Learn about... Kean University

Home > Tour the Colleges! > Texas > Southwestern University

The Acting Program At...

Grounded in theatre history and criticism, dramatic literature, performance studies and theatre's arts and crafts, Southwestern Theatre students receive education and training in the intellectual, artistic, and cultural dimensions of live theatrical performance. The Department offers a rigorous curriculum of study in theatrical design, performance and playwriting, balanced with a solid and comprehensive foundation in theatre history, theory and literature grounded in Southwestern University’s liberal arts tradition.

The Theatre program offers small class sizes that facilitate close interaction and collaboration with faculty. Guest artists have included actors, directors, performance artists, and scenic artists. In addition to the Theatre major, Dance is offered as a minor and is a natural companion to majors in theatre, music, and art. Scholarships, internships (in Texas, across the US, and abroad), and experiential learning opportunities are also available to students in the Department. Each year, the Theatre Department produces four mainstage productions, including musical theatre production. In addition, students produce their own performance projects throughout the academic year in our new Blackbox series. Auditions for major theatrical productions are open to all students.

The Department acknowledges the fact that the professional and academic job markets for theatre artists and scholars are highly competitive. Students need to be able to compete in that marketplace, including admission into the best graduate programs. They also need the skills and insight necessary to create theatre and utilize their theatre training and skills in communities where cultural activities are rare, and in contexts where theatrical and performance skills, methodologies, and perspectives could enhance ways of perceiving the world and of working and solving problems. The Theatre Department is committed to teaching theatre as a vital academic discipline in a liberal arts context, while maintaining a strong production program that gives students practical artistic experience.