THEATER
"I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being."
- Oscar Wilde -
O’Dowd’s rich theater program gives students the opportunity to express their passions, develop agency, and learn to artistically interrogate local and global issues. Through intimate classes alongside full-scale productions, students learn voice and movement, acting, improvisation, character and scene development, and playwriting.
Our facilities include a modern professional theater, as well as a state-of-the-art black box theater for more exploratory performances. Students are encouraged to direct and produce original work, as well as perform both classical and cutting-edge plays and musicals.
![Play](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/510877_59f300836816426da681e4e713f01add~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_97,h_65,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/510877_59f300836816426da681e4e713f01add~mv2.jpg)
“In theater, we are humanitarians. We make change by telling stories. That’s our charism for social justice. We help people see the world differently, and we motivate them to action.”
- Trina Oliver, Dramatic Arts Teacher
![Once-Everybody_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/510877_c4dce67449134f0ba485c64548e777fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_83,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/510877_c4dce67449134f0ba485c64548e777fc~mv2.jpg)
Recent Productions
Chicago!
The Tony award-winning musical Chicago is a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one show stopping song after another. A dark musical comedy which holds the record for the longest running American musical in Broadway history!
We Were There: A Crises Reflected
An original show featuring student-produced monologues, scenes, songs, dance, and film that responds to both living through a global pandemic, and the heightened social, political, and cultural crisis to address institutionalized racism in our country.
As You Like It!
Shaina Tub’s As You Like It! features a contemporary folk/pop score alongside Shakespeare's prose. It’s a dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families, and lovers in disguise - set in the forest of Arden, where all are welcome and love has the last word!
Godspell
Originally conceived by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University, Godspell is a musical retelling of the Gospel of Matthew, set in modern New York City. Told in parables, Godspell has a bouncy, infectious score that spreads Jesus’ message of love and tolerance.