Rate My Professor Eric Phillips

Eric Phillips serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts within the School of Performing Arts at Ouachita Baptist University. He earned a B.A. from Hendrix College in 1989 and an M.F.A. in Drama-Design from the University of Oklahoma in 1992. Phillips has been a member of the Ouachita faculty for 25 years, specializing as a design and technology professor. In this capacity, he has produced over 100 productions at the university, contributing extensively to scenic design, lighting, sound, stage, costume, and prop design. His work supports the department's annual season of four fully produced shows in venues such as the 200-seat Verser Theatre and the 1,500-seat Jones Performing Arts Center.

As Department Chair, Phillips oversees programs offering degrees in Musical Theatre (BFA), Theatre Arts (BA), Theatre Education (BA), and Speech Communication and Theatre Arts Education. He has designed scenery and lighting for numerous productions, including 'Hello, Dolly!' in 2025, 'Freesia' in 2026, 'A Servant of Two Masters' in 2022, and 'Julius Caesar' in 2024. In 2017, he was among faculty and staff honored for combined service totaling 575 years at Ouachita. During a sabbatical prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phillips pursued personal creative projects such as watercoloring, music composition, sketching, and furniture building. He shared these works online to encourage students and organized the virtual 'Couch Cabaret' event, where students and faculty showcased performances, including his rendition of 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles. Phillips emphasizes a collaborative artistic process that integrates intellect, faith, and art, fostering practical experience for undergraduates in performing, directing, technical direction, and design.