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 It is the philosophy of Oglethorpe University's Theatre program
that there is no better theatre training than the liberal arts. The
greatest theatre practitioners and thinkers are those who are able
to assemble knowledge from a wide variety of fields in order to
identify and convey artistic goals. It is the program's goal to
train theatre students in all aspects of the discipline during their
four years at Oglethorpe. Just as the liberal arts environment
provides the student with insight into and understanding of a
variety of subjects, the Theatre program strives to make students
fluent in all of the component aspects of theatre, enhancing their
thinking, collaborative, and artistic abilities.
Students majoring in Theatre at Oglethorpe concentrate their
efforts in the areas of performance and directing. A faculty with
extensive academic and professional experience teaches a
wide-ranging curriculum, providing the student with a rich variety
of perspectives from which to learn. Courses in performance,
directing, stagecraft, theatre history, theory, singing, and
dramatic literature, as well as regular special topics courses in
areas such as film criticism, feminist theatre, and filmmaking,
provide students with a wealth of studio and classroom experiences.
In addition, our distinctive Internship program allows students the
opportunity to hone their skills in both professional and laboratory
settings. Most notably, Oglethorpe's relationship with the Georgia
Shakespeare Festival, the professional theatre-in-residence on our
campus, provides students with direct access to professional acting
opportunities, as well as some of the most sought-after professional
theatre internships in the southeast.
Students entering Oglethorpe with a background in theatre, as
well as students with an interest but no experience, will find ample
opportunities in the theatre program to develop their skills and
expertise. The University's Theatre minor puts a point on the
student's practical knowledge, and is a powerful complement to any
undergraduate major. Oglethorpe students find their theatre training
serves them well whether they choose to continue performance studies
after graduation, enter the professional theatre world, or pursue
other horizons.
Live theatre is a vital part of the liberal arts atmosphere at
Oglethorpe with two concurrent public performance seasons running
throughout the year, one presented by The Playmakers, Oglethorpe
University Theatre and the other by the nationally-recognized
Georgia Shakespeare Festival. In addition, "Arts & Ideas at
Oglethorpe" is an annual arts series that brings guest artists and
lecturers of national and international note to the Oglethorpe
campus.
The time spent in a university is valuable not only for the
particular instruction a student receives; it is also a time of
great personal growth and heightened self-awareness. The Theatre
program supports this matriculation in ways both tangible and
intangible. The great amount of work done in the classroom and in
production demands that students budget and prioritize their time
and energy. Students are expected to develop a high level of
self-discipline as they take on the responsibility that comes with
being part of an ensemble.
The state-of-the-art Conant Performing Arts Center is the home of
both the Playmakers, Oglethorpe University Theatre and the Georgia
Shakespeare Festival. The building includes seminar classrooms, two
rehearsal halls, box office, costume and prop storage, scene dock,
light and sound production facilities, a number of dressing rooms,
as well as faculty and administrative offices. There is one
performance area, the magnificent modified-thrust-configuration
Conant Stage, which features vom and trap capacities, fly space, and
orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony seating for 511 patrons.
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