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Ernie Zulia just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City and couldn't be happier.

Zulia, associate professor and chairman of the Department of Theatre at Hollins University, traveled with students to take in several Broadway productions.

One evening, following a production of "Wicked," he and the students had dinner with the musical's creator, Stephen Schwartz, Zulia's longtime friend.

Theater, for Zulia, is about bringing people together. At Hollins. In Roanoke. In New York City. Wherever we live in community.

When Zulia was invited to be a visiting professor at Hollins three years ago, he never dreamed that Hollins would be his creative, professional home.

"I'm a Hollins guy," Zulia said with a smile.

"I love the opportunity to share my passion for theater and my belief that theater makes life better," Zulia said. "It's a real gift and honor to be in a position to share that with Hollins and the community."

Zulia is especially excited about the upcoming performance symposium to celebrate Wendy Wasserstein on Feb. 15 to 17.

"About a year ago, Wendy passed away," Zulia said. "She was a playwright who hit the scene in the mid-'70s and became an important voice in female theater."

Wasserstein won the Pulitzer Prize for "The Heidi Chronicles."

According to Zulia, she exuded warmth, intelligence and was everybody's champion in American theater, especially for women.

Zulia wanted to create a series of events to honor her passing.

"I wanted to create something special," Zulia said.

He contacted famous costume designer William Ivey Long, one of Wasserstein's closest friends, to participate in the symposium.

"He was really enthusiastic about helping us out," Zulia said. "He's coming down to co-host an event on Saturday, a revival of her play 'Uncommon Women.' "

During the day Feb. 17, five other schools are being invited to participate in a one-act festival of Wasserstein's other plays.

After securing Long, Zulia invited actress Jane Alexander, who had worked with Wasserstein to be present for the symposium.

Alexander, a four-time Oscar nominee and former head of the National Endowment for the Arts, starred in Wasserstein's Broadway production "The Sisters Rosensweig."

Alexander will be the 2007 Hollins Distinguished Speaker on Feb. 15 and also will participate in a theatrical reading of Wasserstein's last play, "Third."

The central character of the play is a college professor who is examining Shakespeare from a feminist perspective.

"Alexander is coming to read the role," Zulia said.

The joy in creating this type of symposium to honor an artist such as Wasserstein celebrates the beauty and wonder of theater.

"Theater is a visible example of so many things in our world," Zulia said, "about bringing people together."

Zulia thinks "theater is essential in bringing a community together. Here at Hollins, I have a wonderful chance to help students unify their life experience through the gift of theater."

Here's to Zulia, and people everywhere, who believe in and create community.

For more information on the Performance Symposium honoring Wendy Wasserstein, visit www.hollins.edu.