Theatre Arts
No matter what area of the theatre you're interested in -- whether it's acting, directing, playwriting, musical theatre, set and costume design, stagecraft, or even front of house operations like theatre and box office management -- at Marietta you'll get plenty of experience. We stage three main stage productions and three to six studio productions each year, with several directed by theatre majors. These productions span all types of theatre, and every season includes at least one musical. Best of all, auditions for our productions are open to everyone -- you don't have to be a theatre major to be the lead.
Along with giving you experience, Marietta's Theatre Arts programs will teach you the theory and method it takes to deliver a strong message, no matter what the audience. We offer two different degrees that prepare you for a career in drama or theatre, or as a teacher of drama. You can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre (which puts more of an emphasis on performance). A Theatre major's educational experience culminates with a significant project supervised by a department faculty member. This project might be realized through involvement in a departmental production, such as acting in a major role, directing, designing, or stage management, or a creative project such as writing a script for a play or film.
Facilities
The Hermann Fine Arts Center is home to Marietta's art, music, communication, and theatre facilities. The Friederich Theatre, located on the first floor, seats 200 and can accommodate any type of staging used in the modern theater. The Fine Arts Center houses Studio 101, a small, 65-seat theatre, a paint/dye room, a general shop area, a hall, and a storage room for scenery. The second floor features a costume and make-up lab, men's and women's dressing rooms, a costume storage area, and a lighting control room.
Required Courses
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre take courses in:
- Play Production: Stagecraft
- Play Production: Lighting
- Play Production: Costuming
- heatrical Makeup
- Introduction to Multimedia
- Stage Design
- Introduction to Play Directing
- Intermediate Play Directing
- Senior Capstone Course: Research Methods
- Four elective courses in Theatre
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre requires courses in:
- Acting I and II
- Auditioning
- Advanced Acting
- Comedy Workshop
- Play Production: Stagecraft
- Play Production: Lighting
- Play Production: Costuming
- Theatrical Makeup
- Introduction to Multimedia
- Stage Design
- Introduction to Play Directing
- Intermediate Play Directing
- Voice and Articulation
- Dramatic literature courses
- Theatre Internship
- Senior Capstone Course: Research Methods
As a student in the BFA in Theatre program, you must be actively involved in at least two campus productions each semester.
Requirements for a Minor
As a theatre minor, you must complete 21 hours of coursework in theatre.
Places a Degree Can Take You
Internships
Theatre majors receive credit for summer or other off-campus theatre experience approved in advance by the Director of Theatre. Our students intern at places like the Charlotte Repertory Theatre in North Carolina; Cain Park Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio; and The Actors Theater of Louisville, Kentucky.
Clubs & Organizations
As a student in the Theatre Arts program, you may be eligible for Alpha Psi Omega, the national honorary society for students showing special aptitude, participation, and interest in all forms of dramatic work.
Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) is the national leadership honor society that selects students showing superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character.
Successful Alumni
Our graduates go on to appear in movies and TV dramas. They become specialists in wardrobe, set design and construction, lighting, and theatre management. They also work as drama critics, fine arts editors, and creators and producers of films and videos. You'll find Marietta alumni in positions like:
- Post Production Coordinator, Arden Entertainment
North Hollywood, CA - Actor, 13th Street Repertory Company
New York, NY - M.A./Ph.D. Candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA - Actress, Television/Music Videos
Culver City, CA - Television Producer, The Division
Hollywood, CA - Professor of Acting, Ohio University
Athens, OH
Scholarship Opportunities
The Florence Gross Morgan Memorial Scholarship provides a partial tuition scholarship to a student studying or intending to study in the field of the fine arts.
The John and Dianne Brock Krahnert Scholarship provides financial assistance to a deserving freshman who has an interest in theatre.
Each year a number of Talent Scholarships are awarded in acting, musical theatre, technical theatre, management, etc.