Department Brochure

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Our Mission: Professional Theatre Training
and a Liberal Arts Education

In our desire to develop theatre artists and artisans of the highest ability, the Department of Theatre and Dance at Otterbein College provides a select number of undergraduate students with the training, education and experiences necessary for the successful pursuit of careers in the American professional theatre. In support of the liberal arts goals of the College, we also seek to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to live full, rewarding and productive lives. Since artists bring who they are to what they do, the deep understanding of oneself and others, as well as those who have lived in other times and other places, is essential in order to create works of theatre which are compelling and entertaining. Through the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree programs and the Integrative Studies program, Otterbein College undertakes to develop and graduate theatre artists who are sensitive and aware human beings. Through its public performances, one of the primary tools of training, the department also serves as an important cultural resource for the College, the local community, and the entire Columbus and central Ohio region.

In order to carry out our mission, we employ a faculty and staff of experienced, professional artist-teachers and guest professional artists who work intensively with students in production and in the classroom. In all that we do, we strive to create and maintain the supportive professional environment necessary for the continued growth and development of our students.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

The Mainstage Season

Otterbein College Theatre is one of the most respected theatres in central Ohio, playing to more than 26,000 people every year. Theatre majors are regarded as part of the resident company and are expected to participate in productions each term they are in residence.

This year, our 100th doing full-length plays at Otterbein College, will feature two musicals, a classic play, our annual dance concert, and three contemporary pieces. We strive to create seasons which will educate our students in a wide variety of styles, provide appropriate arenas in which performers and technicians can practice their craft, and entertain and inform our audiences. Design/Tech majors are rotated through various assignments on productions, from Master Carpenter to Assistant Lighting Designer, with the goal of ensuring that they have a basic working knowledge of all technical areas. Acting and Musical Theatre majors audition for all productions, and are cast based on their suitability for the roles and the roles' suitability for their training. It is not unusual for a Musical Theatre major to be cast in a play, or for an Acting major to be cast in a musical. This philosophy of cross-training is the foundation of the production work.

Frequently, the department commissions an outstanding playwright to write a world premiere for our students. Playwrights have included Anthony Clarvoe (The Brothers Karamazov and Ctrl+Alt+Delete), Kia Corthron (Catnap Allegiance), Carter Lewis (Picasso Does My Maps and Longevity Abbreviated), Joan Ackermann (Marcus is Walking: Tales from the Road), and others. Kia Corthron returns this year with a dark comedy about the health care crisis in America entitled Poetic Pandemic, a co-commission between Otterbein and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

The current season is described in detail here: season. We encourage you to visit campus at a time when you can see one of our productions.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Degree Programs

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree provides students the opportunity to train intensively for professional careers in acting, musical theatre, or design/technology. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree offers students interested in professional careers in stage management, arts administration, directing, and playwriting the chance to pursue those studies through coursework in theatre and related fields. All degree programs require a core of theatre classes, including acting, directing, design, technology and theatre history. Students also participate each term in the department's production program. In the senior year, most students complete a professional theatre internship which provides them with an invaluable introduction to the real world of professional theatre.

Regardless of the degree program, all students must demonstrate continued growth in their area of concentration. An annual evaluation is provided for all students to assess their work and to help them make informed choices about the effort required in the following year to achieve their personal and professional goals.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Facilities

Mainstage productions are presented annually in two theatres equipped with the latest in modern technology. Cowan Hall, which houses our primary theatre, underwent a $1.4 million renovation in 2005. The newly-named Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall (in honor of the family which gave almost all the money for the renovation) now has 1047 brand new seats, a new sound system, and new side wings and new canopy designed to greatly enhance the acoustics in the hall. The lobby has also been renovated and is named in honor of the late Dr. Charles Dodrill, long-time chair of the department. The Campus Center houses a 260-seat thrust theatre where classical and new plays, workshops and Summer Theatre productions are presented. The Battelle Fine Arts Center also contains a recital hall where music ensembles perform.

There are three studios with sprung floors and Harlequin dance surfaces which function as dance studios in the morning, acting classrooms in the afternoon, and rehearsal spaces in the evening. Roush Hall houses a computer lab with the latest design software, including AutoCad and 3D Studio Max. Cowan is also equipped with a 4,500 square-foot scene shop--one of the largest in any small college theatre department--a costume shop, and a design studio.

Click here to see our newly renovated Cowan Hall: Cowan Renovation

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Workshop and Director's Circle

The purpose of Workshop and Director's Circle productions is to bring together advanced students interested in directing with those seeking acting experience in an atmosphere where all can join together to practice their craft without the fears, pressures, and problems of mounting a fully produced finished production for a paying audience.

The basic philosophy of Workshop and Director's Circle is to view all work involved as part of an educational process with the focus on developing and strengthening the fundamentals of both acting and directing. These programs are of vital importance to the continued growth of departmental, academic, and production activity as they promote the process of creation without hindrance of technical concerns. Productions are presented as works-in-progress, not finished performances. Discussions with faculty and student audience members follow the viewings.

Workshop productions are short plays of 30 minutes or less. Directors' Circle productions allow more advanced directing students to expand their craft through directing a full-length production. Casting in Workshop productions is generally limited to freshmen and sophomores. A typical season will include half a dozen Workshop productions and one or two Director's Circle productions.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Professional Theatre Internships

Designed to help students make the transition from college to the profession, internships provide qualified seniors with 9 to 12 weeks in the professional theatre world. Acting and Musical Theatre majors are sent to New York or Los Angeles to work with professional casting directors. Agencies have included, among others, Stuart Howard, Bernard Telsey, Jay Binder, and Dave Clemmons, as well as the casting departments at ABC, CBS, NBC and Warner Brothers Television. Design/Technology and BA majors are sent to outstanding Equity professional theatres around the country where they work directly with professionals in their areas of concentration. Recent interns have worked at the Denver Center, South Coast Repertory, Pittsburgh Public, The Lighting Design Group, and Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, England. The networking afforded by this internship is invaluable, and gives students a clear advantage in obtaining work in the professional theatre after graduation.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Professional Guest Artists

Since 1962, Equity professional actors like George Grizzard, Tony Roberts, Brock Peters, Donal Donnelly, Charles Pistone, Juliet Pritner and Tony-award winner Ron Richardson, as well as working professional Otterbein alumni Susan Diol, Karen Radcliffe, Tim Gregory, David Graf, Tonye Patano and three-time Tony-nominee Dee Hoty have played alongside students in mainstage and summer theatre productions. Guest designers have included David Robinson, Ruth Boyd, Janice Benning and Russell Hastings and guest professional directors have included Carter Lewis, Frank Lucas, Doreen Dunn, David Caldwell, and Dan Knechtges.

Last season, Tony-award nominee Randy Skinner and his assistants, director Tripp Phillip and choreographer Kelli Barclay, restaged their award-winning production of 42nd Street with our students. This year, alumnus Dan Knechtges (class of 1994), who recently choreographed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway, will return to direct and choreograph Hello, Dolly!

It is not unusual to involve several guest professionals annually at Otterbein. Student exposure to a wide variety of directors and designers is an integral part of preparation for the realities of the world in professional theatre, film and television.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Summer Theatre

Founded in 1967, Otterbein Summer Theatre is widely recognized as the most successful summer theatre in central Ohio. Paid positions in acting, design/technology and management are available to Otterbein students, who work in a Company along with professional directors and designers. Three productions are presented for two or three week runs. The program is designed to provide students with intensive training while free from other academic activities as well as the opportunity to work with successful professionals who can offer counsel and expertise for advancement in their careers.

For a story about Otterbein Summer Theatre's 40th anniversary, published in July, 2006 in the Columbus Dispatch, click here.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Acting

Designed to prepare students for careers in professional theatre, the B.F.A. in Acting is a four-year sequence of courses in acting, voice, movement and dance. Coursework is augmented with a wide variety of public performances to provide students experience in different theatrical styles. During four years, students will audition for as many as 50 mainstage and student workshop productions. Acting and Musical Theatre majors audition for all productions beginning in the second term of their first year.

With a comprehensive and rigorous blend of training based in Stanislavsky and organic methodology, the acting program includes basic exploration processes and finish techniques for professionals in theatre, film and television. The first two years focus on self-exploration, script analysis, dance, movement, voice production and diction, singing, characterization and discovery of personal working methods. During the junior and senior years, the emphasis is on comprehensive studio training to provide development in styles from Shakespeare to film along with continued refinement of a skilled system of action. In addition to on-campus productions, occasional opportunities exist for advanced students to work in professional theatres in central Ohio. Students are evaluated annually and must meet professional standards to complete the B.F.A. program.

The senior year is highlighted by a 9-week internship with a professional casting director, typically in New York City or Los Angeles. Students function as readers for professional auditions, meet agents, directors and producers, and begin the process of networking with people in the profession. Acting majors may also audition to participate in the Senior Showcase, produced in New York City for agents and casting directors in April.

Click here for .pdf files:

Sample four year BFA in Acting: ACT

Sample freshman BFA in Acting schedule: freshACT

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Musical Theatre

Designed to prepare students as "triple threats" for the Broadway musical theatre, this unique interdisciplinary B.F.A. program, jointly sponsored by the Department of Music, offers a four-year sequence of courses in acting, voice, music and dance. Musical Theatre majors take acting courses with the Acting majors, but add courses in music theory, piano, musical theatre, four years of private voice study, plus extensive dance training in jazz, tap, modern and ballet. The Concentration in Dance allows students with strong dance backgrounds to emphasize dance in their Musical Theatre degree. Coursework is augmented with a wide variety of public performances, and Musical Theatre majors audition for all mainstage productions, not just musicals. Additional performance opportunities exist in studio workshops, Opera Theatre, and other vocal ensembles. Students are expected to participate each term in music ensembles and mainstage theatre productions, and all students are evaluated annually and must meet professional standards to complete the B.F.A. program.

The interdisciplinary B.F.A. in Musical Theatre with a Concentration in Dance offers dancers the chance to train as "triple threats" for the Broadway musical theatre, by increasing their dance skills while studying acting, voice, music and theatre. Dance classes are structured to allow students to dance every day, in a sequence which offers two days of ballet, one day of modern, one day of jazz, and one day of tap or musical theatre styles each week. Classes meet for an hour and a half on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each technique is offered at three different levels on each day, so that students can be placed appropriately. Two choreography classes are offered and all dance students are encouraged to choreograph pieces for dance workshops and the annual dance concert. All dance classes are taught by specialists in each technique, many of whom operate their own studios or teach at Ballet Met, the professional ballet company in Columbus.

The senior year is highlighted by a 9-week internship with a professional casting director, typically in New York City or Los Angeles. Students function as readers for professional auditions, meet agents, directors and producers, and begin the process of networking with people in the profession. Musical Theatre majors may also audition to participate in the Senior Showcase, produced in New York City for agents and casting directors in April.

Click here for .pdf files:

Sample four year BFA in Musical Theatre: MTHR

Sample four year BFA in Musical Theatre/Dance: MTD

Sample freshman BFA in Musical Theatre schedule: freshMT

Sample freshman BFA in Musical Theatre/Dance schedule: freshMTD

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Design and Technology

Designed to prepare students for careers in professional theatre, the B.F.A. in Design and Technology is an intensive four-year sequence of courses in theatre technology, theatre design and visual arts, augmented with a wide variety of hands-on production experiences using state-of-the-art equipment. The first two years focus on stagecraft, costuming, lighting and sound technology, AutoCAD, drawing, painting, rendering, and props. Students serve on scenery, costume and electrics crews in their first year, and then they assume crew-head responsibilities such as master electrician, props master, wardrobe master, sound technician, scene painter, or master carpenter. Technical assistantships are available in all shops.

During the junior and senior years, the emphasis is on design. Students choose from courses in scenic, lighting, costume and sound design, as well as scene painting, stage management, photography, art history and computer-aided design. (Our faculty are on the leading edge in the use of computers for 3D animated scenic and lighting design). Juniors also study Theatre History and Directing. Advanced students have the opportunity to assist principal designers, and outstanding students may be selected to design for mainstage productions. Over four years, students have the opportunity to build a portfolio that will display significant professional preparation to potential employers or graduate schools. Students are evaluated annually and must meet professional standards to complete the B.F.A. program.

The senior year is highlighted by a 10 to 12-week internship in a major regional theatre where work with practicing professionals is assured. Many students receive offers of employment based on their internship.

For more information, Autocad drawings of the facilities, and design renderings see the Design & Technology page.

Click here for .pdf files:

Sample four year BFA in Design/Technology: DT

Sample freshman year BFA in Design/Technology schedule: freshDT

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Bachelor of Arts

This program is designed for students whose professional career goals require the study of more than one area of theatre, or who want a program with more flexibility than the B.F.A. This includes students who wish to pursue careers in stage management, arts administration, playwriting, or directing. B.A. students are encouraged to design their own degree plan and to take extensive coursework in other areas.

Students interested in stage management or arts administration combine study in theatre with courses in business, organizational communication, management, marketing and public relations. Stage managers begin by working as assistant stage managers during their freshman year and assume full management responsibilities in the sophomore year. Arts administration students acquire practical experience in box office management and public relations by working as assistants to the Audience Services Director.

While B.A. students are not required to do a senior internship, almost all do. Recent stage management interns have worked at the Mark Taper Forum and Denver Theatre Center. Other students have interned with companies like the Manhattan Theatre Club and Children's Theatre of Minneapolis. Depending on the nature of their degree plan, students receiving the B.A. degree are prepared to enter graduate theatre programs leading to M.A., M.F.A. or Ph.D. degrees, or to begin working in the profession.

Click here for .pdf files:

Sample four year BA in Theatre degree: BA

Sample freshman year BA in Theatre schedule: freshBA

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

The Dance Minor

The Dance Minor offers dancers the opportunity to continue dancing at an advanced level throughout their college careers while pursuing other studies.

Dance classes are structured to allow students to dance every day, in a sequence which offers two days of ballet, one day of modern, one day of jazz, and one day of tap or musical theatre styles each week. Classes meet for an hour and a half on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each technique is offered at three different levels on each day, so that students can be placed appropriately. Two choreography classes are offered and all dance students are encouraged to choreograph pieces for dance workshops and the annual dance concert. All dance classes are taught by specialists in each technique, many of whom operate their own studios or teach at Ballet Met, the professional ballet company in Columbus. Dance Minors also are encouraged to audition for musicals which need dancers.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Life After Otterbein

Otterbein College graduates in theatre and dance are working in every area of the profession. Notable performers include Dee Hoty, three-time Tony nominee as Best Actress in a Musical for starring roles in Will Rogers Follies, Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, and Footloose; the late David Graf, most recognizable as the Judge in the film, Citizen Ruth, and as Tackleberry in the Police Academy movies; and Susan Diol, whose television credits include One Life to Live, Seinfeld, Star Trek, Quantum Leap, and Growing Pains. Outstanding design/tech and BA alumni include David Robinson, costume designer for films Who Shot Andy Warhol?, Heaven's Prisoners, The Cowboy Way, and the Fox television series, Bourbon Street; David Weller, set designer for Home as well as many other designs for ABC and CBS; and Julie Wetherbee, Production Manager at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

Recent acting and musical theatre graduates have received their Equity cards and stepped right into the profession. Mandy Bruno (2004) received a 3-year contract with The Guiding Light and began work nine days after her appearance at the 2004 Senior Showcase. Renata Wilson (2003) was auditioned personally by Cameron Mackintosh within a month of the 2003 Senior Showcase, and played Nancy in the national tour of Oliver! Tony Gonzalez (2003) played Tony in the national tour of Saturday Night Fever. Lindsay Chambers (2002) has been in the Broadway company of Hairspray since shortly after graduation. Billoah Greene (2001) has been in several films, most recently the HBO film, Everday People.

Recent design/tech and B.A. graduates are working as assistant stage managers at the Denver Theatre Center, scenic and lighting designers at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and as props designer for CBS in New York. Others have chosen to pursue graduate study and have been admitted to programs at some of the most prestigious schools in the country, including Yale, the University of Illinois, UCLA, and the New England Conservatory of Music.

The Department of Theatre & Dance
Departmental Brochure

Admission

Admission into the Department of Theatre and Dance is highly competitive. Last year, 350 potential candidates auditioned and interviewed for an entering class of 32 theatre majors and 10 dance minors. Auditions or interviews are required for admission to all major degree programs and the dance minor.

Talent awards ranging from $500-$4000 are offered on a competitive basis to selected B.F.A. and B.A. candidates demonstrating outstanding talent and potential. A limited number of smaller talent awards are available to selected Dance Minor candidates. These awards are renewable for four years of study based on academic performance, participation and growth.

Auditions and interviews for major degree programs are held both on and off campus during the Winter term. The department participates in the National Unified Auditions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Auditions and interviews for the dance minor are held on campus only.

For current information about auditions at Otterbein college, click here.