It’s often said that members of Georgetown are a part of three communities: the campus, the local neighborhood and the greater Washington, D.C. Although people may see the most obvious advantage of this in the fast-paced political scene, few know of an entire thriving theater community that is closely connected to Georgetown’s growing Program in the Performing Arts. Georgetown faculty is actively involved in theater production in the city, and they bring their experience and expertise back to the classroom.

Recently, the Folger Shakespeare Library’s production of “As You Like It” premiered in D.C. to much critical acclaim. “For all kinds of reasons,” said director Derek Goldman, “I love the play.” And he can make such a statement with undeniable authority: First and foremost, Goldman is a professor in the theater department here at Georgetown. In addition to teaching courses such as Acting Shakespeare, Goldman is the director of the Program in Performing Arts. “My primary passion and commitment is to Georgetown,” he said. Such commitment is at the heart of the thriving and continuously growing theater program at Georgetown.

But part of this commitment to his teaching responsibilities is to set an example to his students by actively getting involved in theater companies and productions beyond campus-run and sponsored shows. Most notably, Goldman founded and continues to have much influence in the StreetSigns Center for Literature and Performance, a performing arts and education center based out of Chapel Hill, N.C.

“As You Like It” marks Goldman’s first involvement with the Folger Shakespeare Library. He said that the collaboration was met with excitement on both sides. He and those who work directly with the program had gotten to know one another’s work and style, and the project unfolded with much accord. Together, they agreed that “As You Like It” would play well with the theme of the company’s season as well as to Goldman’s strengths and interests.

“I very much believe in the text itself,” said Goldman. “There’s a real attention [in this performance] to the language itself,” he said. The basic ideas and concepts of the production are simple in order to portray the idea that the heart of the play is in the imagination.

“It’s in Rosalind’s theatrical imagination,” he added. His unique and interesting take on the play is a result of his extensive studying and teaching of various perspectives on and understandings of Shakespeare.

In any project that Goldman takes up, he keeps at the front of his mind the connection it has to Georgetown. His connections in the theater community have provided him with the opportunity to work with a new company, but his pursuit of it was greatly motivated by its relevance to his roles on campus. He said that he always seeks to selectively find projects that will relate back to Georgetown in some way.

Goldman explained that the theater community is built on a strong network of relationships between all contributors to a production — from directors to actors to writers to artistic designers.

“Our faculty and our students are coming into contact with professional artists,” said Goldman. “Relationships get built, and those folks want to come to campus, be in our facilities and visit our classes.”

It’s a matter of mutual exposure, of building links and of continuous communication. And it’s not just done by auditioning for or attending outside productions.

“With readings and workshops, our students are really getting exposed to a lot of the really exciting professional companies,” Goldman said.

Other members of the faculty of the Program in Performing Arts also participate in outside projects. Sarah Marshall, professor of acting, is a working actress in Washington, D.C., where she has performed in over 50 productions at Arena Stage, the Kennedy Center, Studio Theater, Round House Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theater and Signature Theater. Most recently, she played the role of Touchstone in Goldman’s “As You Like It,” in what she said was an exciting example of the intricacy of the intertwined theater community. Even the program’s financial analyst and administrative assistant Tricia Fegley is an experienced actress, having performed in various centers of performing arts across the country. But from behind the scenes, Georgetown faculty boasts experienced artistic designers such as Veronica Lancaster and Ted Parker, who both have worked on numerous impressive sets on the stages of Georgetown.

With so many members of the network in such a variety of fields, the link between Georgetown programs and outside productions is clear.

“I’m always encouraging students to go out,” Goldman said, “thinking about the professional theater community and D.C. as a kind of extended classroom and as a kind of lab for their learning and their growth.”

The theater program on campus has been undergoing major development over the past few years, especially with the recent construction of the Davis Center and the new undergraduate theater major offered by the College. With increasing interaction between the strong professional theater community and Georgetown students and faculty, the program will continue to grow.