ODU Theatre is home for creative people seeking to explore the possibilities, excitement, and energy of the performing arts. We are a company of artists who actively seek the future of theatre beyond the safe boundaries of the familiar - with individualized instruction, a rigorous curriculum, a dedicated faculty, and professional internship opportunities.
The Theatre Program at Old Dominion is designed to develop unrecognized talent in our students. We believe that the true potential of any artist or technician only emerges where they enjoy three foundations to creative growth.
- Students must be stretched to their creative limits within a setting of complete trust and support.
- Faculty members must deserve the respect of their students, both as artists and as individuals.
- Both students and faculty members must together push themselves and enjoy themselves.
Our focus on these foundations sets Theatre at ODU apart from many programs nationally. Our Program is made up of a friendly, wildly diverse group of approximately eighty individuals. Rather than stick to the institutionalized formats of larger programs, we instead adapt to the shifting needs of our current students.
Happily, through the unique expertise of our faculty and guest artists, we provide the rigorous training and career connections necessary to compete professionally. We are proud of that accomplishment and our alumni have strong track records on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional stages. More importantly, we provide our students the means to discover their authentic talents within a time-honored art form. Regardless of background or career choice, that discovery lasts a lifetime.
The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza
By Don Zolidis
Directed by Ryan Clemens
Nov. 14-16 and 21-23, 7:30pm
Nov. 24, 2:00 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
Two battling narrators attempt to cover all of Greek mythology using audience participation, crazy costumes, and general theatrical insanity. Famous myths such as Pandora’s Box, Prometheus, Hercules, Daedalus & Icarus, Orpheus & Eurydice jostle for space with the more obscure myths, adding humorous commentary on themes like creation, feminism vs archaic gender roles, fathers and sons, hubris, and love immortal.
Join us for an uproarious romp across ancient Greece!
Corduroy
By Barry Kornhauser, based on the book by Don Freeman
Directed by Katherine Hammond
Feb. 22, 23, Mar. 1, 2 at 2:00 pm
Feb. 22, 26, 26, 28, Mar. 1 at 7:30 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
Oh no, Corduroy’s button has gone missing, and he can’t go home with kindhearted Lisa without it! Join the beloved teddy bear as he takes a rollicking ride up the escalator and begins a delightfully destructive romp through every section of the department store. Will he find his button at the top of a teetering store display? Will Lisa ever get to bring him home, or will the bumbling security guard catch him first? Where, oh where, is Corduroy’s BUTTON?
“An absolute delight. …You will leave Corduroy on stage with more laughs, broader grins, and a warmer heart than you have had in a very long time.” – Talkin' Broadway
Originally commissioned and produced by Children’s Theatre Company.
Produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences.
The Tempest
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Chris Hanna
April 10-12 & 17-19 | 7:30 pm
Apr. 20 | 2 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
In this enchanting tale, Shakespeare’s final masterpiece, a wrongfully exiled duke employs magical powers and a handful of playful island spirits to seek vengeance on the evil conspirators who plotted his fall, all of whom have mysteriously found themselves shipwrecked on his enchanted shore. The Bard’s unrivaled talent for character, romance and comedy shine throughout the play’s fast-moving action, and its heartfelt wisdom remains with us long afterwards. The duke’s haunting words, “We are the stuff that dreams are made on,” gain prophetic power at the play’s conclusion, especially as he continues, “and our little lives are rounded by a sleep.”
The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza
By Don Zolidis
Directed by Ryan Clemens
Nov. 14-16 and 21-23, 7:30pm
Nov. 24, 2:00 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
Two battling narrators attempt to cover all of Greek mythology using audience participation, crazy costumes, and general theatrical insanity. Famous myths such as Pandora’s Box, Prometheus, Hercules, Daedalus & Icarus, Orpheus & Eurydice jostle for space with the more obscure myths, adding humorous commentary on themes like creation, feminism vs archaic gender roles, fathers and sons, hubris, and love immortal.
Join us for an uproarious romp across ancient Greece!
Corduroy
By Barry Kornhauser, based on the book by Don Freeman
Directed by Katherine Hammond
Feb. 22, 23, Mar. 1, 2 at 2:00 pm
Feb. 22, 26, 26, 28, Mar. 1 at 7:30 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
Oh no, Corduroy’s button has gone missing, and he can’t go home with kindhearted Lisa without it! Join the beloved teddy bear as he takes a rollicking ride up the escalator and begins a delightfully destructive romp through every section of the department store. Will he find his button at the top of a teetering store display? Will Lisa ever get to bring him home, or will the bumbling security guard catch him first? Where, oh where, is Corduroy’s BUTTON?
“An absolute delight. …You will leave Corduroy on stage with more laughs, broader grins, and a warmer heart than you have had in a very long time.” – Talkin' Broadway
Originally commissioned and produced by Children’s Theatre Company.
Produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences.
The Tempest
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Chris Hanna
April 10-12 & 17-19 | 7:30 pm
Apr. 20 | 2 pm
Goode Theatre, 4601 Monarch Way
In this enchanting tale, Shakespeare’s final masterpiece, a wrongfully exiled duke employs magical powers and a handful of playful island spirits to seek vengeance on the evil conspirators who plotted his fall, all of whom have mysteriously found themselves shipwrecked on his enchanted shore. The Bard’s unrivaled talent for character, romance and comedy shine throughout the play’s fast-moving action, and its heartfelt wisdom remains with us long afterwards. The duke’s haunting words, “We are the stuff that dreams are made on,” gain prophetic power at the play’s conclusion, especially as he continues, “and our little lives are rounded by a sleep.”