Theatre

Objectives

The Theatre Department offers majors in two programs: Theatre and Speech Education.

The Theatre major is designed for the student interested in developing his/her self-expression skills through performance or in pursuing a career or avocation in acting, directing, technical theatre, or theatre management.

The Department of Theatre features a fully approved Speech Education and Communication Media program which prepares candidates to teach grades 6-12 in Illinois public and private schools. This program is approved by the State Teacher Certification Board, in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education, and includes all of the requirements for a major in Speech Education or Communication Media. Majors will declare a minor in Secondary Education. Students should see advisors in the Department of Theatre and School of Education for specific approval and a list of required courses.

Aware that a strong foundation in performance, technical theatre, and front-of-house operations best prepares a student for work in this field, the Department of Theatre offers a challenging curriculum with many venues for students' self-expression. Besides the five production mainstage series, which is supported by a community subscriber base of over 800, students are able to work their craft in the spring's One-Act Play Festival and the fall's Student Fringe Festival. Additionally, students often find employment in their junior and/or senior years with AlphaBet Soup Productions, a professional children's theatre company in residence at the Philip Lynch Theatre.

In addition to the financial aid options available through the University, the Department of Theatre offers a number of renewable Talent Scholarships and St. Genesius Scholarships to deserving students, regardless of their financial situation. Numerous opportunities for student employment are also available (including full-time summer positions) and provide even further practical experience for the student.

 

A degree in Theatre prepares you for the following professions:

• Acting
  • Stage
  • Film
  • Television
  • Comedian
    
    
• Design
  • Scene
  • Lighting
  • Costumes
  • Sound
  • Properties
  • Scene Construction
  • Scene Painting
  • Makeup Artist
    
    
• Production
• Director
• Producer
• Stage Manager
• Casting Director
• Playwright
• Dramaturg
  
  
• Management
  • Arts Administration
  • Arts Management
  • Production Manager
  • Wardrobe Supervisor
  • Critic
    
    
• Education
  • Secondary Education/Theatre Teacher
    
    

How can a degree in theatre help me achieve success in my life?
Theatre in higher education creates not only strong theatre artists, and articulate theatre educators, but also effective public leaders and compassionate visionaries in all professions.

*The major in theatre prepares students to pursue professional goals as artists or educators.

*Theatre in higher education creates opportunities for crossing cultures within the theatrical experience.

*Students acquire skills in interpersonal communication and group problem solving, for theatre is a collaborative art form.

*Theatre in higher education provides students with crucial life skills that they can use in a wide range of professions including business, government, law, the natural and social sciences and industry.

*Theatre training awakens student’ intuitive, perceptive capacities as well as their logical, analytical capacities.

*Each human being who encounters theatre is encouraged to imagine. And through the imagination, we can make significant, constructive changes in our communities.

A degree in Theatre prepares you for life…
“Theatre studies provide students with a range of skills that can be usefully employed across occupations. Engaging with theatre arts shapes people to be articulate communicators, effective listeners, perceptive thinkers, and task-oriented leaders. Performing in theatre or spending an evening as a spectator creates a sense of community that can ripple into wider social spheres. Theatre education prepares citizens to function effectively and joyfully in cultural life.”

-Jill Dolan, President
Association of Theatre
In Higher Education

 

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