Costumes! Scenic Design! Acting! Which role will you star in?
If you would like to make a career out of your interest in theater, or if you simply enjoy performing for fun, Indian Hills offers a variety of opportunities to participate in the dramatic arts, regardless of your level of experience.
Performing and Visual Arts Calendar
Tickets For Upcoming Performances
Performers, Technicians, and Directors
Each year students may audition for two to three full productions. In addition to these opportunities, students in the theatre courses have the option to participate in a full-length productions. Students may also choose to direct a one-act play, under the guidance of faculty. They may also gain hands-on experience in the technical aspects of theater, including makeup, set/scenic design and construction, costume design and construction, makeup and special effects design, and lighting and sound design and operation.
Theatre production seasons include contemporary/modern theatre, Shakespeare and period plays, and Tony Award winning Broadway musicals:
2024-2025 A Christmas Carol & Footloose
2023-2024 They Promised Her The Moon & Greater Tuna
2022-2023 Jane Erye, Almost Maine & The Robber Bridegoom
2021-2022 The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon & Pippin
2020-2021 Auntie Mame & The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Revised)
2019-2020 Coney Island Christmas & Auntie Mame
2018-2019 Clue on Stage & Mamma Mia
2017-2018 Peter and the Starcatcher & The Taming of the Shrew
2016-2017 The Man Who Came To Dinner & Legally Blonde The Musical
2015-2015 She Kills Monsters & A Midsummer Night's Dream
Drama Excursions
Two to three times a year a groups of students travel to Chicago, Memphis, or Kansas City for Art, Drama and Cultural Excursions with Fine Arts faculty. While in Chicago, students view a professional theatrical production and visit the Chicago Institute of Art. The Kansas City tour features museums, as well as musical and theater performances. The Memphis tour features civil rights and the history of Rock-n-Roll in performance.
Drama Club
Indian Hills Community College's Drama Club is an active student organization offering social gatherings and community service. The club has sponsored trips to various productions and entertainment venues, participated in food drives, engaged in fund-raising activities, and hosted contests and entertainment. The Drama Club meets twice a month during the regular school year.
Facilities
St. John Auditorium, on the Ottumwa Campus, is one of the finest performance facilities in southeast Iowa. Extensive renovations have been made that include state of the art light and sound equipment, wardrobe and property facilities, and a scene shop. In addition, the Marge Dodd Stage is an outdoor amphitheater, behind the Hellyer Student Life Center on the Ottumwa Campus, that provides the opportunity for outdoor performances.
Faculty Contacts
Dr. Jennifer Boyenga, Department Chair, Arts & Sciences
Indian Hills Community College
Phone: (641) 683-5111, ext. 1812 or (800) 726-2585, ext. 1812
Email: [email protected]
In addition to directing theatre productions and serving as a Drama Club sponsor,
Jennifer is a full-time professor, teaching courses in Communication, English, Women's
Studies, and a variety of cultural excursions. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Public
Relations from the University of Northern Iowa, as well as an M.A. in Communication
and Theater Arts. Her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is from Iowa
State University.
Dr. Ray Slavens, Professor, English/Drama
Indian Hills Community College
Phone: (641) 683-5111, ext. 1843 or (800) 726-2585, ext. 1843
Email: [email protected]
In addition to being a theatre director and Drama Club sponsor, Ray is a full-time
professor who teaches courses in English and Theatre. His B.A. is from the University
of Missouri at Columbia, and he also has an M.A. in English from the University of
Missouri at Columbia and a Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University.
Read more about earning your Associate of Arts in the Theatre Focus Area
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