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Thomas Oldham

Biography

Thomas Oldham, 23, grew up in a small town in Nebraska but is going to graduate school in the heart of New York City, at Columbia University, to study theatrical traditions. While majoring in English and history at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, he received only a single "B" and compiled a 3.96 GPA. He was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa, graduated with highest distinction, and was inducted into the school's highly selective "Innocents" honor society. Meanwhile, he acted in the college's theater program, directed a work by his favorite playwright (Tom Stoppard), and mentored freshmen. He will pursue a master of fine arts degree.

Thomas Oldham has painted his toenails black for an experimental play, been a part of an improvisational comedy troupe named "The Huge Embarrassing Failures," directed Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing, and written an undergraduate thesis about title pages in early British novels that followed years of research work widely praised by his faculty. These experiences may seem anomalous for a student majoring in English and history, but they only reflect Mr. Oldham's true long-term ambition, to become a professional dramaturge, or playwright. With "a passion rarely seen" for such work, as one of his professors has commented, Thomas has used his eclectic activities in the arts to prepare himself for this career, even as he earned a nearly perfect academic record.

Thomas graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's honors program with highest distinction, earned a place every semester on the dean's list, and earned election into Phi Beta Kappa. He was also selected from among 5,000 members of his university's senior class for membership in the Society of Innocents, the chancellor's senior honorary society. Only 13 senior students a year are named "Innocents."

As Thomas heads to Columbia University to pursue his MFA and advance his career ambitions, he does so knowing that "nobody I know has the career goal of becoming a dramaturge." He also goes, though, with the same attitude that kept him involved in theatre throughout college even as he established his stellar record in English and history - with a love of theatre and the conviction that "the only thing that mattered was how much I learned."

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