The Tour DePaul


The Theatre School at DePaul University is the Midwest region's oldest theater conservatory and is ranked as one of the top professional theatrical training programs in the United States. So, when the students and chaperones arrived on campus, they knew they’d be in for a treat. But, they had no idea just how much they’d see and learn in a few short hours.


The tour kicked off with a Q&A featuring a panel of DePaul Theatre School students. ISBVI students were quick to engage and asked questions that showed how genuinely interested they really were.


"What does a show day look like?” - Jazmine "How do you keep the audience engaged?"- Kennedy "What got you all into theater?" - Chase


"What's the best way for you to get into a character?" - Trent


“What are the strengths and weaknesses of theater?” - Dylan


Parker, one of the DePaul students on the panel, shared that collaboration was his favorite part of theater, and possibly its greatest strength, while adding that the resources to bring everyone’s vision to life is always one of the biggest challenges. Another student panelist, Joslyn, expressed that witnessing a live story with other people was one of theater’s greatest strengths, while accessibility for all to join in that experience is still a big weakness.


Immediately following the Q&A, students embarked on a truly comprehensive tour of The Theatre School including stops in the costume, wig, and set workshops. There was so much for the students to see, touch, and ask questions about. “I really liked how we got to get an inside look of the inner works of it,” said Jeremiah. “How they made the stuff for the stage. How they made the costumes. I really liked seeing how it worked.”


Cory got a lot of answers to the questions she asked herself while watching The Lion King. “I think that was just awesome because you never really think about that when you’re watching the play itself. But then, when you go behind the scenes and look at all that, it’s like, ‘Wow! There’s really so much hard work that goes into everything that they do.’” She added, “I was just blown away by the workshop. It was like, ‘Wow. Maybe someday, if whatever I have going on doesn’t work out, I could go into the workshop and draw that sort of stuff, and that would be great. The way they use anything and everything to make something is brilliant.”


Photo Description: A cascading array of fabric remnants change in color from shades of red and orange, to yellow, to green and blue from the top of the image to the bottom.


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