Raven Actor Applies College’s Mission to Theater

The Gregorian Fellows Leadership Program at Benedictine College promotes Catholic identity in public life by forming a new generation of leaders who unite faith and reason in their work. On Fellows Fridays, the Gregorian Institute will introduce you to some of these extraordinary students.

Peter Volmert, a class of 2020 Theatre Arts Management major from St. Louis was hired by the Musical Theater Heritage in Kansas City while pursuing an acting career.

“I knew I wanted to maximize the potential of my theatrical talents, but I also knew I didn’t want to work exclusively as a performer. The Theatre Arts Management track provided me an excellent balance of theatrical training and business study.”

Benedictine College prepared him as an actor, director — and singer.

“I traveled with the Chamber Singers on a tour of Italy over New Years’ 2018. We sang Masses in Venice, Florence, Assissi, and two in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome,” he said.

Volmert embraced each aspect of the college’s mission of community, faith, and scholarship — serving as a ROC Leader, director of the Memorare Choir and a Gregorian Fellow.

“My passion lies in the fusion of art and science. I firmly believe that there is a science to every art and an art to every science,” he said. “Benedictine, and especially its Theatre Department, has motivated me to cultivate art and spread knowledge in all facets of my life.”

Volmert calls Benedictine College “a bright spark of art and science in the fog of anti-intellectualism.”

“One of the most remarkable experiences I had at Benedictine College was in college ministry, directing the Immaculate Conception Mass. That was very beautiful,” he said.

“Directing a show was the culmination of everything I’ve learned at my time here,” he added. “I have acted a lot on this stage but this time I was able to teach people what I know and guide them and direct them toward creating an artistic project that turned out to be quite successful.”

The mission of the college helped him in more ways than he expected.

“Benedictine College gave me the opportunity to create a product which is not something that a lot of educational departments actually offer … they taught me how to collaborate with people, communicate effectively in a team, how to compromise, as well as how to lead the team in a particular direction.”

Below is Peter Volmert’s starring role in a Benedictine College video.