OUR MISSION
CUPS aims to create a safe and encouraging environment for students to cultivate their theatrical aspirations. CUPS will produce one mainstage show a semester, as well as many smaller experimental projects in various stages of development, including but not limited to: staged readings, workshopped pieces, and senior projects. Through this work, CUPS intends to challenge existing power structures in theater, both within the Clark community and in the broader practices of theater-making. We envision that this stance will lead to a more open and accessible environment for theater-makers and for our audiences as we continue to learn and grow.
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Read more about who we are and what we do below, or click here to meet CUPS' current Executive Board.
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To read our current Club Charter, please click here.
OUR STORY
The Clark University Players Society, better-known in the Clark and Main South community as CUPS, was first founded around the year 1908 by Clark University students. Not only does this date make CUPS the oldest student club and earliest example of organized student life on Clark's campus, but it also marks history as one of the oldest, if not the oldest, theatre production companies in the Worcester area, predating the Clark Theatre Department's 1965 inauguration, and beaten only by the Hanover Theater's 1904 opening.
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Since our humble beginnings as a social and artistic space for Clark students, we have spent decades cultivating a formidable archive of performances and projects, often collaborating with ClarkArts, and forging meaningful relationships with the Main South community.
TODAY'S CUPS
Over one hundred years later, CUPS is still the premier student-run performing arts group it was praised as in its early days. Each academic year, we produce a variety of plays, ranging from contemporary to student-written to classical drama, collaborate with both outside professionals and Clark alumni to facilitate workshops and directed readings, host an annual 24-Hour Play Festival, and through it all, provide countless opportunities for student involvement and audience satisfaction.
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Click here for more information on our upcoming 2023-2024 season!
