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About the BA in Theatre Degree

Why Study Theatre at Cedarville?

Are you looking for a theatre program that will prepare you for a wide variety of career options while embracing a distinctly Christian approach? Cedarville's highly regarded BA in theatre program is designed for you! At Cedarville, we do theatre differently, carefully selecting plays for each season to reflect Cedarville's Christ-centered community. From  Greek plays and musicals to Shakespeare and the modern era, the diverse range of theatrical genres you'll study offers countless opportunities to hone your skills and grow exponentially as an artist.

When you graduate, you'll have the excellent training and hands-on experience to work as an artist who glorifies God in the competitive world of theatre. You'll leave Cedarville ready to take on a number of positions in the theatre field, including acting, directing, designing, stage management, dramaturgy, arts administration, and much more. Whether onstage or behind the scenes, you'll be equipped to use your God-given talent and passion to become an excellent, relevant, and God-honoring theatre artist.

If you're passionate about theatre but pursuing another major, Cedarville also offers a theatre minor designed to fit your unique interests and goals. You'll gain foundational theatre skills while customizing your experience by choosing from a range of theatre electives.

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Theatre Program Highlights

Program Overview

Program Highlights

Abundant Opportunities — With three main stage productions, a senior theatre project, in-class scene performances, and more, you’ll have dozens of opportunities to get hands-on experience in all aspects of theatre.

Award-Winning, Mentoring Faculty — Our faculty and staff have received many local and regional honors, and they stay active as professional performers, designers, directors, choreographers, scholars, and consultants.

Outstanding Facilities — You will learn and perform in the DeVries Theatre, an impressive 400-seat theatre with modern technology and staging, as well as a movement studio, makeup suite, computer design lab, scene shop, costume shop, and dressing rooms. Student capstone productions utilize the facilities in Alford Auditorium.

Devries Theatre 360 Facility Tour

Placement Success

We're proud of our successful graduates! 100% of recent art, design, and theatre graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Check out Cedarville's other placement rates.

What Can You Do With a Theatre Degree?

Theatre graduates have a multitude of career possibilities:

  • Acting/Directing/Coaching
  • Arts Administration
  • Casting Direction
  • Dramaturgy and Literary Management
  • Ministry and Missions
  • Scenic/Lighting/Costume/Sound/Prop Design
  • Stage/Company/Event Management
  • Technology Direction
  • Theatre Education
  • Theatre Management
  • TV and Film Production and Direction

Our graduates have found exciting, fulfilling work in professional, educational, and ministry settings such as:

  • The Contemporary American Theatre Company, Columbus, Ohio
  • The Human Race Theatre Company, Dayton, Ohio
  • Minneapolis Children's Theatre
  • Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • Williamstown Theatre, Massachusetts

Our theatre graduates have been accepted into conservatories and graduate programs at schools such as:

  • E15 Acting School in England
  • University of Alabama
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • Gaiety School of Acting in Ireland
  • Mary Baldwin University
  • The Ohio State University
  • Regent University
  • Stella Adler School of Acting

Opportunities to Learn Outside the Classroom

Main Stage Productions — Audition for one of our three stunning current season main stage productions or work on props, costume, lighting, hair/makeup, or set crew behind the scenes. View past performances on our production archives page.

Senior Theatre Capstone Projects — As a graduating senior, you will have the chance to act, direct, design, or even write your own full-length, fully-produced capstone project. You could also choose to complete a pre-professional capstone internship to gain outside experience that aligns with your specific interests and abilities.

Dramaturgy — Help advise one of the main stage directors as a dramaturg, create an educational user guide about the production, and facilitate a talkback for the audience following a performance.

Study Abroad Program — Through Cedarville’s Study Abroad program, you can travel to places like London or Prague to experience theatre internationally.

Masterclasses and Workshops — Learn about specialized areas of theatre from exciting guest experts on topics like voice over and dialect work, commedia dell'arte, professional auditioning, and period acting styles and movement. You'll also get to attend annual festivals offered by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) and the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) to learn from acclaimed experts in the industry through workshops and masterclasses.

Professional Internships — Gain real-life, resume-building experience through various internship opportunities locally or in a major U.S. city. Our students have interned at:

  • Ahmanson Theatre/Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, California
  • Asolo Theatre, Sarasota, Florida
  • Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  • Texas Shakespeare Festival, Kilgore, Texas
  • Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida
  • Bay View Music Festival, Petoskey, Michigan
  • Contemporary American Theatre Company, Columbus, Ohio
  • Dayton Ballet, Dayton, Ohio
  • Limelight Theatre, St. Augustine, Florida
  • Muse Machine, Dayton, Ohio
  • CultureWorks, Dayton, Ohio
  • Victoria Theatre Association, Dayton, Ohio
  • Sight and Sound Theatre, Ronks, Pennsylvania

Theatre Festival Field Trips — Travel with other Cedarville theatre students and faculty to see productions in some of North America’s best theatres, such as the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, and multiple Broadway tours. You can also attend regional and national conferences to grow your professional network, audition for theatre jobs, interview for graduate programs, and compete for scholarships.

Main Stage Productions

Posters for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Much Ado About Nothing; and Silent Sky theatre productions.

Take a look at the main stage productions scheduled for the current season. There's something for everyone!

Explore our production archives to see past main stage productions. You'll find thought-provoking dramas, hilarious comedies, and lively musicals.

Check out past theatre performances on Cedarville's Digital Commons, where you can get to know each show through programs, photo galleries, and more!

Theatre Scholarships

Student actors sitting around a table in a theatre production.
We are pleased to offer theatre scholarships to new theatre majors, ranging from $1,000-$2,000. Awards are based on your audition or design portfolio review, theatrical experience, academic merit, and financial need.

Program Curriculum

As a theatre major, you'll take courses to make you a well-rounded artist. Having a good understanding of performance, design, stage management, and directing will lead to better collaboration in whatever area you choose to pursue. You can also tailor your elective coursework to match your unique career goals, or even add a specialized minor in performance or design.

Building on your general education liberal arts and Bible minor courses, your theatre coursework is structured to allow you to be active in main stage shows, senior capstone productions, and class projects. If you want to further customize your education, you'll have room to add a second minor or even major.

Sample Courses:

  • Acting II
  • Advanced Theatrical Design
  • Musical Theatre Techniques
  • Stage Management
  • The Christian in Theatre

Program Format and Related Programs

Cedarville offers both graduate and undergraduate programs, with flexible completion options. You may also want to consider these related programs as you consider the degree or program that is a best fit for you.

Program Level and Format

  • Undergraduate
  • Residential
  • 4-Year
Professor Stratton leading a theatre rehearsal onstage.

From Our Students:

Job and Grad School Placement

Program Faculty

Photo of Stacey Stratton

Stacey Stratton, MFA

Assistant Professor of Theatre

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Program Staff

Photo of Tim Phipps

Tim Phipps

Theatre Production and Technical Director

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Photo of Debbie Izer

Debbie Izer

Administrative Assistant - Art, Design & Theatre

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Program News