BWW Student Center's School in the Spotlight: Portland State University

Last year, BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theater website on the Internet, launched a comprehensive Student Database listing college and university performing arts programs across the country. This free service makes it easier for prospective students by showcasing programs searchable by schools, location, degrees and concentrations.

With the new school year in full gear, BWW has updated the fully-interactive Student Show Calendar with 2011-2012 student productions. We have also made it easy for schools to upload photos, videos, cast lists, articles and other media content for each of their shows. In addition, BWW will be combing through all content regularly and will launch weekly feature stories highlighting productions locally and nationally that have provided us with this extra content. 

Today, BroadwayWorld visits Portland, Oregon, where Portland State University picks up this week's Spotlight mention! The School of Fine & Performing Arts' Department of Theater Arts at Portland State provides students with pre-professional training with a focus on attaining a balance between theory and practice. Through academic study, field studies, and production work, students gain a solid preparation and base of knowledge to pursue professional careers in performance, production or education.

The university offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in the Theater Arts with tracks available in Performance (acting, directing or dance), Design and Production (scenic, costume, lighting and film production), Dramatic Writing, and Theater/Dance and Film Studies. Required courses within the majors programs consist of acting, technical theater, directing, script analysis, production, and history. Minors in Theater and Dance are also available. For more information on undergraduate degrees, click here.

Portland State also offers a graduate program of study culminating in a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree in Theater Arts. For information and admission requirements, click here.

Past productions at Portland State range from classical works to modern musicals and include 'Hamlet', 'Sight Unseen', 'Urinetown', and 'The House of Blue Leaves'. Next on stage is the student-directed project 'Stop Kiss' by Diana Son, playing from March 15-17, followed by 'Fen', authored by Caryl Churchill, running from May 25 thru June 2 in the Lincoln Performance Hall. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.pdx.edu/theater/performance-season-2011-2012

For more information on Portland State University, click here. 

Congratulations to the students and faculty at Portland State University on your continued dedication and success! 

Questions/concerns/suggestions related to BWW's student center can be addressed to studentcenter@broadwayworld.com.

Photo of a production of 'Hedda Gabbler' directed by Glenn Gauer. Courtesy of Portland State University.