Welcome from the Director of the University of Oklahoma School of Drama,
Welcome to the School of Drama web site. As you browse our sight, you will get a glimpse of the scope and strength of our program. We produce eleven main stage productions and four Lab Theatre productions every season. Our program is intense and demanding and we strive to create a professional product for the education of our students and the pleasure of our patrons. We are dedicated to providing our students with concentrated training and cutting edge technology.
Take a moment to learn why ours is one of the finest Drama Schools in the United States. Visit our site often to find exciting new additions to our season and programs. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Best Regards,
Tom Huston Orr
Director of the OU School of Drama
(405) 325-4021
The University of Oklahoma School of Drama, the second oldest in the nation, offers performance-centered, professional programs designed to prepare students to successfully move forward to the next level of their career development. All School of Drama undergraduate programs lead toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) in Drama. Degree tracks include: Acting, Design (Scenic, Lighting, or Costume), Dramaturgy (History, Dramaturgy, Directing, and Playwriting), Stage Management, and Technical Production (Costume Technology and Scenic Technology). All Drama students must declare the 1007F Theatre degree as their major.
Scholarships are available to qualified students and are awarded on a competitive basis. OU’s general scholarship application – including the FAFSA - should be submitted prior to March 1. All students planning to attend the University of Oklahoma are eligible to apply. The School of Drama awards its own scholarships ranging from $500.00 to $2,000.00. These scholarships are merit based and are awarded after on-campus audition/interview upon acceptance into the program. The application for School of Drama admission/Drama scholarships and University Admission can be downloaded from this website.
Our theatre season consists of eleven full-length productions each academic year including drama, musicals, and dance. In addition, we produce four to six student-directed and student-designed productions in our Lab Theatre and Gilson Studio located in Old Science Hall.
Admission to the School of Drama is by audition, portfolio review, or interview, and conditional upon formal application and admission to the University of Oklahoma. Students are encouraged to complete and submit admission materials and audition or interview as early as possible during their senior year. The School of Drama admits a total of 44 freshmen and transfer students in Acting, Design, Dramaturgy, Stage Management, and Technical Production each year. 
Undergraduate students in the OU School of Drama, regardless of track area, are required to take a broad range of core classes their first year. The purpose of this is to provide each student with a strong background in all areas of theatre before entering their specific degree track. Having a diverse theatrical education equips School of Drama graduates for employment in professional environments or further academic study.
All freshmen in the School of Drama will be immediately involved in the production process. All undergraduate drama majors, including freshmen, are cast regularly and given their own scenic, lighting, and costume design assignments.
Undergraduate students will be formally admitted into one of five tracks at the end of their freshmen year.
The five areas offered by the OU School of Drama are:
The Acting track is for the undergraduate student interested in pursuing a career as a performer in professional theatre, television, or film. An undergraduate actor at the OU School of Drama may take up to ten acting classes throughout their tenure in the program, including courses in Character Study and Scene Study, Shakespeare and Classical Works, Departures from Realism, Performing New Plays, Acting for the Camera, and the Audition Process.
The Design track serves undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in scenic, costume, or lighting design. Designers combine practical knowledge with artistic ability to turn abstract ideas into formal designs for each production. OU offers a wide variety of design opportunities in dramas, comedies, musicals, and full-length dance productions. Graduates of the design program will have designed a variety of productions and have the opportunity to build strong portfolios for admission to graduate studies or to use in the professional world.
The Dramaturgy track at the School of Drama is an excellent foundation for the undergraduate student interested in pursuing a career and/or graduate studies in dramaturgy, theatre history, directing, or playwriting. Professional dramaturgs work alongside directors during the production process of an established play and can also work with playwrights on the development of new plays. The School of 
Drama prides itself on recognizing this burgeoning field and being one of the few universities around the country to offer this track to Bachelor of Fine Arts students.
The Stage Management program at OU offers in-depth, rigorous training in both the classroom and the theatre in order to prepare students for graduate studies or work in the professional world. The program aims to develop individualized, creative artists with personal approaches to their work. The School of Drama creates a supportive and stimulating environment that allows each student to develop the confidence and flexibility necessary to meet the challenges of production.
The Technical Production track serves undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in scenic technology or costume technology. This training will give students to opportunity to become an integral component of the technical production process within University Theatre. Students who graduate with this emphasis go on to pursue careers as technical directors, shop managers, facilities managers, properties masters, stage hands, and technicians.
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