The Edinburgh Project is a unique opportunity offered to qualified Theatre Arts students to create and perform a piece for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. On alternating years, a select number of students are invited to enroll in Theatre Arts 1275: The Edinburgh Project, from which an ensemble theatre piece is developed and then performed in Edinburgh in August. Each section of Theatre Arts 1275 follows a process specific to the students and faculty director, which may include rehearsing a published play, devising a performance based on a topic of interest, or adapting a text for the stage. The project is performed on campus at the end of the spring semester, as well as for one week in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Recent projects include: Athena by Gracie Gardner, a contemporary play about the friendship between two competitive fencers and Curio by Penn alumna Danielle Bainbridge, a new historical play developed in residence during the class. Other projects have included devised work, as well as ensemble-based performances of plays by Charles Busch, William Inge, William Shakespeare, August Strindberg, Sophie Treadwell and Thornton Wilder.
Because travel to and lodging in Scotland are funded by the School of Arts and Sciences, participation in the Edinburgh Project is both a privilege and a responsibility. The ensemble work requires a high level of maturity, responsibility, and discipline, as well as a commitment to the collaborative process. Students selected will demonstrate evidence of these traits in all their coursework and will have a record of reliable contribution to our productions, superior participation and performance in the classroom—in short, a solid history of dedication to an exploration of the theatre-making process and to the Theatre Arts Program.