Theatre Arts
The faculty of the CMU Theatre Arts department provide education, training, and experience in the demanding collaborative art of theatre that fully complements and emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded engagement with life, one that is intellectual, psychological, artistic, curious, and collaborative.
The faculty is dedicated to preparing students for any and all work involving public presentation; to supporting and expanding the understanding of human culture and history through theatre, its influence on the development of societal institutions, and the role theatre has played in the expression of human emotion; to educating students in the exploration and expression of the complexity and diversity of human existence, whether in the classroom or on stage; and to developing graduates with a holistic approach to their studies, and a panoramic perspective to human relationships.
Theatre is above all a collaborative art that sets an example for how life should be lived. Artistic works of all kinds, especially in the influential world of the theatre strive to make the world a better place for all to live, requiring dedication to the community, while also challenging the society to expand its horizons and its understanding of life.
The Department of Theatre Arts offers a major leading to either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in theatre arts or communication/theatre arts (which is especially designed for those seeking teaching certification). Theatre arts majors may utilize study in the department as preparation for a career in theatre or graduate work in theatre.
Students seeking certification at the secondary level select an emphasis in both communication and theatre arts, receiving general background in both disciplines.
A declared minor in theatre arts may be used to enhance another field of study or to develop specific skills or interests of the student. Most of the courses in theatre arts are open to students of any major, and drama productions frequently involve students concentrating in a variety of academic disciplines.
CMU has a chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, a national honorary fraternity in theatre (advisor: Dr. Mark Kelty).
Theatre Program Outcomes
Academic Preparation
- Theory, history, and literature understanding sufficient to pursue theatre as a profession or for further academic study.
Performance Skills
- Performance Skills sufficient for demonstration and creditable public performance at professional level.
Technical and Design Skills
- Technical and artistic skills necessary to pursue theatre as a profession.
Leading Others
- Synthesis of pedagogy, academic preparation, and performance skills sufficient to lead others in making theatre.
Majors and Minors
Major Minor
BA or BS in Theatre Arts BA or BS in Theatre Arts with Cert. in Speech and Theatre Theatre Arts Minor