Southern Oregon University (SOU) was honored to welcome back distinguished alumnus Nick Ferrucci on Wednesday, February 25, for an intimate Q&A session with students in the Theatre Department.
Ferrucci, a 2010 BFA graduate of the SOU Theatre program, is currently captivating local audiences as the lead in the Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s production of Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood. A versatile performer whose career has spanned regional repertory houses and cabaret stages—including roles in The Play That Goes Wrong, Cyrano de Bergerac, and various Portland Center Stage productions—Ferrucci returned to campus to share his journey from SOU student to professional actor.
“The SOU theatre program gave me the discipline and foundational training that launched my career.”
Reflecting on his alma mater, Ferrucci credited the department for his professional foundation: “The SOU theatre program gave me the discipline and foundational training that launched my career. The high standard in the BFA acting track — set by both faculty and peers — pushed me to show up fully and grow every day. It prepared me well for graduate school and clarified my commitment to the craft. Being so close to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival also provided invaluable exposure to working professionals and the opportunity to learn from — and occasionally perform alongside — artists at a high level.”
(Photo, Nick Ferrucci in SOU Theatre Productions Eurydice (2010) Swimming in the Shallows (2007) Big Love (2005))
“Enrich and maintain your artistic spirit…”
During his visit, Ferrucci spent time with a large group of Theatre performance students, offering a candid look at the realities of a professional acting career. The discussion spanned the logistics of sustaining life as a “vagabond artist” and how to balance the demands of the craft with personal well-being.”Enrich and maintain your artistic spirit,” Ferrucci advised. “Read plays. Listen to different kinds of music. Go to museums.”
The session served as a vital bridge between academic study and the professional world, with Ferrucci offering actionable wisdom for the students’ future. Student Violet Love shared: ““His honesty was greatly appreciated. He encouraged us to continue asking ourselves why we do theatre and to be honest with ourselves at all times, even if we’re facing a hard truth, because that’s how we will keep growing.”
Assistant Professor Robert Gretta said “It is so wonderful when an alum like Nick can return to talk with students about his career and how the training he received here at SOU shaped him as an actor and a person. The students really resonated with him and his candor, humor and, most importantly, his advice to ‘be kind to everyone’ and ‘the way to get work is to keep doing good work.’”
(Photo, Nick Ferrucci in Oregon Cabaret Theater’s Sherwood & Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet)
(Photo, Nick Ferrucci in SOU Theatre Productions Big Love (2010) Ring Round the Moon (2009))
Theatre at Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is the longest-standing OPU institution to offer the pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, and is designated a Center of Excellence in the Fine and Performing Arts. Through performance, design, and technical training, SOU prepares the next generation of theatre professionals to contribute meaningfully to the arts community.
