by Entomology Professor Tom Turpin and Joel Ebarb, associate professor of visual and performing arts, combined 12 students from theater and science majors and challenged them to produce a final project to present to the public at the end of the semester. The inaugural production, Ad Infinitum, was a vaudeville show inspired by The Insect Play by the Brothers Capek, which included segments of acting, musical theater, dance, puppetry and mask work. The play was part of a joint effort between Purdue’s Department of Theatre and the Department of Entomology.

In addition to Poole’s role as Mr. Cricket in a segment titled Creepers and Crawlers and Gilbert’s role as Victor in Social Butterflies, both also read poetry and participated in puppetry — something neither expected. "I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this class — none of us did. But I was pleasantly surprised," Poole says.

In fact, Poole was so determined to perfect his role that he watched YouTube videos to help him get into character. "Originally, I signed up for the class for the practical aspect — the fact that it offered honors credits. But I also participated because there are very few opportunities to take classes outside the pre-veterinary curriculum, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me," Poole says.

Turpin agrees that the class is a good opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zones and says he is motivated to continue combining students from multiple disciplines and engaging them in areas where they might not normally participate. "The students left this course with an appreciation for the other discipline. Many theater students are interested in science and vice versa, but they may not pursue it as a career. This class gave them a chance to participate in something they enjoy that they might not otherwise participate in," he says.

In the future, Turpin hopes to transform "Theater and Science" from simply a class to a science theater troupe that would travel to schools teaching science to young students in a fun way. "I’ve taught for a long time, and I’ve never before had a class where students protested canceling classes," Turpin says. "The students got the biggest kick out of it. I hope in the future we can continue that and continue to take science and make it fun for children and adults alike." – Jenn Stewart, news and special projects writer, Purdue University