Imagine being John Malkovich and not having a theater honors program like Alpha Psi Omega to belong to.

Malkovich attended Eastern in the 1970s, and transferred to Illinois State University to further study drama, remaining there until 1976. Now, he is a successful actor perhaps best known for his performance in films such as The Man in the Iron Mask and In the Line of Fire.

Since then, the theater department at Eastern has created the theater honorary program Alpha Psi Omega, giving students the opportunity to gain knowledge and achieve their career goals.

“During the time Malkovich attended, we did not have an honorary program for students to belong to,” said Luke Gerdes, president of Alpha Psi Omega. “If we had, more people may have been interested. We are now trying to build our reputation and reach out to others, where they will grow and find a belonging place.”

J Sain, business manager in the theater department, went to Eastern with Malkovich and organized Alpha Psi Omega in the late 1970s.

“He is a definite driving force in the program’s abilities,” Gerdes said.

According to members, Alpha Psi Omega involves its 14 members in movie nights, bowling outings, audition workshops and recognition banquets to help build the program. The group sponsors an improvisational comedy group, Hello Dali, and honors its members by putting a star next to their names in the performance programs.

A major/minor banquet is held at the beginning of the year to introduce people to the program and invite them to join.

“Everything about this program will now help students in all areas throughout life by giving them confidence and experience,” said Patrick Ham, a member of Alpha Psi Omega and a theater arts major. “Some have even changed their major after enjoying theater so much.”

Ham said Alpha Psi Omega has become a rewarding program, giving students a chance to be themselves and to be recognized for their efforts.

“When people ask me what this program is all about, I tell them that it is a family environment, bringing everyone closer together,” said Miranda Stone, a new member of Alpha Psi Omega and a sophomore theater and mathematics major. “You can hang out and do things outside of class, while forgetting the rest of the day and anything on your mind.”

This year, the group had little time to organize because of construction in the Doudna Fine Arts Center and relocating to such a small space.

“We took everything on ourselves,” Ham said. “It was hard work, but we love what we do. We wanted to keep the theater program strong and continue providing students with service and commitment for each year to come.”

The reconstruction forced the theater department to cancel two shows this year.

“It was a change,” said John Oertling, chair of the department of theater arts, “But we had to look at the positive side and focus on the possible opportunities.”

Oertling said the group has received great support from Eastern by providing them with a shuttle run for those with no transportation to the new building.

“It is actually a better working environment,” he said. “The faculty morale is up, there is much more parking space and the lobby area is better.”

Still, Oertling misses the daily contact with students.

“It is different getting used to,” he said. “Students used to be in and out of our offices all day. Now, we all have to learn new ways of communication.”

Alpha Psi Omega will hold its fifth extravaganza to showcase musicians and other talent as a fund raiser, Oct. 30, at 7th Street Underground in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. They will hold one faculty-directed show in the fall, four in the spring and two student-directed one act plays after Thanksgiving.