OnStage Blog has ranked the Auburn University theater department as the best in the state for the second year in a row.
“We strive to live up to the mission statement we set for ourselves,” said Chase Bringardner, associate professor and chair of the theater department. “We think we really have a pretty unique program when it comes to theater programs, not just within the state but definitely within the region and within the country.”
The theater department at Auburn University is located within the College of Liberal Arts and is an undergraduate-only department.
The department strives to develop citizen artists students that know how to do what they are learning, such as acting a design and why they are doing it, Bringardner said.
The theater department will continue to strive for excellence both in the classroom and onstage, Bringardner said.
“Every faculty, staff
The Auburn University theater department consists of about 90-100 majors and is responsible for the productions at the Telfair B. Peet Theatre, Bringardner said.
Auburn University Theatre produces a six-show season of exciting plays and musicals both on the main stage and in the Black Box & Dance Studio.
Auditions and participation in theater productions are open to the entire University community, providing a remarkable opportunity to partake in and appreciate the performing arts.
“We typically, in any given year, choose a season that tries to do a number of things,” Bringardner said. “One of them is that we really do try to choose a season that speaks to a bunch of different types of pieces of performance.”
The theater department includes a musical theater program so they try to have two out of the six shows be a type of musical theater show.
There is also a dance minor within the department that puts on a dance concert each season, Bringardner said.
The department strives to put on shows from across genres and theater history, so throughout a student’s four years, they are able to participate in a wide variety of shows and have a diverse performance background, Bringardner said.
When choosing the theater season, the theater department also considers their non- campus and community audience.
They consider what kinds of conversations they want to have with their audiences and what types of dialogue they want to spark, Bringardner said.
The theater department will strive to continue their excellence both in the classroom and in their performances, and the opening of the Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center will only excel the department further, Bringardner said.
“We’ll continue to work hard,” Bringardner said. “We’ll continue to collaborate and work well together. We’ll continue to create the performance opportunities we have here to spark dialogue and create a conversation within the community.”
The department is looking forward to the completion of the performing arts center and the collaboration it will bring between the center and the theater department.
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