Program(s) Available: B.A., B.S., Minor
A Theatre from Northwest degree opens up numerous career opportunities and helps you develop diverse skills. Our graduates are successful in getting jobs in professional theatre career paths. We offer profession-based learning through classes early on in your academic career. Want to find out more? Keep reading!
At Northwest, we want you to jump right in! It's why we have the first-year student showcase, where you can be in a production in your first year. Our students are successful. A degree in Theatre from Northwest will get you on the right path to a job in the industry. Alumni have found success as actors, directors, designers and more.
Theatre Northwest operates in large like a family business. While theatre is an outstanding outlet for the creative endeavors of anyone of any major, Theatre Northwest majors become successful teachers, directors and forensics coaches, designers in any of several areas, performers, stage managers, stage technicians or production staff leaders and members, dramaturgs, and much more. They take jobs ranging from professional stage work to regional work with operas, cruise ship or theme park performers, university professors, drama therapists, theatre business managers, theatre publicity managers, arts administrators, and more. They act, design, build, paint, study, teach, and above all create. Theatre Northwest believes in learning by doing, early and often delicately combined with theory through classroom instruction, Master Classes and individual study. Completers of theatre Northwest’s majors become working professionals. If that is your goal, Northwest is for you.
In your first year as a Bearcat, you will have the opportunity to perform in several shows. In addition, you will take Acting, Oral Interpretation, Theatre Design, Theatre Foundations, Tech Skills in Theatre (up to three times in three separate areas), and Theatre Appreciation. Later, depending on the direction you choose to pursue, you will have classes such as Advanced Acting, Acting Periods and Styles, Voice and Movement, Creative Dramatics, Stage Makeup, Theatre Design in Costumes, Electrics, or scenery (or all), Theatre Drafting and Advanced Drafting, Playwriting, Theatre History (two options), Stage and Business Management, Directing, Theatre Capstone, and more. Northwest’s semi-comprehensive philosophy gives you an overview of all major areas of theatre but lets you focus as narrowly as you would like. This enhances marketability and helps graduates secure jobs right out of college.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is designed for students to take a minor. This 30-hour program can often open students up to pursue pathways like creative writing or wellness to add other skills to their resume. The Bachelor of Science (BS) is a 60-hour program dedicated to theatre exclusively in two tracks: Performance and Technical and Design.
First-year students may audition for theatre scholarships at either the fall or spring theatre visit day or at any time that can be arranged between students and faculty. Students majoring in any theatre area, including education, can earn scholarships. In addition, the theatre program offers numerous opportunities for work as facility assistants or earning service award scholarships in areas ranging from box office management to performance coaching to scene shop supervision. Between 10-20 service award scholarships are offered each year.
The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (30 hours), which requires a minor, provides students with practical and theoretical knowledge in all areas of theatre study in preparation for advanced training, graduate work or direct entry into the field.
Performance students begin in their first year with Theatre Foundations, Stage Makeup, Acting and Technical Skills. Students can build a diverse resume with four mainstage productions a year and several one-act opportunities. Check out our current schedule of shows for this year.
This technical and design specialization offers courses in drafting, scene design, stage lighting and more. Students gain profession-based learning through participating in four mainstage productions a year as well as one-act shows. Student employment opportunities are available through working as an assistant to the Technical Director/Performance Facilities Manager. Students in this program have interned and are currently working as Stage Managers on Broadway.
The minor in Theatre (24 hours) provides students majoring in other departments with a general knowledge of all major areas of theatre, and gives them the opportunity to apply that knowledge in production environments. View the catalog for courses.
Department of Fine and Performing Arts
660.562.1326
nikkiy@jmswierski.com
Career Ready
Theatre: Performance
“I think that Northwest has prepared me for the professional world in having a very well-rounded skill set. Being very versatile is wonderful for professional employers.” — Shawn Murphy
(APO) is a national honor society for theatre majors. Highlights for this group are an annual touring children’s show that donates proceeds to local charities and sponsorship of the annual year-end theatre awards banquet.
It is the United States Institute for Technical Theatre. Its membership comprises mainly designers and technicians, but all are encouraged to join. The group presents workshops throughout the year, and A national conference is an annual highlight.
It is Northwest’s premiere comedy club. They present two shows each semester that include sketch comedy, improvisation, stand-up comedy and more. Students from across the University are members of this exciting organization.
In addition to the Mainstage Show Series, Theatre Northwest produces two levels of student-directed plays. The first is the Black Box shows, one acts that are produced fully by students—acting, direction, and production staff. Students may also direct Second Stage Shows, which can be full-length shows produced in our newest venue, the Studio Theatre in the Houston Center.
Theatre B.A.s can minor in theatre in preparation for a career in musical theatre. Many also participate in ensembles such as the Tower Choir, the Wind Symphony, the Bearcat Marching Band or several other groups. Two department programs join bi-annually to produce a large-scale musical theatre production open to theatre majors in every area. Recent shows have included Urinetown, The SpongeBob Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and classics like Oklahoma and the Music Man.
