You may not expect engineering students to catch the acting bug but the convergence of this science-based discipline and the thespian craft is a long-held University of Toronto tradition. Skule Nite is a boisterous annual event, featuring sketch comedy and musical numbers, where engineering students get to shine in a whole different way.
Last year, four of these talents from U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering decided to form a new troupe: the Engineering Drama Society (EDS). This new entity captivated audiences with their 2025 production of Spring Awakening; and this March, they are returning to Hart House Theatre with Mean Girls, a hugely popular musical based on the 2004 film written by American comic Tina Fey.
Meet EDS’s executive team: Artistic Director Lincoln Macdonald (Year 4 EngSci), Executive Producer Vedant Gupta (Year 4 EngSci), Educational Director Isobel Arseneau (Year 4 EngSci) and Marketing Director Victoria Zhou (Year 4 EngSci).
The quartet launched EDS primarily for the engineering community. “We felt that this community has a strong work ethic, a drive and a mentality that the success of one person is the success of all,” say Arseneau.
“We think that’s a very special ideology.”
She says EDS members also noticed that the demographic of engineering students is changing. “There’s a lot more diversity of students coming in — people with a big artistic background who are looking to grow their creative skills at a more professional level.”
The most formidable challenge in creating this new group, says Vedant, was funding — not only for the Spring Awakening production, but also for sustaining the Society. “The vision is bigger than one season. It’s about creating a space for engineers going forward,” he says.
The four were keenly aware they were building on the foundation of Skule Nite but also creating something quite novel.
“Writing grant applications that set EDS apart from what already exists within engineering was a challenge,” says Gupta.
“The onus was on us to explain how we’re different, how we’re looking to tap into different communities to make these shows come together.”
A second hurdle was what he calls “cementing the vision.” They asked themselves what they wanted the future to look like. Propping up engineering talent on stage was key for every position, including directors, assistant directors and creative team members.
Legacy was central too. They have already begun thinking of who will oversee the Society after they graduate.
Spring Awakening proved to be a real learning experience, with Zhou and Gupta ultimately co-directing the production, even though she had intended to remain in choreography and he was originally slated to produce.
Zhou says it was rewarding in the end. “Being able to put it all together and see that people enjoyed it was hugely gratifying. It was nice to see how much the engineering community actually cared.”
With a sense of pride and accomplishment, she recalls how awestruck the cast members were when they first saw the stage decorations.
Success was unmistakable: Spring Awakening sold 1,500 tickets. “That’s crazy, right?” says Zhou.
Reflecting on this great learning exercise, she emphasizes the importance of the people they met and the lasting connections they forged.
Today, each of them is still active in other productions at the same time as pulling together Mean Girls. “We utilize those connections to push ourselves into creative spaces,” says Zhou.
EDS members say the biggest learning lessons were around theatrical production and understanding how it all works, as well as seeing how great the community at U of T truly is. Zhou notes that engineering students often show up for non-engineering events in large numbers.
Arsenau appreciated how everyone came together, understood the vision and worked exceptionally hard.
“Everybody was pushing for the best they can possibly do, never settling on anything less,” she says.
“That was very special to see. The fact that community was there was one of the biggest lessons. We hope to achieve this with all future productions.”
For the March production, student engagement remains top of mind. With Mean Girls, Arsenau notes that they’re encountering students who have theatre backgrounds but, sadly, stopped this interest after high school. She emphasizes that these kind of groups on campus make students feel they can continue their creative expression.
“An arts-based or theater-based community is something so specific, very emotional,” she says.
“It gives students a place to find a sense of identity. They could have had the worst mid-term exam of their life … and still show up to rehearsal and feel like they did something excellent.”
Macdonald believes all of this would not have been possible without Hart House Theatre. The group was impressed with the Theatre’s stellar reputation, historical significance and vast outreach.
“Being on campus means being connected to so many students,” he says. “You’re going to reach a lot of people.”
He recalls first pitching the idea of Spring Awakening to Doug Floyd, director of theatre and performing arts, who was tremendously supportive from the very start, as was Gillian Lewis, education and production coordinator.
“Theatre staff were amazing at helping us through any technical problems and making us feel comfortable in pitching some crazy ideas,” he says. “They helped us to rein in the ideas and make them a reality.”
Further still, Macdonald believes that Hart House Theatre legitimizes productions like those of EDS “because it forces individuals to push themselves to another level of professionalism and quality.”
