UMW Theatre is committed to helping students create extraordinary lives for themselves. We believe that through the process of developing theatre professionals we help students discover their future selves and their potential to have an impact on our world. We also are steadfast in our belief that we want all UMW students to recognize the power of theatre to enhance the quality of their lives long after they leave our gorgeous campus.
Creating theatre is costly. Our demand for resources far exceeds that of the income at the box office from ticket sales and the support we receive from the university. We want our students to be active on our stages, in our shops, in our classrooms, and in the world beyond UMW. To that end we support creative projects, internships, workshops, and professional education opportunities for our students that enhance their ability to be competitive in the professional job market. Our ability to offer the opportunities to our students sets UMW Theatre apart from many other theatre programs across the country. The enormous success of our graduates is a testament to our ability to have a life-changing effect on our students.
Your support has a direct impact on the lives of our students, many of whom struggle to make ends meet. We want all of our students to have access to opportunities to find themselves in this work and we are diligent in our efforts to help every student achieve their goals. Your gifts support national industry conference attendance for our students, important auditions and portfolio reviews, guest artists for networking events, materials and supplies for creative projects, royalties for student productions, professional residencies, and scholarships for students who find themselves short of the resources they need to make ends meet.
Last year two of our students were selected (in a highly-competitive process) to attend the Strawhat Professional Auditions in New York City. Your support made that possible. This year five of our students (every single student who applied) made the cut—evidence of the growing reputation of our program and the talent of our students. Your support helped these students meet the expenses involved with these auditions.
Three of our students attended the Southeastern Theatre Conference auditions in Knoxville, Tennessee this month—once again being selected for this national audition from hundreds of students who auditioned at the state level. Your support helped these students represent UMW Theatre on a national stage, while also strengthening their skills as an emerging theatre artist.
Last year two students attended the annual meeting of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (the preeminent gathering of theatre designers and technicians) in Ft. Lauderdale where they attended professional seminars, interviewed with professional theatres, and networked with students and professionals from around the country. This year nine students attended this prestigious event in Louisville, Kentucky—thanks to donors like you who are giving them a much needed boost in their professional careers.
Your gifts make it possible for our students to push beyond their wildest imaginings of what a career in the theatre can be. But your support helps them in other ways, too. For Jennifer, it is the opportunity to see live theatre in Washington, DC, with her class because her family could not afford the ticket due to the recent government shutdown. For Patrick, it was the opportunity to direct an important play in Studio 115 without having to worry about the financial implications of scripts and royalties. For Jess and Grace, it was the chance to spend a month in rehearsal for 12 Angry Men at Ford’s Theatre on an internship arranged by our stage management professor. For Michayla, it is presenting her spoken word choreography at the American Dance Association regional conference for professional critique. For Abe, Olivia, Lydia, Neal, and Diana, it was the opportunity to travel to New York City to attend a prestigious audition in hopes of launching their professional careers.
These are a few of the many ways your gifts help our students. Won’t join us in writing more stories of the ways our students discover their potential because of your help?
You are our partner in this work and we are ever grateful to have you with us on this journey.
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VA | 213 |
| 2 | NY | 21 |
| 3 | MD | 12 |
