A student play including multiple actors on stage

Theatre

The theatre major at Centre is a dynamic, process-driven community dedicated to the development of well-rounded theatre artists, practitioners, and scholars.

Overview

All the world’s a stage, and at Centre, you will have the opportunity to learn all the elements of theatre, from playwriting and directing to acting, set design, lighting, and costume design. You will learn crucial technical skills while nurturing your artistic expression under the guidance of a community of artists and scholars dedicated to using theatre to unlock a world of potential. Communication skills, team-building, adaptive technology, and expertise in digital media are vital in today’s workforce and core elements of the Theatre Program. So whether you want to be an actor or a banker, a playwright or a lawyer, a designer or a manager, theatre at Centre will help you prepare.

Our program has a vibrant exchange-partnership with Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in London where you can have an opportunity to engage in a semester of in-depth conservatory-style study as a part of your liberal arts and sciences education. In addition, many theatre students participate in Centre’s New York City study-away program where, in addition to classes, they have the opportunity to work in an internship in the professional theatre in NYC.

Your Major Took You Where?

Theatre majors have gone on to a variety of graduate programs and careers.

Employers and Professions

Cirque du Soleil
Manhattan Theatre Club
The Walt Disney Company
Blue Man Group
Virginia Repertory Theatre

Postgraduate Study

Yale School of Drama
Portland Actors Conservatory
École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq
Brown University / Trinity Rep.
University of Michigan
UT Knoxville

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Curriculum

The Theatre Program is designed for students who want to pursue a career in the performing arts as well as anyone adding a second major, a minor, or crucial skills to your toolbox. Courses and productions offer deep hands-on experience with acting, design, and technology, along with nuanced explorations of history, literature, and theory.

Major Requirements

Minor Requirements

Experiential Learning

Students engage in hands-on learning experiences and reflection to develop skills and increase knowledge retention.

Theatre majors at Centre will hone their skills during a production season planned to ensure everyone has the opportunity to work in a wide range of theatrical genres, from contemporary to classical. Through a partnership with The Farm Theater’s College Collaboration Project, you'll have the opportunity to work with emerging playwrights, visit New York City and witness first-hand the practices and processes of new play development.

Internships

We're committed to helping students find quality internship experiences in the career area of their choice.

Theatre majors at Centre have taken advantage of a broad array of internship opportunities across the country and abroad, including The Hangar Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, The Santa Fe Opera, Theatre West Virginia, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, Bedlam Theatre, and the Lexington Children’s Theatre.

Careers

Our extraordinary liberal arts and sciences education prepares students for meaningful lives and careers.

Graduates with a theatre degree have found success in careers on the stage, behind the scenes and in a variety of creative fields, including television creator and show runner, performers in Cirque de Soleil, the international tours of The Jersey Boys, the Berlin premiere of War Horse, and in the Cirque adaptation of James Cameron’s Avatar, while still others have taken their many theatre skills to the lab, the courtroom, the operating room, or beyond!