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The Acting Program At...

Theatre and dance mirror the nature of life in all its rich variety. To work effectively within the theatre arts requires a broad knowledge upon which to draw. To that end, the Department of Theatre believes in giving students a full range of instruction and experience in the theatre arts—practice, history, and theory—along with the full benefits of a liberal arts education.

Students profit from the real-world experiences of more than thirty department faculty members as they develop their own innovative practice and scholarly pursuits upon our stages and in our classrooms. The faculty’s expertise encompasses acting, dancing, voice, directing, choreography, stage management, playwriting, storytelling, music theatre, children’s theatre, devised theatre, theatre history and criticism, and costume, set, and light design.

The department's award-winning alumni and faculty make up the extensive fabric of the vibrant, groundbreaking theatre and dance communities in cities across the country. Our proximity to Chicago gives students the opportunity to witness and discuss current productions with the minds that are shaping theatre arts practices today.

Our belief is that the best theatre artists—designers, actors, dancers and directors—combine highly developed performance capabilities with a broad knowledge of the theatre literature and theory. You’ll have the opportunity to study and practice acting, voice, movement, dance, directing, design, stage production, playwriting and dramaturgy, along with theatre history, literature and criticism. You’ll develop the ability to analyze situations and complex social issues from a variety of perspectives, while developing skills in research, writing, group discussion, oral presentation, performance and production.

Whether your focus is acting, directing, production or design, you’ll have ample opportunity to practice your craft. As many as forty productions are staged each year in the multi-stage Theatre and Interpretation Center, with an equal number of student productions across campus.

Our faculty have a rich collective of expertise, including history of the theatre, acting and directing, dance, music theatre, creative drama, storytelling, children’s theatre, playwriting, stage management, and costume, set and light design. Many faculty members also work as professionals in productions in Chicago and nationally