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University of Minnesota arts students are proving Shakespeare's adage, "All the world's a stage" by performing Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat this summer.
Based at Harriet Island in Saint Paul, the Minnesota Centennial Showboat is a 220-seat, Victorian-style theatre on a traditional Mississippi riverboat. Since it began entertaining audiences in 1958, the Minnesota Centennial Showboat has given U of M students the opportunity to showcase their artistic skills while earning a competitive wage and gaining valuable working experience.
Sarah Wigley, a vocal performance major in the class of 2006, explains of the unique venue, "The magic of the Showboat comes from the moments when you step outside and realize that you are actually on the Mississippi- when the skyline of downtown St. Paul glistens off the water and when the sights and smells of the river surround you." The Minnesota Centennial Showboat has given Sarah and the other student actors, designers, and directors a solid foundation for a performing arts career.
The Minnesota Centennial Showboat is just one of the many opportunities for U of M students who are interested in the performing arts.
- The U of M's Mainstage Theatre features diverse productions, ranging from the classics to contemporary works.
- The Xperimental theatre is run entirely by U of M students, giving significant opportunities for leadership in all areas of the productions.
- Crisis Point is a dynamic, student-run theatre which stresses one-on-one interaction with the audience through daring productions.
- The Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program combines the best of a liberal arts education with the experience of working in the acclaimed Guthrie Theatre.
- With more than 200 theatre companies in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, internships and theatre workshops are great ways to get involved in the performing arts.
In supporting a solid arts education, most performing arts students choose a variety of roles and productions. Brooke Jackson (stage director), a recent theatre arts graduate, says, "The opportunities that I have had in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance are diverse." In addition to acting on the Mainstage theatre, Brook worked as a graphic designer in the marketing office, stage manager for three productions, and the director of the play "Portrait of Dora" by Helene Cixous.
The theatre opportunities that the U of M offers its students provide the foundation for a professional theatre career. Whether directing in the Xperimental theatre like Brooke or singing musical numbers on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat like Sarah, the performing arts are a year-round U of M tradition.
Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest are $15 - $20. Performances are 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays June 17 through August 27. For tickets call the Padelford Boat Company at 651-227-1100 or visit http://www.showboattheater.com.
For more information about the Department of Theatre and Dance and other U of M productions, please visit http://theatre.umn.edu/index.php. For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit http://www2.cla.umn.edu/. For information about other arts programs, please visit http://artsquarter.umn.edu/.
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