Education: A new resident discusses the rewards of being an educator in Emporia

“I am a Midwest boy through and through,” Pete Rydberg announced. He is the middle son, a pastor’s child, who hails originally from the upper midwest states of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Rydberg arrived in Emporia at the height of the pandemic in 2020, taking on the reins as Director of Theatre at Emporia State University. Classes were conducted remotely, the community was in lockdown, there were no live theatrical productions, and the uneasy spectre of Covid hovered over every aspect of life.

But for Rydberg, the positives far outweighed the negatives. “We have this incredibly rich history of theatre in the university’s programs, which made it perfectly poised to be re-envisioned. Covid provided the perfect time and cover for how to position our students for success in the 21st century.”

Emporia State University began producing theatre in 1913, making it one of the oldest theatre programs in the United States. Through an affiliation with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre, ESU students are part of a vital and thriving national theatre. The oldest continuouslyrunning summer theatre on the Great Plains was created at ESU in 1955.

Part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Theatre Department is seeing its biggest enrollments since prior to the pandemic. In fact, the university has had to build in more classroom seats to accommodate the burgeoning number of students.

“We have to re-define what we do every semester anyway,” Rydberg noted. “Between Covid and audience dynamics, we continually evaluate culture’s role and what it is that makes us distinctly who we are. Culture is what sparks conversations–that’s what art is supposed to do.”

Because of the pandemic, Rydberg has not had the opportunity to become well-acquainted with either the business community or establish many personal relationships. One thing he’s thoroughly enjoying, though, is what he’s named the “front porch storm culture. You get to see everybody on your street every time a storm blows up, because everybody’s out on their front porch or on the sidewalks, watching the weather.”

Rydberg is comfortable in the community and comfortable in his chosen profession. “I love what I do,” he says. “It’s why I stay, what gets me up every morning. I get to live my childhood dream, making a living doing my art. And I get to help passionate young people find their way, and grow and develop. I adhere to the notion that we are trying to help create really great humans.”

Something else that delights Rydberg about his new hometown is that “everything is laid out in a perfect grid system. It’s never more than a ten-minute drive to anywhere in town!” He also appreciates local barbecue, the fact that he can find exquisite sushi locally, and the amazing array of Latin food. Rydberg is thrilled that Kansas has trees, and views our Flint Hills landscape “not in black and white, but in Technicolor, like Oz.”

Rydberg confides that until he moved to Emporia, he thought hydroplaning was a myth. Then, just a couple months after the move, he came upon several cars in a ditch–and realized one of them could have been him! He is now firmly committed to driving safely on the Plains.

Rydberg takes his responsibilities and obligations in his adopted hometown seriously. “I am honored by the trust I’ve been given to reimagine our program and the faith that I can do that well.”