Varner: Act II

November 10, 2023

7:00 reception begins
7:30 Jeremy Barnett, welcome remarks and introduces Ora
7:35  Ora's remarks
7:40 Angela Robinson
7:45 program ends, begin seating
8:00 performance begins

  • As we gather here in the Studio Theatre lobby and then move on to watch a performance in the Studio Theatre…. I want to thank you for your support and advocacy for arts education and the invaluable role the arts and humanities play in reminding us of the great diversity of human expression….

  • We are proud that Varner has played a central role in the advancement of the arts at Oakland for the past 50 years. 

  • And we appreciate your support for the Varner Act II campaign, a fundraising drive to support and elevate the role of arts education at Oakland University.
     
  • Our work would not be possible without the support of our donors, alumni, community members, faculty and staff.

  • And our success wouldn’t be possible without the outstanding leadership of Provost Britt Rios-Ellis, Mike Westfall, our vice president of Advancement, Elaine Carey, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Elisabeth Hoegberg, the new Director of the School of Music Theatre and Dance.

  • Your support for the Varner Act II campaign and the Student Opportunity Fund benefits undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Music Theatre and Dance.

  • Each dollar will support students in their journey to explore the arts, themselves and the world. 

  • When you support the performing arts at Oakland, you support core academic goals. 

  • Our students participate in academic programs that enable them to have a voice on and off the stage. 

  • As Leonard Bernstein said: “It is the artists of the world, the thinkers and the feelers who will ultimately save us; who can articulate, educate, insist, sing and shout the big dreams.”

  • In a way, your support is all about making dreams come true…. 

  • …providing opportunities to students who have a deep passion to express themselves….

  • Your support is similar to providing a student of science with a microscope and the tools to see into another world…. 

  • Giving to the Student Opportunity Fund provides the opportunity that allows students of the arts and humanities to see into another world…. and realize their future.

  • The talented students who you will watch tonight have aspirations to perform on Broadway, to become educators of the arts, and in so many ways, represent what we aspire to be as a university….

  • ….as we set our sights on excellence,

  • …to make a positive difference in the world,

  • …and to give back to our communities.

  • Thank you for being here tonight and doing whatever you can to help our students achieve their dreams through education, scholarships and enrichment opportunities.
     
  • Thank you….and enjoy the performance.