Meet F&C Scholar Annette Oliphant

Annette Oliphant, MSU speech and theatre education major, is the theater scholar at First and Calvary.  

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As the theater scholar, Annette partners with Jamie to direct the church’s yearly youth productions. Outside of directing, she helps with children’s ministry, including the children’s choir and other events. 

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Choosing a difficult major, Annette says, “It’s kind of like you’re double majoring, and then minoring.” Though this program is not easy, Annette’s passion for theater made it a clear choice.  

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Her love of theater started with acting in fourth grade. She remained involved through elementary and middle school, then began working with kids while in high school. Annette says, “I decided to go into teaching because I love working with students and getting to pass that passion on.” 

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Annette’s goal is to teach theater at a college level after earning her master’s and doctorate degrees, but she plans to teach at the middle and high school levels until then.  

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This is Annette’s second year as the theater scholar. She has played a vital part in restarting the church’s theater program, and counts that as one of her major accomplishments, saying, “Restarting First and Calvary’s theater program with Jamie was really special.” 

Annette likes how First and Calvary incorporate arts into faith, and she, similarly, brings faith into her art. Last year in the church, Annette directed “Agape League,” a show about the Fruits of the Spirit. This year, she is directing “Star Factor,” which focuses on spiritual gifts. For both shows, she has found ways to lead discussions with the kids about not only choreography and theater, but also the correlation of the subject matter with their faith.  

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In her role as the theater scholar, Annette is leaving kids with a lasting impression about the art of theater, but also teaching them how the arts can help them dig deeper into their faith. She says, “At First and Calvary, it’s been really cool to watch the kids not only have a passion for theater, but also grow in their spirituality.”