Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts has made adjustments to its fall concert and theatre season to both allow students to continue their performance education and allow viewers to experience their art safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

With reduced seating available to allow for physical distancing, in-person attendance for many events will be limited to Ouachita students, faculty and staff only. However, streaming options will be available for most events for off-campus patrons or those who prefer the virtual option. Some events will be streamed live for free via Ouachita’s typical Livestream channel: www.livestream.com/obu. Others will require paid access, which is purchased at obu.edu/boxoffice. E-tickets are available for single viewers or families (4 or more). In limited cases, the Division of Music will host outdoor events for the campus community.

“The School of Fine Arts is still creating and performing art this semester,” said Dr. Gary Gerber, dean of the School of Fine Arts. “It may look a little different and may not be viewed in person by as many as in the past, but that has not stopped our faculty and students from working on their art during these unprecedented times.”

Live events will follow COVID-19 guidelines from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Ouachita’s Health Monitoring and Action Team (HMAT). Additionally, students and faculty are working diligently to follow all necessary guidelines in order to both rehearse and perform safely.

“The fine arts are still alive at Ouachita, and we want to give our efforts back to the campus community this fall,” Gerber added.

Kinsey Potts, a junior musical theatre major from Wylie, Texas, said she “is very grateful for the opportunity to still be able to participate in fine arts this semester despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.

“Being able to perform during this time has given me an escape from reality that sometimes we all need,” Potts said. “Yes, we are in masks and six feet apart from each other, but we have made it work.”

Paige Price, a senior musical theatre from Plano, Texas, also emphasized the importance of being able to perform during her final year at Ouachita.

“I think it’s important for fine arts students to be able to safely perform during these times,” Price said. “We only get four years in undergrad, and the performing experiences we have here can be so formative in our training.”

The following School of Fine Arts events will be available at www.livestream.com/obu:

• Thursday, Oct. 22 (7:30 p.m.) – Women’s Chorus and Ouachita Singers Concert (*This event will not be live but will be posted at a later date.)
• Tuesday, Oct. 27 (7:30 p.m.) – Wind Ensemble Concert
• Wednesday, Oct. 28 (8 p.m.) – Percussion Concert, featuring guest artist Caitlin Jones
• Monday, Nov. 9 (7:30 p.m.) – Jazz Band Concert
• Tuesday, Nov. 10 (7:30 p.m.) – Chamber Winds Concert
• Monday, Nov. 16 (7:30 p.m.) – Percussion Ensemble
• Wednesday, Nov. 18 (8 p.m.) – Steel Drum Concert
• Friday, Nov. 20 (3 p.m.) – Concerto Competition

The details for viewing the following events will be posted at a later date on www.obu.edu/boxoffice:

• Wednesday – Saturday, Nov. 4-7 (7:30 p.m.) & Sunday, Nov. 8 (2:30 p.m.) – Theatre Production, “Hay Fever”
• Thursday – Friday, Nov. 19-20 (7:30 p.m.) – One Acts

The following Division of Music concerts and events are free, open to the public and will be offered outdoors and physically-distanced:

• Friday, Oct. 23 (6 p.m.) – Choral Concert, center campus outside Mabee Fine Arts Center
• Friday, Oct. 30 (6 p.m.) – Keyboard Concert, center campus outside Mabee Fine Arts Center
• Saturday, Nov. 21 (5 p.m.) – Choral Concert, center campus outside Mabee Fine Arts Center

Art and Design exhibits will remain available for in-person viewing Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

For more information, contact the OBU Box Office at (870) 245-5555 or visit obu.edu/boxoffice.

Lead photo by Hannah Smith. Ouachita senior Emma Lawyer performs on-stage with a mask during Ouachita's production of "Puffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” in September.   

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• Concert/Recital
• Division of Music
• School of Fine Arts
• Theatre Arts