Courting Culture: How George Troxler and Martha Hill keep cultural programs running smoothly

"We can't get the set through the door."

George Troxler, Elon's director of cultural programs, remembers those words well. He heard them from the road manager for The Acting Company, the traveling arm of the Kennedy Center, in February 1986. Less than 12 hours remained until show time in Whitley Auditorium, and Troxler found himself in quite a bind.

"I remember the road manager saying, 'Do you have a gym?' And I told him we did," says Troxler. Fortunately, Alumni Gym was available, and after a long day of setup, The Acting Company's adaptation of a Mark Twain play went off without a hitch.

"The interesting thing was that there was an ice storm and the night before, they had played before only 30 people in Greensboro," Troxler says. "A lot of the campus came out for the show because the weather was so bad that people weren't leaving campus. The actors thought it was great because they had an audience, and the audience was receptive."

Dealing with last-minute emergencies, travel problems and other logistical nightmares is part of the game for Troxler and Martha Hill, secretary for cultural programs. While they are quick to point out that plenty of other people on campus play major roles in bringing a variety of events to Elon, Troxler and Hill have primary responsibility for booking the dancers, theatrical companies, bands and speakers that dot the cultural calendar each year. They are also heavily involved in the planning for commencement each May.

Planning ahead
The process begins well in advance for convocation speakers such as Jane Goodall, who will be on campus April 4. "We booked Jane Goodall about 14 months prior to her speaking engagement," says Troxler. A variety of factors are considered when selecting speakers for convocations, such as current themes on campus and a balance over the years between political, humanitarian and religious leaders. Troxler then contacts agencies that represent speakers to evaluate the possibilities. Sometimes, the first choice isn't available.

Troxler says Elon had been looking at Goodall for a couple of years. "Last year, she was only on the West Coast, and it would have been impractical to bring her to the East Coast for one speaking engagement. So it's a matter of getting someone you're interested in, who's in the country and who's willing to speak at the time of the event," he says.

Performing arts programs such as the Brno Chamber Orchestra and the Peking Acrobats, both appearing in March, have to be booked even earlier. "Performing arts programs tend to book further in advance, and they tend to book by season," says Troxler. "So we have already booked the dance companies, the theatre companies and the large ensembles for next year."

In addition to her duties as the box office manager for McCrary Theatre, Hill makes travel arrangements for speakers and performers. She also handles facility reservations in Model, Whitley and the Elon Lodge.

"I live in fear of double-booking something," she says, but a system of folders and checklists for each event keeps things running smoothly. "We've never had two people show up to use the same space at the same time, so in that sense, the system works."

Changes bring culture to campus
With 60 years of experience at Elon between them, Hill and Troxler remember a time when Powell building was known simply as the Classroom-Office building and parking was available in front of Alamance. They've seen plenty of changes, such as the renovation of Whitley and the opening of Model Center in 1986. Troxler says Model allows Elon to attract a wider range of programs, and the facility also directly benefits students.

"We did not have a strong performing arts department until we had (Model). We couldn't have theatre as a major; that was eliminated in the '70s, in part because we didn't have the facilities," Troxler says. "When I came to Elon in 1969, there were two members of the drama faculty. Both of those positions were eliminated, but in actuality, we didn't have the physical facilities to justify a drama major."

Troxler and Hill agree that their longevity at Elon pays dividends in hosting events and getting things done. "I've been here a long time, but I don't know everything and offices change all the time," says Hill. "But I do have a sense of who to call." She came to Elon in 1974 and moved to cultural programs in 2000 when Brenda Cooper retired.

"When Brenda retired, I immediately wanted Martha as my secretary, because I've known Martha so long," Troxler says. "We've known each other for 27 years, and we get along extremely well together."