Projects/Productions
There are three kinds of rehearsal and performance experience at UT: Rehearsal Projects, University Company Productions, and LORT/Clarence Brown Theatre Productions. Between August and May, the Department of Theatre mounts a season of eight shows: four are LORT CBT, two are University Company productions, and two are University Company studio shows. The number of rehearsal projects varies, depending upon training needs of the graduate actors.
Rehearsal Projects
Rehearsal Projects are simply staged performances of excellent plays. Directed by professionals but not advertised in the Clarence Brown season, the focus of projects is entirely upon the actors’ process. Plays are carefully chosen to serve the growth needs of the actors, and production design elements are minimized. Actors are able to work more purely upon character, relationship, and story; to take greater risks in their work and growth; to overcome fears and follow impulses; to apply changes from their studio training. Offered to audiences of the general public in small spaces, the result is often intimate and powerful work that actors find vital to their development.
University Company Productions and Studio Shows are especially intended to serve our training programs. At the MFA level, plays are chosen to serve the training needs of graduate actors and designers. Guest directors and actors provide opportunities for working and learning alongside seasoned professionals. These shows are fully designed and have strong production values. University Company Productions may also include large cast productions and musicals that bring together guest artists, graduates, and undergraduates in a professional work experience.
CBT LORT Professional, University Company, and Studio Series Productions
LORT/Clarence Brown Theatre Company Productions make up the heart of each theatrical season at UT. These are professional productions featuring prominent directors, designers, and actors. Graduate actors enter the casting pool for these shows in their second year of training, and play featured roles in their third year.
