A welcome to drama at Oxford from the Oxford University Dramatic Society
By admin
The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the go-to place for all things theatrical in Oxford. The society is an umbrella organisation that co-ordinates drama across the university, acting as a principal funding body for student productions, running its own wardrobe, and providing a theatrical “jobcentre” on its website, through which budding thespians can search for upcoming auditions, and aspiring directors can advertise for producers, designers, or any other members they wish to add to their creative team. Membership is free, and anybody can sign up at www.ouds.org, or else at the OUDS table at Freshers’ fair. You can also sign up for the weekly newsletter – an email packed full of information about auditions, performances, and resources available to actors, designers and directors.
For Freshers’ Week 2011, OUDS has laid on a number of events designed to welcome freshers to the world of Oxford drama. The society is running a parenting scheme, which works in the same way as the college parenting scheme. If you’re interested in picking up a drama mum or dad, to answer your questions about drama at the university, or to take you to the theatre (or to the pub), then email Jack Powell at freshers@ouds.org.
OUDS will be holding a drinks evening on October 13th from 8pm at the Cellar. Here, guests will be able to meet other like-minded thesps, as well as find sign-up sheets for auditions and plays, and sample the many varieties of Oxford drama, with performances from groups including the Oxford Revue and Oxford Comedy Deathmatch, as well as a sneak preview of the first Playhouse show of the year, the Picture of Dorian Gray. The event is free, and we encourage absolutely anyone interested in drama to attend, from the most enthusiastic fresher to the most veteran third-year of the Oxford drama scene.
In conjunction with the Theatre Technicians’ Society, TAFF (Tabs Are For Flying), OUDS will be running this year’s Drama Cuppers competition. Cuppers is a week-long drama festival in Michaelmas for which anyone from the first year can put together a half-hour show with a college team, and perform at the BT studio in front of an audience and a judging panel. Cuppers culminates with an awards ceremony, recognising the very best of the work that has gone on show. It’s is a great way to start out on the drama scene, and get some early experience of treading the Oxford boards.
The New Writing Festival also gets moving during Michaelmas. Budding playwrights can submit scripts to OUDS by midway-through Michaelmas, and the top four scripts chosen by the NWF panel will be assigned directors and put on during Hilary.
- Jack Powell
