Playwright and Professor Joseph Gallo Initiates New Theater Arts Program at Hudson County Community College
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By Sally Deering
 
In September 2012, Hudson got a little more artsy when professional playwright Joe Gallo brought Hudson County Community College to a new stage – or rather, brought the stage to HCCC.
 Gallo, whose plays have been performed in Hoboken, New York and other cities throughout the country, is a theater arts professor at HCCC who helped institute a new theater arts degree program. The new curriculum – which began in the 2012-2013 school year – is designed to provide students with a broad-based liberal arts education with core curriculum classes in theater that include Acting, Playwriting and Drama. Students who successfully complete the two-year program earn an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts – Theater, that prepares them to transfer to four-year colleges and universities where they can earn Bachelor of Arts degrees in theater and related programs.
 A theater professional – he’s a producer and Associate Artist at Mile Square Theater in Hoboken – Gallo earned an MFA in playwriting from Ohio University and his plays have been produced Off-Broadway, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at other theaters throughout the country. Gallo has taught Playwriting, Acting and other theater-related courses at the School of Visual Arts, Drew University and Kean University.
 Recently, Gallo spoke with Riverview Observer about how he initiated the new Theater Arts program and what prospective students can look forward to if they decide to enroll.
 RVO: Joe, can you share with our readers how the new theater arts program began?
JG: In 2007 HCCC hired to teach creative writing and because I have an MFA in playwriting, I was asked to revamp its Introduction to Acting class. I did that for the college and when I asked why the college doesn’t offer more theater classes, I was told, ‘because we don’t have a theater.’
ERSEY CITY, N.J. / April 3, 2013 — Families from the area are invited to gather for an evening of fun and goodwill on Friday, April 5, 2013 when the Hudson County Community College Foundation holds its 11
November 29, 2012, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College Foundation will hold the largest and most festive of its annual fundraisers — the 15th Annual Holiday Gala — at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday evening, December 6, 2012 at the HCCC Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center ‑ 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City. Proceeds from the event are dedicated to scholarships for deserving students, faculty development programs, and the College’s physical expansion.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. / October 26, 2012 — On Tuesday, Oct. 23, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) hosted a ceremony marking the beginning of the second phase of construction of its new Learning Resource Center & Academic Building Ground was broken for the new Learning Resources Center & Academic Building in November of 2011, and since then the site has been excavated and the foundation constructed. 
JERSEY CITY, N.J. / October 11, 2012 — In September, Hudson County Community College celebrated a special anniversary: President Gabert’s 20-year anniversary as president. In his two decades of service, the College has grown through significant expansion of its facilities, increasing enrollments and partnerships with colleges and organizations to bring more services to College students and local residents and businesses.
