From the classroom to the stage: Why 'All Shook Up' is a unique professional opportunity for OU theatre students

When Oakland University students step onto the Meadow Brook Theatre stage for "All Shook Up," they are stepping into a fully professional theatre environment, while working alongside industry professionals and getting a real taste of what life after graduation can look like.

This collaboration between Meadow Brook Theatre and Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance offers students something that is rare in undergraduate training: the chance to be part of a professional production at one of the most respected theatres in Michigan. Several OU musical theatre students will be featured, including current students Zander Brown and Mirabella Ziegler. Joining them onstage is Emily Ann Stys, an OU theatre alumna, whose participation demonstrates the long-term impact of this partnership and the professional pathways it continues to create.

For Whitney Locher, theatre design and technology program coordinator and associate professor of theatre, the value of this experience goes far beyond the performance itself.

“This production becomes more than just a show,” Locher explained. “It becomes a platform for professional development.”

Because Meadow Brook Theatre is Michigan’s largest professional theatre, the visibility alone is powerful. Students are seen not only by patrons, but by theatre professionals and critics. According to Locher, that exposure helps students build confidence in their talent, as well as reiterate the value of their training. 

“Performing on a stage like this validates their work in a really meaningful way,” she said. “It shows them that what they’ve been training for truly belongs in the professional world.”

The impact is felt across disciplines. While performers are challenged to project, connect and command a large proscenium stage, design and technology students are learning how to scale their work to meet professional production standards.

“A larger venue demands different skills,” Locher noted. “From vocal projection and stage presence to design and technical planning, students have to think bigger and adapt in ways they simply don’t encounter in smaller spaces.”

Danny Gurwin, assistant professor and head of the BFA musical theatre program, sees this collaboration as a direct extension of the theatre program’s mission.

“This is exactly why our students are pursuing BFAs,” Gurwin said. “They want to understand what the industry actually looks like, and there is no better way to learn than by doing it.”

Working alongside professional actors and even one of their own professors, students are expected to meet real-world demands from day one. Rehearsals move quickly, standards are high and feedback is immediate.

“Shows and production work are the practical application of everything students are learning in class,” Gurwin explained. “We can see in real time how they’re doing and help guide them toward what will make them successful in the field.”

Beyond the training itself, the relationships formed during "All Shook Up" are just as important. Students are building connections that can follow them long after the final curtain call.

“The networking aspect is huge,” Gurwin said. “The people they meet and work with during this process can absolutely carry over into their professional careers.”

For Oakland University, collaborations like this one reinforce its ongoing partnership with Meadow Brook Theatre, creating a clear pathway between academic training and professional opportunity. Seeing current students like Brown and Ziegler perform alongside alumna Stys exemplifies how that pathway continues to function, benefiting both emerging artists and graduates already working in the field.

At its core, "All Shook Up" represents what theatre education can be at its best: hands-on, collaborative and rooted in real experience through a partnership unique to Oakland University’s theatre department.

“This kind of partnership bridges the gap between the classroom and the professional world,” Locher said. “It shows students what’s possible and helps prepare them for what comes next.”

As rehearsals get underway and the production takes shape, students are seeing firsthand the value of their training at Oakland University and the professional futures it helps create.

"All Shook Up" runs January 7 through February 1 at Meadow Brook Theatre. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets visit mbtheatre.com/all-shook-up.