Performance Opportunities
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 102nd doing full-length plays at Otterbein College, will feature two musicals, a classic French farce, our annual dance concert, and two 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 and Poetic Pandemic), Carter Lewis (Picasso Does My Maps and Longevity Abbreviated), and Joan Ackermann (Marcus is Walking: Tales from the Road).
In addition to the subscription season, we also do both faculty and student-directed workshop productions. Casting in the latter are open only to freshmen and sophomores.
The current season is described in detail here. We encourage you to visit campus at a time when you can see one of our productions.
