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Theatre
| Overview |
Welcome to the CMU Theatre Arts Webpage! We have a strong
tradition of theatrical excellence at CMU.
Visit the Fine and Performing Arts Website
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| What skills and abilities do I need to excel in this degree? |
| In addition to the skills they will build while studying in
our program, most theatre majors need to be hard-working and
serious about understanding human behavior and human
relationships. It also helps to feel comfortable in front of
large audiences, but this is also another skill that can be
developed while you are studying here. |
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What skills can I expect to develop through this degree? |
All theatre majors and minors, as well as other students who
participate in our productions, develop a strong set of skills
that prepare them for a life in the theatre and most other
businesses and organizations. Our productions put into practice
the skills that are being taught in the classroom; theatre is a
true co-curricular activity.- Individual initiative: whether acting onstage or working
behind the scenes, students learn to work on their own to
prepare for rehearsals and performances.
- Teamwork/Collaboration: Once the individual preparatory work
is done, students need to gel as a team and work together to
create a unified artistic production. Trust in each other is an
important sub-component to collaborating with each other.
Students who work together in a production need to trust each
other and rely on the support of each other when they take the
sort of artistic onstage risks that make a play sparkle
- Accountability/Timeliness: Opening night stands as a constant
reminder that we are working on a project with a deadline.
Through individual initiative and teamwork, we need to bring
together all of the technical, design, and performance
components by Opening Night. It’s always there waiting for us.
- Performance Skills: Performance skills are developed and
practiced both in the classroom and in productions. We offer
classes in acting, movement, voice, stage makeup, as well as
other performance-oriented areas.
- Academic Skills: Our department embraces a Liberal Arts
approach to theatre. We believe it is important to understand
the history and literature of theatre and apply it to your work
onstage. Your coursework is all geared toward building the
skills you need to find playable dramatic values in the playscripts you read.
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What opportunities are there for internships or other hands-on learning experiences? |
| All theatre majors participate in our Portfolio Review,
which gives students an opportunity to audition for and receive
feedback from faculty from CMU and other universities. The
review process compels students to maintain a portfolio,
including professional headshots and resumes to accompany their
audition pieces. Since this is a Fall event, students are then
prepared to audition/interview for work in the Summer Rep and
Stock companies at the American College Theatre Festival in
January and other auditions that occur in the area each
February. The past three summers, our students have worked in
professional theatre at MU Summer Repertory Theatre, Maples Rep
Theatre, and Starlight Theatre in Kansas City. Our purpose is to
have all of our students leave CMU with professional experience
on their resumes. |
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What are some possible entry-level careers with a degree in this
field? |
Acting at local, regional, touring, or national level.
Technical work/stage managing at local, regional, touring, or
national level.
Educational theatre at secondary level.
When combined with appropriate fields, theatre is excellent
preparation for a wide variety of businesses. |
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What are some CMU graduates with this degree doing? |
Sadie Chandler: Professor at Central Michigan University
Bill Chott: Comedy Improv School in St. Louis, Hollywood: The
Ringer and other movies.
Tiffany Brown: High School teacher in Sedalia
Tracy Crowe Jones: Director of Alumni Relations at CMU
Theron Seckington: Scenic Design MFA program at University of
Nebraska-Lincoln |
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