7 REASONS TO GET INVOLVED WITH URI THEATRE

7 Reasons to Get Involved With URI Theatre

URI Theatre I by Lauren Mazzola

URI Theatre Department Chair
Paula McGlasson

1. The Staff

The URI Theatre Department’s core faculty is comprised of professional artists of all disciplines from all over the region. Students are lucky to work closely with these professors because they focus on helping you to succeed and to deeply explore your passions. By developing relationships with the faculty, you will open yourself up to various different contacts in the industry and real world experience. The small class size that the department provides allows students to personalize their studies.

2. The Community

The transition from high school to college can be tough, especially when attending a school that has over 13,000 undergraduate students. Becoming a part of the theatre department at URI allows students to gain a strong sense of community. Students are able to work together to reach their goal. The collaborative environment that the theatre department offers creates a special bond between students. URI senior Lane Wagner explained, “The friends I have made through URI Theatre I will have for life and the faculty is so loving, well love is sometimes tough, but they genuinely care about their students.”


3. Confidence

Joining the theatre program creates confidence needed in order to work well under pressure and meet new people. This learned skill also enables students to develop confidence to speak clearly, lucidly, and thoughtfully. Being involved in theatre creates individuals who have polished communication skills, human relation skills, and collaborative skills needed to achieve personal and common goals. The “can-do” confidence will allow students to meet any difficult challenge head on. Being able to act onstage teaches students to be comfortable engaging with an array of large audiences.

4. Earn Scholarships

The theatre department faculty at URI award a number of scholarships to students each year. These scholarships are given out to reward students for their outstanding achievements within the program or within the theatrical field. Students have the opportunity to win any of the scholarship awards below:

Department of Theatre Scholarship
Awarded to students with financial need and/or academic excellence/talent

Theatre Merit Scholarships
Available by application to students with a clear demonstration of talent and/or academic excellence (students may apply once a year)

Thomas R. Pezzullo Scholarship EndowmentAwarded to students with financial need and a clear demonstration of talent

Robert and Natalie Ward Theatre Scholarship
Awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in theatre

Mary Zorabedian Scholarship
Awarded to Rhode Island resident students with financial need in music, theatre or film

The Virgina & Dickson Kenney Endowment for Theatre & Music
Awarded as student scholarships or for production expenses

The Anthony Perotti Theatre and Music Performance EndowmentAwarded for production expenses

URI Theatre Talent Scholarship AwardAvailable to graduating high school seniors and transfer students who have been accepted to URI and are pursuing a full-time major in theatre, and have expertise as an actor, designer, manager or director.

Scholarship information shown was taken and can be credited from the URI Theatre Department website http://web.uri.edu/theatre/scholarships


5. Time Management Skills

When you're a student at URI, being involved in theatre allows you to learn how to budget your time. Students must balance their time and schedule carefully in order to stay on top of grades, rehearsals, work calls, and the other demands of the department and the university. Don’t let this scare you, working together with the rest of the theatre community will allow you to easily learn how to manage your time. In the long run, the good time management skills you will acquire from the URI Theatre community will be tremendously rewarding when entering the professional world.

6. Internship Opportunities & Networking

Students can take part in many internship opportunities provided by the URI Theatre Department. These opportunities may also contribute to 12 course credits that will go towards earning a diploma. Previous students have interned in the specialized fields of acting, management, theatre technology, design, publicity, audience development and arts administration. Some of the Internship opportunities that URI has arranged have been with costume production houses in New York, regional theatres, touring companies, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, and summer stock theatres. Networking, also as important as inquiring an internship during college, can also be easily achieved. Many URI Theatre Alumni are still happily involved with the program, and are happy to help undergraduates. Our alumni can be found in a variety of different professions, from writing scripts for the popular television series Entourage to designing costumes for the ABC Family Series Pretty Little Liars.

7. Acquiring New Skills

The skills listed below are some of the many skills you will acquire by being a part of the URI Theatre Department.

1. Confidence (With Both Self & Others)
   
2. Dedication
3. Self-Discipline
4. Goal-Orientation
5. Leadership
6. Time Management and Promptness
7. Oral Communication and Creative Problem Solving
8. Concentration
9. Ability to Work Collaborative and Independently
10. Motivation
11. Willingness to Accept Responsibility
12. Loyalty and Commitment
13. Initiative
14. Respect and Acceptance of Rules
15. Quick and Correct Learning
16. Adaptability
17. Flexibility
18. Working Under Pressure
19. Positive Self-Image
20. Accepting and Working Around Disappointment