Cathy O'Dell

Teaching Professor, Acting and Theatre Appreciation

School of Theatre and Dance

(304) 293-6121 caodell@mail.wvu.edu 3053 Canady Creative Arts Center

MFA – West Virginia University
BA – Fairmont State College
SAG/AFTRA

Professor Cathy O’Dell teaches Introduction to the Theater, Acting, and Vocal Technique. She received her teaching certificate in the Michael Chekhov acting technique.

Professor O’Dell trained with Joanna Merlin, Ted Pugh (HB studio), Ragnar Freidank, and Slava Kokorin in the Michael Chekhov. Furthermore, she trained with Slava Kokorin in the Stanislavski acting technique. She received Monologue and Audition training from Joanna Merlin (Broadway, film, and television actor and casting director for Harold Prince) Professor O’Dell has received Vocal training from Kristin Linklater, Andrea Haring (Linklater), and Sarah Kane (Rudolf Steiner).

Professor O’Dell has acted professionally at the American Contemporary Theater Festival and West Virginia Public Theatre. She has also acted and directed at the The Las Vegas Little Theatre, West Virginia Public Theatre, M.T. Pockets Theatre, West Virginia University, and Fairmont State University. She has appeared in national commercials, training films, and industrials. She also works as a voice-over artist and can be heard on numerous commercials, PBS productions, industrials, and websites.

Professor O'Dell portrays Helen Vicks on season four of the HBO/Cinemax series, Banshee. Other television roles include Mrs. Bell in TLC’s Night Visitors, and a featured role in Outsiders. She has also appeared in Academy award nominated Richard Linklater’s film Last Flag Flying. Other films include, Back Fork, Edgar Alan Poe’s Requiem for the Damned, 1863, and The Baggage Claim directed by Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winner Irene Miracle. She was invited by Mr. Linklater to be an acting rehearsal partner for Cate Blanchette and Kristen Wiig for the film Where’d You Go Bernadette.

Professor O’Dell is the author of Introduction to Theatre (Great River Learning). It is an electronic text book for introduction to the theatre courses. The publication is a survey of theatre history and its main components. It includes interactive exercises designed by O’Dell to make the study of theatre interesting for majors and non-majors.