Theatre and Dance

Theatre: Major 
Dance: Minor 

Act, dance, direct, design, or stage manage. With numerous production opportunities throughout the year, students studying theatre can try on many different hats — figuratively and literally. Recognized for its high standards of training and the quality of its productions, the Department of Theatre and Dance at 51СƳ provides a nurturing and supportive environment for students to express themselves and develop their artistic capabilities in a collaborative environment.

As a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the 51СƳ theatre program is highly regarded regionally and nationally. Our teaching and programming has been reviewed and certified as meeting all national standards for formal theatre training.

In the liberal arts tradition, we believe theatre is a vital, dynamic medium qualified to participate in a dialogue about the human condition. 51СƳ theatre explores the spiritual aspects of our collective experience, examining compelling issues and ideas in a provocative and entertaining manner.

Program Highlights

In addition to classes in theatre history and literature, students can choose to pursue the major with either an acting or design emphasis, minor in dance, or they can create a self-designed major through the  in or playwriting. Courses of study include: 

  • acting
  • dance
  • design 
  • directing 
  • film
  • history and literature
two students sitting in a theatre production on stage

Each semester students collaborate with faculty and professional staff on major productions.

stage during a theatre production

View photos of past theatre department productions.

Theatre and Dance News

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How the Arts Prepare 51СƳ Alumni for Success in Every Field
What happens when we bridge the gap between the real world and our imagination? “Balance,” says chief executive James “Jim” Keyes ’77, “and the ability to move forward in wonderfully creative ways.” When technical know-how is coupled with art, the …
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Theatre Class Explores the Power of Voice
The 12 students in Theatre Professor Lynn Kremer’s Voice in Acting class are all shoeless, having a pillow fight. Standing in a circle, they’re tossing a pillow from one student to another, shouting a sentence with each throw. “They throw …
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Acting Up: James O’Connor ’98 Makes Name for Himself in Hollywood
He’s been a Commie and a cop, a goon and a grieving father, a hitman and he’s been hit a few times. Welcome to the world of character actor James Andrew O’Connor ’98, a guy who growls like a grizzly …