I completed the program in 2014 and cannot say enough good things about SOU.
The program is focused on Directorial Analysis, concept development and all disciplines of design for production. I have a decent background in technical theater but I still found an incredible amount of value with this program. It supplemented what I already knew and still taught me so much more.
I echo what has already been said about the quality of professors and the environment of Ashland. OSF was something I had been wanting to visit since I was in high school and one of the draws of the SOU program. The three years there did not disappoint (though a couple of the productions may have...)
The biggest benefit were the other students/teachers. Being in a non-competitive, creative environment with high school theater teachers from all over North America was such a wonderful experience. Rarely do we have that opportunity to spend time with our colleagues outside of a 2-day conference or a festival where we are minding our students. Each of my classmates and cohort-mates brought their own backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and they made for an incredibly supportive environment. While I may not still speak to everyone that I was at school with, I definitely have a great network of theater teachers all over the country that I will still, on occasion, bounce ideas off of.
There have been some adjustments to the program in the two years since I completed, but from speaking to some current students who I am still in contact with, they are all for the better. I learned so much at SOU and use so much of my experience there not only in my classroom but in how I approach working on productions. The SOU program has made me a far better teacher and theater educator.
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Seth Cohen
Redondo Beach CA
Original Message:
Sent: 05-20-2016 09:37
From: Christopher Sheldon
Subject: Southern Oregon Summer Program
I finished this program in 2010 and loved it. It made me a much better teacher. As the thread has pointed out, it is more focused on the technical theater side since it is a Masters in Production and Design. It is a LOT of work, but I found it to be very much worth it.
As one of the previous writers pointed out, the very best part is the cohort that you get to spend 3 years with. The professors are also excellent.
The one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that SOU is in Ashland, OR which is where the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is. Their productions are fabulous and serve as examples for discussion in the SOU classes. The program pays for 4 shows each summer and if you plan your time well, you can see everything the festival is doing while you are there. That is usually 8-9 shows of very high quality.
I highly recommend the program. (Although one caveat that I would have from the original question is that I'm not sure it really is meant to prep you for college teaching. I bet an MFA is a better bet there but you would need to ask around.)
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Christopher Sheldon
Performing Arts Teacher
Bancroft School
Worcester MA