Theatre Program
We'll challenge you, we'll collaborate with you, and we'll care about you.
Within the WKU Theatre Program you will find two majors, three minors, and a wealth of opportunities. We are committed to fulfilling the missions of our University, our College, and our Department by training our students to be creative, resourceful, and engaged artists who will be the next generation of leaders in our field.
We firmly believe that theatre benefits our region, our nation, and our world in all kinds of ways:
· As a source of cultural enrichment and entertainment.
· As an economic engine for communities.
· As a place where people come together to share an experience across all kinds of borders and boundaries.
· As a space where empathy and understanding can grow.
While students may choose to specialize in a particular area through the BFA degree, we make sure that specialization doesn’t become a limitation. The most successful artists are often the ones who have learned about and experienced a variety of theatre work. To quote Lin-Manuel Miranda’s advice for theatre majors: “Do all the things. … Theatre is all about collaboration, so you have to actually understand a bit of the job your collaborators are doing, so that you can speak to them fluently.” Not only that, exploring new areas of theatre is an opportunity to discover new passions and additional ways to be involved with the theatre industry. With this in mind, all of our majors take at least some course work in performance, design and technology, and theatre history and literature.
WHAT WE DO:
Every student is different, and we see that as an asset to our department and to our field! We offer all kinds of opportunities for artistic, technical, and personal growth so that you can shape your training in the ways that best suit your individual needs and goals.
Productions
From our faculty directed mainstages, to our student directed studio and TYA seasons, to our New Works Festival, you’ll have all kinds of opportunities to learn by doing. Our department is your laboratory.
Collaborations on Creative Work / Research with the Faculty and Staff
Students collaborate closely with department faculty in all kinds of ways:
Production
Students are collaborators on our faculty directed mainstage shows not only as actors and crew but as designers, stage managers, dramaturgs, and assistant directors.
These Shining Lives Stage Manager Kathleen Kerr and Assistant Director Allie Thomas with Dr. Michelle Dvoskin, the production's Director, before a performance.
FUSE (Faculty-Undergraduate Student Engagement) grant projects:
TAing for courses
Students learn about teaching and enrich their own knowledge by serving as Teaching Assistants for Theatre classes including University Experience, Musical Theatre History, Fundamentals of Theatre, and multiple courses in our Acting sequence.
Travel
From Louisville to London to New York, we offer a range of options for experiencing professional theatre! Whether attending College Days weekend at the nationally renowned Humana Festival of New Plays at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville or spending a week in London or New York City, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to experience professional theatre!
Deanna Ogleseby gets hands on in the Props Department at the National Theatre of London!
Honors Sections / Capstones
To watch Cut Song Cabaret, click here.
To read more about Claire's process, click here.
To listen to "Listening Back", click here.
To read more about Maddie's process, click here.
AFTER YOU GRADUATE:
Many of our students go on to very successful careers in theatre and the arts - take a look at our alumni page to see just a few examples of what they’ve been up to! But even if theatre doesn’t end up being the professional path you choose, the “soft skills” you’ll gain here are precisely the ones that will lead to success in whatever field(s) you pursue: Collaboration. Communication. Creativity. Critical Thinking. Empathy. Flexibility. Problem Solving. Professionalism.
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