Theatre

Theatre is a major and minor within F&M’s Department of Theatre and Dance. You’ll study the interwoven elements of theatre, including acting, playwriting, directing, design, theatre history, dramatic literature, and applied theatre in schools by working directly with local educational institutions. Our program blends artistic practice with scholarly inquiry, preparing you to understand, critique, make and perform dramatic works of art.

Your learning will extend beyond the classroom; it’s only fitting to study theatre in the theatre itself. You’ll find exciting opportunities to engage in the aspects of theatre you’re most inspired by, integrate theory with practice, and collaborate with your talented peers and professors to bring productions to life in our three exceptional theatre venues. 

By the time you graduate, you will be able to demonstrate: 

• Knowledge of influential and diverse theatrical traditions in their respective historical, cultural and theoretical contexts.
• The ability to analyze and interpret the dramatic, performative, and visual perspectives of theatrical literature.
• A proficient level of skill in acting, directing, design, playwriting, and production.
• The ability to draw on diverse resources, techniques and technologies to generate solutions to abstract and material problems.
• The ability to articulate a critical response to dramatic theory, literature, design and performance—including your own work and personal aesthetic.
• The ability to collaborate effectively in a manner that translates to the professional arena.
  

Wondering what theatre courses are like? Explore our course catalog to see what classes are available to you.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to step outside of the classroom and on to the stage (or behind the curtain!). With F&M theatre productions and research and study-abroad opportunities, you’ll develop your talents and skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the theatrical areas that most inspire you.

Theatre Productions

See firsthand how all pieces of the puzzle fit together to create a final production. Each year, F&M holds impressive theatrical performances designed and directed by theatre faculty members with a cast and crew of students selected by audition. Auditions are open to the entire student body regardless of major, and students who work on faculty-directed productions do so for course credit. If you major in theatre, you will be required to complete at least two crew assignments.

You can enjoy incredible opportunities to step on stage and perform, as well as work behind the scenes with props, scenic design, lighting, sound, costumes, makeup and more. You’ll also collaborate with accomplished professionals in the industry, including your talented professors; professional musicians, music directors, composers, dramaturgs, and more; and guest artists including Broadway stage managers and professional designers.

Research Opportunities 

Do you want to apprentice as a director or write an original play that will be fully produced and performed? You can at F&M. Every student has extraordinary opportunities to engage in independent or faculty-led research. In particular, the annual Student New Works Festival features original plays by F&M students, designed and staged by faculty with high production values. Students can also receive honors in theatre for written thesis work and have even earned print and online publications by co-writing articles with faculty. In addition to writing-based research, theatre research includes embodied practice: students regularly work on faculty creative research as performers, stage managers, designers, and performance creators outside of the College.
Explore research at F&M

Off-Campus Study

Theatre students have traveled the world to further explore the art of theatre. They’ve studied domestically at the National Theatre Institute and SITI Company, as well as abroad in London, Prague, and Milan, and in South Africa, Scotland, Turkey, and more. 

The theatre department also offers two summer travel awards: the Franklin J. Schaffner Theatre Award and the Geoff Pywell Award. The Schaffner Award honors outstanding contributions to the theatre program and gives awarded students the opportunity to attend English theatre productions and enroll in theatre programs in England. The Pywell Award recognizes a rising sophomore or junior’s achievement and potential in acting and supports that student’s summer study in acting or directing.
Explore off-campus study at F&M

At F&M, you’ll study, write, create and perform in our world-class performing arts facilities.

The Roschel Performing Arts Center

The Roschel Performing Arts Center is the main-stage theatre on campus. It’s home to the Schnader Theatre, two spacious dance studios, a drama studio, a box office, dressing rooms, a costume shop, and a scenery shop.

The Schnader Theatre

Located in the Roschel Performing Arts Center, the Schnader Theatre has seating for 305 while maintaining an intimate feel. With state-of-the-art technology, a pit that can fit a small orchestra, and a thrust stage that’s larger than two-thirds of most Broadway stages, the Schnader Theatre is the perfect location for both professional and college productions.

Green Room Theatre

Join the ranks of F&M students who have walked the Green Room Theatre stage, including big-screen actors Roy Scheider ’55 of Jaws ; director James Lapine ’71, a three-time Tony Award winner; and theatrical literary agent Jonathan Lomma ’99, who worked with Stephen Spielberg on the 2021 award-winning production of West Side Story. 

Located in the lower level of F&M’s Keiper Liberal Arts Building, the Green Room Theatre has seating for 205 and hosts faculty- and student-led theatrical and dance performances, and even student video productions. The theatre opened in 1937 and was named for the Green Room drama club, which was founded in 1899. The current iteration of the club continues to produce a variety of theatrical performances, including dramas, musicals, and everything in between.

The Other Room Theatre

The Other Room Theatre is a flexible black box space located several blocks away from F&M's main campus. It's a locus for developing new work including faculty research projects, as well as a host space for student-driven curricular and extracurricular projects including: improv, open mic nights, and play production.

What happens after you graduate with a degree in theatre? Our graduates are prepared to pursue advanced degrees or begin their chosen careers from day one. The creative and intellectual activities that make up the work of theatre — including reading, writing, discussing, creating and performing — help you develop useful, collaborative, and productive skills, which are valuable for any post-college plan.

Graduate School

A well-rounded liberal arts education prepares F&M theatre graduates to pursue advanced degrees in a number of fields, including:

• Acting
  Some recent graduates have gone on to highly competitive and fully funded Masters of Fine Arts in Acting programs, for example at Brown University and Ohio State University.
• Dance
• Design
• Directing
• Documentary Film
• Gender in Performance 
• Performance and Public Practice
• Performance Studies
  PhD level studies at, for example, Tufts University.
• Playwriting
• Screenwriting
• Stage Management
• Theatre for Young Audiences

Career Paths

Theatre graduates enjoy a vast array of creative careers and have excelled in performance, television, film, stage production, and more. They’ve worked at local theatres including Fulton Theatre and PRIMA Theatre, as well as the country’s top regional theatres including The Public Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, and Alliance Theatre. Graduates hold positions such as: 

• Acting Coach
• Actor
• Audience Relations Specialist
• Stage Manager
• Casting Agent
• Choreographer 
• Cinematographer
• Community Outreach Director
• Costume Designer
• Creative Director
• Dramaturg
• Editor
• Events Designer
• Film Managing Partner
• Lighting Designer
• Literary Agent
• Marketing Manager
• Media Specialist
• Motion Graphic Artist
• Performing Arts Managing Director
• Playwright
• Production Designer
• Professor
• Props Designer
• Sound Designer 
• Stage Manager
• Story Producer
• Teacher
• Theatre Director
• Writer