Students huddle around scripts, paint set pieces, and adjust light cues — all without a single faculty member in sight. This is the world of Green Room Theatre Company, Olivet’s entirely student-led theatre, which gives emerging artists the chance to direct, design, and create firsthand.
Founded as a space for students to take full ownership of theatrical storytelling, Green Room Theatre Company is a branch of ONU Theatre and operates entirely under student leadership. From directing to design to performance, every production is conceived and executed by students. According to the Green Room website, the company “empowers students to find their creative voice and take the lead on a variety of productions throughout the school year.” Their annual lineup includes Broadway Revue, Winter Workshops, a Spring Play, the New Works Festival, and a rotating slate of social gatherings that help shape the department’s community culture.
Fostering Fellowship and Friendship Through Theatre
In her article, Show Them, Teach Them, Let Them: Empowering Undergraduate Voices through Student-Centered Theatre, Abigail G. Norris argues that “student-centered playwriting and production can foster deeper engagement with theatre, reflect contemporary issues, and empower the next generation of theatre-makers.”
That philosophy aligns with what ONU Theatre Director Kelsie Davis expressed during last year’s student-directed spring play, These Shining Lives. In an article from April 2025, written by Macey Wade, Davis said, “Letting [student directors] do that and just saying, ‘You know what, they’re gonna figure it out’ … the goal is not perfection. The goal is going through the process, learning from it, seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t.”
Green Room Council
Green Room Theatre Company is guided by a council of student leaders who are elected each spring to support the organization’s productions and programming. The council helps coordinate events, promote student-led shows, and assist with the day-to-day needs of the department. Together, these students work behind the scenes to ensure Green Room’s season runs smoothly and that fellow students have the resources and support they need to bring their creative ideas to life.
2025-2026 Green Room Council Members:
Artistic Directors: Katie DeVries and Lauren Neel
Managing Director: Livi Bryant
Operations Manager: Ash Cook
Director of Engagement: Remington Schleyhahn
Digital Media Manager: Jacob Schindler
Director of Marketing: Abby Diaz
Technical Director: Grey Roesti
Human Resources Director: Brianna Kanable
Freshman Liaison: Stella Ritchie
Winter Workshops
This year’s Winter Workshops serve as a prime example of Green Room’s mission in action. The 2025 production features three short plays —The Yellow Wallpaper, We Can’t Talk About This, and A Monster Calls — each directed by a team of two student directors. According to the Green Room Instagram, Winter Workshops “serve as a canvas for student directors to explore, experiment, and define their creative voices.”
“Green Room has completely changed my life — in the best way.”
Livi Bryant, Junior Theatre major
For many student leaders, Winter Workshops are a defining part of their college theatre experience. Livi Bryant, a junior who has participated in multiple mainstage and Green Room productions, believes the Workshops are a unique way that students can gain first-hand directing experience. When asked about Winter Workshops, Bryant said, “It’s fun to play around with and break the traditional conventions of theatre.”
As Green Room Theatre Company continues to grow, its influence on ONU Theatre becomes increasingly visible. Productions are richer because students learn through first-hand experience. And in the case of Winter Workshops, new artistic voices emerge each year — voices shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and the belief that storytelling is for everyone.
