PhD Theatre Committee

Hello!

Do you feel like your life could use a little more drama? Then look no further: the Theatre Committee is here to help!

Interested in knowing more about us, either as a participant or as an audience member at one of our shows? Read on to get an idea of the stuff that we do!

Improv

Every Thursday, we practice improvisational theatre. (We play theatre games along the lines of “Whose line is it anyway?” or “De Lama’s”.)

All you need is an interest in making up scenes and figuring out what is happening as you go along, and you’re good to go! It’s all about playing together and enjoying ourselves while we do it, not about being funny or being a brilliant actor. Improv is for everyone, so give it a try!

Games

Some examples of the games that we play…

The vet: a customer takes their pet to the vet so it can receive some worldclass care. Small problem: the customer doesn’t know which animal they brought, or what this animal’s problem is… Fortunately, the vet does know and is on hand to provide clues.

The script is on the floor: before we start, everyone writes down a line (e.g. something they have said today, or a line from their favorite song, or some advice their grandmas gave them) on a piece of paper. The pieces are scattered on the floor, text down, and in the ensuing scene, the players pick up these pieces whenever they want and somehow fit the line into the story.

Slowmotion championships: it’s finally time for the slow-motion championships of pie eating/assembling IKEA furniture/watering your garden/any other mundane activity you can think of! Two players silently act out their dramatic, slow rendition of a competitive version of these activities, while two commentators guide us through all the action.

One-day play

Pretty much what it says in the title, you get together in the morning and spend the day creating a play from scratch. In the evening, you and your fellow actors give a dazzling performance in front of an audience.

Improv show

If you enjoy playing improv on Thursdays, why not perform in front of a larger audience? It is incredibly exciting to create characters and scenes out of thin air, and your friends and family finally understand what you mean when you talk about improv.

Play

In contrast to the one-day play, you have a little more time to rehearse for this one. You and your fellow actors pick a play and work on it for a few months, under the guidance of a professional director. You will see all your hard work pay off once you perform the play in front of an audience!