OUDS (Oxford University Dramatic Society) exists to facilitate Oxford drama. Whatever thespian inclinations you have, OUDS is there for you in your dramatic endeavours. President Katie Ebner-Land wants to operate OUDS on one basic imperative: “encouraging people to put on interesting and important theatre, as well as theatre that’s raucous and brilliant and fun.”
Under this umbrella fall ‘Plays in the Pub’, an initiative set up by Ebner-Landy which meets at the White Rabbit on Thursdays of even weeks at 8pm. All are invited to take part in the reading of a play and capitalise on a 10% discount on drinks. The idea was born of Ebner-Landy’s realisation last Hilary that she couldn’t remember the last time she saw a play in Oxford written by a woman. “I wanted to use Plays in the Pub to expose the fact that female playwrights exist. Hopefully, this will prompt people to put in bids to perform a Caryl Churchill or a Polly Stenham instead of another Stoppard or Shakespeare.”
Last term, female playwrights, such as Caryl Churchill (of Top Girls fame) and Lisa d’Amour, were featured and this term will see plays from black writers, like Kwame Kewi-Armah and August Wilson.
OUDS also runs workshops which aim to demonstrate that theatre can be more than self-reflective and serve a greater purpose in society. 4th week sees a Responsible Theatre Workshop at Keble: Freedom Theatre is a theatre company that works in the Palestinian Jenin refugee camp and aims to “empower youth and women in the community and to explore the potential of arts as an important catalyst for social change”.
For the techies among us, there is TAFF (Tabs are For Flying) who are responsible for the technical side of theatre and without whom a production would never come into being. Sets, props, costumes all work towards helping an audience suspend their disbelief and are all too often overlooked. Photographers and artists are also needed to the design publicity posters, programmes and set too!
So, there is oodles to get involved with: acting, directing, social issues, stage managing, set-building, photography. If you have an idea, a skill or a simply a pair of hands to lend, let OUDS know and you’ll soon find yourself in the fun and social world of theatre in Oxford. Ebner-Landy hopes to get Brookes more involved in Oxford University drama over the year ahead, and says she’s looking forward to seeing Foxfinder at the Keble O’Reilly in 3rd week. “Oh, and Cuppers of course!”
To find out more about OUDS, click here
