
Stetson University Theatre Arts presents “The Way Things Were, A virtual retrospective of first-hand accounts of Stetson, DeLand, and our corner of Florida.” The production is a streamed performance based on little-known – or little-appreciated – events and people from Stetson University, Deland, and the surrounding area.
The text for the performance is based mainly on interviews collected at the West Volusia Historical Society’s Robert M. Conrad Educational and Research Center. It also includes material from the Stetson University archives, historical newspapers, letters, and other remembrances of DeLand citizens.
Running the gamut from poignancy to protest, these performances lead us to a better remembrance and understanding of the place we call home and how we have come to live together here – whether we are here for good or only passing through.
“We don’t pretend to give a comprehensive history of DeLand, or Stetson, or to even stick too closely to a timeline. What we aim to do is to present remembered fragments of the past, creating the impression that even though the people from our past are no longer with us, their words live on.”
-Dr. Ken McCoy
Cultural credit is available here.

The cast of “The Way Things Were” is composed of Stetson University students (from left to right) Delicia Bent, Hugh Kiser, Julexis Gonzalez, Jackson Gray, Liza Tananbaum, Caleb Roberts, and Aliya Cruise (pictured below).

The video is recorded, and edited by And You Films of DeLand, our local independent film and video production company.
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