BWW Student Center's School in the Spotlight: Wright State University!

Last year, BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theater website on the Internet, launched a comprehensive Student Database listing college and university performing arts programs across the country. This free service makes it easier for prospective students by showcasing programs searchable by schools, location, degrees and concentrations. 

With the new school year in full gear, BWW has updated the fully-interactive Student Show Calendar with 2011-2012 student productions. We have also made it easy for schools to upload photos, videos, cast lists, articles and other media content for each of their shows. In addition, BWW will be combing through all content regularly and will launch weekly feature stories highlighting productions locally and nationally that have provided us with this extra content. 

-- BWW Student Center Readers: What do you want to see in 2012-2013? Have your say here! 

Today, we're excited to introduce readers to the Department of Theatre Dance and Motion Pictures at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio! Renowned for their excellence in the arts, the department offers a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Acting, Theatre, Dance, and Design and Technology. 

The Acting program complements its requirement courses in acting theories and techniques with dance and singing training, equipping students with a well-rounded education. Dance students follow rigorous technical training, studying and performing in all three major dance techniques of ballet, jazz, and modern. The program also offers additional training and performance opportunities via the exchange program with the Dayton Ballet and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.

The Musical Theater program offers a unique Professional Actor Training Program which consists of conservatory style training. Students may select a Musical Theatre emphasis, which leads to  intensive and integrated acting, dance, and music training.

Design and Technology majors are exponsed to general theatre knowledge, artistic design skills and theatre technology. Students can focus on design, technology or stage management, and they are also encouraged to participate in the design and construction of studio and mainstage productions.

All programs consist of a senior project with requirements ranging from producing and performing a solo performance, to taking part in a showcase trip to New York (or other cities) where musical theatre students audition for agents and casting directors, to dance students creating and producing an original choreographed work.

With access to three state-of-the-art main performance spaces (The Festival Playhouse, The Herbst Theatre, and the Directing Studio Lab), the department hosts a slew of plays and musicals each year. Past productions include 'August: Osage County', 'Little Women', 'Anything Goes', Our Town', 'The Skin of our Teeth', and 'Angels in America'. The 2011-2012 season offered a range of works including 'Death of a Salesman', 'Hairspray', 'Dead Man's Cell Phone', 'RENT', and 'The Merchant of Venice'.

Currently playing at the Festival Playhouse is 'The Phantom of the Opera' which opened on May 10 and continues its run thru May 27. Barnaby Rudge, Part II, will play from June 1-23, 2012. For tickets, call the WSU Box Office at 937-775-3789.

To learn more about performing arts at Wright State University, click here.

Congratulations to students and faculty at Wright State for earning this week's BroadwayWorld School in the Spotlight mention! 

Questions/concerns/suggestions related to BWW's student center can be addressed to studentcenter@broadwayworld.com.

Photo of 'August: Osage County', 2010. Courtesy of WSU. 

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