The School of Theatre is a close-knit, collaborative community of artists – more than 200 students and 24 faculty. Skills developed in the classroom converge with an extensive annual performance schedule with opportunities including Mainstage, Studio, Edge Readings, Professional partnership, and much more.
STUDENTS
Our students are highly motivated, hardworking artists training to be highly skilled professionals who will have a long, productive life in the arts.
FACULTY
We are devoted to crafting a student-centered environment that is collaborative, rigorous, and creative.
School of Theatre faculty represent all of the major entertainment business unions, including
Actor's Equity Association
Screen Actors Guild/ American Federation of Television and radio Artists (SAG/AFTRA)
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
School of Theatre faculty are working professionals training you to be a working professional.
The faculty in the School of Theater are my mentors and my friends. I Ieave meetings with faculty feeling empowered but also with challenges. They push me to grow in ways I never thought I could.
-Olivia White, BFA Acting 2021
In the CLASSROOM
Our academic program is founded on a rigorous curriculum that offers conservatory-style training within the broader context of a liberal arts education. We create an environment that encourages the synthesis of the professional craftsperson with the passionate artist.
- Small, ensemble-led performance classes
- A safe and encouraging place to take risks and grow as an artist
I am constantly supported and given a safe environment to take risks and discover the best version of myself. There is so much to learn and OCU has given me the tools to explore my voice as an active and passionate member of the theatre community.
-Lisi Levy, BFA Acting 2021
On the STAGE
We produce a broad and diverse selection of styles and genres at OCU. From staged readings to classics to student-directed works to fully mounted Mainstage productions, the School of Theatre's extensive production program reflects our value of producing live theatre as an integral part of the education of our students.
MAINSTAGE
TheatreOCU Mainstage provides opportunities for students to collaborate with professional theatre artists from a variety of disciplines to produce entertaining, provocative, and inclusive commercial work for the campus and larger Oklahoma City community. Designed to emulate the process of professional regional theatre, Mainstage productions are a diverse offering of fully produced works ranging from a wide variety of styles and genres.
STUDIO SERIES
The Studio Series is an immersive training laboratory designed to merge classroom skills with the practical production environment. Under faculty mentorship, the Studio Series prioritizes creative process over commercial product and nurtures experimentation, artistic authenticity, and craft development. Studio productions are identified by one of two artistic approaches: Innovative and Collaborative.
Innovative approach focuses on essential storytelling elements such as the actor directors service to text. With a limited budget, these productions do not utilize scenic, lighting, sound, or costume design elements, nor are they assigned a BFA Design & Production student Stage Manager. This approach focuses instead on experimentation, imagination, and exploration.
Collaborative approach expands the series to integrate design and production elements into storytelling. BFA Design & Production students are chosen for select projects, creating opportunities for performers, directors, and designers to explore the creative possibilities that emerge when artists work together toward a common theatrical vision.
OUT OF THE BOX
Out of the Box is OCU's fully student-produced theatre company on campus. Student acted and directed, Out of the Box has a focus on fresh, contemporary work.
On the Screen
The BFA On-Camera Acting program presents a Digital Showcase featuring original short-form scenes written, performed, and edited by graduating seniors. Produced by Head of On-Camera Acting Caroline Liem, the showcase reflects the program’s emphasis on performance, authorship, and production literacy, positioning actors as both storytellers and content creators. Filmed in partnership with Film/Media production teams, under the leadership of Chair of Film Bryan Cardinale-Powell, the work aligns with current film and television practices and meets professional industry standards.
