Theatre and the Performing Arts on campus!

I thought that I would follow up Xavier's post on music at Fordham with some information on theatre and the performing arts on campus. Fordham has tons of performances going on all the time--from a cappella groups and choirs, to dance teams and musical showcases. There are several very unique and active theatre groups at the Rose Hill campus. I'll try to give a good description of each:

The Mimes and Mummers

The Mimes are the largest theatre group on campus, which puts on both straight plays and musicals. The group hires professional directors and choreographers to work with student performers. Past shows include Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, King Lear, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, and many more.


The cast of Into the Woods, from Spring 2010.

Fordham Experimental Theatre

Fordham Experimental Theatre, FET, is another big theatre group on campus. The difference between FET and the Mimes is that FET shows are entirely student-run: there are student actors, directors, choreographers, and musicians. FET is also, as the name suggests, more experimental. The group takes plays or even films, and adapts them to the stage with a twist. In addition, FET also sponsors a yearly Playwrights Festival, when they perform student-written plays. Recent shows include stage adaptations of The Breakfast Club, Moby Dick, Clue, and Pippin.


The cast of Clue in character, from Spring 2010.

The Theatrical Outreach Program

One club that I have been particularly involved in is the Theatrical Outreach Program (TOP). My friend Ryan and I actually founded this club in our Freshman year. We had both been involved in theatre all throughout high school, and wanted to get involved here at Fordham. In addition to being interested in acting, we also shared an interest in community service work. TOP takes classic or culturally relevant plays, and edits and modernizes them to be performed for kids in neighboring schools in the Bronx. Our group travels to the schools and performs right in the classroom, answering questions about theatre and conducting acting workshops afterwards. Past shows include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Macbeth.


The cast of Macbeth, from Spring 2010.

Improv and Musical Improv

Fordham also has several improv groups, one for straight scenes and another for musicals. At the beginning of each show, the group asks for a setting, a name, and a theme (or in the case of musical improv, a setting, a musical title, and a hit musical number) and then performs a show based on the audience's answers.

Those are just a few examples of performing arts groups here on campus. In addition to the groups listed above, we also have a Sketch Comedy troupe, a Cultural theatre group, and numerous shows hosted by various clubs and organizations.