Students have the opportunity to study abroad

LeAndra Tucker

TNE Writer

The NSU College of Liberal Arts and Department of Language and Literature are sponsoring the

eighth annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival trip during this year’s fall intersession, where

students can travel to Ashland, Oregon to experience live plays while earning college credit.

Though the trip started as a one-time event, Dr. John Mercer, professor of English at the BA

campus, said students enjoyed it so much it became an annual event. Although it may have

started as a learning tool and then became an intercession course, nonstudents and appreciators

of live theater are welcomed to sign up for the trip as well.

“The trip is primarily for the benefit of current students who want to earn credit in English,

Humanities or Theater,” said Mercer. “They can enroll for a three hour course called “Study

Away: Shakespeare.” Tuition for the course is in addition to the cost of the trip.”

As a part of this seven-day trip, students will study seven different plays including works by

Shakespeare as well as modern playwrights. In this year’s lineup, the plays include “Much Ado

about Nothing,” “Antony and Cleopatra,” “Pericles,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Secret Love in Peach

Blossom Land,” “Sweat” and “Head Over Heels.” Students will have discussions with their peers

before and after the plays, tour backstage of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s three theaters,

and will have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session with the Festival

actors. The experience was beneficial to students who got to participate, like Marianne Myers,

Tulsa senior, who went on the trip last year.

“As an English major, I really enjoyed our discussion with OSF’s Director of Literary

Development and Dramaturgy, Lue Morgan Douthit,” said Myers. “We also had two Q&A

sessions with actors and another actor gave us a tour of all three theaters, which I think theater

students would appreciate. We got a behind-the-scenes look at each production.”

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is the focal point of the trip but participants will also get to

admire the landscape of the Rogue Valley and the Cascade Mountains surrounding the theater.

“If you’d like to experience Ashland, Oregon, are interested in Shakespeare, or plays, I fully

recommend looking into this trip. I still wouldn’t be able to tell you my favorite play. It changed

every time I saw a new one,” said Susan Fenrich, Claremore sophomore. “I learned a lot about

theater, met a lot of intelligent, fun people and went to a gorgeous national park. It is a wonderful

unique experience I hope more people take.”

The cost of the trip is $1599 but there is a $200 discount for the first 12 students who pay their

deposit and plan to enroll in "Study Away: Shakespeare" for 2015 Fall Intersession. Also, there

are scholarships available to students who are interested in attending this year’s Oregon

Shakespeare Festival.

For more information about the trip, visit http://nsu-osf.weebly.com.

Published 2/11/15

Photo cutline. Courtesy photo