The Talent Recruitment Entertainment Agency Team will celebrate its approval as a fully chartered SMU organization by hosting STAGE RUSH, a campus-wide talent contest, in the Hughes-Trigg Commons at 8 p.m. on Friday.

Charter status enables the organization to receive funding from SMU.

“This will enable us to diversify our events so as to offer SMU students an opportunity to fully exploit their talents,” Trigg Burrage, president of the organization, said.
Comedian Marvin Michaels will perform the headliner act.  Other events will include music, dance performances, magic shows and food.

Event organizers say that this is a chance for every student with guts to put his or her best foot forward and let the crowd judge. Cell phone text-voting will be used to determine the winner.

Those interested can sign up to perform by e-mailing [email protected] or at the Hughes-Trigg ballroom Friday night.

TREAT’s officials double as performers as well. Burrage is a magician. Moses Williams, Yaw Asante and Evan Kasper are musicians. Orlando Rojas is a dancer, and Alyssa Hunek is a drummer.

TREAT was founded last year by Christene Dino, a corporate communications major, to educate students on the trades of the entertainment industry, discipline, work ethic and attitude necessary to be successful in the field.

“As a performer, I had lots of friends who lacked training and needed knowledge in order to make it in the market,” she said. “It is difficult to get non-paid training around here.  As a performer, I also had this problem.”

Dino received a vision from God to start TREAT in order to bridge the gap between people who needed entertainment and those that needed to offer entertainment.

The organization was received warmly at SMU.  One of its first events in 2009, The Red Carpet Affair (Valentine’s Dance), attained commendable success, drawing a crowd of about five hundred.

The organization also brought accomplished entertainment figures to campus as speakers or trainers.

In its second year, the organization plans to continue to nourish talents of students interested in the entertainment business by connecting them with opportunities and industry figures to help exercise and develop their skills. 

TREAT will have regular rehearsals as part of performers’ training development, organize stage workshops and arrange events to showcase talent. Members will be assisted to prepare resumes and plan for networking with other students and industry representatives locally, nationally and internationally.

Members are also available to provide quality entertainment for on campus or campus-related events through exceptional musical performances.

For more information on TREAT, visit the TREAT Facebook page, where you can also find more information about STAGE RUSH.