Frequently Asked Questions: Oberlin Music Theater

All Music Theater students are required to audition for all Music Theater productions, and students are guaranteed to be in at least one production during their time at Oberlin. We want students to build varied resumes, so we encourage you to also audition for events outside the Music Theater program. Students must also complete at least one backstage experience credit earned by participating on a crew for one of the Music Theater productions.

Yes, though the opportunities differ based on the department:

• Opera Theater: All opera productions are auditioned and open to all students. Candidates have typically studied private voice and participated in collegiate vocal ensembles.
• Theater: All theater productions are auditioned and open to all students.
• Dance: All dance department productions are auditioned and open to all students. All dance classes are open to any student; students should register for class levels they feel are most appropriate to their ability.

• Opera Theater: The program presents three faculty or guest-directed, fully staged, orchestrated operas: one mainstage production each semester in Hall Auditorium, plus a smaller contemporary Winter Term opera that is performed on campus and often tours off-campus (past locations: Cleveland, Columbus).
• Theater: The department presents at least three faculty or guest-directed mainstage productions in the Wurtzel Theater or Hall Auditorium, along with six to eight student-directed capstone productions in the Kander Theater. All departmental shows are professionally produced by theater program staff designers and technicans.
• Dance: The department presents at least three fully produced concerts a year—two in the dance-specific Warner Main Space theater and one in the Hall Theater complex—directed by faculty members. In addition, one to four senior concerts and/or honors concerts feature work by senior dance majors each year.

Through the combined student organizations, Oberlin Musical Theater Association/Oberlin Student Theater Association, at least four student-run productions are staged each year. New works are workshopped as well, with opportunities for collaboration among composers, stage performers, and instrumental players. Numerous dance student organizations produce student-run shows, such as Vibe Jazz and Tap, Oberlin’s female-identifying hip-hop group, And What!?, Oberlin Capoeira Angola, Contact Improvisation, Ballet Oberlin, and more.

Yes! It’s taken on a case-by-case basis and depends on class year, grades, and course schedule.

Yes, students have the opportunity to direct theater, music, and dance works both through student organizations and in collaboration with the respective departments:

• Opera Theater: This is contingent on the student’s experience and/or permission from the faculty/lead director.
• Theater: There is a Lab Series, usually 4-6 student-directed projects in the John Kander Theater and other locations on campus, produced under the auspices of the department, with faculty advising and staff support. The plays and performance pieces in this series are selected through a careful application process and are customarily the capstone projects of senior majors.
• Dance: The annual Fall Forward and Spring Back concerts feature work by student choreographers. These shows are open to all students but selected by audition. In addition, every senior dance major completes a capstone that can include presenting choreography in a senior concert.

Every Music Theater production will utilize double casting, understudies, and/or swings.

The fall musical rehearses for about eight weeks, has eight performances, and utilizes about 40 students. The winter musical rehearses for about five weeks, has 12-18 performances, and utilizes 12-20 students. The spring musical rehearses for about five weeks, has four performances, and utilizes 8-12 students.

Students dance four mornings a week for all four years. A multitude of other dance courses taught by Oberlin’s dance faculty can be added as part of students’ liberal arts electives, including Samba, Choreography, Somatic Landscapes, and Queer Gestures.

Students have 24 credits of liberal arts/college electives (about six classes), which can be fulfilled through theater and dance classes in the College of Arts and Sciences, and 14 credits of free electives that can be filled with a range of courses from the College or Conservatory.

As part of the degree requirements, you must take a certain number of liberal arts electives (roughly 6-8 classes). There is no distribution requirement or core curriculum for these courses. Students can choose from a variety of classes and never take a course they aren’t interested in. You can also use these electives to pursue a minor in an academic area in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Yes, tutors are available for all College and Conservatory students. Tutoring services are free of charge.

Music Theater dance courses are leveled by year, so first-year students will be in class together, second-years together, etc. It is critical that intermediate/advanced dancers revisit the fundamentals of any dance style. All dance professors are skilled professionals who can offer a series of levels within the classes to continue challenging the individual. For example, in a Tap 1 course, instructors may ask you to add pickups in certain places or turn double-time steps into triples. In addition to everything above, this is an elite training program where we will take giant leaps through classes and move at a rigorous pace, meaning all levels will be equally challenged.

Dance department courses aren’t usually “leveled” in a direct way, allowing for flexibility through the course offerings. However, there are a few multi-semester courses like levels I, II, and III of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Most dance classes are structured by course level (100, 200, 300, etc.), with higher-level courses offering more advanced offerings.

• Vocal studio placements will be initially assigned by the Music Theater faculty based on videos submitted by accepted students. Our goal is to place you with an instructor who can strengthen your weaknesses and make your strengths shine even brighter.
• Students can transfer to a different studio through the Conservatory Dean’s Office.

Up to four semesters of general group piano classes are offered, structured by increasingly advanced skills in technique, sight reading, harmonization, improvisation, accompaniment, and piano repertoire over time. APST 110/111 and APST 212/213. Further, individual piano training is available through our secondary lessons program.

Oberlin’s theory program is centered around mastering musical interpretation and analysis skills. There is the main four-semester theory sequence required of most Conservatory students; the first-year core embraces topics including rhythm and meter, melody and counterpoint, harmony, form, and texture and timbre, and creates space for engagement with music from a variety of perspectives and composers. The second-year curriculum consists of elective courses determined by faculty interest.

Most first-year students start the day with dance courses, then move to Theory & Aural Skills before lunch. Music Theater and Acting workshop classes are held after lunch. Depending on the day of the week, students might also have a voice lesson, chosen elective courses for the semester, and rehearsals in the evening if cast in a production.

Students take an entire semester’s worth of Business of the Business: a class that focuses on networking, union membership, taxes for the artist, building a budget, resources for finding auditions in and out of New York, creating an Actor’s Access profile, and building a five-year business plan post-graduation. Masterclass guests will perform mock interviews with fourth-year students. All students will have the opportunity to either be cast or understudy, professionally affording them the option to join the Actors’ Equity Association upon graduation.

You’ll be exposed to a variety of acting techniques, allowing you to develop your work process.

On-camera intensive will be offered every winter term.

All students have the opportunity to study away and can do so during fall or spring semesters, summer, all academic year, or during Winter Term. You must have a declared major and have studied at Oberlin for at least two semesters. Most students study away in their fifth, sixth, or seventh semester of enrollment at Oberlin.

Various funding exists for specific programs and projects through the Conservatory Professional Development Office, Office of Study Away, and the Career Exploration and Development Center.

Some Oberlin-affiliated programs include:

• Music: IES Abroad Vienna Music Program, Austria; IES Abroad Amsterdam Direct Enrollment Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Netherlands; Institute for Study Abroad: King’s College London, UK; CIEE Arts and Sciences Program Legon, Ghana
• Theater: National Theater Institute’s Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, UK; Prague Film School, Czech Republic
• Dance: Danish Institute for Study Abroad, Denmark; Laban Centre for Dance and Movement Studies, London, UK

Students may take courses from the directing concentration in the Theater department. There are opportunities for assistant directing/music directing/choreographing on all productions. Dance/fight/intimacy captains are present on all productions that call for one.

Yes, co-curricular classes are offered through our Athletics and Physical Education department as well as through non-curricular courses offered through our health and wellness program, YeoFit.

• Yes, Conservatory students can double major (ex. piano performance and composition) and/or obtain a minor within several of the Conservatory’s areas of study.
• Conservatory students can also obtain a minor in one of 40+ academic areas offered in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Interdisciplinary minors bring together classes from departments across campus and are open to all to pursue. Areas offered: Music & Cognition, Music and Pop Culture, African American Music, Interdisciplinary Performance, and Arts & Creative Technologies.
• A double major combining music with non-musical academics is possible through our five-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music double degree program.

• Except for the Piano department, there is no honors program in the Conservatory. Double Degree students can apply for departmental honors in the College of Arts & Sciences.
• The Danenberg Honors Recital Series is an auditioned special concert featuring top students from various Conservatory departments and is open to all Conservatory students to audition.

Yes, residential living is required for four years or through graduation unless approved for off-campus housing through application or by exemption.

Conservatory students are paired with another student or students based on information submitted in their application. There is no division between Conservatory and Arts and Sciences students. The Office of Residence Life considers habits and patterns (bedtimes, noise/activities in the room, and room cleanliness), musical taste, academic interests, and other shared personal information. They work to put together students who have similar preferences, interests, and habits and honor any mutually requested roommates regardless of preferences.

Yes. You'll need to register it with the Campus Safety office and pay the required registration.

Very often! First-year students are paired with a fourth-year student during the first week of classes. All productions have members from various class years. Workshop/dance/acting classes will be contained to each class year, but other courses may have some crossover.

Despite the small size, there are many things to explore in town: over a dozen restaurants, unique and vintage shopping, many places of worship representing a variety of religions, two public parks near campus, a skating rink (just south of town), a zipline and canopy tour center, a public library, a youth arts center, a yoga studio, two massage parlors, a community garden, a movie theater, a golf course, and the Oberlin Heritage Center, in addition to the many college-related attractions (art museum, bowling alley, live music and dance venues, observatory, recreational complex and pool, and more!).

Oberlin is home to the Arboretum (the “Arb”) and a nature reserve, as well as the 13.5 mile Oberlin Bike Path (3.1 miles situated in-town), which connects Oberlin to the immediate nearby towns/cities, and is part of the larger North Coast Inland Trail, spanning over 60 miles connecting much of northern Ohio. The county is home to over 70 miles of hiking trails, several orchards, many major parks, and over 20 other nature reserves and reservations, with several being less than 20 minutes away from town via car. One of the five great lakes, Lake Erie, is just a 20-minute drive north in Lorain.

Students have access to resources through our offices for Counseling and Psychological Services and Health and Wellbeing Services. See Student Health and Wellbeing for more info.

In addition, students have the option to take a medical leave. For more details, see our Office of the Dean of Students Medical Leave Procedures.

• Students have access to our fitness and recreation centers, as well as personal gyms in South and Kahn dormitories. See more information on our athletics facilities.
• The Conservatory also sponsors various wellness initiatives, including the Alexander Technique, performance psychology, body mapping, mindfulness workshops, and yoga.
• In town, there is a wellness center with a chiropractor. A physical therapy clinic is in town, and occupational therapists are nearby.
• Mercy Health — Allen Hospital is a 25-bed full-service community hospital focused on providing top-quality medical care in a personalized, friendly environment.

• Students learn and practice healthy vocal habits through their private lessons and enrolling in the vocal pedagogy course offered through our Pedagogy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement division.
• The Cleveland Clinic’s Head & Neck Institute is one of the country’s most distinguished otolaryngology medical centers. ENT care is also provided in several clinics conveniently located across the Northeast Ohio area.

Oberlin has more than 40,000 alumni worldwide. We have smaller affinity groups for alumni in addition to the general Alumni Association, with events hosted all over the U.S. and in various other countries. Alumni connect with current students to provide support during Winter Term, the summer months, or throughout the year via mentorship, funding, networking, and more through OberLink. You can see what some of our alumni are doing on the Life After Oberlin Conservatory webpage.

• Oberlin has two main dining halls, one that combines a variety of cuisines and standard college fare (also with mobile ordering), and a second that focuses on Southern cuisines and African-American (“soul food”) and African cultural dishes. In addition, there are two smaller dining centers (a kosher restaurant and a popular vegan/allergen-free restaurant. Lastly, there are four other retail dining shops around campus (including the SkyBar) and an on-campus grocery market to buy foods and essentials.
• The town of Oberlin is home to a variety of restaurants including ThiNi Thai, Aladdin’s, Eatery Kim’s, The Feve, and more.

You’ll experience all four seasons in Ohio, from snowy winters to moderately warm summers. The spring and fall are particularly beautiful, with many blooming plants and colorful leaves. Oberlin is only 15 miles south of Lake Erie.

Oberlin has no Greek life, but students can join local non-collegiate chapters. Oberlin does have a thriving housing co-op scene that provides a built-in community, shared living spaces, and social events.

Oberlin offers generous merit scholarships. The Oberlin Commitment Scholarship is a guaranteed $10,000 merit scholarship to all admitted students; most all Conservatory students also qualify for additional merit scholarships, based on various factors related to the audition and application. In addition, Oberlin meets 100% of demonstrated financial need through additional need-based aid. You can find more information about scholarships online here.

We’re committed to creating classes with a diversity of race, gender expression, sexual orientation, body size, and economic background from students worldwide.