On Sept. 6 at 8:30 p.m., students congregated in the Hearst Hall lobby for Alpha Psi Omega’s Inaugural Shakespeare Ball. The event was announced on the chapter’s Instagram, promising “a fun evening of music, activities, and the Bard.”
Photo by: Rachel Spooner ('26)
“What better way to kick off the year than a party?” said Emma Jean Scott, the President of Oglethorpe’s APO chapter. Scott heavily praised the members of the APO executive board for the planning of the theater fraternity’s first event of the semester, namely, event co-chairs James Patrick and Madelyn Wright.
Given the theme of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and with the encouragement of the APO brothers, revelers arrived in a variety of whimsical attire: fairy wings, sparkling gowns, colored suits, bright makeup, silicone elf ears, and flower crowns. “Everyone loves a reason to get dressed up, look pretty, and take pictures,” Patrick said.
Hearst Hall was transformed into a veritable enchanted forest for the event with garlands of lights and plastic flowers draped over the entryway, glowing balloons littering the floor, and electric candles lighting the room.
Neveah Riddle, the chapter’s Public Relations chair, said that activities for the night entailed “Shakespeare trivia, a costume contest, and a scavenger hunt,” with prizes for the winners of each event. Dancing and finger food complemented the games, accompanied by the Bridgerton and Saltburn soundtracks, as well as hits by Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
“We wanted to showcase a core part of the theater program at Oglethorpe: the work of William Shakespeare,” Scott said. When faced with the challenge of planning an event that would draw in students of all different majors and interests, as well as represent the theater fraternity’s mission, the APO brothers found Shakespeare a common thread. Apart from the gothic architecture that evokes the Bard’s aesthetic, Oglethorpe incorporates the works of Shakespeare into many courses on campus, and the audition process for theater scholarships distributed by the university heavily involves Shakespeare's performances. “The Bard has always been a core piece of OU Theatre’s tradition,” said Scott.
“We knew planning this event was going to be a challenge, given our tight budget and the pressure of it being the first event of the year,” said Wright. But with around 100 attendees of theater and non-theatre students alike, and with promises from the board that this would become an annual kick-off celebration, the brothers declared the event a success. Possible future themes for the Shakespeare Ball include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and King Lear.
Photos by: Rachel Spooner ('26)
Scott, Patrick, and Wright all agreed that the main goal of the event was to give every student, regardless of their involvement in theater, a space to gather and socialize, as well as spread awareness about APO, especially for incoming freshmen. “As a freshman, I didn’t even learn about APO’s existence until halfway through the year,” Scott said. “Coming into my term as APO’s President, one of my major goals was to have bigger and more recognizable events. A huge piece of this is having a distinct and annual kick-off event that sets the tone for the year.”
And set the tone, it did. Fall 2024 at Oglethorpe University is shaping up to be a period of heightened activity across campus. The Shakespeare Ball took place the same day as Freshman Convocation, the day after the first “Petey’s Madness” Oglethorpe athletics pep rally held by 6th Man, and two weeks before Dr. Kathryn McClymond’s inauguration as Oglethorpe’s 18th president.
Later this year, the brothers will host a Haunted House, which is a popular APO Oglethorpe tradition, as well as several other smaller events, like the APO Field Day, which occurred Sept. 13. Scott corrected a common misconception about the exclusivity of APO events, asserting that everyone is invited to attend and participate in the joy of theater. Scott said, “The brothers of APO aim to uplift our theater community, and that means sharing it with anyone who wants a piece.”
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