At a glance: Theatre
At a glance: Theatre
Did you know? Every year, Ohio Northern hosts an International Play Festival. Works are commissioned from international playwrights and are produced as an evening of one-acts. Past countries have included East Germany, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Estonia, Israel, Argentina and Chile.
Theatre Features:
[True] Freshman
The B.A. in theatre is designed as a well-rounded introduction to the theatrical arts, ideal for the student who desires a program with more flexibility or variety than the B.F.A., or who wishes to double major. After satisfying the required courses within the B.A., students are encouraged, with the help of an advisor, to design the focus of their choice. Possibilities include: acting, technical theatre, theatre administration, dramatic literature or dramaturgy/playwriting. Visit the department's web site.
Degrees offered
Our students earn a bachelor of arts in theatre. A minor in theatre is also available.
Distinctive features
- Program blends conservatory courses and production opportunities with the philosophy and resources of a liberal arts institution
- A unique international emphasis includes plentiful opportunities to work with international guest artists, touring and the annual International Play Festival
- Inspiring, challenging work with nationally and internationally acclaimed directors, actors, dancers, choreographers and designers (20 guests each year)
- The dance minor has an extensive guest artist program that allows students to network with professionals
- Double majors are encouraged and permitted across the University
- Academic and talent awards
Facilities
The Freed Center for the Performing Arts is a modern facility with the latest equipment, including:
- A 550-seat proscenium theatre and 132-seat studio theatre
- Dance/rehearsal room, scenic and costume shops, and academic and performance support spaces
- “Smart” classrooms equipped with current instructional technology
- State-of-the-art computer lab
Student organizations
Theta Alpha Phi – national theatre honorary
Program outcomes
The BA in theatre has been a stepping stone for a wide range of opportunities for ONU students. They have secured internships and employment in areas such as acting, stage management, children’s theatre (Missoula Children’s Theatre), theatre administration (Washington, D.C.,’s Imagination Stage and the La Jolla Playhouse) and at casting agencies. ONU theatre majors have also been accepted to an array of highly rated law schools (such as William and Mary) and have pursued a variety of careers in communication arts and business.
Professional placement
The BFA program in international theatre production (ITP) enjoys a very high rate of placement for its graduates seeking either employment or further education at the graduate level. ONU’s frequent hosting of guest artists enables many of its technical students to secure useful professional contacts, and sometimes employment, before graduating. Graduates from the ITP program have worked at such prestigious theatres as the Cleveland Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Harlem and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. They have been accepted to some of the most competitive graduate programs for theatre and design, including the Yale School of Drama and Carnegie Mellon University.
Career opportunities
All theatre arts degree programs prepare students for exciting careers or graduate school opportunities. Students graduating with the BFA in musical theatre have enjoyed significant success in finding professional work, internships and graduate school placement. They have worked at many prestigious, nationally recognized theatres, including La Jolla Playhouse in California, the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and the Denver Center for the Arts in Colorado. They have performed in national tours such as Scrooge, Kiss Me Kate, Beauty and the Beast and Sesame Street. Musical theatre majors occasionally focus their career paths in the area of dance; students graduating with a minor in dance have worked professionally as dancers or instructors.
