Theater tells a story.
It might be a fun story that allows someone to escape into a frolicking adventure.
It might inspire someone to think about an issue that is socially relevant or provocative.
It might prompt someone to reconsider preconceived notions about a group of people or a situation.
Allen Community College’s new theater director and instructor, Trevor Belt, wants his students to appreciate the variety of stories told through the theater. 
“Storytelling is how we get our history. We learn life lessons and how to view the world from movies, television, books and, of course, theater,” he said.
“There’s a power there. Art should make people think about things in a different way. That’s always been intriguing to me.”
The impact of storytelling drew Belt to the theater. He grew up in Macon, Mo., in a family of singers, and appreciated musicals and those types of performances.
As a teenager, he was hired for his first professional acting job. He’s been a professional actor and director ever since.
“I’ve been getting paid to do what I love since I was 16,” Belt said. “I say I’m a generalist. I do everything. And that’s true. But I feel like my best skill is as an acting teacher.”
Belt attended State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo., and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, on a theater scholarship. He earned a master’s degree in fine arts and directing from Minnesota State University this past spring.
He also established his own theater company in Kansas City, producing socially relevant works.
Again, that’s why the unique power of storytelling is so important.
“We should use our art for good,” he said. “Doing theater that reflects social issues might enlighten someone, help them view things in a different way, change their opinions or make them more accepting of someone or something that is different from them. It leads to us becoming better humans.”
IN TAKING over as ACC’s theater instructor, Belt knows he’s stepping into an iconic role.
Theater instructor Tony Piazza retired this spring, his 20th season cut short by the coronavirus. Piazza developed and grew ACC’s program, recruiting some of the region’s brightest young talent. His legacy included a summer theater program and the theater complex.
