Theatre
What We Offer
Minor in Theatre The Mission of Eastern Theatre is: The Learning Goals arising from this Mission include: Developmental - Train Incarnational Truth-tellers Eastern Theatre: the fine print Opportunities for students
Develop individual artistic gifts, skills and visions.
Instill respect and responsibility for the profession of theatre-making.
Encourage collaborative creativity and learning.
Celebrative - Offer Cultural Refreshment
Engage, stimulate and inspire audiences with performance art.
Celebrate the creativity of students, alum, staff and faculty
Work interdisciplinarily to express the relevance of theatre pieces for the community
Prophetic – Initiate Community Dialogue
Celebrate and confront issues that condition the community.
Engage and interrogate diverse worldviews with honesty and respect.
Provide a forum for thoughtful dealing with complex human issues.
“The Whole Gospel for the Whole World”
Eastern dares to express its Christian distinctiveness by inspiring students to incarnate, celebrate, and integrate a whole Gospel for a whole (and broken) world.
“Making Art that Matters, Telling Stories that Transform”
Eastern Theatre is inspired by this mission to pursue a philosophy of arts education which includes training our students to encounter, examine and embody the truths of the human experience in radical relationship to Jesus, the Divine Incarnate. The example of Jesus’ life, teaching and passion inspires our belief that just as there is no “safe” Gospel worth living for, there is no “safe” art worth making or engaging with. We endeavor to make art that responds prophetically to the human condition, and acts responsibly in the dialogue of the Eastern University community.
“How We Choose Our Productions”
Eastern University Theatre chooses productions that reflect the whole world to which the whole gospel is addressed, and that reveal the whole gospel through the whole human story. While we take seriously the need for entertainment to “comfort the afflicted,” we also know this means, on occasion, having the courage to engage in a critical dialogue with works that reveal truths that “afflict the comfortable”. We consciously rely on a willingness in our faith-based academic community to acknowledge the complexity of worldviews to which we as a community may not necessarily subscribe. However, we know this goal must be tempered by a sensitivity to the power that living art has in any community, especially a traditionally Christian one. Therefore, we exercise both daring and discernment in our choice of productions
Collaborating, acting, directing, designing, using power tools, climbing ladders, making sparkly dog food out of styrofoam, making sure things go where they belong.
What our Graduates Do
Contact Information
“Eastern University Theatre teaches us about community and collaboration, about trusting ourselves and each other. We learn to stretch beyond what we originally thought ourselves capable.”
