Theatre

Artists are builders — creators of something from nothing.
Come together to make something new every time the curtain rises.

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Launch Fine Arts

Act, direct, design, write, study—you can do it all.

Students graduate from our program able to produce excellent work in all areas of theatre: acting, directing, design, management and dramaturgy. Our curriculum trains students as theatre generalists who possess the full range of skills for a career in theatre. Broad training is supplemented by concentrated study in one of the following areas: acting, design and technology, or dramaturgy. 

Theatre training provides essential skills. 

57% of business leaders surveyed in 2018 said they believed soft skills were the most important. Perhaps that’s because soft skills translate to any career path and most aspects of being a great employee, teammate, and leader.

In 2019, LinkedIn named it “the most important skill in the world.” The World Economic Forum (WEF) placed it third on a list of the “10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Surprisingly, it is not data science or artificial intelligence, but something much softer: creativity.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, “as the COVID-19 outbreak became more and more serious, companies learned a valuable lesson: the difference between success and failure is creativity…creativity has not only become highly valuable, but a way to survive…Creatives are the ones who are keeping brands afloat.”

Want to teach theatre? We do that, too.

In addition to a theatre major, we offer a theatre education major for students interested in becoming theatre teachers. Broad training in theatre is supplemented by coursework in education.

  • <blockquote class="callout-quote"><div class="callout-quote-text"><p> “Because it is such a small department, each professor takes the time to really help and get to know you as a person, actor and student.”</p></div><footer class="callout-quote-footer">Emma Wohlstadter ’23</footer></blockquote>

For majors and non-majors alike.

While many students choose theatre, our program also offers opportunities for students in other majors who want to continue to perform, direct, design or crew. Many of our theatre students also take advantage of opportunities at Monmouth in music and art

As a special benefit of our program, all theatre majors receive a free professional headshot. See samples and meet our current majors below.

Students

  • Grace Cornelius Headshot

    Grace Cornelius

    Class of 2024
    Art and Theatre
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  • Gwen Schultz Headshot

    Gwenavier Schultz

    Class of 2024
    Theatre Education and History Education
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  • Drew Cliffel

    Class of 2023
    Theatre
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  • Zesty Lythgoe Headshot

    Zesty Lythgoe

    Class of 2024
    History Education and Theatre Minor
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  • Allie Bryan

    Class of 2022
    Theatre
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Theatre News

  • Episode No. 32: May 15, 2023

    Theatre professor Doug Rankin ’79 reflects on growing up on the Monmouth campus, attending the College as a student and teaching theatre for more than three decades.
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  • Arc of a Career

    Theatre’s Doug Rankin goes from Monmouth faculty brat, to outstanding student, to talented set designer, to emeritus professor.
    Read More
  • ‘Musings of a Faculty Brat’

    Retiring theatre professor Doug Rankin, who grew up near campus and is a 1979 Monmouth graduate, to speak at May 18 Monmouth Associates.
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  • By the numbers

    Forget the should.Free the possible.

  • Off-Campus Experiences

    STUDY ABROAD?PACK YOUR BAGS.